Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 2-6-13 #soschat #edreform

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break

Chicago parents pass petitions at 37 schools to limit CPS testing

by admin

More Than a Score press release – Feb 6, 2013
Chicago parents pass petitions at 37 schools to limit CPS testing
Joining National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott
Chicago, IL: Demanding fewer standardized tests in their children’s schools, and more test transparency from the district, parents of children in 37 Chicago public schools gathered signatures before and after school today on a new petition created by the parent, teacher, student and community coalition, “More Than a Score.”
The event is also a show of support for the Feb. 6 National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott.
The petitions ask CPS and the Chicago Board of Education to limit standardized testing and provide more 

Finding Middle Ground in a New UTLA

by Lisa Alva Wood

The first time I gave birth, it took  28 hours.  It was painful.  I had hallucinations.  My doctor threatened me several times with a C-section, throwing me into a panic of pushing.  When my baby arrived, my dad took the glass of Dom Perignon out of my hand and said, “you’re not going to poison my granddaughter with that!”  And even though my baby was sweet and lovely, that was the moment the real pain began, (and it lasted 25 years).
Kind of like giving birth to a new United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA).
It’s been almost three years since I first met Jordan Henry, Jeff Herrold,  Geroge Crowder, Wes Farrow, Bob Scott, Mike Stryer, Kathy Hagerman, James Encinas and Kelsey Cushing – the nucleus of NewTLA who made me feel welcome and showed me the ropes.  We sat together at UTLA House of Reps meetings and gaped at each other in wonder while then- president A.J. Duffy led fabulously riotous meetings where people hissed (hissed!) whenever certain politicians were mentioned.  Mike and Bob guided us in using Robert’s Rules of Order.  In 2011, Warren Fletcher took the reins of the union and started gently guiding our rhetoric in a different

Guest Blog for Diane Ravitch

by Michael Deshotels

Dear readers:
Please utilize this link to access my guest post today on Diane Ravitch's blog. It includes a brief summary of the shocking attacks on the teaching profession in Louisiana.  I am very honored to have been asked to submit a guest post for this prestigious blog.
Thanks,
Mike Deshotels

US Dept.of Education Faces Pushback on School Closures

by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson)

By Candi Peterson

Last week on January 29, 2013, activists arrived in Washington, DC for what has been described as a "Journey for Justice."Seventeen cities were represented including:  Atlanta, Ga., Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, District of Columbia, Detroit, Eupora- (Miss), Hartford, Kansas City- (Mo.), Newark, New York, L.A., New Orleans, Oakland, Philadelphia and Witchita, Ks. Among their chief demands is a call to the US Department of Education's civil rights office to end top down discriminatory closings of public schools, phase outs and turn-arounds nationally and the sabotage and disinvestment of public schools.

According to an AP article titled “SchoolTurn-arounds Prompt Community Backlash”, written by Christina Hoag on Feb. 5, 2013 -  “The U.S. Department of Education’s  (DOE) civil rights office has 

The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application: A New Direction For New Jersey Charter Schools, Part I

by darciecima

It's no secret that Commissioner Cerf has been making lots of changes at the New Jersey Department of Education.  The Charter School Office is no exception.  One of the changes implemented in 2012 was to the charter application process.  The October application cycle, which in 2011 was nothing more than an expedited round for all and any applicants, (42 to be exact...) is now reserved solely for "existing operators with demonstrable experience."  It's  become a two phase application process, with only a certain portion of the applicants submitting Phase One applications moving on to Phase Two. 

When Commissioner Cerf testified before the Senate Education Committee last week he reiterated what both he and Governor Christie have been saying for a while now - he is focusing charter growth in urban, not suburban areas.

Our old friends at the Star Ledger Editorial Board like to pretend Cerf is focusing on urban districts because he is 

NEA President: ESEA Reauthorization Must Focus on Equity in Education

by twalker

By John Rosales

When the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee meets on Thursday to take a closer look at NCLB waivers, Pam Geisseihardt will be hanging on every syllable spoken by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and several state education chiefs who are scheduled to testify. And she will be wishing she were there in the hot seat, again.
“Oh, gosh, I would love to talk to those people again and tell them what the real world is like,” says Geisseihardt, Gifted and Talented coordinator for the Adair County School District in Columbia, Kentucky. An educator for 28 years, Geisseihardt spoke before the HELP Committee in 2011 on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind.
“They need to get down to the grassroots and hash things out,” she says. “The closer the discussion gets to the target group, that is, local schools and districts, the better.”
The National Education Association welcomes the hearing as a catalyst to reauthorizing the Elementary and 

Democrats want to tweak HOPE Scholarship again. Give full HOPE to top 3 percent of class

by Maureen Downey

The Democrats in the Senate are getting busy on education issues.
One of their chief targets is the Zell Miller Scholarship, the top tier HOPE award that goes to high school graduates who perform well in both GPA and SAT. Democrats want to expand the scholarship to students who graduate in the top 3 percent, regardless of their SAT score.
Zell Miller scholars must graduate high school as the valedictorian or salutatorian, or with at least a 3.7 grade-

Accountability to its extreme: Wisconsin teacher pens a hilarious essay on his family's love rating system: Chalk It Up

by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

Hey, if the family's love for each other is not statistically measured and publicly reported, how will they be motivated to keep the love flowing?

How about 'Beaverton: We graduate more students than PPS?' Beaverton schools hire a PR firm: Chalk It Up

by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

Beaverton schools are spending $58,000 for a PR expert to help them burnish their image. They'll start by listening to a lot of focus groups and could end up suggesting a signature slogan for Oregon's third-largest district

Chinese, American students study together in OUSD schools

Feb 6, 2013, 6 a.m.
OCEANSIDE — For 32 Chinese students visiting Lincoln and King middle schools in Oceanside this week, the lessons learned were not just about math, science and geography. The students also were learning about American education, and said they liked what they saw. “In China, our class is silent,” said Yang Weryu, 12, whose American name is Cecilia. “Only the teacher can talk. The class here is more funny and interesting.” The school days also are shorter and the homework is lighter, but classroom lessons also are more engaging and thought-provoking, she and other students said about their American experience. Foreign visitors are nothing new at Lincoln Middle School, where teacher Eli Alvarado introduced an exchange program with German students 17 years ago. But this was the first year the school was host to students from China, he said about the 

“Brainy Box” Is A Winner!

by Larry Ferlazzo

Russel Tarr has created lots of great online learning tools, and I’ve blogged about many of them.
His latest is called Brainy Box, and it lets you easily create a 3-D animated cube with any content you want to include in it. Students will love it.
It’s like Read Write Think’s well-known Cube Creator — but with ten times more features!

public prek primer 2013

by joyce

Public Prek is the fours year. They are housed in public schools and they are free for everyone, no matter your income (the "universal" in UPK). Some programs are half day and some are full day (it depends on what the school provides) and they are all 5 days programs.
When the DoE releases this year's information it will be located here.
The application period for prek begins March 4, 2013.
The application deadline is April 5, 2013.
You will hear about your placement in early June.
Registration for prek will be June 5 - June 19.

SUNY Geneseo forum promotes proactive steps against bullying

NYSUT's ongoing campaign about the dangers of bullying reached more than 1,000 students, educators and community activists this week during a day-long forum at SUNY Geneseo that focused on prevention and proactive responses.

State AFL-CIO president discusses leadership with NYSUT activists

RheeFirst! » Michelle “I don’t love publicity” Rhee hits the press circuit

RheeFirst! » Michelle “I don’t love publicity” Rhee hits the press circuit:

Michelle “I don’t love publicity” Rhee hits the press circuit

by admin

In a New York Times Magazine interview last Friday, Rhee balked at the notion that she “loved publicity.”  Well, for someone that doesn’t love publicity, she seems to be hitting the press circuit pretty hard.  Rhee is currently making the press rounds to peddle her new memoir.  Rhee has commiserated with Hannity, and been grilled by John Stewart, coddled by Pierce Morgan, and adored by the right-wing talkshow circuit this morning.
And then there is the tour for her new book “Radical.”  Rhee’s is currently touring to support her new book, andusing her non-profit organization to promote it.  Not sure how that squares with the tax code, especially if the money goes to benefit Rhee Enterprises LLC, Michelle’s personal enrichment vehicle.
Take a look at her schedule and decide for yourself how Rhee feels about publicity:

Pushing Arne Duncan to Fast-Forward:

Pushing Arne Duncan to Fast-Forward

JAMES CERSONSKY

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

Activists demand that the Department of Education address discriminatory policies.

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At a March 15, 2011, sit-down at the Children’s Defense Fund, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent an unequivocal message to black community and faith leaders. “What we’re desperately missing in this country is parents who will demand better for their children,” he said. “I wish to God I had parents knocking on my door every single day saying, go faster, you’re not moving fast enough.”

On Tuesday, community activists from across the country did exactly that. Some 400 students and parents from as far as California descended on Department of Education headquarters to testify on the racialized impact of school closings, turnarounds, and other measures stipulated by federal education funding mandates. Statistically, actions like these tend to affect students of color more than their white counterparts in the same districts. Students displaced by school turnover are forced to cross myriad social boundaries, including gang lines, with little to no precedent of greater 

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine. This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II.

“Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There’s no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.

Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they’re less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn’t be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It’s always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that “husky” girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they’ll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can’t shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl’s husband or father may swear vociferously, she’ll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator’s uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can’t be stressed too much in keeping women happy.”

The Revolution Will Not Be Quantified (Seattle boycott solidarity) « Cooperative Catalyst

The Revolution Will Not Be Quantified (Seattle boycott solidarity) « Cooperative Catalyst:

The Revolution Will Not Be Quantified (Seattle boycott solidarity)

by iteach4change

This post was a submission to my local Patch news site as part of the national Garfield solidarity day today. Also I would like to thank Katie Strom for some of the information and wording on high stakes tests.

Revolutions are rarely, if ever, sudden. They are a final breaking point – the product of collective acts of resistance over a period of time. When we teach our own American Revolution, it is important to reinforce to students that Lexington and Concord and the Declaration of Independence were the culmination of thirteen years of colonial resistance – sometimes highly organized, sometimes spontaneous, and inclusive of far more events than what makes it into textbooks. When it comes time to write the history of resistance to the so-called education “reform” movement, we will also tell the story of a gradual collection of acts – some individual and anonymous, some concerted and highly visible – that reversed an assault on public education that is not only morally bankrupt, ideologically driven, and flat out factually wrong. The “reformers” obsession with standardization and quantification will be seen for what it is: an educational paradigm of school-as-workforce-preparation aligned with the needs of the American capitalist class rather than with our students’ needs as human beings.

 Today is a national day of action in solidarity with the brave teachers in Seattle’s Garfield High School, who are refusing to administer the state standardized test for ninth graders, the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP). 

My Bus Ride and the Children of Sandy Hook | Taking Note

My Bus Ride and the Children of Sandy Hook | Taking Note:

My Bus Ride and the Children of Sandy Hook

by John Merrow

The second graders on the bus were one year older than the 20 kids murdered in Sandy Hook. They were enjoying life in ways that Sandy Hook’s children will not. Why is life so unfair?

As the bus approached my stop this morning, I could see through the windows that lots of seats were empty. Great, I thought, I can read the paper on my way to work. But as I boarded the bus, I realized I was mistaken. Those apparently empty seats had tiny occupants, close to 40 little kids. Their joyous cacophony filled the bus with high-pitched musical chatter. From my vantage point–standing–I could see most of them. A few were reading, most were talking, and not one of them was manipulating an electronic device. One of the adults who was accompanying them told me they were on their way to MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art, which is in midtown Manhattan. They were second graders, and their excitement was palpable and contagious.

Whatever morning fatigue I felt vanished as I took in the scene and tried to imagine them at MOMA. What would they think of Monet’s water lilies and Picasso’s strange and wonderful art? How would they react when they came face to face with “The Scream,” Edvard Munch’s famous painting?

Thinking about “The Scream” transported me back to last week, when my wife (a school principal) 

Missouri Education Watchdog: King Arthur Won't be Taught in this Private School Classroom Because of Common Core

Missouri Education Watchdog: King Arthur Won't be Taught in this Private School Classroom Because of Common Core:

King Arthur Won't be Taught in this Private School Classroom Because of Common Core

by stlgretchen

King Arthur's Knights Was Arthur a true, historical figure or only a hero of legend? This is truly up to each and every one of us to decide for ourselves. Arthur represents a man who was the epitome of good against evil, light against darkness, and that eternal, never-ending struggle between what is right and that which is wrong.

Students at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Indiana could have answered the question above in years past as this was part of their reading curriculum, but this year's class won't be studying King Arthur.  From Why One English Teacher Is Dropping The Legends Of King Arthur For The Life Of JFK at stateimpact.npr.org (note that this teacher teaches in a private school):

Melinda Bundy has taught at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis for 39 years. Students in 

Student Voice 101 - Student Voice

Student Voice:

Student Voice 101

by Student Voice Staff Writer

We are Student Voice. I am student voice. YOU are student voice.

Student voice is “a movement for students, by students, connecting and organizing America’s most underrepresented population – the students. We aim not to change a culture that ignores student voice, but rather create a culture that embraces it.”Our website, stuvoice.org is a platform for students to share their thoughts and be heard. We additionally connect through twitter using #stuvoice chats every Monday on various topics relating to students in education, politics and other things. As noted on the site, “Students from all different socioeconomic, geographic, and racial backgrounds connect through Student Voice both virtually and face-to-face. These relationships have empowered students to devise youth councils and organize education 

Feb. 11 Chat – Structured Schooling

by Student Voice Editor

Over the past few months, #StuVoice Twitter chats have often centered on efforts to give students and schools more autonomy. While this is not wrong, it neglects the other side of this debate. In an effort to promote both sides of this issue, our chat for next week will be: “How can structure improve education?”
Things to think about before this chat:

Dr. Diane Hamilton believes stronger curriculum guidelines benefit students.

Colin Powell gives a great TED talk in support of structured schooling.

Consider your own life. How has the structure of you education influenced who you are today?

Finally, if you believe structured curriculum can do nothing to improve education, be sure to let us know! We aim to promote an atmosphere of learning. We hope every participant can benefit from this chat.
Tweet at you soon!

Christian Isaac- Good Riddance: 3 Small Steps for Mankind

by admin

“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education” ~ Albert Einstein

**

Education is a simple virtue. Teachers teach, and we students learn. That is the envisioned goal of education, specifically public education; to give knowledge to individuals; and by this, give them power. Education’s mission in its existence is to enrich our minds, give us the steps necessary for both extrinsic and intrinsic advancement, and to give us the tools we need to complete the tasks of life that we want to complete.
This contrasts the reality of public school, however. In my school, whose walls enclose a roaring symphony of motivation towards college, teachers hand me data and processes, then expect me to memorize them so that I can then repeat the data and processes for a test – the same way a retail manager instructs a clerk to use a cash register. I learn nothing. In my school, who boasts success behind the ramparts of a mistaken agenda, I am taught that to be a person who has a life that matters in society, I have to absorb all the words and numbers spat on me by my classes to punch grades into a grade book, and go on to college, then to a vain career whose 

Thunderclap , A New Tool For Amplifying Your Tweet Into a Sonic Boom

Thunderclap:

BE HEARD BY SAYING SOMETHING TOGETHER

What is Thunderclap?

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If a tweet falls in the forest...

Social media is an easy way to say something, but it’s a difficult way to be heard. Thunderclap is the first-ever crowdspeaking platform that helps people be heard by saying something together. It allows a single message to be mass-shared, flash mob-style, that rises above the noise of your social networks. By boosting the signal at the same time, Thunderclap helps a single person create action and change like never before.

You don't need a huge following for a successful Thunderclap.

A user with 200 Facebook friends could amplify her message better than someone with 3,000 friends. It all depends on your cause's voice and shareability—and how much your friends are engaged. Thunderclap has already reached millions of people. Check out some of the successful projects on our homepage!

The tipping point

The beauty of Thunderclap is that it sets the goalposts—one message, one number, one date. It's a common threshold you and your supporters work toward together. It's a tangible way to measure awareness.

Today We Are All Garfield Teachers! - John Wilson Unleashed - Education Week

Today We Are All Garfield Teachers! - John Wilson Unleashed - Education Week:

Today We Are All Garfield Teachers!

By John Wilson on February 6, 2013 7:35 AM

We all knew that we would get to this point someday, that, somewhere, teachers would decide that their students were not served well by the proliferation of testing, test preparation, and test stress. We knew that someday and somewhere, teachers would declare that their students should come first and that their declaration would be written in civil disobedience. That is the American way, not to mention a teacher's responsibility.

Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington, is the somewhere, and the someday is now. The Garfield teachers unanimously decided to refuse to administer the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test. These teachers believe that this test is not valid at the high-school level. They assert that it hurts English-language learners and special needs students. They know that students do not take it seriously because it has no impact on their grades but that school officials want to use it as a part of teacher evaluation. The Garfield teachers have determined that the time testing takes away from instruction does not meet the educators' test of good practice and ethical behavior for professionals. Every teacher in America can relate to these 

UPDATE: Bush’s Education Foundation Sought to Influence Other State’s Employees + New Mexico Ed Boss – With Close Ties to Jeb Bush – Overrules State Commission in Favor of Another Bush Foundation Donor | Scathing Purple Musings

New Mexico Ed Boss – With Close Ties to Jeb Bush – Overrules State Commission in Favor of Another Bush Foundation Donor | Scathing Purple Musings:

Bush’s Education Foundation Sought to Influence Other State’s Employees on Louisiana School Board Races

by Bob Sikes

Maine was among the states which In the Public Interests obtained emails in an FOIA request regarding contacts between Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE) staff and numerous state employees. Only 13 emails were acquired, but one cloud included an exchange which revealed to what length FEE staff and state employees were involved in influencing elections in other states.
In 2011, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal wanted John White to be his state’s education commissioner, but knew he needed a state board which would look favorably on his universal voucher scheme. So did former Florida governor Jeb Bush. On October 5, 2011, FEE CEO Patricia Levesque sent the following message to numerous state education agency personnel across the country on FEE’s Chiefs for Change mailing list.

Chiefs,

An article on Louisiana state board of education races – that will impact selection of next chief in Louisiana. Gov. Jindal wants John White as next state chief. Governor Bush is lending his 

New Mexico Ed Boss – With Close Ties to Jeb Bush – Overrules State Commission in Favor of Another Bush Foundation Donor

by Bob Sikes

From an Associated Press story in the Santa Fe New Mexican:

New Mexico education chief Hanna Skandera, overruling the state Public Education Commission this week, will allow a new all-online charter school to open in the fall.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that the school will be called New Mexico Connections Academy and will contract with the online, for-profit curriculum company Connections Academy. The school aims to serve students in grades K-12 from around the state.
Skandera’s decision Wednesday came as a national nonprofit, In the Public Interest, released thousands of emails between former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s education foundation and policymakers in several states, including New Mexico.
Connections Academy is one of several online education companies that donates money to Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, an organization Skandera turns to for advice on reform initiatives.
The school proposal was submitted by Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation. But