Saturday, August 13, 2011

Taking a deep hard look at Singapore Mathematics | Wild About Math!

Taking a deep hard look at Singapore Mathematics

by Sol

[ Editor's note: The following is an opinion piece by Mr. Frederick Koh at www.whitegroupmaths.com. ]

The “Made in Singapore” tag literally applies to me-born here, bred here, educated here. To a certain extent, I was blessed to have studied mathematics in this little country, as its curriculum was exceptionally rigorous and thorough. That said, is Singapore maths really that awesome and perfect? Absolutely not .In fact its pretty flawed. Being someone who “survived” this journey (which was generally manageable, but not quite pleasant at times), perhaps I might be in a better position to put things into perspective.

Mention Singapore Maths to educators around the world, and thoughts normally conjured up would be those of

The Peer Matching Network « Cooperative Catalyst

The Peer Matching Network

by teganor

A good educational system should have three purposes: it should provide all who want to learn with access to available resources at any time in their lives; empower all who want to share what they know to find those who want to learn it from them; and, finally, furnish all who want to present an issue to the public with the opportunity to make their challenge known.
-Ivan Illich

The above quote was from “Deschooling Society,” written by social critic and educational activist Ivan Illich. I read this book last month, and took away several ideas.

Education should be universal and open, but not compulsory
The current system, with its focus on certification before experience, fosters classism and exclusivity. This exclusiveness leads to idea that learning only happens in school. The concept of learning is trapped

Big Education Ape - PostRank Today's 10

Jersey Jazzman: Shared Sacrifice? Jersey Jazzman: Shared Sacrifice? Shared Sacrifice? by Duke So I keep thinking about Chris Christie's call last year for "shared sacrifice" from New Jersey's teachers. And I keep thinking about how NJ public worker pension and benefits contributions are ...

More Thoughs on Whitney Tilson and My Essay on Brill's "Class Warfare" - Dana Goldstein More Thoughs on Whitney Tilson and My Essay on Brill's "Class Warfare" - Dana Goldstein More Thoughs on Whitney Tilson and My Essay on Brill's "Class Warfare" by Dana Goldstein No piece of journalism is ever perfectly-crafted or argued, and I think Matt ...

Anti-Union and Anti-Women | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights Anti-Union and Anti-Women | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights Anti-Union and Anti-Women [image: Charlotte Williams's picture] By Charlotte Williams on August 12, 2011 A recent Salon article by Natasha Lennard discusses the central role ...

NYC Public School Parents: Five reasons to say NO! to the DOE's $120 million contract with VerizonNYC Public School Parents: Five reasons to say NO! to the DOE's $120 million contract with Verizon Five reasons to say NO! to the DOE's $120 million contract with Verizon by Leonie Haimson *On Wednesday, August 17, the Department of Education's Panel ...

Rick Scott Gives Lip Service to Teacher Pay | Scathing Purple Musings Rick Scott Gives Lip Service to Teacher Pay | Scathing Purple Musings Rick Scott Gives Lip Service to Teacher Pay by Bob Sikes From Peter Schorsch’s StPetersblog: Gov. Rick Scott generally stuck to a familiar script while taking questions from callers ...

The Nation: Biased Slant Misses Point On Education : NPR The Nation: Biased Slant Misses Point On Education : NPR The Nation: Biased Slant Misses Point On Education by DANA GOLDSTEIN *Dana Goldstein is a Puffin Foundation* writing fellow *at* The Nation Institute *and a* Schwartz Fellow *at the* New America ...

OTL Campaign Blog: Ohio judge takes steps hold Ohio charter operator accountable for actions OTL Campaign Blog: Ohio judge takes steps hold Ohio charter operator accountable for actions Ohio judge takes steps hold Ohio charter operator accountable for actions by otlcampaign Our friends at the Public Education Network highlighted this news ...

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: No Child Left Behind "Waivers": A View from the Classroom Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: No Child Left Behind "Waivers": A View from the Classroom No Child Left Behind "Waivers": A View from the Classroom Good piece at *Gapers Block *by SOSer *Adam Heenan*, a public school teacher in Chicago. *When Duncan ...

Solidarity Forever in Honor of the Wisconsin 14

Arne Duncan, Suuuuuuuuuper Geeeeeeenius! « Jay P. Greene's Blog Arne Duncan, Suuuuuuuuuper Geeeeeeenius! « Jay P. Greene's Blog Arne Duncan, Suuuuuuuuuper Geeeeeeenius! by Greg Forster (Guest post by Greg Forster) Before he goes ahead with the plan to set himself up as America’s first one-man legislature, Arne ...

Teachers, my commitment to you… | Connected Principals

Teachers, my commitment to you…

by Justin Tarte

As I prepare for my first year as an administrator, I continue to be humbled and amazed by the many intricacies of the administrative job (and school hasn’t even started yet!). I have spoken with many current administrators, and they all say the first year as an administrator is by far the most difficult.

Though I have been spending a lot of time speaking with administrators, I have also taken a significant amount of time to speak with teachers, both in my new building as well as with

Why Rick Perry’s Entrance into the GOP Field is Bad News for Ed Reformers | Scathing Purple Musings

Why Rick Perry’s Entrance into the GOP Field is Bad News for Ed Reformers

by Bob Sikes

I suppose I should admit to seeing myself as an oddball. When compared to my friends whom have joined me in opposing the corporate/test-based reform movement, I enter the battle with a different resume. While its true I’m a public school teacher who is pro-union (Full disclosure: I will receive retirement benefits from the Major League Baseball Player’s Association in addition to those I will receive from Florida’s pension system) I have actively written in support of republican candidates. I also opposed Barack Obama’s candidacy. My transformation to the perspective I write from now was abrupt and epiphanic. The alteration of Florida’s education system by Rick Scott and his ideological privatization allies in the legislature was abominable in it’s heavy-handed treachery.

I’ve neither forsaken nor lost all past allegiances and philosophies and have been following republican presidential politics with interest. Today’s entry of Texas Governor Rick Perry into the race has the potential to

Schools Matter: Comments on Lefty Parent's August 12 Diane Ravitch Post

Comments on Lefty Parent's August 12 Diane Ravitch Post

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

Charter Schools are privatization and are a vehicle for vouchers

Lefty Parent:

Thank you for your excellent essay Thoughts on Diane Ravitch's Critique of U.S. Education System.

I've been intending to write a piece on how gender bias, sexism, and rank misogyny are contributing underlying reasons for purveyors of neoliberalism to have attacked K-12 first (without question profit is their overarching reason). I'll be quoting your cogent essay at length when I do. Divide and conquer is colonialism 101, and not only have the corporate charlatans like Parent Revolution's lawbreaking and trigger-happy Ben Austin found a way to pit

Jersey Jazzman: MSNBC Education Show - NO TEACHERS ALLOWED!

MSNBC Education Show - NO TEACHERS ALLOWED!

by Duke

MSNBC is going to be doing a show on education tomorrow, August 14, from noon to 2 PM EDT. The show's producers have tweeted the panelists on the show.

Not ONE panelist for this show is a practicing K-12 teacher or principal. Not ONE panelist represents a teachers union.

This is appalling - especially when Derrell Bradford, committed teachers union basher, will be sitting on the

10 Reasons Why Corporations Aren’t People | Addicting Info

10 Reasons Why Corporations Aren’t People

August 13, 2011

By Michael Hayne

10 Reasons Why Corporations Aren’t People

1. People generally pay their annual income taxes.

2. People generally don’t have spreadsheets in place of a soul.

3. People generally have to make their own breakfast, wipe their own asses, and drive themselves to work in a vehicle that’s cheaper than the mini bar on

Wisconsin Wire: ALEC Chair and Representative Robin Vos Killing Recalls

August 13, 2011

By Segway Jeremy Ryan

Image from http://media.photobucket.com/image/alec%20americans%20legislative/AmericanAlgora/Michigan%2520American%2520Legislative%2520Exchange%2520Council/ALECExtremeRightWingCPS2001.jpg

Alright folks, here is the next attack from the Wisconsin GOP. They’ve attacked our elections. They’ve attacked our schools and our jobs. And now, there is Robin Vos, State Chair of theAmerican Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, for short, the shady corporate-run organization responsible for writing much of the voter suppression, Medicaid killing, education killing,

It Pays to Be Connected to Florida’s Ed Reform Cabal | Scathing Purple Musings

It Pays to Be Connected to Florida’s Ed Reform Cabal

by Bob Sikes

AP’s Gary Fineout reports:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida doesn’t have one, or even two education commissioners earning a paycheck right now. Try three.
This month, newly hired Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson began his $275,000-a-year job in Tallahassee. Robinson, who now is one of the highest-paid people in state government, was lured away from Virginia after Commissioner Eric Smith resigned under pressure from the administration of Gov. Rick Scott.
But Smith – whose last official day was in June – will keep drawing a state paycheck until Sept. 20. Smith, who was also earning $275,000 a year as commissioner, had 548 hours of unused

My response to Brill’s ‘Super Teachers’ – Divide and Conquer… oldest trick in the book. #Don’tFallForIt « Continuing Change

My response to Brill’s ‘Super Teachers’ – Divide and Conquer… oldest trick in the book. #Don’tFallForIt

by gatorbonbc

My response to Brill’s ‘Super Teachers’ ?

Oldest trick in the book… Divide and Conquer.

Pit public teachers against charter.

Charter school teachers are posed as ‘Superstar’ teachers?

Really? Almost every teacher I know fits this category, whether charter or public. … and burn out is

Dedicate The Dream THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL

Home - Dedicate The Dream

WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE FOR THE DEDICATION OF THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NATIONAL MEMORIAL!

Harry E. Johnson, Sr. The Dedication of the Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC will take place at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 28, 2011, and this site is your official information resource.

The Dedication promises to be a historic event for the U.S. and nations around the world, as Dr. King’s vision and timeless beliefs continue to resonate with people of all lands. World leaders, civil rights pioneers, citizens who remember the hard days of segregation and those leading the next generation closer to Dr. King’s dream, will assemble together for the long-awaited celebration and remembrance.

This ceremony will be the culmination of a week of events, inspired by the establishment of a permanent honor to one of our nation’s greatest citizen leaders. Dr. King was a profound teacher, whose lessons were anchored in the primacy of human dignity. He enacted irreversible social change and led our country forward, relying exclusively on non-violent means. The Memorial will be a lasting tribute to Dr. King’s legacy and will forever serve as a monument to the freedom, opportunity and justice for which he stood.

Whether you live in the Washington, DC area, or are planning to visit for this momentous occasion, this website will offer the latest available information to help you plan. Please visit often, for it will be updated frequently as Dedication planning progresses.

We look forward to sharing with you a joyous and historic day for our nation.

Sincerely,

Harry E. Johnson, Sr.

Harry E. Johnson, Sr.
President & CEO
Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL

The Memorial will officially open to the public on Monday, August 22, 2011.
Location:	The intersection of West Basin Drive SW and Independence Avenue SW
Time:	Monday, August 22, 2011: 11 am - 10 pm Tuesday, August 23, 2011: 9 am - 10 pm Wednesday, August 24, 2011: 9 am - 10 pm Thursday, August 25, 2011: 9 am - 10 pm

Texas Failure: Gifted Education | Special Needs in Education

Texas Failure: Gifted Education

While billions of dollars are spent on low performing and bilingual students in Texas, our top students and gifted students are being thrown to the curb. Schools brag about being recognized or exemplary because they raise low kids to the minimum standards while our top kids sit bored in class and remain stagnant. How exemplary is that?

Wis. district launches new #gifted-education efforts http://t.co/HM3r370 #gtchat – by PiecesOLearning (Pieces of Learning)

Daily Kos: Not for the first time, I am really ashamed of my country

Not for the first time, I am really ashamed of my country

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

I have just finished read How America criminalised poverty by Barbara Ehrenreich.

I have seen the effects of poverty when I volunteer in free health and dental clinics, not just in the mountains of SW Virginia, but also in Springfield VA, in the DC metro area.

Some would say I should be used to it. Thank God I am not, that I am still upset when I encounter it personally, or read about it as I did today.

Ehrenreich is revisiting the topic that led to her best selling book, Nickled and Dimed. Two selections from early in this essay:

The big question, 10 years later, is whether things have improved or worsened for those in the

Jersey Jazzman: Follow The Money

Follow The Money