Sunday, February 12, 2012

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Below is an announcement and background info on an...:Below is an announcement and background info on an upcoming,...Below is an announcement and background info on an upcoming, southern California regional student conference in support of protest against the dismantling of post-secondary education in the state. These details are provided by a CSULA student actively supporting the Occupy movement in solidarity with this effort to gain more support for university and college education in California. Please feel free ... more »

The Innovative Educator: I don't support daddy laptop shooter Tommy Jordan

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 44 minutes ago

The Innovative Educator: I don't support daddy laptop shooter Tommy Jordan:I don't support daddy laptop shooter Tommy Jordanby noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)Message to Tommy Jordan's daughter: Hannah, I can relate to how you might have felt. It must be heartbreaking to have your Dad see you as his adversary. It is frustrating when there is someone else who seems to be controlling and dictating everything you do. Like you, I wanted to be trusted and empowered to make and be responsible ... more »

In most Bay Area schools, high-profile school reform ideas remain hypothetical - ContraCostaTimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 44 minutes ago

In most Bay Area schools, high-profile school reform ideas remain hypothetical - ContraCostaTimes.com:In most Bay Area schools, high-profile school reform ideas remain hypotheticalBy Katy MurphyOakland TribunePosted: 02/12/2012 12:00:00 AM PSTOAKLAND -- Members and supporters of the Oakland teachers union picketed outside the Paramount Theatre this week. Michelle Rhee, one of the nation's most prominent school reformers, was about to address a sold-out crowd of 3,000 about the failures of the nation's education system and the importance of effective teachers."No Rhee-forms," ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader Visual Soundbites for 02.10.12

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 44 minutes ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader Visual Soundbites for 02.10.12:Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader Visual Soundbites for 02.10.12by stlgretchenWelcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader. The visual soundbites from Twitter for 02.12.12:As Scott Joftus said, it IS the Wild West in Education. Scads of money to be made in education...those dot.com investors had to go somewhere.....For those of you following the explosion of education startups, an interactive map of the new playershttp://www.newschools.org/entrepreneurs/edtechmapFrom... more »

Union accepts district assurance that teachers can return to Miramonte - latimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 44 minutes ago

Union accepts district assurance that teachers can return to Miramonte - latimes.com:Teachers want moratorium on layoffs and a new evaluation systemLos Angeles teachers have approved a much-watched initiative that calls for a moratorium on layoffs as well as a new teacher-evaluation system.Organizers of the initiative, which passed with 56% of the vote, immediately hailed the results as suggesting that teachers were willing to accept student test scores as part of a new evaluation system.“Teachers will now take the lead on ... more »

Eulogy for a brilliant mentor and teacher - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 44 minutes ago

Eulogy for a brilliant mentor and teacher - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Eulogy for a brilliant mentor and teacherby Valerie StraussHere is a eulogy for a pioneering scientist that says more about the lifelong effects of a dynamic teacher on his students than any “value-added” formula ever could.The eulogy was delivered by Jeffrey Ravetch, head of the Leonard Wagner Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology at Rockefeller University in New York, at a memorial service last week for ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Clarion Whisper of Alarm

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 44 minutes ago

School Tech Connect: The Clarion Whisper of Alarm:The Clarion Whisper of Alarmby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I saw this tweet over at Small Talk.Remember when Cher slapped Nicholas Cage and told him to snap out of it? I always feel that way about the president of my national federation*. In my view, she's always speaking in these muted terms instead of letting

Daniel Pink Answers Two Questions About Group Incentives | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 44 minutes ago

Daniel Pink Answers Two Questions About Group Incentives | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:Daniel Pink Answers Two Questions About Group Incentivesby Larry FerlazzoAs regular readers know, I’m not a fan of teacher merit pay (see The Best Resources For Learning Why Teacher Merit Pay Is A Bad Idea).Some school reformers and researchers have suggested that providing merit pay for entire schools is an alternative, though I’m not a supporter of those kinds of group incentives for similar reasons why ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-11 #edreform #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

RIP Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You - LyricsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-26 minutes agoA Father. « Student ActivismBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-26 minutes agoA Father. « Student Activism:A Father.by Angus JohnstonImagine a father gives his teenaged daughter a lovely carved wooden box. Imagine she puts her diary in it, and letters she’s written to her friends, and letters they’ve written to her. Imagine she puts photos in it, and keepsakes, and mementoes. Imagine ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Other Learning Problem

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

School Tech Connect: The Other Learning Problem:The Other Learning Problemby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Go read this, including the comments.I agree. Incidentally, technology is not going to change the fact that we have a nation full of kids who are strangely not looped into the fact that k-12 education is now the frontline of national security and economic prosperity. It's not even going to make a dent in the problem, as long as we have standardization and ever-mounting pressure on test scores, even ... more »

RIP Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You - Lyrics

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

A Father. « Student Activism

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

A Father. « Student Activism:A Father.by Angus JohnstonImagine a father gives his teenaged daughter a lovely carved wooden box. Imagine she puts her diary in it, and letters she’s written to her friends, and letters they’ve written to her. Imagine she puts photos in it, and keepsakes, and mementoes. Imagine it’s where she keeps her camera, and her iPod.Imagine he overhears her once with her friends, looking at stuff from the box, giggling. Reading diary entries aloud, sharing photos. Private ... more »

School Tech Connect: "Shills and Cruel Jokes"

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

School Tech Connect: "Shills and Cruel Jokes":"Shills and Cruel Jokes"by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Feeling kind of wobbly here but on the mend. I'll be flopping around in no time. Meanwhile, here's Labor Beat's review of the CPS show trials. I'll only say this--- I work in the suburbs with people who mostly live in the suburbs. One of my colleagues was recently reading in the Trib about the NCLB waivers and he told me that it sounded like a good idea.I guess ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The Joke’s on Us

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: The Joke’s on Us:The Joke’s on UsFebruary 11, 2012 (GBN News): In a stunning development, GBN News has learned that Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s signature “Race to the Top” program was originally conceived as a practical joke on President Obama. According to a source in the Education Department, the Secretary was merely looking to embarrass the President after a particularly humiliating loss on the basketball court.Apparently, Mr. Duncan never really expected to carry the hoax quite ...more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 2-11 #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

Facebook Emails « DFER WatchBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-14 minutes agoFacebook Emails « DFER Watch:FACEBOOK EMAILSPosted by ken libby on February 11, 2012 · Leave a Comment From a January 27, 2012 ACLU-NJ blog post:NEWARK - A Superior Court judge today ordered a lawsuit to proceed against the City of Newark (151k PDF) over documents related to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million donation for the city’s schools, and ordered the city to produce a list of the ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Dmytro Fedkowskyj on why he voted "No" on the 23 school closings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Dmytro Fedkowskyj on why he voted "No" on the 23 school closings:Dmytro Fedkowskyj on why he voted "No" on the 23 school closingsby Leonie HaimsonHere is the statement made by Dmytro Fedkowskyj, Queens representative on the Panel for Educational Policy, before voting against the 23 school closings and numerous co-locations. The vote was 9-4, with the 8 mayoral appointees plus the Staten Island rep Diane Perrugia, voting lockstep in favor of each proposal by the DOE, ... more »

Mother Crusader: No Transparency At NJDOE Or For-Profit White Hat. What Are They Hiding?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

Mother Crusader: No Transparency At NJDOE Or For-Profit White Hat. What Are They Hiding?:NJDOE Released Charter Application Reviewer's Names, But What We Need Are The Reviewer's Scores And Commentsby darciecimaTen charter schools in Ohio that contract with White Hat Management, aren't too happy. The saga is beingcovered extensively by StateImpact Ohio.White Hat has been sued by the governing boards of some of the schools it manages. According to the lawsuit, White Hat collects at least 95 percent of the schools’ ... more »

Blue Jersey:: The New Teacher Evaluation Policy

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

Blue Jersey:: The New Teacher Evaluation Policy:The New Teacher Evaluation Policyby newschoolboardmemberpromoted by RosiI attended a meeting last night and learned a few things about the new teacher evaluation policy set to roll out for all districts in the 2013-2014 school year.Our district will join the pilot program for one of our schools next year (2012-13). We will apply for a grant, but the cost of implementing this plan will cost upwards of $50,000. Other districts will have different costs, ... more »

Outsourcing Gym Class - The Bay Citizen

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Outsourcing Gym Class - The Bay Citizen:Outsourcing Gym ClassWith budgets tight, schools look for new ways to pay for physical educationTEXT SIZE A A ABy KATHARINE MIESZKOWSKI on February 11, 2012 - 11:57 a.m. PSTstart discussionThor Swift for The Bay CitizenJessica Mazeau (center in blue sweater), a physical education teacher, works with fourth grade students at Clifford Elementary in Redwood CityREDWOOD CITY — On the blacktop at Clifford School recently, a fourth-grade class played two-on-two keep-away with basketballs. Jessica Mazeau, ... more »

Facebook Emails « DFER Watch

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

Facebook Emails « DFER Watch:FACEBOOK EMAILSPosted by ken libby on February 11, 2012 · Leave a Comment From a January 27, 2012 ACLU-NJ blog post:NEWARK - A Superior Court judge today ordered a lawsuit to proceed against the City of Newark (151k PDF) over documents related to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million donation for the city’s schools, and ordered the city to produce a list of the documents in its possession. Judge Rachel N. Davidson denied a motion by ... more »

Illinois school nurses need your help. Now. « Fred Klonsky

Illinois school nurses need your help. Now. « Fred Klonsky:

Illinois school nurses need your help. Now.

by Fred Klonsky

From the IEA:

The Illinois Association of School Nurses needs everyone’s assistance to support a proposed change to the Illinois Special Education Regulations 23 Illinois Administrative Code 226.840.
This change would return the regulations to original language that ensures students receive a full and comprehensive assessment by a highly qualified, certified school nurse who has had educational preparation to conduct this assessment. We all want to ensure that our students are evaluated by appropriately credentialed individuals.
Here is a fact sheet on the issue.
How can you help support this? Between Feb. 10 and March 26,there are two ways to send your comments supporting the changes that a full and comprehensive assessment will be done by a highly qualified, educated and certified school nurse.
You can send an e-mail of support for the proposed changes to 23 Illinois Administrative Code 226.840 to the Illinois State Board of Education.
You can write to: Shelly Helton, Agency Rules Coordinator, Illinois State Board of Education, S-493, 100 North First Street, Springfield, Il 62777-0001. Here is asample letter, if you’d like to use it.

Support PURE! » Did Consortium sugarcoat their turnaround findings?

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Did Consortium sugarcoat their turnaround findings?:

Did Consortium sugarcoat their turnaround findings?

by admin

An editorial by Catalyst publisher Linda Lenz in this morning’s Sun-Times throws more fuel on the firestorm over the Consortium on Chicago School Research’s latest report on Chicago Public Schools turnarounds, which has become one of the Consortium’s most controversial.

As the Tribune reported, the study’s co-author, Elaine Allensworth, said the report was released early because of rumors circulating about its findings. A final study will be released in a few weeks. The report was to have been co-issued by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, but the federal agency did not sign off on it due to concerns that it might suggest the study was intended to answer more complex questions

PWCS Teachers Threaten to Work to the Rule « PWC Education Reform Blog

PWCS Teachers Threaten to Work to the Rule « PWC Education Reform Blog:

PWCS Teachers Threaten to Work to the Rule

February 12, 2012 — pwceducationreform

The Washington Post is reporting that PWC teachers have threatened to Work to the Rule to protest the district’s proposed budget. Under Work to the Rule, teachers will only work the hours that they are obligated to work, according to their contract. At the elementary level, that means teachers will arrive 15 minutes before the school day begins and depart 15 minutes after the school day ends. Teachers will participate in extra-curricular activities they are paid to participate in or coach, like baseball or textbook adoption, but will not participate in clubs or activities for which they are not paid, like field trips that begin before the work day is scheduled to start.

This protest is over the Superintendent’s proposed budget which does not allow for increases in teacher pay for the next 3 school years. Teachers have stated that this is unacceptable and will undermine student learning as teachers

CEO of Charter Schools USA Understands Why Charter Schools Don’t and Shouldn’t Get More Money | Scathing Purple Musings

CEO of Charter Schools USA Understands Why Charter Schools Don’t and Shouldn’t Get More Money | Scathing Purple Musings:

CEO of Charter Schools USA Understands Why Charter Schools Don’t and Shouldn’t Get More Money

by Bob Sikes

Looks like the CEO of the state’s largest charter school corporation doesn’t agree with the intent behind Steve Wise’s SB 1852. At the end of May last year, Charter Schools USA CEO Jonathan Hage granted an interview toTampa Bay Times education reporter, Jeff Solochek. In that interview, Hage gave all the ammunition that the opponents of SB 1852 will ever need. Like this:

We believe they’re starting to be more and more understanding that charter schools do receive less money. And even though there has been this concept that charter schools should do more for less, the question is, how much less — especially when there are major cuts under way. We are trying to make the case that charter schools should be funded at a more equitable level, and then we wouldn’t have any complaints about having equal cuts with everybody else. We believe that charter schools should not get as much per kid as other schools, because we like the idea that we’re being more efficient, more frugal. But 30 to 40 percent less is too much of a difference.

Hage knows that the funding level that comes from local millage isn’t that low. Opponents of SB 1852 say

Virginia school district may ban cross-gender dressing - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Virginia school district may ban cross-gender dressing - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Virginia school district may ban cross-gender dressing

by Valerie Strauss

Here’s a problem that has somehow been ignored by nearly every school district in the country: Cross-gender dressing. But now a Virginia school district is considering a ban against it and that could start a whole new trend.

Read full article >>

ILLINOIS LEGISLATORS WIN “ULTIMATE CHUTZPAH AWARD” « Teachers Fight Back

ILLINOIS LEGISLATORS WIN “ULTIMATE CHUTZPAH AWARD” « Teachers Fight Back:

ILLINOIS LEGISLATORS WIN “ULTIMATE CHUTZPAH AWARD”

by alkleen

Homeowners in Illinois had better start thinking about getting a second, or in some cases a third job in order to pay their future property taxes. Many state legislators now want local school districts to absorb the share of teacher retirement costs that are now currently paid by the state. That would cost my local school district an additional $12,000,000 a year. The district is already broke. Watch my $6,000 a year property taxes soar!

Illinois legislators stole from the state teachers’ pension fund for many years and called it, “borrowing”. They also violated the state constitution and failed to meet the state funded share of the pension system for many years. Then legislators blamed the pension deficits on “lucrative teacher pensions”. Now, rather than deal with the

Schools Matter: Mark Your Calendar: Occupy the DOE in DC March 30-April 2

Schools Matter: Mark Your Calendar: Occupy the DOE in DC March 30-April 2:

Mark Your Calendar: Occupy the DOE in DC March 30-April 2

by Jim Horn

United Opt Out National endorses Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Together by creating ACTION in solidarity.

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE POST FOR ALL INFORMATION ON THE OCCUPATION. WE OPT OUT OF CORPORATE EDUCATION REFORM.

It is time to end Wall Street Occupation of Education.

We asked – they said NO. We wrote – they said NO. We sent them research – they said NO. We say NO. We opt out. We will put a screeching halt to corporate education by saying NO to the test.

We will occupy the Department of Education in DC from March 30^th to April 2^nd. On-going planning can be found at ourFacebook Occupy the DOE page.

It’s time to put the public back in public education. Occupy the DOE and show them who education REALLY BELONGS to.

Join United Opt Out National & #OCCUPYDOE in Washington D.C.

April Fools!
No Child Left Behind – Fool Me Once.
Race to the Top – We Won’t be Fooled Again.

Join us. In solidarity with Occupy Movements everywhere.
See SCHEDULE.

Download summary of schedule.

Share this letter to promote Occupy the DOE in DC.

See here for Occupy the DOE in DC posters created by Jay Rivett from Occupy ART: Indiana.
Wondering where to stay? Check the map here for hotel locations and more.

See here for Occupy DOE Rules of Engagement

Florida TaxWatch’s Deceptive Release of Its Pro-Charter School Study | Scathing Purple Musings

Florida TaxWatch’s Deceptive Release of Its Pro-Charter School Study | Scathing Purple Musings:

Florida TaxWatch’s Deceptive Release of Its Pro-Charter School Study

by Bob Sikes

The sponsor of SB 1852, Sen. Steve Wise, R- Jacksonville, was cleary ready for the bill’s February 7th public hearing. The Senate Pre K-12 committee he chairs would hear public comments on his bill which would force local school boards to give more of their county’s property tax millage levies to charter schools. Among the first pro-charter advocates he scheduled was Florida TaxWatch (FTW), a group whom the Orlando Sentinel describes as “a business-funded think tank.” It came a no surprise that FTW was in favor of Wise’s bill. Nor are any of their conclusions:

Allowing charter schools to be their own LEAs Local Education Authority) would remove their dependency on their local district for federal and state funds. Additionally, statutes could ensure that any federal funding received by a district for the benefit of a charter school student is passed

Two Important Internet Links - Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resources #edchat #edreform

Two Important Internet Links - Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resources:

Two Important Internet Links – Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resources

by rbhatt

If you are battling ineffective education reform in your state, you might be interested in the two links below.
Occupy DOE is on the horizon. Click on this link for more information:
http://unitedoptout.com/occupy-the-doe-in-dc-schedule-march-30th-to-april-2nd-2012/
Also, if you are in a state that is fighting the Charter School movement, click on this link for a multitude of resources:
http://randd.brentmckim.net/

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The privatization of war parallels education trends

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The privatization of war parallels education trends:

The privatization of war parallels education trends

by Mike Klonsky

I don't think so

The erosion and selling off of public space isn't limited to public education. This loss of public decision making and government transparency and accountability is the biggest threat to any democratic system of government. The latest news from the Afghan killing fields should do the privatizers proud. This from today's

Parent Power The Zinn Education Project

Parent Power:

Parent Power

Film. Produced by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown Univ. 2011. 35 minutes.
A documentary about parents in the Bronx who organized to bring high-quality education to their neighborhood.

Order film online and see trailer.

In 1995, a small group of parents in the south Bronx discovered that only 17 percent of their elementary school children were reading at grade level. Their determined campaign to bring high-quality education to their neighborhood, one of the poorest in the nation, evolved into a citywide effort that has united thousands of parents from African American and Latino communities in all five boroughs. Together they are working to improve the future of New York City’s children. Parent Power is their story. [Publisher's description.]

This half-hour documentary packs in the history, strategies, and inspiration of 15 years of parent organizing in New York. Starting in one school, the movement grows to a district and then a citywide coalition. An antidote to Waiting for “Superman,” this film demonstrates the power of parents working collectively for better schools for all children.

“Parent Power is about parent ingenuity, persistence, and capacity to outlast a bureaucracy that tried to quash parents’ organizing energy.” — Charles M. Payne, University of Chicago

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky:

Sunday links.

by Fred Klonsky

Chicago’s Crane High School. When they close it, where does the glory go?

The death of Whitney Houston is a sad one. Such a waste. I’ll leave it to others to debate the broader cultural implications. I spent last night alone watching the news reports and flashing back to visions of my girls when they were kids, pretend microphones in hand, lip syncing to Whitney and mimicking her choreography on the dining room floor. Anne singing along to I’m Every Woman and messing up the words, singing “climb every woman” instead. And the girls giggling at their mom. My favorite Whitney Houston song: Lyrics by Wyclef Jean. ‘Cause your love is my love and my love is your love. It would take an eternity to break us and the chains of Amistad couln’t hold us.

JC Brizard on Ken Davis’ Chicago Newsroom. Brizard says he just wants to help the teachers union evolve. I

Sunday, February 12, 2012

PWCS Teachers Threaten to Work to the Rule

Join United Opt Out National & #OCCUPYDOE in Washington D.C.

April Fools!No Child Left Behind – Fool Me Once.Race to the Top – We Won’t be Fooled Again.

Parent Power

April Fools!
No Child Left Behind – Fool Me Once.
Race to the Top – We Won’t be Fooled Again.