Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts #ows #edreform

U.S. Education Department Finds Salary Gap in Poor Schools - NYTimes.com #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 20 minutes ago

U.S. Education Department Finds Salary Gap in Poor Schools - NYTimes.com:Districts Pay Less in Poor Schools, Report SaysBy SAM DILLONPublished: November 30, 2011RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINE-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHAREEducation experts have long argued that a basic inequity in American schooling is that students in poor neighborhoods are frequently taught by low-paid rookie teachers who move on as they gain experience and rise up the salary scale.A new Web venture featuring news, data and conversation about schools in New York City.Join us on Facebook »Follow us on ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Fred Smith on David Abrams' resignation: No Mas!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 20 minutes ago

NYC Public School Parents: Fred Smith on David Abrams' resignation: No Mas!:Fred Smith on David Abrams' resignation: No Mas!by Leonie HaimsonFred Smith is a former senior analyst for the NYC Board of Education and an expert on testing. Here he comments on the sudden resignation of David Abrams, who led the NY State Education Dept. testing office into one preposterous blunder after another over many years, the most serious of which was test score inflation -- but my favorite was ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 20 minutes ago

School Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groups - Chicago News CooperativeBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-12 minutes agoSchool Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groups - Chicago News Cooperative:School Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groupsby REBECCA VEVEADespite rumors that Chicago Public Schools officials planned to close a record number of schools this year, just four will be shuttered and four others will be phased out or share space with charter schools.Of the eight schools, seven will foster ... more »

Occupy L.A.: Nearly 300 protesters still in jail face $5,000 bail - latimes.com #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 20 minutes ago

Occupy L.A.: Nearly 300 protesters still in jail face $5,000 bail - latimes.com:Occupy L.A.: Nearly 300 protesters still in jail face $5,000 bailThe National Lawyers Guild is calling for nearly 300 Occupy L.A. protesters arrested early Wednesday to be released from jail. The majority of the 292 protesters were taken into custody for failing leave a City Hall park after police issued a dispersal order early Wednesday, city officials said. A smaller number also were cited for resisting arrest.All are ...more »

Robert Reich (The Rebirth of Social Darwinism)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 20 minutes ago

Robert Reich (The Rebirth of Social Darwinism):The Rebirth of Social DarwinismWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2011What kind of society, exactly, do modern Republicans want? I’ve been listening to Republican candidates in an effort to discern an overall philosophy, a broadly-shared vision, an ideal picture of America.They say they want a smaller government but that can’t be it. Most seek a larger national defense and more muscular homeland security. Almost all want to widen the government’s powers of search and surveillance inside the ... more »

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: War Times analyzes Occupy Movement #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 20 minutes ago

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: War Times analyzes Occupy Movement:War Times analyzes Occupy Movementby Duane Campbell(excerpts)Occupy has changed thecountry. People are fighting back. And the developments arehappening faster than anyone could have guessed even a few months ago. TheOccupy movement has gone from a few dozen in Zuccotti park in New York tothousands of participants in hundreds of cities. Across the countryoccupations have become pitched battles between the people’s movement andmunicipal police forces. The speed with which this unfolded, the degree of ... more »

School Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groups - Chicago News Cooperative

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

School Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groups - Chicago News Cooperative:School Overhaul Plan A Boon to Private Groupsby REBECCA VEVEADespite rumors that Chicago Public Schools officials planned to close a record number of schools this year, just four will be shuttered and four others will be phased out or share space with charter schools.Of the eight schools, seven will foster the expansion of schools operated by outside education management organizations, expanding the number of schools run by private groups ... more »

Amid sweeping changes, state’s testing chief resigns suddenly | GothamSchools

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

Amid sweeping changes, state’s testing chief resigns suddenly | GothamSchools:Amid sweeping changes, state’s testing chief resigns suddenlyby Rachel Cromidas and Philissa Cramer, at 5:22 pmThe State Education Department official who has supervised the state’s testing program since 2004 — through skyrocketing scores, a brutal crash, and the dawn of an overhaul — has resigned.David Abrams, the State Education Department’s assistant commissioner for standards, assessment, and reporting since 2004, announced his resignation today. His resignation is effective immediately, shocking some ... more »

Remarks by the President on the American Jobs Act | The White House

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

Remarks by the President on the American Jobs Act | The White House:Remarks by the President on the American Jobs Actby The White HouseRelease Time: For Immediate ReleaseScranton High SchoolScranton, Pennsylvania2:37 P.M. ESTTHE PRESIDENT: Hello, Scranton! Thank you. (Applause.) It is good to be back in Scranton. Go, Knights! (Applause.) It is good to be here. Thank you, Principal Schaeffer, for letting us hold this little assembly here at the high school. (Laughter.) The principal was bragging about both the ... more »

public high school choice rant - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

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

public high school choice rant - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help:public high school choice rantby joyceForgive me for too many CAPS ahead of time.I have been hearing a lot about the "second round" this year, like you get another shot at the choice you want late in the spring. GUYS! the DOE doesn't work that way!! The "supplemental round" is for students who have NOT RECEIVED ANY CHOICE in the main round. Your placement in the main ... more »

Support PURE! » 18 schools, 10,000 students targeted by CPS interventions

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

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » 18 schools, 10,000 students targeted by CPS interventions:18 schools, 10,000 students targeted by CPS interventionsby adminAdding to the 10 turnarounds disclosed yesterday, CPS today announced that it will close 2 schools and consolidate, phase out, or otherwise intervene in 6 others.There will be a critical meeting of the Chicago Educational Facilties Task Force TOMORROW Dec 1 at 10 am downtown at the Bilandic Building – 160 N. La Salle RM C-600 ... more »

Remember, Remember, the Month of November | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

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

Remember, Remember, the Month of November | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:Remember, Remember, the Month of Novemberby Tarsi DunlopNative American National Heritage Month is a chance to highlight a component of American history that is often overlooked. Native American Heritage Month celebrates those, along with their tribal ancestors, who were here thousands of years before Columbus or Cortes set foot in North America. The unique nature of America’s immigration history results in distinct parameters for discussions on ... more »

Two important documents from Milwaukee's teachers' union | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

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

Two important documents from Milwaukee's teachers' union | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:Two important documents from Milwaukee's teachers' unionby Ron WhitehorneIn May, Bob Peterson was elected president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, the largest teachers union in the state of Wisconsin.Peterson is well known as a founding editor of Rethinking Schools and a long-time advocate of social justice unionism.Peterson detailed "why and how" to reinvent the MTEA:read more

Physical Fitness Test Results for 2011 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education)

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

Physical Fitness Test Results for 2011 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education):Physical Fitness Test Results for 2011 Prompt SchoolsChief Tom Torlakson and NBA All-Star Bill Waltonto Team Up for Healthy Kids CampaignEL CAJON—With only 31 percent of students posting healthy scores in all six areas of the latest Physical Fitness Test, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson joined NBA all-star Bill Walton today in urging schools across California to take part in the Team California for Healthy Kids ... more »

Our Students Deserve No Less | ED.gov Blog

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

Our Students Deserve No Less | ED.gov Blog:Our Students Deserve No LessPosted on November 30, 2011 by Cameron Brenchley(Official Department of Education Photo by Joshua Hoover)“My chief message today is a sobering one,” said Secretary Duncan yesterday at the annual Federal Student Aid conference in Las Vegas, Nev. “I want to ask you, and the entire higher education community, to look ahead and start thinking more creatively—and with much greater urgency—about how to contain the spiraling costs of college and ... more »

POVERTY DEFEATS EVEN CHARTER SCHOOLS « Teachers Fight Back

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POVERTY DEFEATS EVEN CHARTER SCHOOLS « Teachers Fight Back:POVERTY DEFEATS EVEN CHARTER SCHOOLSby alkleenToday’s Chicago Tribune has an article about how research has suggested that many charter schools in Chicago are performing no better than traditional neighborhood schools and some are actually doing much worse. The article shows the test scores to back up the research that was done.Does this really surprise anyone? What is so difficult to understand about the fact that children from poverty-stricken areas will almost always ... more »

Alert From the Sacramento Comprehensive High School Coalition

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

From the Sacramento Comprehensive High School Coalition:An update is in order for anyone hopeful that the Sac High campus might be reclaimed for use as a pedestrian-friendly comprehensive high school. A sizable group of families from the West Campus community oppose any move that re-locates, or significantly expands their campus and culture. When combined with St. HOPE's vigorous defense of the Sac High campus, it would appear that the "swap" option faces two very well-organized, and determined opponents.For residents in ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

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

Education Research Report: Children At Risk: A State-by-State Report on Early InterventionBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-32 minutes agoEducation Research Report: Children At Risk: A State-by-State Report on Early Intervention:Children At Risk: A State-by-State Report on Early Interventionby Jonathan KantrowitzΩEaster Seals new report -- Our Nation’s Children at Risk: A State-by-State Report on Early Intervention -- gives a sense for how well each state takes care of its youngest children with disabilities and delays. The fact is: infants and ... more »

Remainders: Bronx school tells parents to stop airing its issues | GothamSchools

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Remainders: Bronx school tells parents to stop airing its issues | GothamSchools:Remainders: Bronx school tells parents to stop airing its issuesby Philissa Cramer, at 9:00 pmP.S. 24 in the Bronx told families to stop telling the school’s troubles to the press. (Bronx Press Politics)A teacher discovers an error in an automatically graded Regents grade from last year. (NYCDOENuts)A teacher reports with glee that social studies exams might be resurrected. (Mr. D’s Neighborhood)Mike Petrilli: Though sometimes wrong, Diane Ravitch’s arguments are ... more »

Response: Several Ways Teachers Can Create A Supportive Environment For Each Other - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher

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Response: Several Ways Teachers Can Create A Supportive Environment For Each Other - Classroom QA With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher:« How Can Teachers Create A Supportive Environment For Each Other? | MainResponse: Several Ways Teachers Can Create A Supportive Environment For Each OtherBy Larry Ferlazzo on November 29, 2011 2:36 PMS.H. asked:Our school culture has a growing sense of [unhealthy] competitiveness. I believe a lot of this stems from the fact that our administration does not recognize (or ... more »

The Trouble with National Social Studies Standards, and how the Common Core Might Help - Dana Goldstein

The Trouble with National Social Studies Standards, and how the Common Core Might Help - Dana Goldstein:

The Trouble with National Social Studies Standards, and how the Common Core Might Help

by Dana Goldstein

Education Week reports on social scientists who complain that the new Common Core curriculum standards replicate the problems of No Child Left Behind, by shunting civics and history in favor of English and math.

I share the concern about the sorry state of civics and history education in American schools, but this is actually one reason why I'm cautiously optimistic about the Common Core. The Common Core English standards call for 50 percent of all English class reading assignments to be non-fiction and "informational;" currently, according toDavid Coleman, the lead architect of the new standards, about 80 percent of all reading assignments are fiction or memoir. So if schools and teachers take the Common Core suggested reading lists seriously, students will gain a lot more exposure to great thinkers and ideas in civics, history, and the social sciences. Here's a sampling of what they'll read:

K-1: How People Learned to Fly

2-3: Martin Luther King and the M

What Constitutes Effective Parental Involvement? «

What Constitutes Effective Parental Involvement? «:

What Constitutes Effective Parental Involvement?

December 1, 2011 by Irene Sege

Photo: Alessandra Hartkopf for Strategies for Children

Children whose parents are involved in their education perform better. They earn better grades, are absent less often, have better social skills, and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. This is the well-established rationale for encouraging parental engagement. Yet what does effective effective family engagement mean?

A recent report – “Back to School: How Parent Involvement Affects Student Achievement” — from the Center for Public Education (CPE) summarizes the data. “Do all the PTA meetings, take-home flyers and Back to School nights actually generate

Occupy Wall Street Arrests in Context « Student Activism #ows

Occupy Wall Street Arrests in Context « Student Activism:

Occupy Wall Street Arrests in Context

by Angus Johnston

Yesterday the Occupy Wall Street movement passed a milestone — five thousand arrests since the Zuccotti Park encampment was established on September 17. As a result of multiple crackdowns overnight, the tally now stands at 5,163 arrests in 75 days, an average of almost 69 a day.

Let’s put those numbers in perspective.

In the most recent year for which data exist, there were 13,120,947 arrests in the United States. (That’s one for every 24 people in the country, including babies.) Almost 36,000 arrests each and every day.

Assuming those numbers are about right for the last few months, that means that one out of every five hundred people arrested in the US since mid-September was arrested in connection with OWS.

Shanker Blog » What Value-Added Research Does And Does Not Show

Shanker Blog » What Value-Added Research Does And Does Not Show:

What Value-Added Research Does And Does Not Show

by Matthew Di Carlo

Value-added and other types of growth models are probably the most controversial issue in education today. These methods, which use sophisticated statistical techniques to attempt to isolate a teacher’s effect on student test score growth, are rapidly assuming a central role in policy, particularly in the new teacher evaluation systems currently being designed and implemented. Proponents view them as a primary tool for differentiating teachers based on performance/effectiveness.

Opponents, on the other hand, including a great many teachers, argue that the models’ estimates are unstable over time, subject to bias and imprecision, and that they rely entirely on standardized test scores, which are, at best, an extremely partial measure of student performance. Many have come to view growth models as

Sobering statistics on child poverty - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

Sobering statistics on child poverty - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools:

Sobering statistics on child poverty

By Katy Murphy
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 9:15 pm in families.

The number of school-age children living in poverty soared by 30 percent(!) in California between 2007 and 2010, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

In the United States, nearly 2 million more children between the ages of 5 and 17 fell into poverty during that time.

I wrote about that depressing trend today, in this story. My colleague Danny Willis created a database that lets you search the numbers by school district boundary and county. You’ll find it at the end of the piece.

You know what the poverty line is, as defined by the Census? For a family of four