Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 3-29 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It Easy | The Jose Vilson

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It Easy | The Jose Vilson: 900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It EasybyJoseLadies and gents, I’ve arrived at my 900th post.I should dedicate this one to the fact that George Zimmerman, Trayvon Miller’s murderer, was caughtunbloodied and unbruised on videoduring his trip to the Sanford Police Department with police, dispelling his account almost assuredly. I could also dedicated to the lesser known Shaima Al-Awadi, a mother of four waswho ... more »

Police Video of Trayvon Martin's Killer Shows No Visible -- Much Less Severe -- Injuries | MyFDL

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Police Video of Trayvon Martin's Killer Shows No Visible -- Much Less Severe -- Injuries | MyFDL: Police Video of Trayvon Martin’s Killer Shows No Visible — Much Less Severe — InjuriesbyPhoenix WomanPopoutOne of the tropes most often used by the right-wing and often blatantly racist defenders of George Zimmerman, the man who shot an unarmed Trayvon Martin to death in a Florida gated community last month, was that Zimmerman was allegedly beaten to a bloody pulp by the 17-year-old ... more »

Every man a King

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Huey Long was a Progressive Senator during the Great Depression who believed in wealth redistribution. He organized upwards of seven million Americans to see this dream of wealth redistribution come true. He wanted the wealthy in America to "give back" to the country, or else. He not only called for an even playing field, but he called for an even result. The following is a speech he made on December 11, 1934:"According to the tables which we have assembled, it ... more »

Plug pulled on parent trigger bill | EdNewsColorado #soschat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Plug pulled on parent trigger bill | EdNewsColorado: Plug pulled on parent trigger billbyTodd EngdahlThe three Democrats on the Senate State Affairs Committee outvoted their two GOP colleagues Wednesday afternoon and killed House Bill 12-1149, this year’s mild version of a parent trigger proposal.The vote didn’t come as a major surprise, given that State Affairs is known as the “kill committee” where leadership sends bills it doesn’t like.Sen. Mike Johnston (center) was smiling even when flanked by two opponents, Bruce ... more »

What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its "New Action Agenda"? - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its "New Action Agenda"? - Classroom QA With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher: Larry FerlazzoAn award-winning English and Social Studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif., Larry Ferlazzo is the author ofHelping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Challenges,English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies That Work, andBuilding Parent Engagement In Schools.He also maintains the popularWebsites of the Dayblog. In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, he will ... more »

Support PURE! » Major CTU longer day salary victory Parents United for Responsible Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Major CTU longer day salary victory: Major CTU longer day salary victorybyadminFrom the CTU:The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have settled a long-running dispute over CPS’s unlawful implementation of a longer school day at 13 neighborhood schools without properly compensating the teachers for the extra hours of work. The agreement was signed by both parties following today’s Board of Education meeting.CPS unilaterally implemented the Longer School ... more »

Modern School: 30 Detroit Labor Unions Sell Souls for Illusion of Security

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Modern School: 30 Detroit Labor Unions Sell Souls for Illusion of Security: 30 Detroit Labor Unions Sell Souls for Illusion of SecuritybyMichael DunnA coalition of 30 labor unions representing Detroit workers ratified new sell-out contracts this week in hopes of averting the imposition of an emergency financial manager by Gov. Rick Snyder. Under Michigan’s Emergency Manager law (seehere,hereandhere), the governor can dissolve union contracts, abolish collective bargaining and fire elected officials when a city or municipality is deemed a financial ... more »

Financial records reveal school board spent public money on home furnishings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Financial records reveal school board spent public money on home furnishings: Financial records reveal school board spent public money on home furnishingsPosted: 03/23/2012Last Updated: 5 hours and 16 minutes agoBy: Lori Jane GlihaPHOENIX - A Valley charter high school used public funds to pay for and fully furnish a residential home in a neighborhood less than a half a mile from the school.According to financial documents supplied to the ABC15 Investigators by theVicki A Romero High School, a Phoenix charter ... more »

D.C. school budget: Parents, students decry cuts to high schools, librarians, special ed coordinators - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

D.C. school budget: Parents, students decry cuts to high schools, librarians, special ed coordinators - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post: "Ways "D.C. school budget: Parents, students decry cuts to high schools, librarians, special ed coordinatorsByBill TurqueThe witness list ran nine pages for Wednesday’s D.C. Council hearing on Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s proposedFY 2013 education budget, testament to the volume of unmet needs--and programs at risk of cuts--in the city’s schools.Gray’s proposedspending planprovides a 2 percent raise in the ... more »

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

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

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) - 20 hours 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) - 20 hours 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) - 20 hours 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) - 1 day 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) - 1 day 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) - 1 day 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) - 1 day 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) - 1 day 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) - 1 day 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) - 1 day 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) - 1 day 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) - 1 day 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 »

900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It Easy | The Jose Vilson

900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It Easy | The Jose Vilson:

900 Posts, Because the Last 100 Didn’t Make It Easy

by Jose

Ladies and gents, I’ve arrived at my 900th post.
I should dedicate this one to the fact that George Zimmerman, Trayvon Miller’s murderer, was caught unbloodied and unbruised on video during his trip to the Sanford Police Department with police, dispelling his account almost assuredly. I could also dedicated to the lesser known Shaima Al-Awadi, a mother of four was who brutally murdered for her Muslim faith I presume. I could talk about my sincerest trepidation over the latest iteration of the New York State math test coming in seven school days (not including ELA test days), but I might do that much better in another blog.
I should remind you as my readers that racism, sexism, ageism, and other social biases haven’t really waned in effect, just changed shape, and that privilege plays a large role in even my most progressive colleagues. Yet, 

Police Video of Trayvon Martin's Killer Shows No Visible -- Much Less Severe -- Injuries | MyFDL

Police Video of Trayvon Martin's Killer Shows No Visible -- Much Less Severe -- Injuries | MyFDL:

Police Video of Trayvon Martin’s Killer Shows No Visible — Much Less Severe — Injuries

by Phoenix Woman

Popout

One of the tropes most often used by the right-wing and often blatantly racist defenders of George Zimmerman, the man who shot an unarmed Trayvon Martin to death in a Florida gated community last month, was that Zimmerman was allegedly beaten to a bloody pulp by the 17-year-old boy he killed: Punched in the nose hard enough for it to break, knocked down, head slammed into the ground, dripping blood from his various wounds.
The tale of Zimmerman’s many serious wounds was already in question: For one thing, he refused medical attention when it was offered to him. And now, thanks to the release of this police surveillance video, we can now see that the tale of the bloodily-beaten Zimmerman is just so much nonsense:

A police surveillance video taken the night that Trayvon Martin was shot dead shows no blood or bruises on George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who says he shot Martin after he 

Every man a King

Huey Long was a Progressive Senator during the Great Depression who believed in wealth redistribution. He organized upwards of seven million Americans to see this dream of wealth redistribution come true. He wanted the wealthy in America to "give back" to the country, or else. He not only called for an even playing field, but he called for an even result. The following is a speech he made on December 11, 1934:

"According to the tables which we have assembled, it is our estimate that 4 percent of the American people own 85 percent of the wealth of America, and that over 70 percent of the people of America don't own enough to pay for the debts that they owe.

Any man with a thimble-full of sense ought to know that if you take 85 percent off of that table and give it to one man that you are bound to have 2/3 the people starving because they haven't got enough to eat.

How many men ever went to a barbecue and would let one man take off the table what's intended for 9/10th of the people to eat? The only way to be able to feed the balance of the people is to make that man come back and bring back some of that grub that he ain't got no business with! [Laughter and applause]

Now we got a barbecue. We have been praying to the Almighty to send us to a feast. We have knelt on our knees morning and nighttime. The Lord has answered the prayer. He has called the barbecue. "Come to my feast," He said to 125 million American people. But Morgan and Rockefeller and Mellon and Baruch have walked up and took 85 percent of the victuals off the table!

Now, how are you going to feed the balance of the people? What's Morgan and Baruch and Rockefeller and Mellon going to do with all that grub? They can't eat it, they can't wear the clothes, they can't live in the houses.
Giv'em a yacht! Giv'em a Palace! Send 'em to Reno and give them a new wife when they want it, if that's what they want. [Laughter] But when they've got everything on God's loving earth that they can eat and they can wear and they can live in, and all that their children can live in and wear and eat, and all of their children's children can use, then we've got to call Mr. Morgan and Mr. Mellon an Mr. Rockefeller back and say, come back here, put that stuff back on this table here that you took away from here that you don't need. Leave something else for the American people to consume. And that's the program. [Applause]

We will call in Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Mellon....Dear Mr. Mellon, We're not going to destroy the capitalistic system, but we're going to put in a limit, you can have up to 4- to 5-million dollars and that's all. We're not going to destroy the Gulf Refining Company; we're not going to destroy the Standard Oil Company, but we're going to say that the limit of any one man's stock ownership in the Standard Oil company is from 3- to 5-million dollars for that individual and the balance to the people of America who own the balance of what the Standard Oil company is worth! [applause]

Then, we start from the bottom. That the 25 or more million American families shall have a homestead. Up to $5,000....a home and the comforts of a home, including an automobile and a radio, the things it takes in that house to live on...

We say to America, 125 million, none shall be too big, none shall be too poor, none shall work too much, none shall be idle. No luxurious mansions empty, none walking the streets, none impoverished, none in pestilence, none in want, but in the land blessed by the smile of the Creator with everything to be consumed, to be eaten, to be worn, that America will become a land, sharing the fruits of the land, not for the favored few, not to satisfy greed, but that all may live in the land in which the Lord has provided an abundance sufficient for the luxury and convenience of the people in general! I thank you.
-Senator Huey Long

Plug pulled on parent trigger bill | EdNewsColorado #soschat

Plug pulled on parent trigger bill | EdNewsColorado:

Plug pulled on parent trigger bill

by Todd Engdahl

The three Democrats on the Senate State Affairs Committee outvoted their two GOP colleagues Wednesday afternoon and killed House Bill 12-1149, this year’s mild version of a parent trigger proposal.
The vote didn’t come as a major surprise, given that State Affairs is known as the “kill committee” where leadership sends bills it doesn’t like.

Sen. Mike Johnston (center) was smiling even when flanked by two opponents, Bruce Caughey of CASE (left) and Jane Urschel of CASB.

The bill originated in the House with Republican Rep. Don Beezley of Broomfield, and in the Senate it was carried by Sen. Mike Johnston, D-Denver and a leading figure on education reform legislation.
Given all the changes to the measure in the House, Johnston said, “This bill is not, for better or worse, a parent 

What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its "New Action Agenda"? - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher

What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its "New Action Agenda"? - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher:

Larry Ferlazzo

An award-winning English and Social Studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif., Larry Ferlazzo is the author of Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Challenges, English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies That Work, and Building Parent Engagement In Schools.He also maintains the popular Websites of the Day blog. In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, he will address readers' questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. And offer your own thoughts and responses in the comments section.

« Response: The Difference Between Parent "Involvement" & Parent "Engagement" | Main

What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its "New Action Agenda"?

By Larry Ferlazzo on March 28, 2012 10:35 PM

Though I'm receiving plenty of reader questions (but could always use more!), I periodically instead decide to respond to a "Question That's Been On My Mind."

This is another one of those times (I'll be returning to reader questions next week)....

My question relates to the major report and "new action agenda" announced by the National Education Association in December. The report, developed by a NEA-initiated group of teachers called the Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching, made a number of recommendations.

My question is:

What were the most important aspects of the Commission report, and what might be its practical effects?

I've invited several guests will be responding to this question, including Commission member Renee Moore and NEA President Dennis Van Roekel.

I hope readers will share their responses, too.

Please share your thoughts in the comments, or, if you prefer, feel free to email them to me.

Support PURE! » Major CTU longer day salary victory Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Major CTU longer day salary victory:

Major CTU longer day salary victory

by admin

From the CTU:
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have settled a long-running dispute over CPS’s unlawful implementation of a longer school day at 13 neighborhood schools without properly compensating the teachers for the extra hours of work. The agreement was signed by both parties following today’s Board of Education meeting.
CPS unilaterally implemented the Longer School Day Pioneer Program beginning on September 26, 2011, with the last implementation date in January 2012, at a total of 13 schools. To induce teacher cooperation, CPS paid teachers up to $750 stipends and up to $150,000 to each school that participated in the program.  The CTU filed Labor Board charges, alleging that the Longer School Day violated its bargaining rights, and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board unanimously voted on October 20, 2011 to seek injunctive relief blocking CPS from implementing the program at any of other 600+ public schools whose staff is represented by the CTU, and referring the initial 13 schools to a hearing before an Administrative Law judge.  Rather than face a court