Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Big Education Ape: May Day 12 AM Borrow Money From Your Parents EDition #PINEAPPLEGATE #MOMCON2012

Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!:
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!

Published by Coopmike48 – 6 news spotters today

Romney's Advice To Students: Borrow Money From Your Parents

thinkprogress.org - If you’re young and you want to start your own business, Mitt Romney’s has some advice from you: Borrow money from your parents. At a “lecture” for students at Otterbein University in Ohio today, M...
mikeklonsky

The Obama Record in Education

ed.gov - Thank you, Mark.Good morning and welcome to Washington, delegates.This is the third Mom Congress, and I've been honored to be at all three of them. I'm even more honored to have partners like you w...
arneduncan

A Really Cool Event « Diane Ravitch's blog

dianeravitch.net - Back when I was writing The Death and Life of the Great American School System, I was looking for a way to characterize Race to the Top. It sounded so familiar to me because its main ideas came dir...
DianeRavitch

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coopmike48 UK lawmakers: Rupert Murdoch unfit to lead company -NorthJersey.com bit.ly/KoeRce2 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite
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coopmike48 Read Damn Good Education Daily ▸ today's top stories via @oklabrett@jerseyjazzman @tonnet ▸paper.li/coopmike48/bir… #EDCHAT57 seconds ago · reply · retweet · favorite
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coopmike48 Blue Jersey:: May Day 2012 News Roundup & Open Threadbit.ly/Koej6h5 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

EducationSee all

National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing

timeoutfromtesting.org - WHEREAS, our nation's future well-being relies on a high-quality public education system that prepares all students for college, careers, citizenship and lifelong learning, and strengthens the nati...
DianeRavitch

SocietySee all

Kenneth Cole. Is it the shoes? « Fred Klonsky

preaprez.wordpress.com - H/T NYC Educator The picture of the billboard showed up on lots of Facebook and blog sites this weekend. Kenneth Cole, shoe monger and brother-in-law of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, put up the b...
fklonsky

StoriesSee all

more errors in 2012 Mathematics Tests Scoring Materials

groups.yahoo.com - For this we're paying $32 Million? ________________________________ > > From: NYSED EXAMREQUEST [mailto:EXAMREQUEST@...] > Sent: Mon 4/30/2012 9:44 AM > Subject: Notice to Test Scoring Coordinators...
leoniehaimson

Dogs In Cars: It Only Takes 10 Minutes!

rosemont.patch.com - This blog was originally written 6/28/09, however, every summer we still respond to hundreds of calls for dogs in vehicles! The news stations are already reporting about dogs being found in vehicle...
coopmike48

PoliticsSee all

Former Israeli Premier Assails Netanyahu on Iran

nytimes.com - Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister of Israel, plunged on Sunday into the country’s growing debate over Iran policy with harsh criticism of his successor, Benjamin Netanyahu. As seve...
fklonsky

Why Hakeem Jeffries may be Cuomo's guy in the House

capitalnewyork.com - Andrew Cuomo may soon have a new ally in the New York congressional delegation.Last month, when the governor was aggressively pushing for expansion of the state's DNA database to include informatio...
leoniehaimson

BusinessSee all

Scandal and Scrutiny Hem In Murdoch’s Empire

nytimes.com - In the months after a phone-hacking scandal erupted in Britain last summer, Rupert Murdoch told people within News Corporation that he wanted to revisit his media company’s discontinued $12 billion...
leoniehaimson

WorldSee all

Roads closed, traffic gridlock likely for May Day protests

latimesblogs.latimes.com - April 30, 2012 |  6:44 pm Numerous streets in downtown Los Angeles and beyond will be closed Tuesday as various May Day marches move through the city. According to the Los Angeles Police Department...
coopmike48

Opry owner, Wisconsin company sue over Nashville floods

cnn.com - By the CNN Wire Staff updated 8:38 PM EDT, Mon April 30, 2012In May of 2010 more than 13 inches of rain fell over two days, causing the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee, to flood.(CNN) -- T...
coopmike48

US May Day protests planned, may disrupt commutes

northjersey.com - May Day protests may disrupt the morning commute in major U.S. cities Tuesday as labor, immigration and Occupy activists rally support on the international workers' holiday. Demonstrations, strikes...
coopmike48

#pineapplegateSee all

more errors in 2012 Mathematics Tests Scoring Materials

groups.yahoo.com - For this we're paying $32 Million? ________________________________ > > From: NYSED EXAMREQUEST [mailto:EXAMREQUEST@...] > Sent: Mon 4/30/2012 9:44 AM > Subject: Notice to Test Scoring Coordinators...
leoniehaimson

 VideosSee all


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LAO: District oversight works | Thoughts on Public Education

LAO: District oversight works | Thoughts on Public Education:


LAO: District oversight works - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess
Despite occasional interference by the Legislature, the system of fiscal oversight over districts by county offices of education has worked, the Legislative Analyst’s Office has concluded. “Given the substantial fiscal challenges that school districts have faced over the last two decades, the state’s fiscal oversight system has been effective in ensuring that school districts remain fiscally [...]

Local funding can come to the rescue of California schools - by Jeff Camp

by Jeff Camp
California parents often imagine that their children attend a “local” school. They are mostly wrong. In a very real sense, California no longer has local schools – it has a system of state schools. California voters know that their state school system is under grave financial stress, and that it is harming kids. According to a [...]
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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What's going on down on Rahm's plantation?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What's going on down on Rahm's plantation?:


What's going on down on Rahm's plantation?

by Mike Klonsky
Donoso's toast
Is anybody buying the story than Noemi Donoso"resigned" from her $195,000 post as the mayor's hand-picked chief education officer, after less than a year, in order to "pursue national projects.."?  Is that the new version of  "spending more time with my family"? She is the third top CPS officer to bail in less than three months.

And what timing -- right in the middle of union negotiations and Rahm's reckless move to impose his will, including a longer school day, on local schools. It was Donoso's job to ramrod the longer school day, push the Common Core curriculum, crack down on principals, and try and put a positive spin on miserably failed school turnarounds.

CTU Pres. Lewis calls it “troubling” that Donoso was leaving “at a time when seven or eight new initiatives have 
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Yes You - May Day! | OccupyWallSt.org

Yes You - May Day! | OccupyWallSt.org:


May 1st General Strike  Shut Down the 1% and Fight Back
No Work – No School – No Housework – No Shopping
Take The Streets  Click Here for NYC Schedule and Other Cities



Yes You - May Day!

by OccupyWallSt
Popoutfrom the Internet:
"May what now!" Francesca (and figurines made in China) will teach you all about the history of May Day and give you some advice on what to do to celebrate workers around the world


General Strike Banner Drop in Union Square

by OccupyWallSt
Popoutvia StrikeEverywhere!:
A banner drop promoting the May 1st General Strike, as seen at union square on April 29th. All out for May 1st! Wildcat March 1pm @ 2nd Avenue and Houston Street!


On May Day: What Are You Doing? Occupy Wall Street!

by OccupyWallSt
PopoutA civil disobedience action took place across from the New York Stock Exchange on Friday April 27th 2012 for the second week in a row. This time the action was carried out mostly by women, some of which are mothers, as they occupied the sidewalks to protest Wall Street with their bodies



TODAY IS MAY DAY! INTO THE STREETS!

Find events in your city here. Before you head out, check our Last-Minute May Day Checklist. If you are in NYC, check out the full schedule. If you can only make one event, try to come to the (permitted) Solidarity March leaving from Union Square at 5:30pm ET!

Live Video

Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

Follow on Twitter

Hashtags: #M1GS | #GeneralStrike | #MayDay
In NYC: #M1NYC | @OWSMayDay | @StrikeEverywher
Elsewhere: @OccupyGenStrk | @OccupyGenStrike | @BayAreaStrike | @oo_mayday

Live Updates

  • 6:40am ET: Lots of police barricades, a few cops on hand by the Brooklyn Bridge. via @Occuweather: ¨Tracking the heavy rain across the area. Next hour should be light, then a another thunderstorm or two around 9¨
  • 6:20am ET: May Day NYC Radio is live! Occupy the airwaves! Members of the Transport Workers Union talking now. Meanwhile, Occupiers in Greece, the Netherlands, and elsewhere in Europe are also getting May Day events underway.
  • 6am ET: May Day rallies streaming live from Istanbul, Turkey. Occupy London is around Liverpool St station handing out free roses with tags reading: "Love, breathe, hope, create, OCCUPY. There is something better out there."
  • 5:15am ET: Check out this awesome video of May Day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia via #OccupyDataran!
  • 3:30am ET: May Day festivities are underway at Occupy London on GlobalRev livestream! Occupy Sydney events are also underway (live here).
  • 12 midnight ET: Occupiers in Union Square and in the Freedom Cage on Occupied Wall Street cheer to ring in #MayDay!
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It may be May Day, but I’ve got kids to teach. « Fred Klonsky

It may be May Day, but I’ve got kids to teach. « Fred Klonsky:


It may be May Day, but I’ve got kids to teach.

by Fred Klonsky


Millions of workers will take to the streets today.
Shops and factories will be closed.
I could have used a personal day. I think I have one left.
The contract requires that I use a personal day only for business that I could not take care of during the normal working day.
I think May Day qualifies.
But I’ve got kids to teach.
I only have a month left, and I’m trying to get the fourth grade paper mรขchรฉ project done. It is taking longer than I


The in box. Chicago Machine squeezes out a victory. Guzzardi looks ahead.

by Fred Klonsky
From Will Guzzardi:
As you know, we’ve spent the last several weeks gathering information about the March 20th primary election through the discovery recount process. We’ve learned a lot more about what happened on Election Day, and have followed up on concerns from poll-watchers and voters across the district.
Yesterday at 5:00 p.m. was the deadline to file a challenge to the results of the March 20th primary in Circuit Court. While we found some evidence of inconsistencies on Election Day, our attorney has indicated that it is probably not enough to sustain a formal legal complaint in court.
As such, I am formally conceding the election. I’d like to congratulate Representative Berrios, and 
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AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations | Get Schooled

AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations | Get Schooled:


AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations

1:56 pm April 28, 2012, by Maureen Downey
testing (Medium)The AJC has published the second installment in its major series on test score disparities nationwide. Today’s stories look at the improbable score patterns in some of the nation’s most highly decorated schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools.
AJC reporters included a winning school that even merited a visit from Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Highland Elementary in Maryland.
“This school, just four or five years ago, wasn’t a Blue Ribbon school,” Duncan said that morning in September 2009, according to video of thew award event. “It had the same type of children, same type of families, same type of community — but dramatically different results.” Now, he said, “this school has more students at the advanced level than any other school like it in the state. It’s absolutely remarkable.”
And remarkably unlikely, according to the AJC analysis. It is essential to verify the achievement 
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The Innovative Educator: Read this opt out of testing letter from parent - Get ready to be inspired!

The Innovative Educator: Read this opt out of testing letter from parent - Get ready to be inspired!:


Read this opt out of testing letter from parent - Get ready to be inspired!

Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com
Editor's note: This amazing opt out letter was shared in The Texas Opt Out of State Tests group (there's one for every state). I'm sharing it here because it so eloquently and passionately identifies so many of the ills of standardized testing from a parent who has her child's freedom to learn as her main priority. You can find more opt out letters at the opt out of state tests site here.

Names have been changed.

Dear (school principal),
This letter is to respectfully inform you of the decision my husband and I have made to opt our children out of the 3rd grade STAAR tests on Apr. 24 and 25 and the make-up tests on Apr. 26 and 27. We understand it is Austin ISD's position that "by law there is no opt out for students" and that even though the test will not count towards school ratings this year, our children's "unexcused"

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Jersey Jazzman: The Last Straw

Jersey Jazzman: The Last Straw:


The Last Straw

by Duke
All of you teachers reading me right now, get this straight, for once and for all:

They do not respect you!
Albany, NY (April 30, 2012)


Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today established the New NY Education Reform Commission, bringing together nationally-recognized education, community, and business leaders to recommend reforms to the state's education system in order to improve performance in the classroom so that all of New York's students are fully prepared for their futures.

The Commission will examine the current structure of the state's education system 
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TRS Board meets and insists on the constitutionality of any pension changes. « Fred Klonsky

TRS Board meets and insists on the constitutionality of any pension changes. « Fred Klonsky:


TRS Board meets and insists on the constitutionality of any pension changes.

by Fred Klonsky
As I reported, the Board of Trustees of the Teacher Retirement System met yesterday in Springfield.
A number of people spoke during the public comment section of the meeting. Most expressed concern with the recent “new reality” comments of Executive Director Richard Ingram.
The Board is composed of four active trustees, two annuitant trustees and one appointed by the Governor.
One of the board members is IEA President Cinda Klickna.
While comments included those that asked for a sanction against the Executive Director, none was taken.
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The ‘Blitz:’ What’s foisted on kids after standardized tests - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

The ‘Blitz:’ What’s foisted on kids after standardized tests - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:


The ‘Blitz:’ What’s foisted on kids after standardized tests

by Valerie Strauss
This piece was written by a member of the Teaching Georgia Writing Collective , a group of educators, parents, and concerned citizens who engage in public writing and public teaching about education in Georgia. Members write anonymously because many fear there would be consequences to them or their children if their views were publicly known.
Read full article >>

Studying the Kentucky Derby: More than a horse race

by Valerie Strauss
Good teachers know how to wrap a lesson around almost anything (when they are allowed to). Take theKentucky Derby, which is running for the 138th time this Saturday. The event offers lessons, among other things, in history, science, statistics, math, culture, economics, health and even fashion.
Read full article >>
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda Reviews

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda Reviews:


Banda Reviews

by Melissa Westbrook
From the Orange County Register, a yawner of a story on the hiring of Banda.   Their loss, our gain.

From the Seattle Times, coverage of Banda's selection.   Highlights:
  • Banda plans to spend his first year on the job, getting to know the city and the district without making major changes.  Some of the reporters at the press conference seemed startled at this but Goodloe-Johnson did a lot of the same with touring schools and doing assessments of various departments.  I cannot see anyone coming in and wholesale changing things.  Sharon Peaslee said the Board did want to change things that are working in our schools but wanted to address those issues that are still of concern.  Marty McLaren named Special Education for one.  
  • In choosing Banda over the only remaining finalist, Sandra Husk, board members opted for a low-key leader with a reputation for relationship-building. Board members said they chose him because they 
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A Really Cool Event « Diane Ravitch's blog

A Really Cool Event « Diane Ravitch's blog:


A Really Cool Event

by dianerav
Back when I was writing The Death and Life of the Great American School System, I was looking for a way to characterize Race to the Top. It sounded so familiar to me because its main ideas came dire t from the conservative think-tanks from which I had recently resigned. How could I find a way to explain the contradiction: a new Democratic administration embracing GOP themes of testing, accountability, choice, competition?
And then I found a blog written by Mike Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (where I had been a founding board member). Mike said of Race to the Top, “It’s as if a bunch of do-gooders sat together at the NewSchools Venture Fund summit and brainstormed a list of popular reform ideas, and are now going to force them upon the state’s. (Wait, I think that is how this list got developed.)”
NewSchools Venture Fund is an organization that funds charter schools and entrepreneurs. To cement his link 
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NYC Educator: Teachers' Rights Are Students' Rights; Also, Some Clothing Companies Like Teachers

NYC Educator: Teachers' Rights Are Students' Rights; Also, Some Clothing Companies Like Teachers:


Teachers' Rights Are Students' Rights; Also, Some Clothing Companies Like Teachers

by Miss Eyre
So Kenneth Cole has decided to remove their teacher-trashing billboard.  Well, that's nice.  One billboard down, but meanwhile, Michelle Rhee hasn't yet moved on to doing something more constructive with her life, like watching paint dry.  Still, we'll take all the victories we can get.

As I've pointed out in this space before, teachers' rightsare students' rights; they are not in opposition to each other.  Schools that are clean, orderly, and safe are in teachers' and students' interests.  Teachers who are well-supported and, yes, well-compensated are 
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THE SECRET RECORDINGS ARE IN HIGH GEAR « Teachers Fight Back

THE SECRET RECORDINGS ARE IN HIGH GEAR « Teachers Fight Back:


THE SECRET RECORDINGS ARE IN HIGH GEAR

by alkleen
Here we go!  Several more incidences of kids and or parents secretly taping their teachers have been cropping up on the news.  Let the madness begin!
One such incident is particularly troubling.  A New Jersey teacher who oversees a classroom where a father says his autistic son was verbally abused by adults has been placed on leave. The You Tube secretly recorded audio caught one adult calling his autistic son a “bastard”.
The teacher denied that she was in the classroom at the time.  Assistants were allegedly in the room and supervising at the time of the incident. An investigation by the district also found that the teacher wasn’t present.
The superintendent said that she put the teacher on leave to minimize the “disruption to our school”.
I’ve written before about the fact that teachers are not accorded the same “presumption of innocence” as 
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