Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts

New Report Examines Science Education in California Elementary Schools

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

New Report Examines Science Education in California Elementary Schools:New Report Examines Science Education in California Elementary Schools inShare A new research report, “High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California Elementary Schools”, will be released for publication and broadcast on Tuesday, October 25, 2011WEBWIRE – Monday, October 24, 2011News Advisory:Sacramento, CA (October 21, 2011) – A new research report, “High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California Elementary Schools”, will be released ... more »

Blue Jersey:: Ledger Logic - Billionaire Boys Club Edition

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

Blue Jersey:: Ledger Logic - Billionaire Boys Club Edition:Ledger Logic - Billionaire Boys Club Editionby: Jersey JazzmanMon Oct 24, 2011 at 09:00:00 AM EDTTom Moran over at the Star-Ledger has outdone himself this time: an opinion piece under his own byline combined with an editorial he presumably wrotemake for a one-two punch that knock fairness and logic on their asses.Let's start with Moran's long, wet kiss to David Tepper, hedge fund multi-billionaire. After the predictable Horatio Alger claptrap about Tepper's ... more »

When Renovating a Library Means Ditching the Books - Education - GOOD

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

When Renovating a Library Means Ditching the Books - Education - GOOD:When Renovating a Library Means Ditching the Booksby Liz DwyerThe library at Cushing Academy, a small private high school in Massachusetts, underwent an extensive renovation in 2009, and the change was more than just physical. The school sold or donated 40,000-plus books from its collection, replacing them with digital texts. Two years into the experiment, the school staff say it's been an unqualified success.Tom Corbett, the library's executive director, ... more »

How High School Anti-Bullying Programs Can Make Things Worse « Student Activism

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

How High School Anti-Bullying Programs Can Make Things Worse « Student Activism:How High School Anti-Bullying Programs Can Make Things Worseby Angus JohnstonYouth culture scholars Danah Boyd and Alice Marwick have a thought-provoking op-ed in today’s New York Times, one that challenges a lot of the assumptions teachers and parents bring to bullying discussions.High school students, they’ve found, rarely use the word bullying to describe even the most obvious examples of such behavior. Instead, they — particularly girls — dismiss it ... more »

The Difference between TFA "Corps Members" and Regular Teachers - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

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

The Difference between TFA "Corps Members" and Regular Teachers - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:The Difference between TFA "Corps Members" and Regular Teachersby Nancy FlanaganA few days before Barack Obama formally chose Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education, I was forwarded a message string clipped from a Teach for America listserv. The forwarder was a TFA "corps" veteran, with whom I was working on an ed-policy initiative. It was a fascinating glimpse into the judgment and ... more »

Teaching Feminism in High School: Moving from Theory to Action « Feminist Teacher

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

Teaching Feminism in High School: Moving from Theory to Action « Feminist Teacher:Teaching Feminism in High School: Moving from Theory to Actionby feministteacherThe following post was originally published at On the Issues. The students in my feminism class read Rachel Lloyd's memoir, Girls Like Us, about the commercial sexual exploitation of children. (Photo, Steve Neiman, used with permission).During a recent Twitter chat on #sheparty hosted by the Women’s Media Center, I tweeted: “How many feminists know edu hashtags and vice ... more »

School reform politics: A view from the left | EdNewsColorado

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

School reform politics: A view from the left | EdNewsColorado:School reform politics: A view from the leftby Alan GottliebEditor’s note: This piece was submitted by Angela Engel, the author of the book, “Seeds of Tomorrow; Solutions for Improving our Children’s Education” and the director of Uniting4Kids a new national non-profit promoting quality neighborhood schools through parent, teacher and student leadership.National interests are investing heavily in Colorado’s school board races. The players are many, the politics ugly, and the possibilities well…The ... more »

David Ellison: Educators teach to the testOne last rant before I bid you farewell - Inside Bay Area

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

David Ellison: One last rant before I bid you farewell - Inside Bay Area:David Ellison: One last rant before I bid you farewellBy David EllisonOakland TribunePosted: 10/24/2011 12:00:00 AM PDTI've poured myself a glass of wine to celebrate and mourn this, my 551st and final column.As many of you may know, the Bay Area News Group soon will consolidate most of its newspapers; since my column has appeared in but two them, it was a foregone conclusion that I, as ... more »

Diane Ravitch debunking claims of 'miracle' schools and challenges New York Times editorial praise for New Orleans's 'turnaround' | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

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Diane Ravitch debunking claims of 'miracle' schools and challenges New York Times editorial praise for New Orleans's 'turnaround' | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education:Diane Ravitch debunking claims of 'miracle' schools and challenges New York Times editorial praise for New Orleans's 'turnaround'by adminDiane Ravitch - October 18, 2011http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=2712section=Article[Substance Editor's Note: The following was blogged to Education Week's blog on October 18, 2011 and is shared here with our readers. Long time Substance readers will not t...more »

The Real Reason Kids Are Missing From School « Cooperative Catalyst

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The Real Reason Kids Are Missing From School « Cooperative Catalyst:The Real Reason Kids Are Missing From Schoolby John T. SpencerEducation Week posted a poll on Facebook regarding student absenteeism. The post does’t ask whether it should be a crime to miss school or whether compulsory schooling violates the rights of parents to raise their own children. It doesn’t ask whether the implementation of truancy laws has anything to do with the allocation of funds that schools get based upon ... more »

NYPD tells teachers, “No grading papers in public.” « Fred Klonsky's blog

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NYPD tells teachers, “No grading papers in public.” « Fred Klonsky's blog:NYPD tells teachers, “No grading papers in public.”by Fred KlonskyAnne and I are in New York for the weekend to see our kids and grand kids. Plus it is our 35th wedding anniversary. Naturally we want to spend some time at Occupy Wall Street.Liberty Park is jammed with people. Some have taken up permanent residence in sleeping backs and tents. Hundreds more fill the park every day with signs ... more »

Eli Lilly’s Pushers for Corporate School Reform:

Eli Lilly’s Pushers for Corporate School Reform

The Lilly Endowment is the venture philanthropy outfit which owns stock in the mega pharmaceutical drug company, Eli Lilly. As a major participant in advancing the corporatization of Indiana education, the Lilly Endowment prominently finances local initiatives and national rightwing anti-public school think tanks like the Sagamore Institute, the Hudson Institute, the Manhattan Institute, and the American Enterprise Institute.

Besides Mitch Daniels, past and current drug company and endowment members are embedded in

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Dems living abroad in France get it right

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Dems living abroad in France get it right:

Dems living abroad in France get it right

I wonder why the Democrats, living abroad in France, seem to have it much more together than the ones in the White House, Congress and the DOE?

Here's the education platform they want the Democratic Party to adopt:

DRAFT RESOLUTION ON STRENGTHENING QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL AMERICAN YOUNG PEOPLE

Proposed by Chair Democrats Abroad France, Constance Borde assisted by the Democrats Abroad France Education Policy Group Chair: Dr. Leslie J. Limage

(Originally submitted to DA Resolutions Committee on September 14, 2011, Approved for transmission

Blue Jersey:: State Street Juxtaposition: "Fair School Funding" & Occupy Trenton #OWS

Blue Jersey:: State Street Juxtaposition: "Fair School Funding" & Occupy Trenton:

State Street Juxtaposition: "Fair School Funding" & Occupy Trenton

by Rosi Efthim

Right now, there's an interesting juxtaposition going on in Trenton. The Occupy Trenton folks, who have addressed American economics by pointing out the increased concentration of wealth in the country's most privileged, have been maintaining 24/7 vigil for more than two weeks under a veterans memorial dome across the street from the State House, and broadcasting live video feed, with live chat, for almost that whole time.

They just turned their camera around when a podium made its appearance across the street in front of where the New Jersey legislature does their business. They're catching on camera a press conference. It's hard to hear, as you pick out words behind the buses, cars and street traffic of West State Street. But I believe we heard Senator Mike Doherty talking about his "Fair School Funding Plan". Chiusano and Cardinale were also mentioned, and it's possible they spoke. It may be their entire GOP stable. Somebody just mentioned Senator Loretta Weinberg

Hechinger Report | More, better early education could help close California’s achievement gap

Hechinger Report | More, better early education could help close California’s achievement gap:

More, better early education could help close California’s achievement gap

by Sarah Garland

Grace Castro's daughter, Claudine, teachers a group of students in the foyer of the family's home. (Photo by Sarah Garland)

In California, the state with the largest population of Hispanic students in the country, the achievement gap starts early—long before children enter school.

Hispanic children are much less likely to enroll in preschool than white or black children, and begin kindergarten more than half a year behind their white counterparts. First-generation immigrant students, many who speak only

California has one of nation’s highest gaps in Hispanic-white reading proficiency

by Sarah Garland

At an elementary school in Soledad, in the Salinas Valley, a group of students that have performed moderately on state tests practice reading skills with an intervention teacher. (Photo by Sarah Garland)

SOLEDAD, Calif.–On a cool winter morning Nicole Miller circulated through her fourth-grade classroom in this small town in the Salinas Valley, quizzing students on material they’d likely see on state tests in the spring.

“How do you know ‘hit the lights’ is

English learners far behind under English-only methods

by Sarah Garland

Patty Sanchez reads a storybook in Spanish to her classroom of kindergartners at Geddes Elementary School in Baldwin Park, where English learners have closed the gap with native speakers. (Photo by Sarah Garland)

BALDWIN PARK, Calif.–The end of the school day in Patty Sanchez’s kindergarten class at Geddes Elementary School is not so different from other kindergarten classes around the state. Children gather on a rug as Sanchez

Yes, Public Sector Cutbacks are Hurting the Economy

Today’s Workplace:

Yes, Public Sector Cutbacks are Hurting the Economy

October 24th, 2011 | Matthew Yglesias

I’m reading on right-wing blogs that it was somehow “deceptive” of me to post accurate statistical information about the fact that the private sector labor market is showing okay growth while the public sector labor market is deteriorating. You see, net private sector job losses since the start of the recession have been larger! This is true, which is why I never said otherwise. That’s for the very good reason that the total scale of government employment is pretty small relative to private sector employment:

We have, in other words, many more people working at CVS than the DMV. Which is great. That’s your modern day mixed market economy. Most people work in the private sector. That means the scale of private sector shifts is

Daily Kos: Political Dissent in a Time of (Economic) Crisis #OWS

Daily Kos: Political Dissent in a Time of (Economic) Crisis:

Political Dissent in a Time of (Economic) Crisis

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

My spouse, Leaves on the Current, an active member of the American Studies Association, told me to feel free to distribute widely the following statement:

Political Dissent in a Time of (Economic) Crisis
A Statement by the Council of the American Studies Association
20 October 2011

We are the public. We are workers. We are the 99%. We speak with the people here in Baltimore and around the globe occupying plazas, parks, and squares in opposition to failed austerity programs, to oligarchy, and to the unequal distribution of wealth and power. The loss of jobs, healthcare, and homes, the distressing use of mass incarceration and mass deportations, and the destruction of environments have brought so many households and individuals to crisis. We join with people re-claiming commons rights to public resources. We join in the call against

Schools Matter: Statement from ASA: Political Dissent in a Time of (Economic) Crisis

Schools Matter: Statement from ASA: Political Dissent in a Time of (Economic) Crisis:

Statement from ASA: Political Dissent in a Time of (Economic) Crisis

by Jim Horn

Political Dissent in a Time of (Economic) Crisis

A Statement by the Council of the American Studies Association
20 October 2011

We are the public. We are workers. We are the 99%. We speak with the people here in Baltimore and around the globe occupying plazas, parks, and squares in opposition to failed austerity programs, to oligarchy, and to the unequal distribution of wealth and power. The loss of jobs, healthcare, and homes, the distressing use of mass incarceration and mass deportations, and the destruction of environments have brought so many households and individuals to crisis. We join with people re-claiming commons rights to public resources. We

The NCLB Saga Continues: Diane Ravitch-- Education Experts -- The NCLB Saga Continues

National Journal Online -- Education Experts -- The NCLB Saga Continues:

Diane Ravitch

Diane Ravitch

Research Professor Of Education, New York University

No Child Left Behind is the worst piece of education legislation ever passed by Congress. Secretary Duncan said recently that the law will cause more than 80% of all of our nation's public schools to be labeled failures this year. By 2014--the law's target date--nearly 100% of American public schools will be stigmatized as failing.

Is there any other national legislative body in the world that has ever passed a law that caused almost every one of its schools to be labeled a failure? NCLB is a giant wrecking ball, setting up public schools for failure, incentivizing cheating, and encouraging districts and states to game the system by lowering their passing mark, lowering their standards or other strategies.

NCLB has set the stage for large-scale privatization of public schools, no doubt cheering the emerging entrepreneurs of the education industry, but doing incalculable harm to one of our most important democratic institutions. Of course, it has been a bonanza for the testing industry, which now rakes in billions for test and test-pr...

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“We’re a culture, not a costume.” STARS, a student org at Ohio University « Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

“We’re a culture, not a costume.” STARS, a student org at Ohio University « Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind:

“WE’RE A CULTURE, NOT A COSTUME.” STARS, A STUDENT ORG AT OHIO UNIVERSITY

Posted by Melissa on October 23, 2011 · Comments Off

These incredible posters were created by the student organization at Ohio University called Students Teaching Against Racism (STARS). Amazingly, these posters became popular over Tumblr on their president’s blog site (here). Their mission is “to educate and facilitate discussion about racism and to promote racial harmony and to create a safe, non-threatening environment to allow participants to feel comfortable to express their feelings.”

Here’s a statement about the posters from the organization:

Any questions about the posters can be sent to OHIOUSTARS@gmail.com. We are so proud of all the support but it’s overwhelming; we have less than 10 members in our group. We ask that you do not personally email any of the exec’s or message their

More with Less or More with More & Why it Matters! « School Finance 101

More with Less or More with More & Why it Matters! « School Finance 101:

More with Less or More with More & Why it Matters!

by schoolfinance101

I did a piece a short while back on TEAM Academy, a Charter school which I thus far admire in Newark, NJ. I admire the school because, while the data I’ve been able to gather from official sources still indicates that TEAM is far from a statistical match with its surroundings, and appears to have greater cohort attrition than I might like to see, I am, at this point, comfortable stating that TEAM Academy is more comparable than others to its surroundings than other Newark Charters.

Allow me to restate why I care about the comparability piece of the puzzle. First, let me say that I do believe that there is (or at least may be) an important role in urban school systems or any school systems for that matter, for schools that aren’t entirely comparable. That’s the case for Magnet schools for example, which have in some rigorous studies been shown to produce positive outcomes for kids who attend. (see:

New Report Examines Science Education in California Elementary Schools:

New Report Examines Science Education in California Elementary Schools

inShare

A new research report, “High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California Elementary Schools”, will be released for publication and broadcast on Tuesday, October 25, 2011

WEBWIRE – Monday, October 24, 2011

News Advisory:

Sacramento, CA (October 21, 2011) – A new research report, “High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California Elementary Schools”, will be released for publication and broadcast on Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

The research shows that while educators strongly believe that science education is important, children in California’s elementary schools rarely have the opportunity to engage in high-quality science learning opportunities.The report presents detailed findings on science education in California’s elementary schools, including the quality of science education, the impact of the state’s accountability system on time for teaching science, and the availability of professional development and infrastructure supports needed for quality science education. The research directly contrasts with previously conducted public opinion research showing Californians place a high priority on science education.

Blue Jersey:: Ledger Logic - Billionaire Boys Club Edition

Blue Jersey:: Ledger Logic - Billionaire Boys Club Edition:

Ledger Logic - Billionaire Boys Club Edition by: Jersey Jazzman Mon Oct 24, 2011 at 09:00:00 AM EDT

Tom Moran over at the Star-Ledger has outdone himself this time: an opinion piece under his own byline combined with an editorial he presumably wrotemake for a one-two punch that knock fairness and logic on their asses. Let's start with Moran's long, wet kiss to David Tepper, hedge fund multi-billionaire. After the predictable Horatio Alger claptrap about Tepper's hardscrabble young life in Pittsburgh, Moran sees fit to devote one small paragraph to how this man made his money: His style is to take huge risks. His firm, Appaloosa Management, made a killing after the financial crash by investing billions in failed banks. After the government bailouts, the value of the shares skyrocketed and his firm made $7.5 billion. That's not the whole story, as we have reported here at Blue Jersey (h/t DS

When Renovating a Library Means Ditching the Books - Education - GOOD

When Renovating a Library Means Ditching the Books - Education - GOOD:

When Renovating a Library Means Ditching the Books

by Liz Dwyer

The library at Cushing Academy, a small private high school in Massachusetts, underwent an extensive renovation in 2009, and the change was more than just physical. The school sold or donated 40,000-plus books from its collection, replacing them with digital texts. Two years into the experiment, the school staff say it's been an unqualified success.

Tom Corbett, the library's executive director, told THE Journal that the school's students "needed a facility that

How High School Anti-Bullying Programs Can Make Things Worse « Student Activism

How High School Anti-Bullying Programs Can Make Things Worse « Student Activism:

How High School Anti-Bullying Programs Can Make Things Worse

by Angus Johnston

Youth culture scholars Danah Boyd and Alice Marwick have a thought-provoking op-ed in today’s New York Times, one that challenges a lot of the assumptions teachers and parents bring to bullying discussions.

High school students, they’ve found, rarely use the word bullying to describe even the most obvious examples of such behavior. Instead, they — particularly girls — dismiss it as “drama.”

Dismissing a conflict that’s really hurting their feelings as drama lets teenagers demonstrate that they don’t care about such petty concerns. They can save face while feeling superior to those tormenting them by dismissing them as desperate for attention. Or, if they’re the instigators, the word drama lets teenagers feel that they’re participating in something innocuous or even funny, rather than having to admit that they’ve hurt someone’s feelings. Drama allows them to distance themselves from painful situations.

Adults want to help teenagers recognize the hurt that is taking place, which often means owning up to

The Difference between TFA "Corps Members" and Regular Teachers - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

The Difference between TFA "Corps Members" and Regular Teachers - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

The Difference between TFA "Corps Members" and Regular Teachers

by Nancy Flanagan

A few days before Barack Obama formally chose Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education, I was forwarded a message string clipped from a Teach for America listserv. The forwarder was a TFA "corps" veteran, with whom I was working on an ed-policy initiative. It was a fascinating glimpse into the judgment and mores of Teach for America and an articulate cross-section of her sons and daughters.

It would be unprincipled to snip and print quotes from a private listserv--but I was intrigued by a peek at this insider conversation. The initial prompt was a post by a TFA alumna, urging her fellow TFA corps members to take immediate action on the possible nomination of Linda Darling-Hammond as Secretary of Education.

The original poster noted that decision-makers were paying attention to the TFA discourse--that TFA alumni should read and post frequently on blogs, have their public say, as active participants in the "reform movement

Teaching Feminism in High School: Moving from Theory to Action « Feminist Teacher

Teaching Feminism in High School: Moving from Theory to Action « Feminist Teacher:

Teaching Feminism in High School: Moving from Theory to Action

by feministteacher

The following post was originally published at On the Issues.

The students in my feminism class read Rachel Lloyd's memoir, Girls Like Us, about the commercial sexual exploitation of children. (Photo, Steve Neiman, used with permission).

During a recent Twitter chat on #sheparty hosted by the Women’s Media Center, I tweeted: “How many feminists know edu hashtags and vice versa?”

The point I wanted to get across is that many feminists today don’t know much about today’s education conversation and, in turn, educators don’t know much about what’s going on in feminist discourse, whether it

School reform politics: A view from the left | EdNewsColorado

School reform politics: A view from the left | EdNewsColorado:

School reform politics: A view from the left

by Alan Gottlieb

Editor’s note: This piece was submitted by Angela Engel, the author of the book, “Seeds of Tomorrow; Solutions for Improving our Children’s Education” and the director of Uniting4Kids a new national non-profit promoting quality neighborhood schools through parent, teacher and student leadership.

National interests are investing heavily in Colorado’s school board races. The players are many, the politics ugly, and the possibilities well…

The Players

Stand for Children established a Colorado Chapter in 2010 in order to push legislation that tied teacher evaluations to test scores. Their investors include The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walton Family

David Ellison: Educators teach to the testOne last rant before I bid you farewell - Inside Bay Area

David Ellison: One last rant before I bid you farewell - Inside Bay Area:

David Ellison: One last rant before I bid you farewell

By David Ellison
Oakland Tribune

Posted: 10/24/2011 12:00:00 AM PDT

I've poured myself a glass of wine to celebrate and mourn this, my 551st and final column.

As many of you may know, the Bay Area News Group soon will consolidate most of its newspapers; since my column has appeared in but two them, it was a foregone conclusion that I, as well as other columnists/journalists, would be let go.

Fortunately, I've matured a bit since I first started writing this column in 1991.

I've learned that, while it's important to grieve, it's crucial as well to accept stoically how all things must pass and to be grateful for what has been (the older I get, the more Buddhist I become).

I am very grateful for this column. It's been cathartic for me (and Lord knows, I can get very emotional about education), a tremendous challenge (one I never imagined I could meet), a source of pride (sometimes inordinately so, I suppose), and, above all, a chance to tell the vital story of students, teachers and schools -- one laden with mirth and pathos, grace and rage, triumph and tragedy.

So I hope the Muses -- or perhaps this glass of wine -- will grant me some special inspiration tonight.