BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
Private parts. « Fred Klonsky
Private parts. « Fred Klonsky: Private parts. by Fred Klonsky The kerfluffle in the Michigan legislature over a female legislator using the word, “vagina” in a speech defending abortion rights has led to the sudden upsurge in interest over that particular body part. Or, maybe I’m just underestimating existing interest. I used to do a yearly activity with first graders involving the drawing of shadows. You might be surprised about the complexity of the concept of shadows for a six-year old. **What part of your body is the shadow attached to? Relative to the sun, which direction doe... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 18, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, June 18, 2012* Schools tread carefully on social mediaSchool officials acknowledge the power of using social media in educating today's students, who they call "digital natives." Social media can also be a tool to communicate more efficiently with parents and the community. But for the time being, school personnel are hesitant to use it on a wide scale. Changes ahead for Atascadero schoolThe Atascadero Unified School District broke ground Friday on a renovation project that will bring widespread chang... more »
Bill Gates tells us why *his* high school was a great learning environment | Seattle Education
Bill Gates tells us why *his* high school was a great learning environment | Seattle Education: Bill Gates tells us why *his* high school was a great learning environment by seattleducation2011 *Today’s post was submitted by HiPointDem, a supporter of public education*: Lakeside School Bill’s high school, Lakeside, is Seattle’s most elite private school. The current tuition is $28K (not including food, books, bus, laptop, and field trips). A bargain, compared to some eastern private schools, but about equal to the median income of all US workers. Lakeside has a lovely campus that loo... more »
Worker Co-operatives and Democracy (Part 2) | Dissident Voice
Worker Co-operatives and Democracy (Part 2) | Dissident Voice: Worker Co-operatives and Democracy (Part 2) by Bernard Marszalek The popular slogan “People before Profit” adopted by worker co-operatives begs the question how people, in this case members of worker co-operatives, can trump profit in a profit-driven economy. The predictable response is that the democratic organization of co-operatives, where decisions are guided by the interests of the members and not exclusively by the imperatives of capital, amply validates the truth of the slogan. But is this so? If the members of ... more »
Blue Jersey:: A Tale of Two Tenure Bills
Blue Jersey:: A Tale of Two Tenure Bills: A Tale of Two Tenure Bills by Jersey Jazzman Today, Senator Teresa Ruiz's tenure bill will most likely make it out of her committee; this follows on the heels of Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan's bill, which was approved by his committee last Thursday (despite the abstentions of the Republican members).Given the momentum, it's quite likely the two bills will be reconciled, put to full votes, and eventually land on Chris Christie's desk. But before looking at what it will take for the Assembly and Senate versions to become compatible, it's wort... more »
John Thompson: Common Core Is the Essence of the "Status Quo" -- That's why I Support It - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
John Thompson: Common Core Is the Essence of the "Status Quo" -- That's why I Support It - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Common Core Is the Essence of the "Status Quo" -- That's why I Support It by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* Last week, attending a great conference in Oklahoma City, Vision 2020, focused largely on Common Core, I kept worrying how I could articulate my support for the effort without angering my friends who are skeptical of it, or needlessly antagonizing Common Core supporters who hold the weird belief that it will be "a... more »
Florida’s Republican Legislators Still Don’t Get It | Scathing Purple Musings
Florida’s Republican Legislators Still Don’t Get It | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida’s Republican Legislators Still Don’t Get It by Bob Sikes An agonizing problem for any school district is what to do with their at-risk kids. The state’s professional educators and elected school boards never stop looking for ways to help these children. For these often poor, homeless, with learning disabilities, frequent discipline problems and from fractured families, its been clear for some time that there aren’t any clear-cut solutions or silver bullets. Polk county is considering seven chart... more »
Monetizing Public School Success | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
Monetizing Public School Success | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Monetizing Public School Success by obriena In the current fiscal climate, all government entities – schools most certainly included – are being asked to justify their costs. But given that they are typically measured by standardized test scores, graduation rates and other academic measures, how can schools show their cost-effectiveness? Economist Michael Walden has provided one example, conducting a study on the impact of the Virginia Beach City Public School System on the metropolitan Virginia... more »
Five Ridiculously Reformy “Copy & Paste” Policies & Why They’re Misguided « School Finance 101
Five Ridiculously Reformy “Copy & Paste” Policies & Why They’re Misguided « School Finance 101: Five Ridiculously Reformy “Copy & Paste” Policies & Why They’re Misguided by schoolfinance101 65 Cent Solution (now defunct?)What is it? It *was* (thankfully this one is pretty much dead!) a policy proposal being pitched in the mid-2000s which would require, through state mandate/legislation or regulation, that local public school districts show on paper that they spend 65% of their total budgets on “instruction.” The argument was that the average district nationally allocates somewhat l... more »
This Week In Education: Reform: The Problem With "Parents Across America"
This Week In Education: Reform: The Problem With "Parents Across America": Bruno: A Partial Defense Of Parents Across America by Paul Bruno [image: XCartoons-Shouting-Match]About Alexander's post on Parents Across America, I find myself liking it more than agreeing with it. On the one hand, while my experience with PAA is pretty limited, at least some of its members seem perfectly willing to question the legitimacy of their opponents based on the interests they appear (or are assumed) to represent. The tendency of at least some PAA members to operate that way is annoying exactly be...more »
90% of Chicago Teachers Vote to Strike If Contract Negotiations Break Down | K-12 News Network
90% of Chicago Teachers Vote to Strike If Contract Negotiations Break Down | K-12 News Network: 90% of Chicago Teachers Vote to Strike If Contract Negotiations Break Down by admin Via the Washington Post: as of June 11, 2012, ninety percent of the 26,000-plus teachers in the city of Chicago voted to strike if contract negotiations with the city fall apart. At issue are longer school days minus any corresponding increases in pay, and other disputes over class size, restoration of school libraries, art and music classes, and an end to chronic underfunding. A four percent pay raise w... more »
Shanker Blog » Louisiana's "School Performance Score" Doesn't Measure School Performance
Shanker Blog » Louisiana's "School Performance Score" Doesn't Measure School Performance: Louisiana’s “School Performance Score” Doesn’t Measure School Performance by Matthew Di Carlo Louisiana’s “School Performance Score” (SPS) is the state’s primary accountability measure, and it determines whether schools are subject to high-stakes decisions, most notably state takeover. For elementary and middle schools, 90 percent of the SPS is based on testing outcomes. For secondary schools, it is 70 percent (and 30 percent graduation rates).* The SPS is largely calculated using absolute perf... more »
Mayors back parents seizing control of schools | Reuters
Mayors back parents seizing control of schools | Reuters: Mayors back parents seizing control of schools (Reuters) - Hundreds of mayors from across the United States this weekend called for new laws letting parents seize control of low-performing public schools and fire the teachers, oust the administrators or turn the schools over to private management. The U.S. Conference of Mayors, meeting in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday unanimously endorsed "parent trigger" laws aimed at bypassing elected school boards and giving parents at the worst public schools the opportunity to band toge... more »
KPBJ.COM | Education is the great equalizer, but is becoming the great separator | Business Daily | Don Brunell | KITSAP PENINSULA BUSINESS JOURNAL
KPBJ.COM | Education is the great equalizer, but is becoming the great separator | Business Daily | Don Brunell | KITSAP PENINSULA BUSINESS JOURNAL: Education is the great equalizer, but is becoming the great separator JUNE 18, 2012 @ 12:05AM | DON BRUNELL ~ Association of Washington Business During his term as Washington’s governor, Gary Locke’s mantra was “education is the great equalizer.” Locke, now the U.S. Ambassador to China, was correct, but in our country, today education is becoming the great separator. Here’s the problem. First, far too many students drop out of high scho... more »
Cognitive Dissidence: Walker's Fourth Attack On Educators
Cognitive Dissidence: Walker's Fourth Attack On Educators: Walker's Fourth Attack On Educators Scott Walker first launched his offensive against teachers, as well as other public service workers, by falsely maligning them and turning his base out to hate the very people they entrust their children to day in and day out. Then Walker led his major offensive maneuver by dropping his "bomb" on educators by taking their civil rights of collective bargaining away and trying to bust their unions. His third offensive tactic came when he revealed his budget which did
California students’ improvement on AP exams deserves more attention | Thoughts on Public Education
California students’ improvement on AP exams deserves more attention | Thoughts on Public Education: California students’ improvement on AP exams deserves more attention Share Posted on 6/18/12 • Categorized as 10.1Assessments, Achievement Gap By *Michael Kirst* [image: Source: College Board California State Integrated Summary Report for Public Schools, 2010-11] * * There is some good news in California student achievement trends. High performers, as measured by passage of the Advanced Placement exam, are increasing, and rank very high in interstate comparisons. AP is college level ... more »
Daily Kos: Fifty Million
Daily Kos: Fifty Million: Fifty Million by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) If you were at Netroots Nation, you heard Darcy Burner remind us that one in three woman in America will have an abortion at some point in their lives. Given a population in excess of 300 million, half of which are female, that is something over fifty million. You experienced her quietly asking women in the audience if they were comfortable to stand and acknowledge having had an abortion. As Digby, John and Howie and the Leadership of Blue America put it in an email that went out yesterday, reflecting a p... more »
Diane Ravitch's blog 6-18
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Is Louisiana the Worst? dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 36 minutes ago Louisiana is a very strong contender for the worst state in the nation in relation to its treatment of teachers, students, and public schools. Governor Bobby Jindal has been hailed by rightwing privatizers for his bold plan to dismantle public education. And indeed, his legislation established vouchers, charters, and a punitive regime for teachers. If [...] New Jersey Has a Bad Idea dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 39 minutes ago A rea... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio *"I think people from Mexico are now going to feel, 'Hey come on in and we'll get by with it.' But it won't happen in this county. They will still be arrested."* -- After arresting 6-year-old suspected illegal immigrant. Diane Ravitch *Isn’t it strange that you never see a group like “Education Reform Now” or “Democrats for Education Reform” or “ConnCAN” or “50StateCANN” advocating for smaller classes or more librarians or a reversal of budget cuts. -- "Big Mon... more »
Pop quiz on standardized testing - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
Pop quiz on standardized testing - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Pop quiz on standardized testing By Valerie Straussh This* was written by Lisa Guisbond, apolicy analyst with FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, in Jamaica Plain, Mass. FairTest is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the misuse of standardized tests. This quiz was first published in Education Week.* ** By Lisa Guisbond You can practically hear the collective relief as school testing seasonwinds down across America. It’s not just the sighs of millions of overt... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What's Wrong with Proposed Policy 2200
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What's Wrong with Proposed Policy 2200: What's Wrong with Proposed Policy 2200 by Charlie Mas Every so often something comes along that exposes and epitomizes a wide range of problems. This week it is the proposed Policy 2200, Equitable Access to Programs and Services. This proposed revision to Board Policy C56.00 reveals and illustrates problems with the Board's procedures, the Board's practices, the staff, program placement, the allocation of authority, the factors that really drive decisions within Seattle Public Schools, and the whole concept o... more »
NYC Educator: In a Hurry
NYC Educator: In a Hurry: In a Hurry by NYC Educator This morning, I'm off to read 5 million papers. Our ESL department is going to read the papers of our ESL students. They are all taking the Regents exam, because NY State has decided, in its infinite wisdom, that there is no difference between kids who were born here, kids who have spoken English all their lives, and kids from other countries, who have spoken English only weeks or months. It's important that we have a standardized test because teachers can't be trusted to construct their own. I, for example, would never exhibit ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Cerf Will Tell You What He Thinks You Need To Know!
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Cerf Will Tell You What He Thinks You Need To Know!: Chris Cerf Will Tell You What He Thinks You Need To Know! by Duke If you blink, you'll miss it: The entity that handles appeals of rejected requests for public information meets once a month in a first-floor office in Trenton. Windows offer a view of an atrium outside, but it's difficult — literally and otherwise — to look from the outside in. Called the Government Records Council, this agency adjudicates appeals from all levels of New Jersey government, from your school board on up to Christie's office. ... more »
An Open Thank You Letter to Teachers « Cooperative Catalyst
An Open Thank You Letter to Teachers « Cooperative Catalyst: An Open Thank You Letter to Teachers by zoeweil I wanted to share my latest essay published at Common Dreams, a progressive news site. Here’s an excerpt from “An Open Thank You Letter to Teachers”: *“Dear Teachers,* *Another school year is over, and there’s a good chance you haven’t been thanked for another year’s hard work. That might actually be quite an understatement. Not only may you have failed to receive real appreciation for your work, your salary and benefits may have been cut while your hours were increased. You... more »
AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2012-13 JOBS AND SERVICES RESTORATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN LAUSD AND UTLA By Dr. John Fernandez - Perdaily.com
AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2012-13 JOBS AND SERVICES RESTORATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN LAUSD AND UTLA By Dr. John Fernandez - Perdaily.com: AGREEMENT BETWEEN LAUSD AND UTLA By Dr. John Fernandez by Leonard Isenberg [image: Dr. John Fernandez.jpg] Not only is the Agreement misleading, tentative, and conditional, the Agreement fails to support the claim that 4,149 jobs will be restored and does not give an exact number of all pending Reduction in Forces (RIFS) and job loses that will take place after June 30, 2012. For instance on page 4 of the Agreement, Section 5a, the subheading states: "Total... more »
Teacher evaluation plan a test for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy - LA Daily News
Teacher evaluation plan a test for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy - LA Daily News: Teacher evaluation plan a test for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 06/17/2012 05:58:17 PM PDT Updated: 06/17/2012 08:59:39 PM PDT James Jordan Middle School principal Myranda Marsh talks with students before they take a final. A court order is mandating that student test scores be a part of a teacher s performance evaluation at LAUSD schools. (Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer) Armed with a court order mandating the use of student test scores in teacher evalu... more »
http://www.southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Planes, Trains, and Allegorical Deformers by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Hey, do you ever think that John Candy and Steve Martin are allegorical to the deformers and the deform movement out there? Let me be the first to explain. Today as I was celebrating Father's Day with the traditional packing of ten years worth of stuff, my wife was saying something to me. What I still do not know, but in my ADD mind for what ever reason I conjured up the movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," in particular the scene in which John Candy is driving the ... more »
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: I HAVE TO STOP READING DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG!
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: I HAVE TO STOP READING DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG!: BLOG! My summer vacation began on June 13 and Diane Ravitch has started blogging. What's the connection? Well, every morning when I open my email, there are about 4-7 posts from Diane Ravitch. She doesn't send them to me personally. But, being a person who wants to know what's going on in the realm of education, besides the latest edtech tool, hers is one of the blogs I subscribe to. Here's the thing though. Every time I open one of her posts, and begin to read, I get angry, frustrated, and outra... more »
All Education Matters: National Emergency? Suicidal Student Debtors (Plus Senator Begich Thanks Me For My Advocacy)
All Education Matters: National Emergency? Suicidal Student Debtors (Plus Senator Begich Thanks Me For My Advocacy): National Emergency? Suicidal Student Debtors (Plus Senator Begich Thanks Me For My Advocacy) by Cryn Johannsen The suicidal notes continue to come my way. One man told me that he is planning to kill himself. I have reached out and told him that he can talk to me whenever he likes. I also contacted a fantastic scholar and clinical psychologist who has offered to help as well. If you are suicidal, I urge you to reach out to people you trust (family, friends, a pastor,... more »
For The Person That I Do Have | The Jose Vilson
For The Person That I Do Have | The Jose Vilson: For The Person That I Do Have by Jose It all starts with a broken heart, a disillusionment about the statues your youth asks you to revere. I wasn’t supposed to tell you that, but it’s the truth. We who have ever felt this abandonment from our fathers went through stages of pain throughout our lives we never fully reconcile. We become victims of the ideal of a nuclear family, where the father provides the strength and grounded reason while the mother provides the emotion and the tenderness for this fantasy family. Those of us who on... more »
solidaridad: My humble thoughts on UTLA's vote on the Tentative Agreement
solidaridad: My humble thoughts on UTLA's vote on the Tentative Agreement: My humble thoughts on UTLA's vote on the Tentative Agreement by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene [image: Esperanza Elementary School first grade garden project at Evaluate This!]I want to thank United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) for being the only thing standing between our communies and Eli Broad's malevolent designs. For better or worse, UTLA members agreed once more to take a drastic pay cut so that they could save the jobs of many of their colleagues, who, in turn, serve our community. Educators have made ... more »
The Washington Teacher: Is Teacher Churn Undermining Real Education Reform in DC?
The Washington Teacher: Is Teacher Churn Undermining Real Education Reform in DC?: Is Teacher Churn Undermining Real Education Reform in DC? by Candi Peterson An Op-ed in this Sunday's Washington Post, written by Mark Simon, education analyst and DCPS parent calls attention to the rate of turnover of both teachers and principals as a huge education reform. Simon argues the turnover rates are so high we're losing a lot of our best teachers and creating a hostile culture in too many schools. Turnover in charter schools is even higher. *By Mark Simon, Published: June 15- Washingto...more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Save Our Schools The People's Education Conference
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Save Our Schools The People's Education Conference: Save Our Schools The People's Education Conference by Mike Klonsky *Join Us! August 3rd - 5th* When. Where. Why... The Save Our Schools Convention, scheduled for August 3-5 in Washington, DC, is a chance to have our voices heard as we head into the November elections. We are currently offering a special discounted early registration fee of $150 per person until June 30. Lodging is not included in the registration fee, but we can offer a great rate at the convention site! Please use this link to reg... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools - Good News
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools - Good News: Seattle Schools - Good News by Melissa Westbrook The West Seattle blog reports that Arbor Heights Elementary raised $500 at a bake sale to help fund cancer research for Seattle Children's Hospital. What a great effort from everyone there. Top three winners from the district's Science Fair: *Mason Klein, 6th grade at Jane Addams; Ruby Nelson, 7th grade at Whitman Middle; and Bryn Templeton, 8th grade at Blaine K-8. This year's science fair had the biggest turnout yet in terms of students, parents, and other visitors. T... more »
Hop on, Pop! « MomsRising Blog
Hop on, Pop! « MomsRising Blog: Hop on, Pop! by Valerie Young My father influenced the course of my life in two dramatic ways. Before I could read, he took me to the public library and read me all the *Madeline* and *Babar the Elephant* books. We must have spent hours and hours doing this – me on his lap, his chin resting lightly on the top of my head – because it is one of my clearest memories. These same stories were among the first I bought and read to my own children, and I still give them often as baby or birthday gifts. Years later, the night before I left for my first year... more »
The FCAT Spring | Scathing Purple Musings
The FCAT Spring | Scathing Purple Musings: The FCAT Spring by Bob Sikes Consider this timeline of events. January 20: Florida Governor Rick Scott directs Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson to rank Florida’s school districts by FCAT scores February 2: Texas’ long-time, pro-accountabilty education commissioner Robert Scott says testing has become a “perversion” of its intent and triggered 360 Texas districts to join a National Resolution on High Stakes Testing February 23: Robinson defends changes to Florida’s school grade system. April 24: National Resolution on High Stakes Test... more »
State should listen to school boards' concerns about FCAT | HeraldTribune.com
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State should listen to school boards' concerns about FCAT | HeraldTribune.com: FCAT impasse Published: Sunday, June 17, 2012 at 1:00 a.m.Last Modified: Friday, June 15, 2012 at 6:24 p.m. School boards and the state Department of Education are not having a healthy conversation about Florida's student-testing regime. The boards and the department are communicating -- through stilted resolutions by the Florida School Board Association and defensive statements by the education commissioner -- but they are not engaged in productive dialogue. That is not good for students, teachers, par... more »
All Education Matters: Reader Publicly Thanks Me: "You present these issues in such a calm, rational, and unemotional manner but with great moral clarity, and this is exactly the right way to raise awareness."
All Education Matters: Reader Publicly Thanks Me: "You present these issues in such a calm, rational, and unemotional manner but with great moral clarity, and this is exactly the right way to raise awareness.": Reader Publicly Thanks Me: "You present these issues in such a calm, rational, and unemotional manner but with great moral clarity, and this is exactly the right way to raise awareness." by Cryn Johannsen It is inevitable. If you decide to stick your neck out for a cause you believe in, you get attacked from all sides. That is simply a reality of speaking up and insisting ... more »
Ed in the Age of Globalization » Common Sense Vs. Common Core: How to Minimize the Damages of the Common Core
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Common Sense Vs. Common Core: How to Minimize the Damages of the Common Core: Common Sense Vs. Common Core: How to Minimize the Damages of the Common Core by YongZhao The wonder drug has been invented, manufactured, packaged, and shipped. Doctors and nurses are being trained to administer the drug properly. Companies and consultants are offering products and services to help with the proper administering of this wonder drug. A national effort is underway to develop tools to monitor the improvement of the patients. The media ar... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Seniority in Teaching: An Unproven Problem
Jersey Jazzman: Seniority in Teaching: An Unproven Problem: Seniority in Teaching: An Unproven Problem by Duke You can always count on Tom Moran and the *Star-Ledger* editorial page to come up with solutions to problems that they haven't shown to exist: The NJEA, while backing the weaker tenure proposal, has come miles from where it was on education reform. Yet when it comes to seniority, there was no give. The union, along with most Democrats, argues that veteran teachers will be fired to save more money. That’s highly unlikely, because it would violate federal laws against age ... more »
IEA’s sellout to Stand for Children was indeed a model for the nation. « Fred Klonsky
IEA’s sellout to Stand for Children was indeed a model for the nation. « Fred Klonsky: IEA’s sellout to Stand for Children was indeed a model for the nation. by Fred Klonsky *The Mass Teachers Association bought the Stand for Children deal hook, line and stinker.* It cuts both ways, you know. While the firm stand taken by the Chicago teachers in their negotiating posture with Rahm Emanuel and his hand-picked board of education inspires teachers across the nation, the sellout by the IEA leadership on Senate Bill 7 undermines resistance to corporate school reform. Look no further than... more »
Los Angeles students and teachers need your help fighting Green Dot Charter Schools | Dailycensored.com
Los Angeles students and teachers need your help fighting Green Dot Charter Schools | Dailycensored.com: Los Angeles students and teachers need your help fighting Green Dot Charter Schools from Dailycensored.com by Danny Weil I have written extensively about *Green Dot Charter Schools*, an educational retail charter chain that gained a foothold in Los Angeles and a step-ladder into the public consciousness due to favorable publicity by the charter charlatans and their corporate allies. You can read about the detestable Green Dot and its takeover of some of Los Angeles schools,... more »
