Big Education Ape

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Directory Scholarships, Internships, Programs for Latino Students - Hispanically Speaking NewsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-10 minutes agoDirectory Scholarships, Internships, Programs for Latino Students - Hispanically Speaking News:Check Out: Directory of Scholarships, Internships and Programs for Latino StudentsMarch 6, 2012 | by HS News StaffPhoto Credits: CHCI Scholarships ResourceCheck Out “Directory of Scholarships, Internships and Programs for Latino Students”. This directory was prepared by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute with the support of State ... more »

Are College Students a Privileged Elite? « Student Activism

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Are College Students a Privileged Elite? « Student Activism:Are College Students a Privileged Elite?by Angus JohnstonA little while ago I linked to a piece by Malcolm Harris on what he calls the “generational war” being waged against American youth. Harris’s argument has been criticized from the left by a blogger named Freddie DeBoer who writes that he’s “using the language of revolution to justify what is, at its essence, a dispute among the ruling class,” making “a case that is ...more »

AERA Erasing Line Between Scholarship and Partisanship :: Frederick M. Hess

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AERA Erasing Line Between Scholarship and Partisanship :: Frederick M. Hess:AERA Erasing Line Between Scholarship and Partisanshipby Frederick M. Hess • Mar 7, 2012 at 10:03 amCross-posted from Education Week Print Send RSS ShareThe American Educational Research Association (of which I am a member) modestly labels itself "the nation's leading scientific and scholarly association...devoted to advancing knowledge about education." Readers may assume that AERA does its best to avoid gratuitous partisan political fights.Ha!! Hah-hah! Silly readers. Indeed, it often seems ... more »

Teachers, Parents, and the Economy….Important Results from the Metlife Survey of the American Teacher | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

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Teachers, Parents, and the Economy….Important Results from the Metlife Survey of the American Teacher | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:Teachers, Parents, and the Economy….Important Results from the Metlife Survey of the American Teacherby Cheryl S. WilliamsIn this year’s Metlife Survey of the American Teacher there’s good news and there’s bad news.In the good news column, parent engagement has increased in the past 25 years, though it still remains a challenge for many schools. The bad news exposed ...more »

Modern School: Teen Harassed by School for Comparing Schools to Slavery

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Modern School: Teen Harassed by School for Comparing Schools to Slavery:Teen Harassed by School for Comparing Schools to Slaveryby Michael DunnIn a scathing indictment of public education, Jada Williams, a 13-year old eighth grader at School #3 in Rochester, New York, asserted that today's education system, like slavery, keeps children of color from meaningful learning. According to Good Education, Williams essayreferred to a quote by Frederick Douglass, who said that his slave master, Mr. Auld, told his wife, "If you ... more »

PPB: Value-added, value subtracted. Children are not strawberries.

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PPB: Value-added, value subtracted. Children are not strawberries.:Value-added, value subtracted. Children are not strawberries.by Anne GeigerPart 1--Before I finish another post I'm struggling with, I wanted to share this article by Bill Turque of the Washington Post- 'Creative and motivating".....and fired! It's a personal story of a teacher, Sarah Wysocki, who had been positively reviewed by her principal but later fired under D.C.'s new teacher evaluation system.Wysocki, 31, was let go because the reading and math scores of her students ... more »

Is Occupy Wall Street a Youth Movement? « Student Activism

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Is Occupy Wall Street a Youth Movement? « Student Activism:Is Occupy Wall Street a Youth Movement?by Angus JohnstonOver at The New Inquiry, Malcolm Harris is taking a look at the dismal circumstances today’s young people find themselves in. Youth unemployment is at record levels. Youth arrest rates are skyrocketing even as youth crime plummets. College tuition is going through the roof, as is youth debt, and household incomes of youth-headed families are lagging far behind those of other age cohorts.It’s ... more »

Teachers living in the 39th IL State Rep district: Vote Will Guzzardi. « Fred Klonsky

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Teachers living in the 39th IL State Rep district: Vote Will Guzzardi. « Fred Klonsky:Teachers living in the 39th IL State Rep district: Vote Will Guzzardi.by Fred KlonskyThe 39th State Representative district stretches from Logan Square up through the north west side of Chicago.It is the home of many Chicago and suburban teachers.Over the past two weeks my little green mailbox has been filled with expensive four color negative ads for Machine Boss Joe Berrios’ daughter, Toni Berrios.“Guzzardi in the ... more »

Hechinger Report | Magnet-school resurgence? A Q&A with Richard Kahlenberg

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Hechinger Report | Magnet-school resurgence? A QA with Richard Kahlenberg:Magnet-school resurgence? A QA with Richard Kahlenbergby Sarah CarrRichard KahlenbergCharter schools have become the fastest growing and most politically popular school-choice option over the last two decades. But a group of researchers hope to draw political attention back to what they have described as “the forgotten choice”: magnet schools.A report last month by UCLA’s Civil Rights Project highlights various strengths of magnet schools, particularly when it comes to their historic purpose ... more »

Directory Scholarships, Internships, Programs for Latino Students - Hispanically Speaking News

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

Directory Scholarships, Internships, Programs for Latino Students - Hispanically Speaking News:Check Out: Directory of Scholarships, Internships and Programs for Latino StudentsMarch 6, 2012 | by HS News StaffPhoto Credits: CHCI Scholarships ResourceCheck Out “Directory of Scholarships, Internships and Programs for Latino Students”. This directory was prepared by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute with the support of State Farm. There is a lot of useful information and resources for Latino students here.Click here to access.

DCPS budget: RHEEFORM IMPACT’s impact - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post

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DCPS budget: IMPACT’s impact - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post:DCPS budget: IMPACT’s impactby Bill TurqueThere’s plenty for DCPS stakeholders to dislike in the newly released school-based budget allocations proposed for 2012-13. While they reflect a two-percent increase in the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, they will still mean larger class sizes--as in, fewer teachers--at the middle and high school levels, along with cuts in positions such as special education coordinator.Read full article

Estimados padres de las escuelas públicas de NYC….. | United Opt Out National

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Estimados padres de las escuelas públicas de NYC….. | United Opt Out National:Estimados padres de las escuelas públicas de NYC…..by adminEstimados padres de las escuelas públicas de NYC:Somos los padres de dos niños que asisten a dos escuelas elementales en Manhattan. Hasta el presente, hemos estado muy satisfechos con la educación que nuestros hijos han recibido en las escuelas públicas de NY. Sus directores y maestros, sin excepción, han demostrado ser profesionales inteligentes con un conocimiento amplio sobre la formación ... more »

School Tech Connect: Arne Duncan's Genie, Part 2

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

School Tech Connect: Arne Duncan's Genie, Part 2:Arne Duncan's Genie, Part 2by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I'm sure this all sounds very appealing to people who don't understand test scores.Check out the article title:

Focusing On Neighborhood Assets — One Of My Favorite Lessons! | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

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Focusing On Neighborhood Assets — One Of My Favorite Lessons! | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:Focusing On Neighborhood Assets — One Of My Favorite Lessons!by Larry FerlazzoWe’re in the middle of one of my favorite units — where we focus on our neighborhood’s assets instead of its deficits.I explain it more in detail at A Lesson Highlighting Community Assets — Not Deficits, and have a complete lesson plan, including hand-outs, in my book on Helping Students Motivate Themselves. In ... more »

California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program - School Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

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California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program - School Nutrition (CA Dept of Education):California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, administered by the California Dept of Education, provides schools with funding to offer students a free fresh fruit or vegetable snack during the school day.Program DescriptionThe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) at the federal level. At the state level, the FFVP is administered by the California Department ... more »

Federal Suspension and Expulsion Report - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

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Federal Suspension and Expulsion Report - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Responds to FederalReport on Student Suspension and Expulsion RatesSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today applauded efforts by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to shed light on the problem of excessive use of suspension and expulsion of students as a disciplinary tool in the nation's schools."Collecting this data helps us start crucial conversations at the local school level ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 3-6 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

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Motion to Cancel Teach for America, Inc. Contract in Seattle | Seattle EducationBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoMotion to Cancel Teach for America, Inc. Contract in Seattle | Seattle Education:Motion to Cancel Teach for America, Inc. in Seattleby seattleducation2011On February 16th, there was a motion to cancel the Teach for America, Inc. contract by one of the school board members in the Board Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting. Five board members were in attendance. A majority of ...more »

Career Technical Education (CTE)Assembly Bill 1330 - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

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Implementation of Assembly Bill 1330 - Letters (CA Dept of Education):Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and High School Principals:IMPLEMENTATION OF ASSEMBLY BILL 1330The purpose of this letter is to provide guidance on the implementation of Assembly Bill 1330 (Chapter 621, Statutes of 2011) in districts and schools offering instruction in any of grades nine through twelve, inclusive.Existing state law requires all graduating high school students to complete one course in visual or performing arts or foreign language. ... more »

Police Anonymity Demands Thwart Release of UC Davis Pepper Spray Report « Student Activism

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Police Anonymity Demands Thwart Release of UC Davis Pepper Spray Report « Student Activism:Police Anonymity Demands Thwart Release of UC Davis Pepper Spray Reportby Angus JohnstonAs I noted last month, only one of the dozens of police officers involved in the notorious November 18 UC Davis pepper-spray incident has yet been publicly identified. Now a police demand for continued anonymity has delayed today’s intended release of the university’s report on the incident.Attorneys for the officers claim that because the report ... more »

School official outs 8th-grader as pregnant - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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School official outs 8th-grader as pregnant - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:School official outs 8th-grader as pregnantby Valerie Strauss“We learn by example and by direct experience,” wrote Malcolm Gladwell in “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking,” “because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction.”And herein lies a fundamental obstacle to increasing efforts across the country to counter bullying by young people: adult bullies.Read full article

NYC Public School Parents: NYC parents boycotting the state tests ask other parents to join them

NYC Public School Parents: NYC parents boycotting the state tests ask other parents to join them:

NYC parents boycotting the state tests ask other parents to join them

by Leonie Haimson

Anne Stone

Standardized testing has become an obsession for those in charge our our schools at DOE; as they increasingly base nearly all important decisions on the unreliable results of these exams. The new NY state teacher evaluation system will just make matters worse. To add insult to injury, this year'sstate tests will be even longer and more stressful for children. For more on this opt-out campaign, see theChange the Stakes website.

Dear fellow parents of NYC public school students,

We have two children in public elementary schools in Manhattan, and until this year, when one child entered third grade, we were extremely satisfied with the

Bang for the buck? « Fred Klonsky

Bang for the buck? « Fred Klonsky:

Bang for the buck?

by Fred Klonsky

A year ago I was standing in front of the IEA state offices on Edwards Street in Springfield talking to IEA President Cinda Klickna.

“It’s not like it was in the old days,” Klickna said. “Back then we could walk across the street to the legislative offices and tell them what we wanted. And for the most part, we got it. What’s different now is that we don’t have

Data Analysis of Value Added Teacher Model Shows No Correlation | FDL News Desk

Data Analysis of Value Added Teacher Model Shows No Correlation | FDL News Desk:

Data Analysis of Value Added Teacher Ratings Shows They’re Useless

by David Dayen

Would you use this data to rate a teacher’s performance?

The New York Times released “value-added” data for 18,000 elementary school teachers in New York City recently, joining the Los Angeles Times, which released data for LA teachers last year. But unlike in LA, the New York Times allowed the data itself to be released, allowing analysts to really dive in and look at the performance assessments and whether or not they make sense. There’s been a raging argument about whether this “value-added” metric successfully measures teacher performance. And this release of data, when you

What Works — Whole Child Education

What Works — Whole Child Education:

Making Learning Relevant for the Whole Child

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

21st century skills development can offer new platforms for students to explore through project-based learning, to integrate the use of real world information, and apply newly acquired knowledge and skills to address the most pressing problems of our time; the very challenges our young people are already engaged in and will need to solve for us and for future generations.

Encourage and Ensure Engagement

Klea Scharberg at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

To many students, school is just a place they go. How do we create engaging learning experiences that make school more personal for them?

The Academic Service-Learning Answer to Student Engagement

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

Service-learning engages students in powerful ways, helping them to increase their academic engagement and performance, civic engagement and social-emotional learning.

Best Questions: Engaging Learning Strategies

Molly McCloskey at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

Our culture relentlessly pursues achievement at the moment. What could happen if, instead, we relentlessly pursued learning?

Keeping It Real: Giving Students Opportunities to Extend and Apply Their Knowledge with Authentic Tasks

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

Teachers now have a context for using the 'notable nine' categories of teaching strategies and can apply them purposefully as they assess, teach, and mentor their students.

How Project-Based Learning Educates the Whole Child

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

Project-based learning is built on the same foundation as whole child education. Inquiry into adolescent mental health, youth development, and developmental psychology has revealed the three core conditions required for young people to develop a 'drive and thrive' outlook that leads to successful adulthood.

Project-Based Learning and Common Core Standards

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

States and professional development organizations recognize that the kind of transformative professional preparation necessary to meet the challenge of teaching the new standards is not yet in place. But for those teachers and schools who want to jump start the process, a solution is already in place: Project-based learning.

Ensuring Critical Thinking in Project-Based Learning

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

Project-based learning can create engaging learning for all students, but that depth of learning requires careful, specific design. Part of this engagement is the element of critical thinking.

Free Webinar: Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System

Klea Scharberg at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

Many teaching practices are "inherited" from previous generations of teachers, but not all of these fit well into a standards-based system that requires all parts of the learning process to be aligned with those standards.

Tell the President What You Know (and He Doesn't)

Klea Scharberg at Whole Child Education » The Whole Child Blog - 16 minutes ago

Tell Washington leaders to focus on what really matters -- our children's long-term futures -- by creating a President's Cou

Firing of D.C. teacher reveals flaws in value-added evaluation - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Firing of D.C. teacher reveals flaws in value-added evaluation - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Firing of D.C. teacher reveals flaws in value-added evaluation

by Valerie Strauss

The firing of a D.C. teacher called “creative,” “visionary” and “motivating” is the latest example of the many things wrong with value-added methods to evaluate teachers, the newest trend in school reform that is sweeping states with a push from the Obama administration.

Read full article >>

Shanker Blog » The ‘Snob’ Debate: Making High School Matter For Non-College-Bound Students

Shanker Blog » The ‘Snob’ Debate: Making High School Matter For Non-College-Bound Students:

The ‘Snob’ Debate: Making High School Matter For Non-College-Bound Students

by James R. Stone

Our guest author today is James R. Stone, professor and director of the National Research Center for Career & Technical Education at the University of Louisville.

The current debate about “college for all” centers on a recent speech made by President Obama in Troy, MI, in which he argued that all young people should get at least some post-high school education or training. Republican presidential primary candidate Rick Santorum, in a misreading of Obama’s remarks, responded with a focus on four-year degrees alone—suggesting, among other things, that four-year college degrees are overrated and that the president’s emphasis on college devalued working people without such degrees. The political chatter around this particular back-and-forth continues, but the issue of “college for all” has rightly raised some serious issues about the content and direction of U.S. education policy both at the high school and post-

PURE » Theater of the Oppressed: Play about Chicago parent advocates

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Theater of the Oppressed: Play about Chicago parent advocates:

Theater of the Oppressed: Play about Chicago parent advocates

by admin

Invitation from our friend, Tania Giordani:

Event: Theatre of the Oppressed on Thursday March 8th at Francis W.Parker School, 330 W. Webster Ave., Chicago. The play,” The End Game at Jansen School” is based on the lives of parent advocates in Chicago. Discussion will follow.

Please share this with others who may be interested.

As you may know, many students and parents in Chicago Public schools have been adversely affected by school closings and other issues. In some rare instances, parents, community members and students have rallied successfully to keep their schools open.

Research that was completed in 2007 and in 2010 by Tania Giordani, clearly shows that many of these parent