Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 4-14 #edreform #soschat

Don’t Drink the Water | Dissident Voice

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

Don’t Drink the Water | Dissident Voice: byDavid MacarayDon’t Drink the WaterOne of the biggest con games going on right now is the sustained attack on the U.S. public school system. It’s being orchestrated by predatory entrepreneurs (disguised as “concerned citizens” and “education reformers”) hoping to persuade the parents of school-age children that the only way their kids are going to get a decent education is by paying for something that they can already get for free. You might say ... more »

Academic Journals and Corporate Interests: Reed Elsevier and ALEC | PSC CUNY

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

Academic Journals and Corporate Interests: Reed Elsevier and ALEC | PSC CUNY: Academic Journals and Corporate Interests: Reed Elsevier and ALECBy Peter Hogness and Jake BlumgartPrinter-friendly versionShare this postWhat do prestigious scientific journals likeCellandThe Lancethave to do with privatizing public services, union-busting, or cutting corporate taxes?The publishing company that owns these journals, Reed Elsevier, has supported all of these goals through its contributions to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).ALEC is a corporate-funded, politically conservati... more »

LAUSD Superintendent Deasy gets some advice - latimes.com

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LAUSD Superintendent Deasy gets some advice - latimes.com: Plenty of advice for L.A. Unified's bossTeachers, substitutes and the columnist offer some words of wisdom for Supt. John Deasy regarding a classroom confrontation with a sub who was following the regular instructor's lesson plan.18Share2212next| single pageL.A. Unified Supt. John Deasy's classroom dust-up with a substitute teacher has produced an outpouring of responses and advice.(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times/October3, 2011)By Sandy BanksApril 14, 2012Any day now, I expect to see a ... more »

The “Reform” of NOLA Public Schools: Headline Edition 1/3/06 to 3/22/06 | The G Bitch Spot

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The “Reform” of NOLA Public Schools: Headline Edition 1/3/06 to 3/22/06 | The G Bitch Spot: The “Reform” of NOLA Public Schools: Headline Edition 1/3/06 to 3/22/06byG BitchSeePart I.______La. won’t run N.O. schools by itself: BESE to start taking nonprofits’ proposals. (New Orleans)Times-Picayune. 1/3/06.NewsBank. Web.Later this month the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will begin accepting proposals from nonprofit organizations, including universities, interested in running any of the schools the Legislature in November voted to place under state ... more »

The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post

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

The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post: Top 5 factors to weigh when picking a college (by May 1st deadline)Valerie StraussatThe Answer Sheet-5 hours agoThis was* written by Danielle Moss Lee, president and chief executive officer of the Harlem Educational Activities Fund. The fund is a supplemental education and youth leadership nonprofit that turns high-potential but underserved New York City public school students into high-achieving college graduates.* Read full article ... more »

What\'s a Mom Worth? Check Out Annual Salary Here - Hispanically Speaking News

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

What\'s a Mom Worth? Check Out Annual Salary Here - Hispanically Speaking News: Mexican Presidential Candidates Put on the Spot by Video Asking Why They’re RunningHispanically Speaking News Global Feed-22 minutes ago[image: Mexican Presidential Candidates Put on the Spot by Video Asking Why They’re Running] A video in which children ask Mexico’s 2012 presidential hopefuls whether they really want to change the country or are just seeking the office for its own sake has already topped 2.7 million views on ... more »

How One Principal Recruited Role Models to Motivate His Black Male Students - Education - GOOD

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How One Principal Recruited Role Models to Motivate His Black Male Students - Education - GOOD: How One Principal Recruited Role Models to Motivate His Black Male StudentsbyBaruti KafeleThere are plenty of challenges in public schools, but the greatest crisis we face in education today is that of black male learners: The national high school graduation rate for black males is ashocking 47 percent.Although that national rate is extremely low, when it is disaggregated by large school districts, the statistics ... more »

This Week's Education Research Report

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

Education Research Report: Cyberbullying and bullying are not the sameJonathan KantrowitzatEducation Research Report-5 minutes agoΩh University of British Columbia research comparing traditional bullying with cyberbullying finds that the dynamics of online bullying are different, suggesting that anti-bullying programs need specific interventions to target online aggression. "There are currently many programs aimed at reducing bullying in schools and I think there is an assumption that these programs deal with cyberbullying as well," says Jennifer Shapka, an associate professor in th... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 4-13 #soschat #EDReform

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

Summer Matters - Partnership for Children and YouthBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-37 minutes agoSummer Matters - Partnership for Children and Youth: STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TOM TORLAKSON TO LAUNCH 2012 SUMMER MATTERS CAMPAIGNSuperintendent Torlakson to Announce Statewide Initiative to Bolster Summertime LearningMedia VIP EventTuesday, April 17 – 12:30pm / San Francisco City Hall San Francisco, CA –OnTuesday, April 17,State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson will kick off “Summer Matters 2012” — a statewide campaign to expand ... more »

Modern School: UC Davis Guilty at All Levels in Student Pepper-Spraying Incident

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

Modern School: UC Davis Guilty at All Levels in Student Pepper-Spraying Incident: UC Davis Guilty at All Levels in Student Pepper-Spraying IncidentbyMichael Dunn According to a report released this week, the pepper spraying of student Occupy protesters at the University of California, Davis last November, should never have happened. Students had been protesting rising tuition, privatization, and declining student services.According to the report, the use pepper spray on seated protesters was not justified nor authorized, theBay Citizenreported. The spraying was ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 4-13 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

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

Yudof stands by Katehi through pepper-spray fallout | Davis EnterpriseBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-21 minutes agoYudof stands by Katehi through pepper-spray fallout | Davis Enterprise: Yudof stands by Katehi through pepper-spray falloutHE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT …to the distress of some and the elation of others, it’s clear from the statement of University of California President Mark Yudof that he plans no change in the status of Chancellor Linda Katehi in light of the just released ... more »

We have one thing she hasn’t got. « Fred Klonsky

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

We have one thing she hasn’t got. « Fred Klonsky: We have one thing she hasn’t got.byFred KlonskyThe story of the Detroit charter school teacher who was fired for allowing and encouraging her students to organize a fund raising event for Trayvon Martin is another lesson in why I treasure my union.The firing is outrageous.Brooke Harris sounds to me like a wonderful teacher and should be reinstated without delay. And protests are mounting to demand it.But I couldn’t help being ... more »

VIDEO #1 Does Seniority and Tenure Really Exist at LAUSD? - Perdaily.com

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

VIDEO #1 Does Seniority and Tenure Really Exist at LAUSD? - Perdaily.com: VIDEO #1 Does Seniority and Tenure Really Exist at LAUSD?byLeonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)Seniority and tenure of teachers is becoming more and more a dead issue as thousands of teachers around the country are removed from their top-of-the-salary-scale jobs in total derogation of their contract and union rights by school districts trying to ... more »

“Your Face on Toshiba Vision” In celebration of Earth Day

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

(71) Toshiba Innovation: In celebration of Earth Day, Toshiba Innovation is very excited to feature your "green" photos on the giant screen in Times Square in a special “Your Face on Toshiba Vision” Earth Day Edition. To get your class photos up in lights, just visit the Your Face on Toshiba Vision app on the Toshiba Innovation Facebook page right here:https://apps.facebook.com/your_face_on_toshiba/and follow the on screen directions.After submitting your photo you will get an email notification telling you that your photo ... more »

Charter schools 'harmful' says study - Education - NZ Herald News

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Charter schools 'harmful' says study - Education - NZ Herald News: Charter schools 'harmful' says studyByIsaac DavisonThe Government has reaffirmed its keenness to implement charter schools despite a damning study which says they may do more harm than good to the under-achievers the Government is targeting.Under a National-Act agreement, charter schools will be trialled in areas where education achievement is low - South Auckland, Christchurch East, and possibly Wellington.A group of education experts at Massey University has investigated similar models ... more »

Rog Lucido: What do we Tell the Teachers who Take Our Place? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

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Rog Lucido: What do we Tell the Teachers who Take Our Place? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Rog Lucido: What do we Tell the Teachers who Take Our Place?byAnthony CodyGuest post by Rog Lucido.When I came home yesterday my wife told me she received a phone call from one of my former students whom I had in my physics class in 1998-99. My wife said he was excited to connect with me as he has just finished ... more »

CDC: Utah Has Fewest Students Taught About Condoms « CBS Las Vegas

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CDC: Utah Has Fewest Students Taught About Condoms « CBS Las Vegas: CDC: Utah Has Fewest Students Taught AboutCondomsApril 13, 2012 12:28 PMShare thisNo commentsFile photo of a counselor holding out a pack of condoms. (Photo by STUART PRICE/AFP/Getty Images)Filed UnderNews,Syndicated LocalRelated Tagscondoms,sex education,safe sexSALT LAKE CITY (CBS Las Vegas/AP)— Fewer Utah high school students receive sex education lessons about condom use than their counterparts in almost any other state, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control.About ... more »

IEA President Klickna’s statement on TRS. « Fred Klonsky

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IEA President Klickna’s statement on TRS. « Fred Klonsky: IEA President Klickna’s statement on TRS.byFred KlonskyMany of my friends have found much to applaud in IEA President Klickna’s recent statement. Klickna’s statement followes the recent leak from TRS Executive Director Dick Ingram about retiree benefit reductions.Nobody is happy about the Ingram leak. Klickna makes clear that she is not happy about the way the press has used Ingram’s words to undermine our Association’s position in defense of our pension.Ty Fahner, ... more »

Teachbad Manifesto: Welcome Back From Spring Break | Mr. Teachbad

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Teachbad Manifesto: Welcome Back From Spring Break | Mr. Teachbad: Teachbad Manifesto: Welcome Back From Spring BreakbyteachbadPopoutThe principal holds the welcome back meeting after spring break and tries to get to know his teachers.

Summer Matters - Partnership for Children and Youth

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

Summer Matters - Partnership for Children and Youth: STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TOM TORLAKSON TO LAUNCH 2012 SUMMER MATTERS CAMPAIGNSuperintendent Torlakson to Announce Statewide Initiative to Bolster Summertime LearningMedia VIP EventTuesday, April 17 – 12:30pm / San Francisco City Hall San Francisco, CA –OnTuesday, April 17,State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson will kick off “Summer Matters 2012” — a statewide campaign to expand summertime learning opportunities for California children at a launch event at San Francisco City Hall.Superintendent ... more »

Modern School: Land of the Free, Home of the Ch*ckenshit?

Modern School: Land of the Free, Home of the Chickenshit?:

Land of the Free, Home of the Chickenshit?

by Michael Dunn

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen was suspended for five games for saying he idolized Fidel Castro, the New York Times reported this week. He said he respected Castro for his ability to endure, despite numerous attempts on his life. In previous interviews, he said he did not admire Castro’s philosophy, but the man himself.

Guillen has also gotten in trouble in the past for making homophobic slurs. However, the consequences for admitting admiration for the Cuban dictator are likely to be far more serious and long lasting. By doing so, Guillen has offended Miami’s gusano (anti-Castro immigrants) population and the U.S. government, which still considers Cuba to be an arch enemy.

Never mind that in most of the world, including Guillen’s native Venezuela, Castro is not a controversial person in the slightest. Sure, he was a repressive dictator, but this should not be 

Happy Birthday John Holt – “Patron Saint” of Unschooling | Lefty Parent

Happy Birthday John Holt – “Patron Saint” of Unschooling | Lefty Parent:

Happy Birthday John Holt – “Patron Saint” of Unschooling

by Cooper Zale

John Caldwell Holt was born on April 14, 1923, part of the “GI Generation” and interestingly the same year as my mom and my partner Sally’s parents, plus the same place (New York City) as her parents. There is just the briefest reference to his young life in his Wikipedia biography, but somehow he developed a profound humanist critique of the rules of engagement between adults and youth in our society, one challenging our whole conception of human development and education, including how they are reflected in the social institution we call “school”. The further evolution of his thinking led him to become perhaps the progressive “patron saint” of homeschooling and the inventor (or at least the framer) of the concept of “unschooling”.
On a more personal level, you could call Holt our son Eric’s “savior”. Holt’s truly radical ideas about human development had a profound impact on my partner Sally and me. Those ideas gave us the major justification in 

The Campaign to Privatize the World | Common Dreams

The Campaign to Privatize the World | Common Dreams:

The Campaign to Privatize the World

by David Macaray

One of the biggest con games going on at the moment is the sustained attack on the U.S. public school system.  It’s being perpetrated by predatory entrepreneurs (disguised as “concerned citizens” and “education reformers”) hoping to persuade the parents of school-age children that the only way their kids are going to get a decent education is by paying for something that they can already get for free.  You might say it’s the same marketing campaign that launched bottled water.

The profit impulse fueling this drive is understandable.  All it takes is a cursory look at the economic landscape to see why these speculators are drooling at the prospect of privatizing education.  Millions of students pulling up stakes, bailing out of the public school system, and enrolling in private or charter schools?  Are you kidding?  Just think of the money that would generate.

Mind you, these “education reformers” are the same people who want to privatize the world—the same people who want more toll roads, who want hikers to pay trail fees, who want city parks and public beaches to charge admission. Indeed, they’re the same tribe who convinced 

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - either believes she is above the law or simply doesn't care

- Wait, What?:

Do They Actually Think They Are Above The Law? (why yes, yes they do)

The 2012 “Education Reformers” – They bully, they’re arrogant and they appear to believe that the law applies to others but not them.

As Michelle Rhee and the other out-of-state “Education Reformers” pour into Connecticut to join their allies in the effort to Governor Malloy’s ill-conceived “Education Reform” bill you’d think they’d recognize the importance of following Connecticut’s laws.

But apparently these “Education Reformers” either believe they are above the law on simply don’t care if they get fined for violating the lobbyist rules we have in place.

Connecticut law is simple and direct. A lobbyist is any person who either spends or receives $2,000 or more in a calendar year to communicate with, or to solicit others to communicate with, any official or his or her staff in the legislative or executive branch, or in a quasi-public agency, in an effort to influence legislative or 

Kick Some Ass with the Working Class | Dissident Voice

Kick Some Ass with the Working Class | Dissident Voice:

Kick Some Ass with the Working Class

by Ron Jacobs / April 14th, 2012

Damn. That’s the word I kept repeating as I read Gregg Shotwell’s recently published book Autoworkers Under the Gun. The ugly side of being a factory worker in the US auto industry is all here. Sociopathic CEOs, their lawyers, and the acquiescence of the UAW leadership, it’s all there. This collection of newsletters written by a United Auto Workers activist documents the purposeful destruction of a union, an industry, and a way of life by bankers, corporate raiders and supplicant union bosses. The tale told here is about the daily fight on the shop floor.

Shotwell’s writing is humorous, acerbic and to the point. As part of a democratic movement in the UAW, he was one of many that fought hard to prevent the tidal wave of layoffs, plant closings and destruction of benefits the union leadership not only allowed but seemed to encourage. The missives published in this book are the textual equivalent to the Industrial Workers of the World’s (IWW) Mr. Block cartoons. For those who aren’t aware of Mr. Block, let me quote IWW agitator Walker C. Smith:

Mr. Block is legion. He is representative of that host of slaves who think in terms of their masters. Mr. Block owns nothing, yet he speaks from the standpoint of the millionaire; he is patriotic without patrimony; he is a law-abiding outlaw… [who] licks the hand that smites him and kisses the boot that kicks him… the personification of all that a worker should not be.

In other words, Mr. Block was a satirical character created to call attention to

Autoworkers Under the Gun: A Shop-Floor View of the End of the American Dream [Paperback]

Gregg Shotwell (Author), Lee Sustar (Introduction), Jerry Tucker (Foreword)

5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review) | 

Saturday coffee + Old school. « Fred Klonsky

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky:

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

The first time I ever went to Springfield, Illinois was in 1975. Anne, our daughter and I were heading out on a road trip to Los Angeles. We had planned to leave early in the morning, but by mid-afternoon the day before we were all packed and ready to go.
“Why not leave  now,” I asked?
“Why not,” said Anne.
By 6PM we were in Springfield. Enough time to check out the Capitol, rub Lincoln’s nose and find a motel.
In the years since, particularly over the past ten years, I have been to Springfield way too many times. That’s

Old school.

by Fred Klonsky

Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, Shakey Horton and Dr Ross.

Don’t Drink the Water | Dissident Voice

Don’t Drink the Water | Dissident Voice:
by David Macaray

Don’t Drink the Water

One of the biggest con games going on right now is the sustained attack on the U.S. public school system.  It’s being orchestrated by predatory entrepreneurs (disguised as “concerned citizens” and “education reformers”) hoping to persuade the parents of school-age children that the only way their kids are going to get a decent education is by paying for something that they can already get for free.  You might say it’s the same marketing campaign that launched the bottled water phenomenon.

The profit impulse fueling this drive is understandable.  All it takes is a cursory look at the economic landscape to see why these speculators are drooling at the prospect of privatizing education.  Millions of students pulling up stakes, bailing out of the public school system, and enrolling in private or charter schools?  Are you kidding?  Just think of the money that would generate.
Mind you, these “education reformers” are the same people who want to privatize the world—the same people who want to add more toll roads, who want hikers to pay trail fees, who want city parks and public beaches to charge admission.  Indeed, they’re members of the same tribe who convinced a thirsty nation to voluntarily pay for drinking water that it was heretofore getting for free.
Let’s revisit for a moment that bottled water craze—that stunning marketing bonanza that made beverage companies wealthy and added a billion non-biodegradable plastic bottles to our landfills and oceans.  For the 

Academic Journals and Corporate Interests: Reed Elsevier and ALEC | PSC CUNY

Academic Journals and Corporate Interests: Reed Elsevier and ALEC | PSC CUNY:

Academic Journals and Corporate Interests: Reed Elsevier and ALEC

By Peter Hogness and Jake Blumgart

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What do prestigious scientific journals like Cell and The Lancet have to do with privatizing public services, union-busting, or cutting corporate taxes?
The publishing company that owns these journals, Reed Elsevier, has supported all of these goals through its contributions to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
ALEC is a corporate-funded, politically conservative “bill mill,” which develops legislative templates for state-level laws that serve its political goals. The group holds networking conferences for politically sympathetic state legislators – such as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, when he was a State Assembly member – where ideas are shared and its model bills are circulated (see "How ALEC Operates").
Reed Elsevier is a leading member of ALEC – and also the parent company of Elsevier, one of the largest academic publishing companies in the world. It owns about 2,000 academic journals, primarily scientific and medical, and a diverse 

LAUSD Superintendent Deasy gets some advice - latimes.com

LAUSD Superintendent Deasy gets some advice - latimes.com:

Plenty of advice for L.A. Unified's boss

Teachers, substitutes and the columnist offer some words of wisdom for Supt. John Deasy regarding a classroom confrontation with a sub who was following the regular instructor's lesson plan.

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L.A. Unified Supt. John Deasy's classroom dust-up with a substitute teacher has produced an outpouring of responses and advice. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times / October 3, 2011)

By Sandy Banks

April 14, 2012

Any day now, I expect to see a crowd of substitute teachers marching around Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters, wearing signs that say "I AM PATRENA SHANKLING" and waving lists of dumb things that substitutes have been asked to do.

Shankling is the substitute teacher fired by Supt. John Deasy last fall, after he scolded her for giving 12th-grade students what he considered busywork: copying class procedures from a sheet of paper