Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Stay In Your Lane [A Math Teacher's Lament] | The Jose Vilson: Stay In Your Lane [A Math Teacher's Lament]byJoseWhy do people stigmatize math teachers?It’s bad enough we teach people that they’re either math people or they’re not (patent lie, I promise you). Now, we’re even limiting math teachers to the fields in which they can excel. They stereotype (!) math teachers as having hobbies like playing piano (fractions!) and read xkcd (might be true), but God forbid they actually ... more »

Grumpy Educators: South Carolina: Parent Opposition and Resistance on Ed Reform Initiatives

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

Grumpy Educators: South Carolina: Parent Opposition and Resistance on Ed Reform Initiatives: South Carolina: Parent Opposition and Resistance on Ed Reform InitiativesbySandraMarch 27, 2012Contact Person: Sarah JohnsonPhone: (803) 920-4058, (843) 819-8933Email: CVedu20@gmail.comLocal Parent/Teacher Advocacy Group Welcomes US Secretary of Education to TownCharleston, SC – Charleston Area Community Voice for Education, an affiliate of Parents Across America, extends a welcome to US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, who will be participating in a local round-table discussion on educa... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-27 #soschat #EDReform

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

Rockford teachers strike set for Thursday. « Fred KlonskyBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-2 minutes agoRockford teachers strike set for Thursday. « Fred Klonsky: Rockford teachers strike set for Thursday.byFred KlonskyMembers of the Rockford Education Association wait for the start of a closed-door meeting about contract negotiations Monday, March 26, 2012, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford.No negotiating sessions are planned between now and Thursday.Members of the Rockford Education Association have had the legal authority to strike ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Why Weren't Charter Teachers Teaching Today?

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

Jersey Jazzman: Why Weren't Charter Teachers Teaching Today?: Why Weren't Charter Teachers Teaching Today?byDukeI'm sure you will be as shocked as I was to find out that hundreds of teachers were not in school today; instead,they were in Atlantic City!ATLANTIC CITY -- Administrators and teachers packed Bally's for a 2-day education conference. The event is titled "Navigating Toward Quality Education". Which is the main focus on developing and sharing teaching techniques to help strengthen charter schools throughout the state.New Jersey ... more »

Trabajadoras: A Union Voice for Working Women - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Trabajadoras: A Union Voice for Working Women - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard: Trabajadoras: A Union Voice for Working WomenbyLilyTrabajadoras: A Union Voice for Working WomenMar 27th, 2012byLily.Trabajadoras is the Spanish word for Working Women. Today was an important day for Latina Working Women. Not necessarily a happy day. But an important day.Because an organization that fights for them,The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, released a first-of-its-kind report on the working world of Latinas in our country and the ... more »

Closed Schools Ten Years Later: Who Goes There Now? | Edwize

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Closed Schools Ten Years Later: Who Goes There Now? | Edwize: Closed Schools Ten Years Later: Who Goes There Now?byJackie BennettIn case you have not been paying attention, the mayor is vowing to dismantle about 30 school communities for reasons that pretty much no one can figure out. In fact, things have reached such alevel of absurdity in New Yorkthat there are very few New Yorkers who actually believe that the campaign against our schools has anything to do with ... more »

Parents decry cuts to ELL services to Council | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Parents decry cuts to ELL services to Council | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Parents decry cuts to ELL services to CouncilbyDale MezzacappaAlthough one in eight students in Philadelphia public schools now come from homes in which English is the second language, services for them are being dismantled through the District's budget cuts, activists told City Council.Schools serving these students lack materials, are largely staffed by inexperienced teachers in overcrowded classrooms, do not have enough counselors, and have cut back crucial ... more »

Engaging Parents In School… - St. Paul Mayor Wants To Support Parent Engagement

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School… - St. Paul Mayor Wants To Support Parent Engagement: St. Paul Mayor Wants To Support Parent EngagementMarch 27th, 2012 byLarry FerlazzoThe Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota has just called for spending $300,000 on expanding parent engagement efforts. Here’s a video clip of his comments. I don’t know the specifics, and the devil is always in the details, but it sure sounds good:Posted inpublic policy|No Comments »

Geaux Teacher!: Check This Out!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: Check This Out!: CAN WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION?VisitFollow The Bill Louisiana!to join a live conversation on the home page, while you watch a live video ofthe current legislative proceedings in another window.Check This Out!

Free Webinar: Common Core Assessment Shifts — Whole Child Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Free Webinar: Common Core Assessment Shifts — Whole Child Education: Free Webinar: Common Core Assessment ShiftsbyKlea ScharbergDiscover the kinds of formative and summative classroom assessments that best coordinate with the new generation of testing consortia for the common core. JoinASCD author Susan Brookhartin a discussion of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments and discover how to create classroom assessments that form a balanced system that supports student learning ... more »

#Parents United for Responsible Education: Crank up the pressure!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 3-17-12: Crank up the pressure!: PSAT for 3-17-12: Crank up the pressure!byadminPerhaps in response to Illinois having been named thethird most corrupt state in the nation, and maybe also just having watched former governor Blagojevich head off to prison for 14 years, our state legislators have begun acting uncannily as though they are listening to us instead of the power elite.First we heard about Sen. Delgadosponsoring an amendmentto ban ... more »

ASCD Inservice: Gaps Close When Whole Child Beliefs Are Matched with Actions

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

ASCD Inservice: Gaps Close When Whole Child Beliefs Are Matched with Actions: Gaps Close When Whole Child Beliefs Are Matched with ActionsWade Boykinof Howard University andPedro Nogueraof New York University presented a research-packed and passionate session titled, "Creating the Opportunity to Learn: Moving from Research to Practice to Close the Achievement Gap" at ASCD's Annual Conference on Saturday morning.They wasted no time laying out their main issue:Achievement gaps are not sufficiently addressed in our work with schools.Their Goals:Challenge expectations:We have ... more »

RheeFirst! » A poster child for ed reform’s moral disconnect

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

RheeFirst! » A poster child for ed reform’s moral disconnect: A poster child for ed reform’s moral disconnectbyadmin Written by Joanne Barkan for Dissent Magazine. Read theentire article here.“The disconnect between what ed reformers claim to be doing for low-income children and what they actually bring about boggles the mind.The poster child for this moral disconnect is former Washington, D.C. schools chancellor and ed reform celebrity Michelle Rhee. Rhee resigned her D.C. post in October 2010 after her boss, Mayor ... more »

Several charter leaders blast Great Schools Compact | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Several charter leaders blast Great Schools Compact | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Several charter leaders blast Great Schools CompactbyDale MezzacappaTestifying before the City Council Education Committee Tuesday, several charter school operators blasted the Philadelphia Great Schools Compact. The compact is working to help District and charter schools work together more productively andcreate more high-quality educational seats.Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, called for an end to theRenaissance SchoolsInitiative, a program that has conve...more »

Rockford teachers strike set for Thursday. « Fred Klonsky

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

Rockford teachers strike set for Thursday. « Fred Klonsky: Rockford teachers strike set for Thursday.byFred KlonskyMembers of the Rockford Education Association wait for the start of a closed-door meeting about contract negotiations Monday, March 26, 2012, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford.No negotiating sessions are planned between now and Thursday.Members of the Rockford Education Association have had the legal authority to strike since last week. Their old contract expired last July. The REA members have been working all ... more »

Mike Klonsky...: At CReATE Press Conference, March 26, 2012

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

Mike Klonsky...: At CReATE Press Conference, March 26, 2012: At CReATE Press Conference, March 26, 2012byMike KlonskyPopoutMike Klonsky, DePaul University, CReATEfromTim FurmanonVimeo.

A Few Additional CT Charter Figures « School Finance 101

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

A Few Additional CT Charter Figures « School Finance 101: A Few Additional CT Charter Figuresbyschoolfinance101I was admittedly in a bit of a rush the other day to pull together some figures on CT charter schools based largely on data I had previously compiled, some of which only included Achievement First charter schools. Here, I include all charter schools in Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport, and address only the % Free Lunch numbers using the most recent available data from ... more »

Educating South Carolina: PLThomasEdD: Zais lacks experience, expertise

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

Educating South Carolina: PLThomasEdD: Zais lacks experience, expertise: PLThomasEdD: Zais lacks experience, expertiseBlogger PLThomasEdD, who posts at DailyKos,published another great commentary there yesterday, this one taking Superintendent Mick Zais to task for his claims in an opinion-editorial in The State.I hope readers will share PLThomasEdD's commentary far and wide among educators, because he's precisely the sort of education leader that's missing from government: Experienced, expert and circumspect.South Carolina's Superintendent of Education Mick Zais makes several claim... more »

The Washington State PTA Convention: Be There | Seattle Education

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

The Washington State PTA Convention: Be There | Seattle Education: The Washington State PTA Convention: Be Therebyseattleducation2011The WSPTA Convention will be held on May 4-6 and everyone who can needs to attend. There will be several issues on the table that will be voted on including the charter school resolution that has drawn fire from all quarters. This resolution, if passed at the convention, would become a cornerstone of the WSPTA platform for the next 2 years.You might not even ... more »

TN bill would limit number of foreign workers at charter schools | wbir.com

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

TN bill would limit number of foreign workers at charter schools | wbir.com: TN bill would limit number of foreign workers at charter schools By Chas Sisk, The TennesseanA conservative group that has warned of the growing influence of Islam is promoting a bill that would limit how many legal immigrants charter schools can hire, drawing opposition from charter school and immigrant groups.The Tennessee Eagle Forum, an organization that has criticized U.S. immigration policy and last year pushed for passage ... more »

Largest charter network in U.S.: Schools tied to Turkey - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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

Largest charter network in U.S.: Schools tied to Turkey - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Largest charter network in U.S.: Schools tied to TurkeybyValerie StraussThiswas written by Sharon Higgins, an independent researcher andbloggerbased in California. She is also a founding member ofParents Across America.By Sharon HigginsThe largest charter school network in the United States is operated by people in and associated with the Gulen Movement (GM), a secretive and controversial Turkish religious sect. With 135 schools enrolling more ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: At yesterday's press conference

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

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: At yesterday's press conference: At yesterday's press conferencebyMike KlonskyIsabel Nuñez from Concordia Univ. at press conferenceI went to yesterday's press conference to stand with other academics in support of(CReATE). The research group presented its"Open Letter of Concern Regarding Chicago’s Implementation of Legislation for the Evaluation of Teachers and Principals"to the mayor yesterday.Academics from 15 universities, including many that run teacher education programs, warned in the letter that relying heavily on student test scores to evaluate... more »

State leaders should embrace what Title I permits: arts funding | Thoughts on Public Education

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

State leaders should embrace what Title I permits: arts funding | Thoughts on Public Education: State leaders should embrace what Title I permits: arts funding - by Joe LandonbyJoe LandonThe status quo is “stalemate.” The intention of the federal Title I program is to improve the academic achievement of children in schools with the highest percentages of children low-income families. That improvement is measured by improvement in English language arts (ELA) and math. According to the guidance provided by the ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-26 #soschat #EDReform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 21 hours ago

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Education is not for sale from Taiwan to Quebec .. #ows.Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-33 minutes agoOCCUPY EDUCATION - Education is not for sale from Taiwan to Quebec ...: Education is not for sale from Taiwan to Quebec One World One...Education is not for sale from Taiwan to QuebecOne World One StruggleCourt upholds limits on religious messages in schoolsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-33 minutes agoCourt upholds limits on religious messages in schools: Court ... more »

NASPA survey finds parental involvement isn't always a bad thing | Inside Higher Ed

NASPA survey finds parental involvement isn't always a bad thing | Inside Higher Ed:

Parents: Help or Hindrance?

March 28, 2012 - 3:00am

By

Allie Grasgreen

PHOENIX -- Parents are getting a bad rap.

So say researchers who studied the relationship between parental involvement and their children's development as college students over a four-year period -- and found that students whose parents were significantly involved in their lives did not have their progress hindered. The researchers presented their findings here this month at the annual convention of NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Although nearly 88 percent of parents reported being either somewhat or very involved throughout their child's four years at college, the presenters said the popular term “helicopter parents” is a misnomer.

“That does not fit all the parents out there -- it does not even fit the majority of the parents,” said Sheri King, assistant director of student affairs at the University of Georgia’s Griffin campus. “Parents,

Looming Student Debt Crisis Hits the Senate - Student Loan Ranger (usnews.com)

Looming Student Debt Crisis Hits the Senate - Student Loan Ranger (usnews.com):

Looming Student Debt Crisis Hits the Senate

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

March 28, 2012 RSS Feed Print

On March 20, your Student Loan Ranger attended "The Looming Student Debt Crisis: Providing Fairness For Struggling Students," a Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts hearing. (You can watch a video of the hearing, and we'll give a prize to the first person who sends us a frame showing the Student Loan Ranger in the audience!)

Obviously, that is right up our alley. And the fact that Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) convened the hearing, even though he's not a member of the Subcommittee, piqued our interest, because Durbin is the sponsor of the Fairness for Struggling Students Act of 2011, which would restore the ability to discharge

Learn What the Student Loan Forgiveness Act Could Mean for You

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Mar 21, 2012

New legislation, if passed, could affect your student loan interest rates and repayment plans.

Students Have New Outlet for Loan Complaints

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Mar 14, 2012

If you've had a bad experience or are looking for guidance, there are options.

Is Student Debt Prolonging the Recession?

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Mar 7, 2012

Nearly $1 trillion in student loan debt may be slowing down economic recovery.

New Federal Initiatives Help Students Understand Loans

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Feb 29, 2012

Tools and campaigns may shed light on borrowing for school.

Obama Proposal May Address Growing Education Gap

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Feb 22, 2012

Some policies may help low-income students to complete college.

Student Loan Debate Rages On

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Feb 15, 2012

From Washington, D.C. to California, student loans are a hot topic.

Law School Transparency Weighs in on Reform

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Feb 8, 2012

Hear from the organization's cofounder about law school reform and a new initiative.

Law School Student Debt Is Just Tip of the Iceberg

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Feb 1, 2012

A recent report notes that issues of debt and employment found in legal education exist in other areas.

Students, Fill Out Your FAFSA!

By EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS

Jan 25, 2012

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid should be the first step in paying for school.

Liars, lies and school budget projections. « Fred Klonsky

Liars, lies and school budget projections. « Fred Klonsky:

Liars, lies and school budget projections.

by Fred Klonsky

CPS budget projections.
As you know. I’m a K-5 art teacher. Or as Kyle Olson calls us, an overpaid finger painter.
But I have also negotiated school contracts for twenty years. That’s twenty years of looking at school budgets.
What I have learned is that there are liars, lies and school budget projections.
Take any school finance man or woman out for a drink and promise confidentiality. Then say the words, “school budgets,” and they will snicker.
I have never negotiated a contract where the school board didn’t trot out their budget, bar graphs and pie charts to show how they will be in deficit five years out.
They could just as well Xerox the last bar graphs and pie charts and budget projections. They always show the

Schools Matter: Robichaux Calls Out La. Fascists, While Scott in Florida Pays Corporations to Privatize Schools

Schools Matter: Robichaux Calls Out La. Fascists, While Scott in Florida Pays Corporations to Privatize Schools:

Robichaux Calls Out La. Fascists, While Scott in Florida Pays Corporations to Privatize Schools

by Jim Horn

New Orleans has a defender of democracy in Orleans Parish School Board President, Thomas Robichaux. Robichaux is clearly aware that as the public space recedes in these late days of casino capitalism, corporate fascism advances, and he is unafraid to say as much. He is also keenly aware that for schools to be public, they must have public governance. For all intents and purposes, the vast majority of corporate charters, whether for profit or non-profit, fail this crucial test.

Robichaux is as insistent as anyone, arguing that public education is not really "public" unless local voters have a say in who governs it. Charter schools in New Orleans, he says, should answer to the local board, not a state board that meets most of the time in Baton Rouge and has only two members with constituents in the city.

Robichaux takes the argument further than most, though. He worries that Gov. Bobby Jindal is out

Clock is clicking in Rockford. Teachers will hit the bricks tomorrow morning. « Fred Klonsky

Clock is clicking in Rockford. Teachers will hit the bricks tomorrow morning. « Fred Klonsky:

Clock is clicking in Rockford. Teachers will hit the bricks tomorrow morning.

by Fred Klonsky

Rockford Education Association members picket board of ed meeting yesterday.
It would be the first teacher strike in Rockford in 30 years.
Over 95% of the members of the Rockford Education Association voted to walk if no tentative agreement is reached before Thursday morning. No students are attending Rockford schools today because of a scheduled professional development day.
The old Collective Bargaining Agreement expired last July and teachers having been working under the old

Jersey Jazzman: Top-Secret Testing!

Jersey Jazzman: Top-Secret Testing!:

Top-Secret Testing!

by Duke

Shhh... the high school tests that the NJ DOE is contracting out are apparently a matter of national security:

The new high school testing is also on the way, although its details are a closely guarded secret. The budget outline said that the $1.7 million would go toward implementation of “five new end-of-course exams,” presumably similar to the subject tests that the state has tried with biology and algebra.
Department spokesman Justin Barra said they would be part of a nationwide testing initiative known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) that the Christie administration has signed on to, including the extensive use of online and multiple testing in each grade. It is unclear whether the state would go beyond PARCC testing for high schools, though, since that program only includes tests in language arts and mathematics.
Schools are waiting for the release of a report from a task force appointed by Christie last

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

UPDATE: Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 3-28 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

Stay In Your Lane [A Math Teacher's Lament] | The Jose Vilson

Grumpy Educators: South Carolina: Parent Opposition and Resistance on Ed Reform Initiatives

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-27 #soschat #EDReform

Jersey Jazzman: Why Weren't Charter Teachers Teaching Today?

Trabajadoras: A Union Voice for Working Women - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard

Closed Schools Ten Years Later: Who Goes There Now? | Edwize

Parents decry cuts to ELL services to Council | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Engaging Parents In School… - St. Paul Mayor Wants To Support Parent Engagement

Geaux Teacher!: Check This Out!

Free Webinar: Common Core Assessment Shifts — Whole Child Education

#Parents United for Responsible Education: Crank up the pressure!

ASCD Inservice: Gaps Close When Whole Child Beliefs Are Matched with Actions

RheeFirst! » A poster child for ed reform’s moral disconnect

Several charter leaders blast Great Schools Compact | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Rockford teachers strike set for Thursday. « Fred Klonsky

Mike Klonsky...: At CReATE Press Conference, March 26, 2012

A Few Additional CT Charter Figures « School Finance 101

Educating South Carolina: PLThomasEdD: Zais lacks experience, expertise

The Washington State PTA Convention: Be There | Seattle Education

TN bill would limit number of foreign workers at charter schools | wbir.com

Largest charter network in U.S.: Schools tied to Turkey - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: At yesterday's press conference

State leaders should embrace what Title I permits: arts funding | Thoughts on Public Education

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-26 #soschat #EDReform

NASPA survey finds parental involvement isn't always a bad thing | Inside Higher Ed

By

Looming Student Debt Crisis Hits the Senate - Student Loan Ranger (usnews.com)

Looming Student Debt Crisis Hits the Senate

Liars, lies and school budget projections. « Fred Klonsky

Liars, lies and school budget projections.

Schools Matter: Robichaux Calls Out La. Fascists, While Scott in Florida Pays Corporations to Privatize Schools

Robichaux Calls Out La. Fascists, While Scott in Florida Pays Corporations to Privatize Schools

Clock is clicking in Rockford. Teachers will hit the bricks tomorrow morning. « Fred Klonsky

Clock is clicking in Rockford. Teachers will hit the bricks tomorrow morning.

Jersey Jazzman: Top-Secret Testing!

Top-Secret Testing!

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