Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 4-23 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

No Conflict, No Conflict, Keep Moving; Nothing to See Here… - Wait, What?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

No Conflict, No Conflict, Keep Moving; Nothing to See Here… - Wait, What?: No Conflict, No Conflict, Keep Moving; Nothing to See Here…byjonpelto What is it about these Malloy appointees and their notion of what constitutes a conflict of interest. Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor seems to be adding to the list on a daily basis and now we’ve got “Special Master” Steven Adamowski.When it comes to conflicts of interests; you’ve got your straight up “conflict of interest”, your “appearance of ... more »

WISCONSIN GOVERNOR DELIVERS A BLOW TO TEACHERS WHO HOLD MASTER’S DEGREES « Teachers Fight Back

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

WISCONSIN GOVERNOR DELIVERS A BLOW TO TEACHERS WHO HOLD MASTER’S DEGREES « Teachers Fight Back: WISCONSIN GOVERNOR DELIVERS A BLOW TO TEACHERS WHO HOLD MASTER’S DEGREESbyalkleenThis Wisconsin governor is UNBELIEVABLE ! Gov. Scott Walker has reshaped a rule to lower inflation-based raises that public unions can negotiate for teachers in public schools. The rule change wouldn’t use an individual’s actual salary as a “base salary” to calculate raises and would exclude factors such as a teacher’s higher degree.For instance, a ... more »

What America Owes In Student Loans : Planet Money : NPR #soschat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

What America Owes In Student Loans : Planet Money : NPR: What America Owes In Student LoansTotal student debt has gone through the roof. But the average debt per college grad has gone up much more slowly. See our earlier entries in this series:What America Sells To The World,What America Does For Work,What America BuysandWhat America Pays in Taxes The amount of student debt being taken on every year hasbeen rising rapidlyfor years now. You probably know these things already. ... more »

The Politics of Education – Dueling Budgets

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

The Politics of Education – Dueling Budgets: The Politics of Education – Dueling BudgetsMONDAY, APRIL 23RD, 2012 AT 11:46 AMThis weekend, I was on CNN to speak about President Obama’s and Representative Ryan’s dueling budget proposals, and asked to comment on which of the two lighted the surer path to true education reform. See for yourself:

Shanker Blog » The Allure Of Teacher Quality

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

Shanker Blog » The Allure Of Teacher Quality: The Allure Of Teacher QualitybyMatthew Di Carlo Those following education know that policy focused on “teacher quality” is by far the dominant paradigm for improving schools over the past few years. Some (but not nearly all) components of this all-hands-on-deck effort are perplexing to many teachers, and have generated quite a bit of pushback. No matter one’s opinion of this approach, however, what drives it is the tantalizing allure of variation in ... more »

Burbank educator named National Teacher of the Year - LA Daily News

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

Burbank educator named National Teacher of the Year - LA Daily News: Burbank educator named National Teacher of the YearByBarbara Jones, Staff WriterPosted: 04/23/2012 07:48:56 AM PDTUpdated: 04/23/2012 08:27:28 AM PDTFILE PHOTO: Luther Burbank Middle School teacher Rebecca Mieliwocki teaches a 7th-grade English class in 2011. She was named National Teacher of the Year. (Andy Holzman/Daily News Staff Photographer) ((ANDY HOLZMAN/LA DAILY NEWS))Rebecca Mieliwocki, a 7th grade teacher at Burbank Middle School in Burbank was named today as National Teacher ... more »

FCMAT » California Education Headlines

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis Management Assistance Team: Monday, April 23, 2012Lottery fever not a big windfall for local schoolsLast month's $640 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot ---- and the ticket-buying fervor that led up to it ---- poured big bucks into the state's educational coffers, but won't have much of an effect on local classrooms, officials said.LAUSD chief wants to keep health class as graduation requirementLos Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy said Friday that health-education class should remain a requirement ... more »

Departments of Education and Justice Reach Settlement with Boston School Committee to Ensure Equal Opportunities for ELL Students | U.S. Department of Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

Departments of Education and Justice Reach Settlement with Boston School Committee to Ensure Equal Opportunities for ELL Students | U.S. Department of Education: Departments of Education and Justice Reach Settlement with Boston School Committee to Ensure Equal Opportunities for ELL StudentsAPRIL 23, 2012Contact:Education Department, (202) 401-1576Justice Department, 202-514-2007WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Education with the U.S. Department of Justice reached agreement with the Boston School Committee, the governing body of the Boston Public Schools, and its superintendent to... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Superintendent Selection Process

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 50 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Superintendent Selection Process: The Superintendent Selection ProcessbyCharlie MasIn the end, the Board chooses the superintendent. This is pretty much the Board's most important duty and they are responsible for it. They have to make the choice. Not only that, but they have to determine their process for making the choice. When it comes to everyone else working in the District, the readers and writers on this blog generally support autonomy and oppose micromanagement. We want ... more »

Making Myself Useful (and other items) | Mr. Teachbad

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

Making Myself Useful (and other items) | Mr. Teachbad: Making Myself Useful (and other items)byteachbad(I’m a bit rushed…driving to Indi­ana in…36 min­utes. More on that in a minute.)Churn ‘n’ Burn and Spin Me to theDoorThere are two short things I read this week that I believe are con­nected. The first was an arti­cle in Edu­ca­tion Week from early in April calledWhen Teach­ers Are Treated Like Wid­gets, Edu­ca­tion Suf­fers. It was writ­ten by aca­d­e­mics who are tired of all their stud­ies ... more »

RIGHT AGAIN :) ! Potter Williams Report: Diane Ravitch Outsmarted by One of Her Own

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

Potter Williams Report: Diane Ravitch Outsmarted by One of Her Own: DIANE RAVITCH OUTSMARTED BY ONE OF HER OWNEducation Week published aletterfrom Diane Ravitch to another progressive Deweyian educator Deborah Meier entitled “I Don't Understand Michelle Rhee.”Ravitch can't figure out why Rhee lies, why she blames teachers for everything and how she can reel in die-hard Republicans with ease.I guess education historian Diane Ravitch is not in on the endgame!Or is she? Maybe she's playing devil’s advocate for Duncan’s DOE ... more »

Ed Dept seeks to bring test-based assessment to teacher prep programs - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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

Ed Dept seeks to bring test-based assessment to teacher prep programs - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Ed Dept seeks to bring test-based assessment to teacher prep programsbyValerie StraussThe Obama administration wants to expand the use of standardized test scores as an accountability tool from K-12 into higher education.The Education Department just tried — and failed — to persuade a group of negotiators to agree to regulations that would rate colleges of education in large part on how ... more »

The Innovative Educator: The bad pineapple questions are not the problem with standardized tests

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

The Innovative Educator: The bad pineapple questions are not the problem with standardized tests: The bad pineapple questions are not the problem with standardized testsbynoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)I am disappointed that the mainstream story about testing happens to be a poor a test section about pineapples. While I agree the test question was ridiculous, I think focusing on that diverts us from the real problem which is that even if the test had greatest questions on earth, standardized testing at its ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Single Sound Test

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

School Tech Connect: The Single Sound Test: The Single Sound Testbynoreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)CPS's now departed turnaround guy, Donald Fraynd, said he was leaving with a heavy heart to begin a start-up company. He called it something else, I can't remember.This appears to be it.I'll give him one thing ; he's a true believer.Decades of research show one thing – nothing affects achievement as much as the quality of teaching students receive. In fact, teacher attributes may account for more than ... more »

StudentsFirst will be in Seattle | Seattle Education

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

StudentsFirst will be in Seattle | Seattle Education: StudentsFirst will be in Seattlebyseattleducation2011…and that isnota good thing.Ms. Rhee (pronounced "re")StudentsFirst is an organization created by Michelle Rhee after her tumultuous tenure as Chancellor of DC public schools. She was supported by Eli Broad who threatened to pull his financial support for the DC public school system and Rhee specifically if she was not selected to continue as Chancellor of DC schools after Mayor Fenty’s failed re-election bid. After Fenty, who ... more »

May Day Wildcat March Called for 1pm | OccupyWallSt.org #ows

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

May Day Wildcat March Called for 1pm | OccupyWallSt.org: May Day Wildcat March Called for 1pmbyOccupyWallStviaSTRIKE EVERYWHERE!:A call has gone out for a massiveWildcatmarch in NYC on May 1st, starting at 1PM. The original call is availablehere. Secondingstrikeisaverb, See you in the streets! Forward and Repost widely.https://www.facebook.com/events/297929263615205/and print and distribute flyers (wildcatmarchflyer-single,wildcatmarchflyer-quarter)CALL FOR A WILDCAT MARCH FOR GENERAL STRIKE PARTICIPANTSMAY 1ST, 2012 1PMWe were told by bosses, by activists, by union leaders we could... more »

NYC Educator: Don't Know Much About History

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

NYC Educator: Don't Know Much About History: Don't Know Much About HistorybyNYC EducatorIs NY State right to abolish theGlobal History Regents exam? Lots of us have had our fill of standardized testing, and would like to see far less of it. Of course that's not the case, as the state plans all sorts of nonsense, largely to assess teachers. Kids will be spending hours of potential learning time indulging in nonsensical junk science, to appease those who wish to fire ... more »

Zoning The Poor Out of Good Schools | California Progress Report

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

Zoning The Poor Out of Good Schools | California Progress Report: Zoning The Poor Out of Good SchoolsbymeganBy Peter SchragMost of us have long known that in places like Oakland and Berkeley, and probably in a lot of other cities as well, the easiest way to predict a school’s test scores is by the altitude of the building.The higher up the school, the more likely it will be in an affluent neighborhood. The schools in the flats, where the poor ... more »

REASONS NOT TO SIGN GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN'S TAX INITIATIVE PETITION - Perdaily.com

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

REASONS NOT TO SIGN GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN'S TAX INITIATIVE PETITION - Perdaily.com: REASONS NOT TO SIGN GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN'S TAX INITIATIVE PETITIONbyLeonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)In the bleak reality of coordinated political and corporate siege against public education, one is tempted to grasp at straws in trying to stop this continued onslaught against teachers and the ever worsening degradation of the essential democracy formative institution ... more »

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? pineapple question stumps ... everyone!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Captain: Are ya ready kids?Kids: Aye, Aye captain!Captain: I can't heeeaaar yooouuu!Kids: AYE, AYE CAPTAIN!Captain: oooooooooooo...Captain: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants!Captain: Absorbent and yellow and porous is he.Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants!Captain: If nautical nonsense be somethin' ya wish.Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants!Captain: Then drop on the deck and flop like a fish.Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants!Captain: Ready? Sponge Bob Square Pants,Captain Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Sponge Bob ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 4-22 #soschat #EDReform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

What Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-13 minutes agoWhat Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: What Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled?byLarry FerlazzoProf. Armin Falk, a professor at Bonn University, unveiled some very intriguing studies on motivation last week. ...more »

Educator Musing: Real Parent Empowerment is a Rebellion

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Educator Musing: Real Parent Empowerment is a Rebellion: Real Parent Empowerment is a RebellionbyEducator Musing If without medical justification, [your son] is absent fromschool on any dayduring the Assessment period, the District will deem thisabsence as unexcused. Further, if you keep [your son] home from school during theAssessment period,without medical verification, it is within the District’sdiscretion to deemthese absences as indicia of educational neglect, whichwould leave the Districtlittle choice but to contact Child Protective Services(“CPS”). Pursuant to theNew York

Teacher Appreciation:From the Mouths of Babes! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Teacher Appreciation:From the Mouths of Babes! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: Teacher Appreciation:From the Mouths ofBabes!Some of my studentswrote a letter for the state department’s Teacher Appreciation Day contest. After reading the letters, it gave me some insight as to what my students appreciate about me. I chose to use the letters as an informal evaluation tool to see what I am doing right,(or wrong). I found some of the responses quite amusing.:)I bustle (Vocabulary word) around on ... more »

Schools Matter: Is President Obama Listening?

Schools Matter: Is President Obama Listening?:

Is President Obama Listening?

by Judy Rabin

National School Board Association's Open Letter to President Obama

April 17, 2012

Dear President Obama:

The night of your election, in Grant Park, you said, “I will listen to you especially when we disagree.” We are all committed to the best educational future for the children of America. Yet, as the nation prepares for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), school board members and top educational thinkers overwhelming urge abandoning the current “command-and-control” federal educational oversight. America’s treasure lies in unleashing the creativity of our youth. Though well-intentioned, the current federal direction is ignoring and working against much of what we know about student motivation and achievement. Instead, the federal government should support local efforts to ignite curiosity, creative potential, and a drive for excellence among students and staff.

Throughout my presidency of the National School Boards Association, I have travelled to many states and written for our national journal and asked for input to this letter. School board members and educators across the country have contributed their thinking here. We share your sense of urgency: We must give every child, no matter their circumstances, the opportunity to excel. We must ensure high quality experiences so each child develops fully. Our major disagreement comes from how we go about this task.

We want for each American child the same things that you and Michelle want for Sasha and Malia—inspiration, aspiration, creativity. I know you don’t want an overemphasis on testing. I have heard you say it.  Experience in schools and communities, supported by research, tells us that relentlessly focusing on standardized tests erodes our national competitiveness and deadens curiosity and drive. Clearly, we need some testing to gauge student learning, and we have no problem with appropriate accountability. But we have swung to a far extreme that is significantly hurting children. “Students are numbing over testing for testing’s sake…. We can’t test this country into excellence.” (Sonny Savoie, LA)

Other countries that traditionally focus on testing recognize the shortcomings of their systems and come to our shores to learn how we inspire a spirit of innovation. And decades of work by motivation theorists, such as Daniel Pink, help us understand why a focus on testing and standards may not cultivate the learners we want. Others have found that such narrow focus restricts our views of what is possible, and even causes unethical behavior, such as the rash of testing scandals here and abroad.

By contrast, Finnish schools are now “exemplars of many of the success indicators we … want to see in American schools. Achievement is consistently high. Students are self-motivated and engaged in their learning. Schools have wide latitude to decide on their own programs, and there are no intrusive sanctions.” (Jill Wynns, CA)

The focus on strict quantitative accountability has never worked for any organization, and it has not worked with No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. Teachers are trying to meet the mandates of those programs and consequently “our children suffer and are not getting educated to their individual potential.” (Carolyne Brooks, IL) Teachers’ focus on tests is undermining their potential and initiative, making it more difficult to share a love of learning with their students.

Our students will never be first in the world on standardized tests. We never have come close. Nor is that something toward which we should aspire! We simply are not a compliant people willing to absorb facts without challenge. But we have had the most innovative workforce in the world (and now vie with Finland for that top position). Though intended to encourage equity, our current policy is, in fact, driving us toward mediocrity. Our students may be becoming better regurgitators, but what we need is excellent thinkers.

We have significant challenges in many of our communities, especially those that are underserved, yet we continue to boast some of the best schools in the world. We have models of excellence from which we should all be learning. Our vision should be to empower excellence—to draw out the best in each and every individual in our schools. We should recognize that our children’s brains are our most important resource. We should aspire to having children take responsibility for their own learning. We can have a common curriculum as a guide, but leave it to our local “civic labs,” as Thomas Jefferson envisioned them, to find optimal ways to inspire learning.

That said, we won’t achieve any vision without significant teamwork.  Finland’s process may offer a model: They spent years developing national consensus about the essentials for successful education and, hence, the nation. Collaboration can promote independent thinking and action.

As a nation, rather than inspiring people toward a vision of excellence, we have been blaming some for blocking student achievement. It is time to inspire all toward a pursuit of excellence for each of our children.

The work world our children inherit will be significantly different from the one we have known. Jobs in the 20^th century were mostly algorithmic or routine. According to McKinsey & Co., most such jobs have already evaporated because of automation and outsourcing. Future work will be more complex, so we had better prepare students differently than through standardized tests.

As the nature of work changes, so too must motivators. Carrots and sticks, which worked with routine jobs, actually impede efforts when the work is more complex, Daniel Pink says. Instead, the rewards of learning and challenges of the work itself must now be the primary motivators.  Adults learn best, experts say, if they feel competent, autonomous, and a sense of belonging.

Much in our current school systems works against these, and our new national focus on teacher evaluation will continue that trend. As a result of ignoring innate needs, our schools too often are not innovative hubs. Yet to meet the challenges of our future, we must cultivate a spirit of innovation and inspiration. We will only succeed in preparing for our future if we empower all in our schools to think through complex problems and processes and generate solutions.  Rather than laboring over bureaucratic compliance problems, let’s engage students and teachers (even board members!) in solving problems of teaching and learning.

Our schools will never become great through threat or intimidation. Schools must be safe places to take risks, where staff members and students feel valued for their ideas and talents and empowered to fail so that they can grow. Students will learn what they see, experience, and enjoy.

We have the knowledge and experience to do this at the national, state, and local levels. However, the present narrow focus on accountability and trend of demonizing those in public education, arrogantly focusing on “failing schools,” is diametrically opposed to fostering excellence.

Again, we can learn from Finland: It holds teachers in high regard (appealing to competence). Teacher training includes a strong feedback loop; professional development is embedded in the work, through coaching and ongoing support (appealing to belonging). People are willing to try new approaches and ideas (appealing to autonomy).

Innovation requires investment. Retired school superintendent Jack Reynolds noted that under the original ESEA we had a national system for identifying, supporting, and sharing excellent, vetted educational ideas. We should return to such a system of research, development, and diffusion, using technology to share teaching and learning approaches. Further, Ohio school board member Charlie Wilson suggested we encourage and fund our universities to conduct empirical research on the considerable experimentation that does occur in our schools.

Some board members suggested that we benefit from broad, guiding curriculum principles. Wyoming’s David Fall encouraged you to continue your work with the National Governors’ Association to refine core standards. However, our children would be best served if the standards were guides, but decision-making remained local.

Across the nation, I have heard growing support for an emphasis on the early years. To close achievement gaps, we need to provide rich early learning environments for children born with the least. We need to teach their parents how to encourage their learning. Please continue to support states’ early childhood efforts.

Mr. President, public education in the U.S. is on the wrong track. As we have moved decision-making farther from teachers and children, we have jeopardized our competitive edge and keys to our national success: our ingenuity, our openness to innovation, and our creativity.

I urge you to convene a national dialogue, not made up of politicians, but including the breadth of educational opinion, to reconsider our educational direction. I would love to help you do this. Let’s ensure that each child has the tools to be successful. Let’s marshal the nation’s brain power and tap into the research, proven practice, and demonstrated evidence of excellence.

Please bring your parent hat to determining our new direction for public education. Your daughters, like all of our children and all of our teachers, don’t need more tests designed to identify weaknesses. They need excited, motivated, passionate teachers who feel challenged, supported, and encouraged to try new approaches, who share with their students a learning environment that is limitless. If we work collaboratively on a shared vision of excellence, if we foster team development, encourage innovation, and care for the growth of our teachers, our children will lead us into the future with confidence. And public education will remain the cornerstone of our vibrant democracy.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Sincerely,
/s/
Mary Broderick
National School Boards Association President

Standardized test security questioned - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Standardized test security questioned - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Standardized test security questioned

By Valerie Strauss

Tenth-graders in Florida took the state’s standardized test in reading on a staggered schedule because there weren’t enough computers available for them all to take it at the same time, raising concerns that security of test questions could be compromised, the Miami Herald reported.

Students took the test in reading, which is part of the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT), in groups on a few different days last week. The Herald reported that as 10th grade students began to talk about the test, it became obvious to teachers that different groups were getting the same questions and reading passages, the paper said.

That causes concerns that the security of test questions had been compromised. The paper quoted Gregory Cizek, a test security expert and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as 

The 5-Minute Break | The Jose Vilson

The 5-Minute Break | The Jose Vilson:

The 5-Minute Break

by Jose

Last week, New York State Education Commission decided to give students a mandated 5-minute break in the first book of the English-Language Arts test. When I read about it, I laughed for reasons I rather expand on after the math test. However, I did receive a tape with some recorded dialogue from the closed room where some of these decisions were made. Here’s an excerpt from the dialogue:
Official A: What do you mean you’re going to give kids a five-minute break?
Official B: Well, we can’t give kids less time on test, less questions, less passages, less days of testing, or less testing period. If we’re going to race to the top, we might as well give them a shot of Gatorade during the race.
OA: You’re making no sense whatsoever. You’ll only do this on the first day, too. For what?
OB: Listen, we just put in a story about a pineapple with no sleeves, and that was the moral OK? Does anything 

Educating Our Way to an Economy Built to Last: Stopping the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike | The White House

Educating Our Way to an Economy Built to Last: Stopping the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike | The White House:

Educating Our Way to an Economy Built to Last: Stopping the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike

by The White House

Stopping the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama laid out a blueprint for an economy built to last—an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.
The President has worked tirelessly to get our economy growing again, but he knows there’s much more we can and must do, and that includes making smart investments in education that lead to better jobs and a stronger middle class. The strength of the American economy is inextricably linked to the strength of America’s education system: particularly at this make-or-break moment for the middle class we must continue to invest in creating an American workforce that has the skills for success in the global economy.  At a time when the average earnings of college graduates is twice that of workers with only a high school diploma, higher education is the clearest pathway into the middle class.
However, the cost of college is putting an affordable education out of reach for too many Americans.  Access to higher education today has become increasingly expensive for families:

• America is home to the best colleges and universities in the world, yet tuition and fees measured in constant dollars have more than doubled over the past two decades.
• In 2010, graduates who took out loans left college owing an average of more than $25,000.
• Student loan debt has now surpassed credit card debt for the first time ever. 

Reductions in state funding and support for institutions are making the college cost problem even more challenging, forcing students to absorb cuts through higher tuition prices and significantly increasing the extent to which students must rely on loans to finance postsecondary education.
In order to ensure more hard working and responsible students have a fair shot at an affordable higher education, President Obama is calling on states, colleges and universities, and Congress to act to curb rising prices and make higher education more affordable for all Americans.
President Obama is Calling on Congress to Stop Interest Rates
From Doubling on Student Loans:
Americans now owe more tuition debt than credit card debt, and student loan borrowing is more common now than it was a decade ago. At a time when the average student loan debt is $25,000 and tuition prices continue to rise, students are borrowing more than ever to complete their degrees.
On July 1, 2012, the interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans are slated to double from 3.4% to 6.8%. To out-educate our global competitors and make college more affordable, Congress needs to stop the interest rate on these student loans from doubling.
If Congress doesn’t act before July 1, 2012, interest rates on loans for over 7.4 million students will double. And for each year that Congress doesn’t act, students rack up an additional $1,000 in debt over the life of their loans.
As he did in his State of the Union address, President Obama is calling on Congress to put forward legislation to stop interest rates from doubling. The President is calling on Congress to reward hard work and responsibility by keeping interest rates on student loans low so more Americans get a fair shot at an affordable college education, the skills they need to find a good job, and a clear path to the middle class.

Ensuring American Students have a Fair Shot at an Affordable Higher Education
Higher education is not a luxury: it is an economic imperative that every hard working and responsible student should be able to afford.  President Obama has emphasized that the federal government, states, colleges, and universities all have a role to play in making in making higher education more affordable, by reining in college costs, providing value for American families, and preparing students with a solid education to succeed in their careers. The President is calling on Congress to advance new reforms to give more hard working students a fair shot at pursuing higher education:

• Reforming student aid to promote affordability and value:  To keep tuition from spiraling too high and drive greater value, the President has proposed reforms to federal campus-based aid programs to shift aid away from colleges that fail to keep net tuition down, and toward those colleges and universities that do their fair share to keep tuition affordable, provide good value, and serve needy students well. These changes in federal aid to campuses will leverage $10 billion annually to help keep tuition down. 
• Creating a Race to the Top for college affordability and completion: The President has proposed incentives for states to maintain their commitments to higher education through a new $1 billion investment.  The Race to the Top: College Affordability and Completion challenge aims to increase the number of college graduates and contain the cost of tuition by rewarding states that are willing to systematically change their higher education policies and practices. 
• Kicking off a First in the World competition to model innovation and quality on college campuses:  The President is proposing an investment of $55 million in a new First in the World competition, to support public and private colleges and non-profit organizations as they work to develop and test the next breakthrough strategy that will boost higher education attainment and student outcome, while leading to reduced costs.
• Providing better data for families to choose the right college for them: The President is calling for a College Scorecard for all degree-granting institutions, designed to provide essential information about college costs, graduation rates, and potential earnings, all in an easy-to-read format that will help students and families choose a college that is well suited to their needs, priced affordably, and consistent with their career and educational goals.
• Redoubling federal support to tackle college costs:  The President has already made the biggest investments in student aid since the G.I. Bill through increases to the Pell grant, and by shoring up the direct loan and income-based repayment programs. In his State of the Union Address, the President also called on Congress to make the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent and double the number of work-study jobs over the next 5 years to better assist college students who are working their way through school. 

Building on Landmark Federal Investments to Make Higher Education More Affordable
The President has set the goal for the U.S. to be first in the world in college attainment by 2020. To achieve this bold goal for our nation’s future and to prepare students to compete in the 21st century global economy, the Obama Administration has championed landmark investments in student financial to make college more affordable for all American families:

• Increasing Pell Grants: The President has raised the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,635 for the 2013-14 award year – a $905 increase since 2008. The number of Pell Grant recipients has increased over that same time by 50 percent, providing college access to millions of additional students across the country. 
• Helping Responsible Students Manage Student Loan Debt: The Administration’s “Pay as You Earn” plan expands income-based repayment to enable 1.6 million responsible students who are current on their payments to take advantage of a new option to cap repayment of student loans at 10% of monthly income.  These changes will reduce the burden of student loans in a fiscally responsible way.
• Expanding Education Tax Credits: President Obama established the American Opportunity Tax Credit in 2009 to assist families with the costs of college, providing up to $10,000 for four years of college, university, or community college tuition for families earning up to $180,000. Over 9.4 million students and families benefit from the American Opportunity Tax Credit each year.  President Obama has called on Congress to make this tax credit permanent and prevent it from expiring in 2012. 

Schools Matter: Help Chalkface Radio Stay on Air

Schools Matter: Help Chalkface Radio Stay on Air:

Help Chalkface Radio Stay on Air

by Judy Rabin

One of the most potent tools of the current education deform movement perpetuated by corporate interests has been the huge amount of money spent on the air war that is demonizing teachers and public education. In order to combat the drumbeat of lies and propaganda around education policy, it is essential that the voices of truth continue to stay on the air. Please publicize this urgent message from Dr. Shaun Johnson in Maryland, who co-hosts one of the few news programs on education through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc Just by tuning in and listening to Chalkface Radio, you can make a difference!

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Since all the "liberal media" don't want anything to do with our message it is essential that 

NYC Public School Parents: Why are classroom teachers being pulled out of schools to grade ELA exams, right before the math exams?

NYC Public School Parents: Why are classroom teachers being pulled out of schools to grade ELA exams, right before the math exams?:

Why are classroom teachers being pulled out of schools to grade ELA exams, right before the math exams?

by Leonie Haimson

From a Brooklyn parent who prefers to remain nameless:

This past weekend my daughter and I spent several hours going over math problems, preparing for her 5th grade state math exams which will take place Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week. I was very surprised this morning on our way to school when my daughter mentioned to me that she would have a sub, both for today and tomorrow, as her teacher would be out to grade last week's ELA exams at another school location.

I called the school to verify if this reason was accurate and the parent coordinator confirmed it was.  The reality is that the DOE now demands that each school send a certain number of classroom teachers based on enrollment to score these exams, during the school day, or the school must pay into a fund to hire scorers 

Save Our Schools Education convention August 3-5 in DC | Save Our Schools: March and National Call to Action | causes.com

Save Our Schools Education convention August 3-5 in DC | Save Our Schools: March and National Call to Action | causes.com:

Save Our Schools Education convention August 3-5 in DC

Save Our Schools Education Convention 
A People’s Policy & Activism Summit 
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1104247304263-54/Convention+Planks.pdf 
August 3-5, 2012 Washington, DC Marriott Wardman Park 
If you are interested in participating as a delegate for one of the following education issues, please contact us at: info@saveourschools.com 
Platforms 
1. Poverty (including anti-poverty program) 
2. Civil Rights (including ELL, immigration) 
3. Standards (including Common Core, impact of standards on practice) 
4. Equitable Funding 
5. Student Assessments 
6. Teacher Evaluations and Teacher Professionalism 
7. School Accountability 
8. Parent and Community Involvement 
9.Curriculum Development (including the arts, special education, & physical education) 
10. Charter Schools (including vouchers & privatization) 
11. Reconstituting NCLB/ESEA 12. Early Childhood 13. Students 14. Collective Bargaining/Unionism