Friday, October 21, 2011

“Don’t mess with my TRS!” Call now. 888-412-6570. « Fred Klonsky's blog:“Don’t mess with my TRS!” Call now. 888-412-6570.by Fred KlonskyThe lines are now open. Dial 888-412-6570 and follow the prompts. You will be connected with your state senator or representative. Tell them to do the right thing, say NO cutting the modest pensions earned by public employees who keep us safe, educate our children, care for the sick and disabled and more.

Jersey Jazzman: False Gods Are Not Appeased By Human Sacrifices

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: False Gods Are Not Appeased By Human Sacrifices:False Gods Are Not Appeased By Human Sacrificesby DukeI noticed a few folks today beating up Andrew "Eduwonk" Rotherman on the Twitter machine for his column in this week's Time. Let me quickly recap, and then make a larger point about the ongoing reformy education debate:Predictably, Rotherman first tells us that teacher quality is a serious problem without any real evidence that it is. Yes, there are bad teachers, just like ...more »

A Rag Blog Interview with Bernardine Dohrn « Bill Ayers #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

A Rag Blog Interview with Bernardine Dohrn « Bill Ayers:A Rag Blog Interview with Bernardine Dohrnby billayers20 October 2011Jonah RaskinBernardine Dohrn. Photo by Thomas Good / Next Left Notes.Who doesn’t have a reaction to the name and the reputation of Bernadine Dohrn? Is there anyone over the age of 60 who doesn’t remember her role at the outrageous Days of Rage demonstrations, her picture on FBI “wanted posters,” or her dramatic surrender to law enforcement officials in Chicago after a ...more »

ESEA moving in HELP committee « Parents Across America

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

ESEA moving in HELP committee « Parents Across America:ESEA moving in HELP committeeby pureparentsUpdate stories from Ed Week here and here on the status of ESEA in the Senate HELP committee, which has set a hearing on the proposal for November 8:…the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the committee, and Sen. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo., reached an agreement with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., so that action on the bill could move forward.…the biggest loser is the ...more »

Taking it to the White House for Excellent Public Schools « EdVox

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Taking it to the White House for Excellent Public Schools « EdVox:Taking it to the White House for Excellent Public Schoolsby edvoxny“Minute by minute, hour, by hour, we are the parents, we have the power!” That is what parents and community members from across the nation chanted on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 during the Communities for Excellent Public Schools Day of Action.More than 175 people from across the nation came together in Washington DC to demand a new option for ... more »

Working Group Proposal for Communication & Networking | Occupy Together #ows

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Working Group Proposal for Communication Networking | Occupy Together:Working Group Proposal for Communication NetworkingOctober 20th, 2011 · Ella · AnnouncementsNo commentsPeople are occupying spaces in over 150 communities throughout the nation and many more worldwide. We have all become part of a network of people who are working together for something much bigger than any single person, idea, or group. The growth of this movement has been vast and rapid. As we are growing, it is important for us to ... more »

L.A. School police to issue fewer truancy tickets - latimes.com

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L.A. School police to issue fewer truancy tickets - latimes.com:L.A. School police to issue fewer truancy ticketsOctober 20, 2011 | 1:47 pm 10The Los Angeles School Police Department has issued new rules aimed at reducing the number of truancy tickets written to students and focusing efforts instead on helping these students get to and remain in school.The new policy, announced Thursday, is the latest change from a campaign to reform traditional school discipline that advocates say results in ethnic and ... more »

Rappin' Randi: While Schools Decay, We Can't Turn Away #EDreform

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Randi Weingarten: While Schools Decay, We Can't Turn Away:Randi WeingartenPresident, American Federation of TeachersGET UPDATES FROM RANDI WEINGARTENLike61While Schools Decay, We Can't Turn AwayPosted: 10/20/11 03:46 PM ETHere's what you'll find in too many public schools in America today: "Classrooms" fashioned out of storage rooms, school cafeterias and stages because of school overcrowding. Extreme temperatures in classrooms that require students and staff to wear coats indoors in the winter and to swelter in dangerous heat in warmer months. Bathroom floors ... more »

Occupy the Classroom - NYTimes.com #edreform

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Occupy the Classroom - NYTimes.com:Occupy the ClassroomBy NICHOLAS D. KRISTOFPublished: October 19, 2011RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINCOMMENTSE-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHAREOccupy Wall Street is shining a useful spotlight on one of America’s central challenges, the inequality that leaves the richest 1 percent of Americans with a greater net worth than the entire bottom 90 percent.Damon Winter/The New York TimesNicholas D. KristofOn the GroundNicholas Kristof addresses reader feedback and posts short takes from his travels.Go to Blog »Go to Columnist Page »Readers’ CommentsShare your thoughts.Pos... more »

Occupy Wall Street Videos for the Classroom | Mr. D's Neighborhood #OWS

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 23 hours ago

Occupy Wall Street Videos for the Classroom | Mr. D's Neighborhood:Occupy Wall Street Videos for the Classroomby ldorazio1The Occupy Wall Street protests are obviously on many peoples’ minds lately. In my scotch fog (more like cheap Bourbon, in my case) not only did I not take into account my lack of activity on this blog, but also my lack of real analysis of these protests.So here’s some video to share with your students–hopefully with as little editorializing as possible.The YouTube ... more »

Inspired by Wall St. protest, activists vow to ‘Occupy the DOE’ | GothamSchools #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 23 hours ago

Inspired by Wall St. protest, activists vow to ‘Occupy the DOE’ | GothamSchools:Inspired by Wall St. protest, activists vow to ‘Occupy the DOE’by Rachel Cromidas, at 5:47 pmSince the first protesters arrived at Zuccotti park nearly five weeks ago, the Occupy Wall Street movement has ignited protests from California to the United Kingdom. The city Department of Education could be next.Calling Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott a member of the maligned “1 percent,” city education activists say they are planning to ... more »

Teachers As Advocates | Connected Principals

Teachers As Advocates | Connected Principals:

Teachers As Advocates

Posted by George Couros on 10/21/11 • Categorized as Best Educational Practices,Leadership Essentials

From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/5542172347/

When talking with a group of teachers last week about the frustration that sometimes comes with not feeling they are respected as professionals in the field of education, I had to sit back and think about this question. We often hear conversations from many that say, “Well when I was in school…”, and we often feel frustrated that many do not understand some of the complexities that come with our profession.

On the other hand though, do we sometime as educators make this comment easy to make? If our classroom

This Week In Education: #ESEA Update: Harkin-Enzi Makes It Out Of Committee

This Week In Education: #ESEA Update: Harkin-Enzi Makes It Out Of Committee:

#ESEA Update: Harkin-Enzi Makes It Out Of Committee

by Alexander Russo

Wow. Late on Thursday Senator Harkin sent out a press release touting the passage of the #ESEA rewrite by the Senate education committee stating that "Tonight is a victory – both for our nation’s children and for bipartisanship."

We'll see about that. Meantime, here are some of the early writeups: Senate Panel Approves ESEA Overhaul EdWeek: Harkin hopes to move the bill to the floor of the Senate before Thanksgiving, and he believes it's "possible" that Congress could approve a rewritten version of the nation's main education law before Christmas.Senate committee votes to update education law AP: A committee forwarded to the Senate Thursday evening a bill that rewrites the education law No Child Left Behind. ESEA mark-up: Bill moved from committee, 15-7 Ed Sector: Here’s highlights of approved amendments from the afternoon, in the

Five Best Blogs: Real World Education

by Alexander Russo

Jeb Bush, Distance Learning, and the Hype Cycle Sherman Dorn: What School of One offers is algorithmic programming, not individualized education.

Fighting the War on Poverty with Early Childhood Education CAP: As it stands, only three percent of TItle I funds are used for early childhood education.

Trigger Happy? Title I Derland: If the goal of the waivers is to support state innovation, it seems strange to risk stifling a plan that puts school improvement solutions in the hands of parents in favor of one that is prescribed from Washington.

Early Childhood Education Involves Taxes Matthew Yglesias: The actual question is what offsetting budget

Education | PTA wants state to reconsider charter schools | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | PTA wants state to reconsider charter schools | Seattle Times Newspaper:

PTA wants state to reconsider charter schools

The Washington PTA wants charter schools to be a part of the state's education reform agenda, even though the idea has twice been rejected by voters and repeatedly shot down by lawmakers.

By Donna Gordon Blankinship

The Associated Press

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Thinking of taking classes online? Find an accredited degree program. Look for... (October 20, 2011, by cherylbullock) Read more

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The Washington PTA wants charter schools to be a part of the state's education reform agenda, even though the idea has twice been rejected by voters and repeatedly shot down by lawmakers.

PTA members from around the state added charter public schools to their agenda when they met last weekend near Seattle. The organization's policy brief on the issue says the independent schools are an effective tool against the achievement gap.

"This is an additional way of looking at schools and what we need to be doing differently," Shelley Kloba, the Washington PTA's state legislative director, said Thursday. She emphasized that the charter school issue

Grumpy Educators: Parent Across America submits proposals for ESEA reauthorization

Grumpy Educators: Parent Across America submits proposals for ESEA reauthorization:

Parent Across America submits proposals for ESEA reauthorization

Parents Across America wrote to Senator Harkin, starting the letter this way:

Dear Senator Harkin,

Your proposed revisions to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act show that you and the HELP Committee have listened to some of the concerns voiced by parents and others about the problems with No Child Left Behind.

The letter was followed by a list of proposals Parents Across America wish to see excluded in the new legislation as well as items that they recommend be

Professional Learning Communities Saved My Career « Whole Child Education

The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:

Professional Learning Communities Saved My Career

October 20th, 2011 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Gwendolyn Todd

Post written by Gwendolyn Todd, a secondary instructional resource teacher in the Charles County (Md.) Public Schools. This post was originally featured in ASCD Express.

When I began my teaching career just a decade ago, professors and veteran teachers warned me that teaching is a solitary profession. Although both groups continually taught me strategies to facilitate collaborative learning for my students, they also emphasized that my professional life would be lonely.

However, I started teaching at the advent of No Child Left Behind. The law’s push for tough-love accountability provoked a general panic among educators that I, as a new teacher, didn’t understand at the time. The panic prompted a new strategy: instead of working alone, a team of teachers could more effectively combat the heat of the accountability spotlight. Nevertheless, several colleagues who entered the field at the same

UC online instruction pilot sparks excitement, controversy | California Watch

UC online instruction pilot sparks excitement, controversy | California Watch:

UC online instruction pilot sparks excitement, controversy

by Erica Perez

Erica Perez

Jakub Krechowicz/stock.xchng

As a small cadre of University of California faculty prepares to deliver the first online classes in a systemwide experiment, the effort is stirring both excitement and controversy among instructors and administrators.

The Online Instruction Pilot Project will launch roughly 20 to 25 online courses at nine campuses beginning in January. Faculty and researchers will evaluate the courses, and if the data suggest the courses have a positive impact on students’ learning outcomes, UC will push to make online instruction a permanent part of the

Warren Buffett’s free financial literacy lessons - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Warren Buffett’s free financial literacy lessons - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Warren Buffett’s free financial literacy lessons

by Valerie Strauss

With the country wallowing in deep economic troubles that serve as testament to how little Americans understand about money, super investor Warren Buffett just launched a financial literacy program that offers free lessons for children (and adults).

The program, called the Secret Millionaire’s Club, offers animated episodes that teach financial literacy, entrepreneurship and core math skills. One of them, for example, has a cartoon Buffett helping some kids figure out why a girl’s lemonade stand isn’t profitable. The episodes all include a stock ticker with companies, including Hershey’s, Google, Kraft, Sony, Time Warner, Apple, and Build a Bear.

Read full article >>

What happens if Common App essays exceed 500-word limit?

by Valerie Strauss

The Common Application widely used by high school seniors to apply to college recently reinstituted a 500-word limit for its essay for the current college admissions season. But what happens to a student who exceeds the limit?

Officials for the Common App, which is accepted by 415 college and universities, say that it ended their four-year experiment with unlimited essay lengths because colleges and counselors complained that many essays were too long and sloppily written. The 500-word limit had been used for 31 years previously, and they felt it would help students to set it again.

Read full article >>

Are top students being shortchanged?

by Valerie Strauss

This was written by Paul Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University in South Carolina. A version of this was published on Daily Kos.

By Paul Thomas

One aspect of the education reform debate that persistently gives me pause is the claim that top students are being short-changed in U.S. public education — specifically due to disproportionate time and money spent on struggling students. I have attempted to address this argument both seriously and satirically, but each approach has brought primarily defense of those neglected top students.

Read full article >>

Rationing access to community colleges | Thoughts on Public Education

Rationing access to community colleges | Thoughts on Public Education:

Rationing access to community colleges - by Kathryn Baron

by Kathryn Baron

The days of the so-called professional student at California’s community colleges may be coming to an end. After nearly a year of studying ways to improve graduation and transfer rates, with dwindling resources, the 21-member Student Success Task Force on community colleges is considering changes to some of the historic tenets of the nation’s largest [...]

A bulwark against bad eating - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

With monster 49ers tackle Bill “Bubba” Paris heading a soccer ball to Brandi Chastain (her idea) and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson leading elementary school students in San Jose on a lap around the field while still in a suit, Torlakson on Thursday kicked off Team California for Healthy Kids, an initiative to spread [...]

Jersey Jazzman: "Overpaid" Teachers Redux

Jersey Jazzman: "Overpaid" Teachers Redux:

"Overpaid" Teachers Redux

by Duke

Yeesh...

The effects of this liability are already popping up: when Standard & Poor dropped New Jersey’s credit rating in February, the first explanation given was “concern regarding the stresses from the state’s poorly funded pension system.” Such fallout can only be expected to spread, with Pew reporting that pension funds in 31 states were funded below 80 percent in 2009.
How did the situation get so grim? While the financial crisis and irresponsible politicians

Motivating Students Through Blowin' Stuff Up

by Duke

From the nice folks doin' nice things who are gonna teach our kids through X-Boxes:

Popout

I want these kids to be talking about what they got out of the Dimension U system in the same breath that they're talking about what they got out of World of Warcraft; what they got out of Halo - 'cause it's the same psychological motivations.

And what are the "psychological motivations" inherent in Halo?

Geaux Teacher!: Whose "Showdown" is it Mr. Dubos?

Geaux Teacher!: Whose "Showdown" is it Mr. Dubos?:

Whose "Showdown" is it Mr. Dubos?

by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)

My response to Gambit endorsements in BESE District 1 election

Let me clarify the real source of the divide among this year's important race for BESE characterized by Clancy Dubos in his October 18 edition of Gambit as a "showdown."

Classroom teachers - not school board members, school superintendents or unions - are the largest and most significant group of education professionals in the state and a cohort member of the Coalition for Louisiana Public Education. I represent that important group as a National Board Certified Teacher and founding member of the Coalition for Louisiana Public Education.

Classroom teachers statewide and nationally are leading the opposition to the still miserably failing premise that

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: TEACHERS: Don't cannibalize, ORGANIZE

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: TEACHERS: Don't cannibalize, ORGANIZE:

TEACHERS: Don't cannibalize, ORGANIZE

by ART-tivist Mommy

I understand teachers are not normally political hounds, yet, sometimes I wish they were more aware of the who is really making the big decisions in our profession; for it's certainly not other teachers.

To illustrate my point, yesterday I attended a focus group at the Department of Education with other teachers from across the District. Being an art teacher, I have been luckily spared the weight and stress of standardized testing in my subject area. I am hoping this day never comes for that will be the day I find another career; and fast. In this crowd at the Department of education there happened to be two art teachers, me included, and when the conversation touched upon standardized tests some teachers began to spout

An Urban Teacher's Education: Paradigm Shift

An Urban Teacher's Education: Paradigm Shift:

Paradigm Shift

by James Boutin

In the past year, I've had a pretty significant paradigm shift in terms of my understanding of creating positive school culture.

In the first three years of my teaching career I believed a positive school culture was built primarily through a well-organized system of incentives and consequences for behaviors school staff understood to be appropriate. I remember being particularly impressed with a presentation my staff received when I worked at Renton High School by a guy who showed us his system for discipline. It included of a series of increasingly severe consequences for student misbehavior, opportunities for students to reflect on why they might have been a disruption to class, and rewards and praise for behaviors staff appreciated.

Although I'd always heard about natural consequences and inviting students to participate in creating their consequences (and always sort of thought that made sense), I don't think I really understood the guiding