Sunday, August 12, 2012

by Melissa Westbrook

As summer is slowly winding down (but not temperature-wise - yay!), the number of District meetings is slowly ramping up.

Monday, August 13th
Curriculum&Instruction Meeting from 4-6 p.m. This is quite the folksy agenda as practically everyone is IDed by their first name. I'm thinking this isn't a final agenda as there are number of scratch-outs. There are a number of policies to be discussed including Ensuring Educational Equity, Advanced Learning, Definition of a High School Credit, Copyright Compliance, and Equitable Access Status Review.

They were to discuss the Creative Approach Schools Board oversight process but sadly, that is scratched out. I'll have to ask why as I think this is a big deal to those who were hoping the process would move forward

Dear Carmelo Anthony, Because It’s That Necessary [From a Knicks Fan] | The Jose Vilson

Dear Carmelo Anthony, Because It’s That Necessary [From a Knicks Fan] | The Jose Vilson:

Dear Carmelo Anthony, Because It’s That Necessary [From a Knicks Fan]

by Jose

Dear Carmelo Anthony,
Let’s start out with the easy stuff. Congratulations on another gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. You impressed us with your usual array of offensive weapons, specifically the hot 3-point shooting. At some points, it really seemed like you flicked the ball off your fingers and it would still go in. You seem to thrive in international play, impressing the world in the 2006 World Championships and the 2008 Olympics as well.
Those of us who followed your career since your freshman year in Syracuse wanted you to mature into thatCarmelo.
We begged for one of the top pics in the 2003 draft, back when you declared on The Best Damn Sports Show …

Last Minute RPOF and Charter School Cash Coming in to Defeat Dade Republican Libby Perez in Primary Race | Scathing Purple Musings

Last Minute RPOF and Charter School Cash Coming in to Defeat Dade Republican Libby Perez in Primary Race | Scathing Purple Musings:

Last Minute RPOF and Charter School Cash Coming in to Defeat Dade Republican Libby Perez in Primary Race

by Bob Sikes

It’s clear that for-profit charter schools are putting last-minute cash into the campaign coffers of chosen candidates. Another case in point is republican Libby Perez in her bid to win Tuesday’s race against incumbent Rep. Jeanette Nunez. Have the powers even chosen sides?
On the surface, it would appear so as evidenced by the Republican Party of Florida’s contributions to Nunez’ campaign and not Perez’. Records show that during July, the RPOF transferred over $17, 000 to Nunez campaign while giving none to Perez. This represents unprecedented favoritism. Moreover, the word is out in republican establishment circles as Nunez’ haul swamps Perez’ 8 to 1.
The usual suspects from the for-profit charter school crowd have donated to Nunez’ camapign too.
* On 7/31/12 Nunez received $500 from

STUDENTS CONVERGE AT OBAMA OFFICE TO RECLAIM VOICE Student Power Convergence 2012 #HereUsNow @StudentPower12 #ows

Student Power Convergence 2012:

EMAIL: info@studentpower2012.org

WHAT: Press Conference to Reclaim Voice

WHEN: Monday, August 13th at 1:00PM EST

WHERE: 1570 N. High St., Suite C10 Columbus, OH

STUDENTS CONVERGE AT OBAMA OFFICE TO RECLAIM VOICE

COLUMBUS, Ohio –

Students from across the United States are gathering this week at Ohio State University for the National Student Power Convergence 2012, mobilizing for a new wave of student organizing and action. Against the backdrop of the upcoming elections, discontent among students is rising. We are aware that neither presidential candidate represents our authentic aspirations, and we will not allow either to co-opt our voice to further their own interests.On Monday, August 13 at 1 pm, students will be holding a press conference at the Ohio State Obama Campaign Office, located at 1570 N. High St., Suite C10 Columbus, OH, to voice our collective dissent with the corporate-dominated electoral system and announce our resolve to reclaim control over our future.

CONTACT(s):

Janna Powell (484) 695-1204

Aislinn Bauer (479) 366-8609

WEB: www.studentpower2012.org

TWITTER: @studentpower12 #HereUsNow

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/StudentPower2012

LAUSD - REED VS. UTLA OVERTURNED ON TECHNICALITY - WILL UTLA NOW FINALLY MAKE ITS STRONGEST ARGUMENT? - Perdaily.com

LAUSD - REED VS. UTLA OVERTURNED ON TECHNICALITY - WILL UTLA NOW FINALLY MAKE ITS STRONGEST ARGUMENT? - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD - REED VS. UTLA OVERTURNED ON TECHNICALITY - WILL UTLA NOW FINALLY MAKE ITS STRONGEST ARGUMENT?

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

In a split decision, 2 out of 3 justices of the California 2nd District Court of Appeal reversed Reed vs. United Teachers Los Angeles solely on a technical aspect of the case, while not addressing the lower court's primary holding that compromises teacher seniority. The majority only agreed that United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) had "a '

Forward tutoring: Educate, volunteer, improve [guest post] | Dangerously Irrelevant

Forward tutoring: Educate, volunteer, improve [guest post] | Dangerously Irrelevant:

Forward tutoring: Educate, volunteer, improve [guest post]

by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod)

[This is a guest post by Dustin Lewis, a 5th grade teacher at the American International School of Budapest. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, he has been teaching internationally for four years, with a previous stop at The Anglo American School in Moscow. Dustin also works part-time promoting First Tutors, a UK-based tutoring service that specializes in finding the right individual tutors for each student. In his spare time, Dustin enjoys reading and Asian cuisine.]

Educating the youth in our society falls primarily on school systems and teachers. In many cases, children don’t receive the specialized and individual attention they need to work through tricky concepts or difficult material. To combat this, some parents hire private tutors to work with their children. In this blog post, I will detail a new tutoring concept that will not only help children learn, but will provide them with opportunities to become socially responsible as well.
“Serve while you learn” may be the most fitting tagline to describe the concept of forward tutoring. Forward

Constantine’s Sword: It’s the Patriarchy Stupid! | Lefty Parent

Constantine’s Sword: It’s the Patriarchy Stupid! | Lefty Parent:

Constantine’s Sword: It’s the Patriarchy Stupid!

by Cooper Zale

I recently finished reading the book Constantine’s Sword – The Church and the Jews, laying out the historical account of Christian antisemitism and how that seeded a ground of separation and hate that made the Holocaust possible, if not inevitable. The author, James Carroll, is a liberal Catholic theologian who feels that his Church has to fully acknowledge its culpability and atone for its sins for the institution to continue as a vibrant faith community into the 21st century. With a good narrative style that weaves together the key events in history along with his own life’s story visiting the sites of much of that history, Carroll makes a compelling case for his religion to transform itself, simply stated, from an authoritarian to a more egalitarian institution. Some scholarly critics ding his book for relying on mostly secondary sources, sources that perhaps spin the history which Carroll then spins ever further, but his interpretation of that history certainly

The Gates Foundation just bought 50 gallons of fake poo | Grist

The Gates Foundation just bought 50 gallons of fake poo | Grist:

The Gates Foundation just bought 50 gallons of fake poo

By Jess Zimmerman

Photo courtesy of Maximum Performance.

Bill Gates is into scat. His foundation is hard at work on a new space-age toilet, and to test the prototypes, it just bought 50 gallons of soybean-based fake feces from a soybean-based fake feces company. That’s some of it up above, sitting a lot closer to a dude’s hand than I’d want it to sit to mine.

As we reported last year, the Gates Foundation is funding research on new, sanitation-improving toilets. The goal is to help reduce child mortality caused by the lack of access to safe facilities in developing countries — currently, there are 2.5 billion cases of diarrhea from tainted food and water every year, and 1.5 billion deaths. So the

LAUSD rolls out new batch of healthy menus - LA Daily News

LAUSD rolls out new batch of healthy menus - LA Daily News:

LAUSD rolls out new batch of healthy menus

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer

Posted: 08/12/2012 11:03:07 AM PDT

Updated: 08/12/2012 11:28:50 AM PDT

Milk, fresh salad, calzone and fruit ice cream are prepared at Del Omo Elementary. (John McCoy/Staff)

Find out more

School lunch menus for August are athttp://www.schoolmenu.com/directory/ca/lausd/

Breakfast in the classroom, more appetizing lunch choices, eco-friendly meal trays and higher cafeteria prices will greet Los Angeles Unified students when they return to school on Tuesday.
After last year's failed experiment with exotic vegetarian fare, LAUSD has revamped its lunch menu with healthful dishes that officials hope will also appeal to the kids' palates. Instead of unexpected dishes such as hummus and chick-pea stew, cafeterias will be serving up pulled-pork sandwiches, hamburger sliders, whole-grain spaghetti and meatballs and the like.
PHOTOS
"We want to teach kids about eating healthy and eating right," said David Binkle, interim director of the district's Food Services Division. "It should

Comics Journalism Takes on Education Reform | Graphic Novel Reporter

Comics Journalism Takes on Education Reform | Graphic Novel Reporter:

Comics Journalism Takes on Education Reform

This interview was conducted by Doré Ripley, a lecturer at Cal State East Bay and an adjunct professor at Diablo Valley College. She specializes in intensive writing. You can visit her on the web at www.RipleyOnline.com.

We hear it on the television news, radio talk shows, and the internet: America’s public education system is failing. At least that’s what the media wants you to believe.
In fact, American school children are doing better than ever. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that American school children between fourth and eighth grade score above the international average on The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Bill Knapp, a senior media strategist for five U.S. presidential campaigns and a Washington Postwriter, reminds Americans, “As a nation we have never been better educated. In 1940, only a quarter of Americans 25 and older had achieved a high school degree or higher. In 2009, that number was close to 90 percent. The increase in the percentage of Americans who have had some college experience rose

Lakeview Sit-in Sold Down the River by Local Labor Leaders | Dailycensored.com

Lakeview Sit-in Sold Down the River by Local Labor Leaders | Dailycensored.com:

Lakeview Sit-in Sold Down the River by Local Labor Leaders

by Danny Weil

By Jack Gerson

Jack Gerson is a long time Bay Area activist who up until recently taught in the Oakland Public School System.

Shortly before 4am on Tuesday July 3, Oakland Unified School District police, backed by cops from the Oakland Police Department, the Oakland Housing Authority, and the California Highway Patrol, raided the sit-in and People’s School for Public Education at Lakeview Elementary. All participants were cleared.

For 18 days, the Lakeview sit-in and People’s School shined a beacon of hope for resistance to the ongoing assault on public education. It was a symbol of defiance to austerity as applied to public education, to the politicians and administrators who use budget deficits as an excuse to carry out the program of “venture philanthropist” billionaires like Bill Gates, Eli Broad, and the Walton (Wal-Mart) Family: school closures,

Knowledge does not admit vanity or egotism in education | Miguel Angel Escotet

Knowledge does not admit vanity or egotism in education | Miguel Angel Escotet:

Knowledge does not admit vanity or egotism in education

by Miguel Angel Escotet

Dogmatism and rigidity in the university are sources of intolerance, authoritarianism and conflict. Moreover, flexibility is not a synonym of weakness; on the contrary, it is a symbol of spiritual fortitude that grows when it rectifies mistakes and discovers its own ignorance.
Higher education reform and innovation is a continuous, endless process. To remain in the same place one must keep moving; otherwise, one gets left behind. This dynamic requires social organisations to be more than passive onlookers.
Universities should be at the cutting edge. They should develop their capacity for anticipation so that they are able to respond to the trust placed in them by society, acting as a compass that guides society’s progress and

Florida Democrats Display Education Talking Points in Flagler Primary | Scathing Purple Musings

Florida Democrats Display Education Talking Points in Flagler Primary | Scathing Purple Musings:

Florida Democrats Display Education Talking Points in Flagler Primary

by Bob Sikes

A newly created House district was drawn for Flagler County and represents an opportunity for state democrats to win a seat. This Sheldon Gardner story in St. Augustine.com illustrates what should emerge as education talking points for democrats seeking legislative seats:

Both (County Commissioner Milissa) Holland and (business owner Doug) Courtney do not support vouchers for private or religious schools, and neither supports merit pay in the current education system.
“The system is based on faulty criteria and is difficult to interpret or understand,” Courtney said. “I

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee never built a consensus - The Washington Post

Ms. Rhee never built a consensus - The Washington Post:

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s missing consensus

Published: August 8

Richard Whitmire’s Aug. 5 Local Opinions piece expressing nostalgia for former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee [“What if Rhee had stayed?”] missed the point, which should be a lesson for all school leaders.

Whatever opinions one might have about Ms. Rhee’s impact, she unnecessarily created the dynamics of her own demise.

Mr. Whitmire suggested that “kinder and gentler” is incompatible with Ms. Rhee’s scorched-earth approach to school reform and that D.C. public schools would look different if Ms. Rhee had stayed. Well, we will never know because Ms. Rhee wasuninterested in bringing along her public.

No matter how good the ideas and

Why Don’t Teachers Resist? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Why Don’t Teachers Resist? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Why Don’t Teachers Resist?

by dianerav

In a discussion about a charter teacher who acquiesced to practices that were objectionable, some readers asked why she didn’t complain or take action. This reader explains why teachers must sometimes accept the intolerable:

You are exactly right-easier said than done! Charter Schools are a company, a business. If you work for an employer then they expect loyalty. Imagine if people working in chicken processing plants, common around here, complained about the inhumane treatment of animals-you get fired. If you work for Hewlett Packard and complain about the outsourcing of jobs to other countries because there are unemployed people here-you get fired. If you have a job driving a truck and complain about the fact you are expected to be on time no matter how many hours you have to drive even if safety is

The Charter School Threat to American Society

by dianerav

If charter schools served the neediest children, if they recruited the students who had dropped out, if they made an effort to collaborate with public schools in a joint undertaking, they would have a valued place in American education.
But in the current context, they have been turned into a battering ram to compete with public schools and skim the ablest students.
Where will this lead? Will we have a dual school system in ten years, with one system (the charters) for the motivated and able students, and the other system (the public schools) for those who didn’t get into a charter?

Are Schools Like Sports Teams?

by dianerav

Yes, we are “racing to the top.” Has anyone defined “the top”? Who is “racing”? Racing to higher test scores? Who will cross the finish line first? Does the “race” have anything to do with education?
A reader writes today:

The peons are being thrown crumbs again today and the elites are watching them scramble to be the winner in the latest Race to the Top!
\”Race To The Top Competition Opens To School Districts For New Grants To Close Achievement Gap\” from

Quote of the Day: UC Student Power in the 1880s « Student Activism

Quote of the Day: UC Student Power in the 1880s « Student Activism:

Quote of the Day: UC Student Power in the 1880s

by Angus Johnston

“The University of California was a young, comparatively small institution when I entered there in 1885 as a freshman. … My class numbered about one hundred boys and girls, mostly boys, who came from all parts of the State and represented all sorts of people and occupations. … We found already formed at Berkeley the typical undergraduate customs, rights, and privileged vices which we had to respect ourselves and defend against the faculty, regents, and the State government.
“One evening, before I had matriculated, I was taken out by some upper classmen to teach the president a lesson. He had been the head of a private preparatory school and was trying to govern the private lives and the public morals of university “men” as he had those of his schoolboys. Fetching a long ladder, the upper classmen thrust it through a front window of Prexy’s house and, to the chant of obscene songs, swung it back and forth, up

Geaux Teacher!: FEDERAL INTRUSION BY U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION - ILLEGAL? UNCONSTITUTIONAL?

Geaux Teacher!: FEDERAL INTRUSION BY U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION - ILLEGAL? UNCONSTITUTIONAL?:

FEDERAL INTRUSION BY U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION - ILLEGAL? UNCONSTITUTIONAL?

by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)

The U. S. Department of Education interjects itself again into State and Local Education policy. Rather than doing it OPENLY and HONESTLY, Ed. Sec. Arne Duncan is feeding the flames of privatization of our democraticaly run and locally controlled public school systems through his carrots and sticks approach which amounts to BRIBERY AND COERCION.

REPUBLICANS - in name only - are taking their cut of the PROFITS TO BE MADE via privatization. What REAL Republican can support this growth in power and takeover by the Federal Government and Democratic Administration. Could it be that the Republicans themselves have been hoodwinked by extremist free marketeers in this Corporate grab for an industry (education) that offers billions in profits?

Read this article about the new Race To

Teachers Don't Suck !: I've Got Lots of Questions??

Teachers Don't Suck !: I've Got Lots of Questions??:

I've Got Lots of Questions??

by Walt S.

I've got lots of questions for our editor.

* How many principals andadministrators have obtained their positions not by superior teaching abilities but instead through relatives and friends with political connections?

** How naive can this editor be. How many people have you known who got on the "wrong side" of an administrator and then "paid the price"?

*** Since when has education become an athletic competition?

**** Compensation - yes! But also how about - low status, constant public

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 8-12 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

White House History Classroom | Picturing the President's House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

White House History Classroom | Picturing the President's House: [image: The White House Historical Association / Home] *The White House Historical Association* offers teachers and students this selection of White House images. You will find pictures of presidents, first ladies, and the home and work place of the chief executive for each administration. These low-resolution images are from the digital image collection of the *White House Historical Association*. Watermarked images are copyrighted and permission must be obtained and appropriate fees paid prior to use. Please se... more »

You have got to be kidding! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

You have got to be kidding! - Wait, What?: You have got to be kidding! by jonpelto Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch has hired a 27-year-old political appointee from Newark N.J. to serve as his new “Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Education and Youth Policy.” He will pay the guy $102,000 a year. The new appointee has absolutely no Connecticut experience, at all. There are more than 154,600 Connecticut residents who are unemployed and not one of them was qualified for this job? Compared to last year, more than 4,400 Connecticut residents have lost their jobs in state and local gov... more »

D.C. schools cheating report thin and biased - Class Struggle - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

D.C. schools cheating report thin and biased - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: [image: Class Struggle] D.C. schools cheating report thin and biased By Jay Mathews Now we know who did it. D.C. Inspector General Charles J. Willoughby has concluded his 16-month probe of cheating on the D.C. schools’ annual tests by saying that kids, not adults, made the astonishing number of wrong-to-right erasures found on answer sheets. Never mind that testing companies, academic experts and veteran teachers say that students almost never make more than one or two wrong-to-right erasures per... more »

Less Friction. More Traction. - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Less Friction. More Traction. - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators: Less Friction. More Traction. What’s your agenda? Do you know? Do you think you know? How honest are you with yourself? Because if you aren’t honest with yourself, you’re not going to be honest with anyone else. Everyone has their agenda…the things they are looking to accomplish and get out of life. As we interact with each other, we discover where there are commonalities and differences on one another’s agendas. Most of us are aware of at least th... more »

In NYC, Fair Student Funding Is Unfair « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

In NYC, Fair Student Funding Is Unfair « Diane Ravitch's blog: In NYC, Fair Student Funding Is Unfair by dianerav Not long after corporate reform started in New York City, the Department of Education adopted a formula promoted by conservative think tanks called “fair student funding” or “weighted student funding.” The surface idea was that each child would have the money he or she deserved “strapped to his/her back.” (Sorry for the clumsy effort to be gender neutral.) The real purpose, from the point of view of those on the right, was to enable students to go to charter schools o... more »

School Tech Connect: The Cost Shift Is Stupid

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

School Tech Connect: The Cost Shift Is Stupid: The Cost Shift Is Stupid by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Gery Chico is insane. That's the good news. The bad news is that he's got a lot of company. This cost-shifting of the pension system is just a dumb idea. Phil Kadner has it right here. Quinn and Chico contend that shifting the pension funding will somehow help those children, but I don’t see any proof of that. There’s no guarantee that if Illinois shifts its cost for teacher pensions to school districts that the state will increase public school funding by a like amount. No... more »

Detroit school reform head to push forward | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Detroit school reform head to push forward | Lansing State Journal | lansingstatejournal.com: Detroit school reform head to push forward [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *DETROIT* — The leader of the reform district operating 15 Detroit schools said he intends to move forward as planned, despite the Detroit school board's attempts to disband the new system. John Covington, chancellor of the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan, released a statement Friday to assure parents that the school board cannot stop the EAA from operating. "We have receive... more »

School executive fired for cheating on tests receives $245,000 settlement - Portland K-12 | Examiner.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

School executive fired for cheating on tests receives $245,000 settlement - Portland K-12 | Examiner.com: School executive fired for cheating on tests receives $245,000 settlement [image: A charter school executive had set up organized cheating on standardized tests.] RELATED TOPICS - K-12 Education - School Crimes - Charter Schools The Los Angeles Times learned on Friday that a Los Angeles charter school executive who filed a wrongful termination suit won $245,000 in a settlement. The settlement was reached in April and has a confidentiality clause. It was reached... more »

Race To The Top Competition Opens To School Districts For New Grants To Close Achievement Gap

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Race To The Top Competition Opens To School Districts For New Grants To Close Achievement Gap: Race To The Top Competition Opens To School Districts For New Grants To Close Achievement Gap [image: Race To The Top] WASHINGTON -- Hoping to build on state-level reforms aimed at closing the education achievement gap, the Education Department opened its Race to the Top competition to school districts on Sunday, inviting the poorest districts across the country to vie for almost $400 million in grants. Following four months of public comment on a draft proposal, the Education Department... more »

Perdido Street School: NY Times Fails To Mention Rhee/KJ Sex Abuse Scandal In Campbell Brown Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Perdido Street School: NY Times Fails To Mention Rhee/KJ Sex Abuse Scandal In Campbell Brown Story: NY Times Fails To Mention Rhee/KJ Sex Abuse Scandal In Campbell Brown Story The NY Times covered Campbell Brown's assault on teachers unions tonight. They do mention how her husband Dan Senor sits on the board of the New York chapter of Michelle Rhee's group, StudentsFirst. But they fail to mention how Michelle Rhee has been accused of helping a sex abuse case against her husband, former NBA star and current Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, go away when he was running a charter sch... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-12-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Who Else Is Rolling Over in His Grave? by dianerav A reader, noting the plan to privatize 40% of the schools in Philadelphia, had this to say: *WILLIAM PENN is rolling over in his grave, I’m sure*.It occurred to me that : *John Dewey* must be rolling over in his grave as he sees our national leaders using standardized tests to impose rankings and ratings on students, teachers, principals, and schools, while many abandon the arts to reach their targets. *Horace Mann* must be rolling over in his grave as he se... more »

The No Complaining Rule | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The No Complaining Rule | Connected Principals: The No Complaining Rule August 12, 2012 By jjohnson I’ve read a number of books by Jon Gordon and have never been disappointed. His books are quick reads, but always inspirational with powerful, positive messages. I recently read The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work. Who doesn’t encounter issues of complaining, whether it’s your spouse, a colleague or even yourself? Complaining is very prevalent, however, the negativity it spreads is like cancer. In Gordon’s book, he shares the cost of negativity... more »

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: S.3475 Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2012 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education programs funding - 7 hours ago A bill to increase the participation of historically underrepresented demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and industry. Bill Introduced: S.3474 Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education programs funding - 7 hours ago A bill to provide consumer protection for students. Bill Introduced: S.3478 Un... more »

Pass / Fail : New 'Race to the Top' details officially released; money will go directly to schools | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Pass / Fail : New 'Race to the Top' details officially released; money will go directly to schools | 89.3 KPCC: New 'Race to the Top' details officially released; money will go directly to schools by By Tami Abdollah [image: US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sp] *US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan speaks to the press at the White House in Washington, DC, April 20, 2012. The US Department of Education released the application requirements of the 2012 Race to the Top competition, which will allow districts to apply directly to the federal government for funds rather than via... more »

Paul Ryan in high school: Voted by his senior class as.... - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Paul Ryan in high school: Voted by his senior class as.... - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Paul Ryan in high school: Voted by his senior class as.... By Valerie Strauss When Paul Ryan , now 42, was in high school, he won an honorific from his senior class, but it may not have been one he would have chosen. Rep. Paul Ryan (Saul Loeb - AFP/Getty Images)Ryan was popular enough atJoseph A. Craig High School in Janesville, Wis. to have been elected prom king and junior class president, but he was also voted by his senior class in 1988 as “Biggest Brown... more »

Daily Kos: thoughts outside the normal bounds of political discussion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Daily Kos: thoughts outside the normal bounds of political discussion: thoughts outside the normal bounds of political discussion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) not mine, those of Karen Armstrong, in her book *Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life*. A brief and very partial explanation, for which I apologize. In the past few weeks I have found myself in a different mental and emotional place for reasons that at this point I choose not to disclose. As a result of that, I have been reexamining what really matters to me, how I relate to the world. As part of that, I have been tur... more »

NYC Educator: In Which We Revolutionize Basketball for Arne Duncan

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

NYC Educator: In Which We Revolutionize Basketball for Arne Duncan: In Which We Revolutionize Basketball for Arne Duncan by NYC Educator Last night, on Twitter, Arne Duncan congratulated the USA Women's Basketball Team for a wonderful performance. But a lot of teachers on Twitter questioned it. For one thing, how do we know they're doing well if there isn't a charter team to ensure healthy competition? And why aren't we doing this right now? Isn't this a crisis that can't wait for solutions? Also, it's important we fire the bottom 10%, so as to ensure we are truly fielding the best... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education News Roundup: Education News Roundup by Melissa Westbrook I bookmark many education stories but wait until I have a mass and/or time to post them. First, up worry over teachers labeled "*highly qualified"* teaching Special Ed students. This story comes from the Special Ed section at Ed Week. *Earlier this year, the Senate merely left the door open to extending a provision that allows teachers still working on their certification to be considered "highly qualified"—a designation created by 2001's No Child Left Behind law. The law says t... more »

Founding Mothers!~ « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Founding Mothers!~ « Deborah Meier on Education: Founding Mothers!~ by debmeier …and others. It’s the title of an old book edited by Alan Sadovnik and Susan Semel on the women who came before us in education (Palgrave, 2002. What a crew! Each chapter is written by a different author, and between them they cover Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Marietta Johnson, Caroline Pratt, Margaret Willis, Margaret Haley, Elsa Flagg Young and many more. Willis was a name I didn’t remember and ended up feeling the closest to. She saw the Ohio University lab school as a place to explore “democracy as a... more »

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Common Sense Vs. Common Core: How to Minimize the Damages of the Common Core

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

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 17 JUNE 2012 14,138 43 COMMENTS 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 pat... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State PTSA Opposes I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State PTSA Opposes I-1240: Washington State PTSA Opposes I-1240 by Melissa Westbrook The Washington State PTA met over the last two days and put forth their stands on various issues. From their press release: *Nationally, PTA has conditional support for these independent schools, and the state association has twice backed the concept in the past year. But ultimately the board decided this initiative didn’t meet its criteria for local oversight.* *“This wasn’t a decision about the value of charter schools. This was a decision about whet... more »

Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' | MLive.com: Teachers unions blast Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan, calling it 'the most out-of-touch ticket in decades' [image: Aft support.jpg]Dave Murray | MLive.comAmerican Federation of Teachers members loudly supported the Obama-Biden ticket during the vice president's appearance at the AFT convention in Detroit last month. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Teachers union leaders blasted Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate, saying that tapping the Wisc... more »

KIPP Empower: Programs like Dreambox and Rocketship make online elementary education work. - Slate Magazine

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

KIPP Empower: Programs like Dreambox and Rocketship make online elementary education work. - Slate Magazine: Kindergarten in the Computer“Online education” for elementary schoolers doesn’t mean kids will sit alone in front of a screen all day. By Katherine Mangu-Ward|Posted Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012, at 6:45 AM ET [image: Kids on computers.] Who says computer-assisted education is an anti-social exercise? Photo by Fiona Watson/iStockphoto. *This article emerges from Future Tense, a partnership of Slate, the New America Foundation, and Arizona State University that examines emerging techn... more »

Ryan Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare | First Focus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

House Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare | First Focus: [image: First Focus - Making Childen and Families the Priority] House Budget Forces Deeper Cuts to Child Tax Credit, Child Care, and Child Welfare FACT SHEETS Search resources April 20, 2012 By Megan Curran Download this Resource The House federal fiscal year 2013 budget resolutions requires congressional committees with jurisdiction over critical investments in children to make deep budget cuts. The House Ways and Means Committee passed the required budget "reconciliation" legislation ... more »

Thoughts on Pittsburgh Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Thoughts on Pittsburgh Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog: Thoughts on Pittsburgh Schools by dianerav A few things we know about the Pittsburgh public schools. They were led by Broad-trained superintendent Mark Roosevelt. Now they are led by his deputy Linda Lane, also trained by the unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy. They received a $40 million grant from the Gates Foundation for teacher evaluation. They have a bold plan to close the achievement gap. Scores in 2012 in Pittsburgh dropped for the first time in five years.

Burbank Unified reestablishes hot line for students to report bullying - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Burbank Unified reestablishes hot line for students to report bullying - latimes.com: Burbank Unified reestablishes hot line for students to report bullying With more attention being paid to the potentially tragic effects of bullying, particularly online, the Burbank Unified School District has resurrected a hot line for students to report abuse. As students prepare to return from summer break, Tom Steele, director of student services, said he printed 1,000 fliers with the hot line's phone number and email that will hang in every classroom in the district, from kindergarten throu... more »

DOCUMENTS: Charter schools 'will take whatever action is necessary' - troyrecord.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

DOCUMENTS: Charter schools 'will take whatever action is necessary' to protect students - troyrecord.com: DOCUMENTS: Charter schools 'will take whatever action is necessary' [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] By Danielle Sanzone dsanzone@troyrecord.com Twitter.com/DanielleSanzone TROY — While the deadline for the Troy charter schools’ ultimatum given to the Troy City School District has come and gone, charter school officials still state they will take what ever action is necessary to ensure fair treatment from the district, which could mean legal action. F... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Makes Her Mark $ | NBC Southern California

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Makes Her Mark | NBC Southern California: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Makes Her Mark $Former D.C. schools chancellor sets up shop in Sacramento It's been more than a year since the state Assembly passed AB5, a hotly disputed measure meant to change the way California's public schoolteachers are evaluated. It's been in the legislative deep freeze ever since. But the bill, which has raised labor's ire, is being thawed out in the closing weeks of the legislative session. And guess who's wading into the controversy? Michelle Rhee, whose focus... more »

Paul Ryan on education policy: vouchers, for-profit colleges, local control - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Paul Ryan on education policy: vouchers, for-profit colleges, local control - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Paul Ryan on education policy: vouchers, for-profit colleges, local control By Valerie Strauss Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)talks a lot about scaling back the reach of the federal government, but back in 2001, he voted in favor of No Child Left Behind, the signature education program of the George W. Bush administration that gave unprecedented power to the U.S. Education Department to tell states and districts what they had to do to get federal fun... more »

School Tech Connect: See You Sunday Night!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

School Tech Connect: See You Sunday Night!: See You Sunday Night! by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Just another reminder that it would be great to meet up with all of you at the fundraiser for Delfino Mora's family tomorrow night from 5-8 PM at McKellin's Pub. If you need a ride, let me know. Of course, I'll be on my bike so factor that in. This from Matt Farmer. [image: Story Image] Please join us this Sunday, August 12, from 5-8 p.m. at McKellin's Pub (Touhy & California) in West Rogers Park for a musical benefit for the Delfino Mora family.**** http://www.suntimes.com/news...more »

Did For-Profit Charter Schools Try to Influence Decision on Polk Charter Schools? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Did For-Profit Charter Schools Try to Influence Decision on Polk Charter Schools? | Scathing Purple Musings: Did For-Profit Charter Schools Try to Influence Decision on Polk Charter Schools? by Bob Sikes On June 15, Rep. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland) told Polk county school superintendent Sherrie Nickel that she “didn’t understand why Polk needed it’s own at-risk charter schools.” She also said that she “was worried about the oversight” of the 7 proposed facilities. That a state legislator would insert themself into an issue outside their decision-making, was a curious one. The deci... more »

NEA - Romney Doubles Down on Right Wing Agenda for the Mega-Rich

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

NEA - Romney Doubles Down on Right Wing Agenda for the Mega-Rich: Romney Doubles Down on Right Wing Agenda for the Mega-Rich WASHINGTON - August 11, 2012 - National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel released the following statement reacting to Gov. Mitt Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his Vice Presidential running mate. “For weeks, there’s been speculation about who Gov. Romney would choose to be his running mate and what it would mean. And now we have our answer. By selecting Ryan, Romney has doubled down on his view that opportunity is only for t... more »

Which CEO made $5 million stealing your kid's lunch money?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

*ALEC is working to ensure that public education dollars get diverted to private profits. Their approach is working -- for them. Not so much for the students who pay the price in the form of a subpar education and poor performance.*

An un-dynamic duo: Romney announces Ryan as VP pick | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

An un-dynamic duo: Romney announces Ryan as VP pick | NEA Today: An un-dynamic duo: Romney announces Ryan as VP pick August 11, 2012 by clong Filed under Education Funding, Featured News, NEA, Top Stories,Uncategorized Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] *By Amanda Litvinov* *Batsh*t and Robber* High profile couplings often make one stop and wonder: What do these two see in each other? But there’s little mystery in the case of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his vice presidential pick, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, which was announced earlier today. The two ha... more »

HOW DUMB DO POLITICIANS THINK WE ARE ? « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

HOW DUMB DO POLITICIANS THINK WE ARE ? « Teachers Fight Back: HOW DUMB DO POLITICIANS THINK WE ARE ? by alkleen Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois must think members of public worker unions and teacher unions are complete idiots. The governor is poised to force painful pension reforms on the public union workers and the teachers of Illinois. He is asking for concessions from teachers while not proposing any way that the state could replace some of the stolen pension money. He talks about “shared sacrifice”, and yet only the workers are the ones who are going to have to sacrifice. I’v... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-11-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Charter Leader, Fired for Cheating, Gets $245,000 Settlement by dianerav The Los Angeles Times reports an amazing story. A leader of a charter chain in Los Angeles was fired after teachers complained that they were ordered to cheat so test scores would rise. The L.A. school board closed the chain of six schools. Shocking: Common Sense in Iowa by dianerav *The Des Moines Register* published an important and wise editorial. It shows that someone in the mainstream press is still thoughtful and wise. It seems t... more »

For Profit Charter School Giant Academica Struggling to Get Students in St.Lucie | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

For Profit Charter School Giant Academica Struggling to Get Students in St.Lucie | Scathing Purple Musings: For Profit Charter School Giant Academica Struggling to Get Students in St.Lucie by Bob Sikes Fernando Zulueta’s Academica doesn’t have any cash shortages, but not all is so rosy. Fresh off its $100,000 contribution to a pro-ed privatization PAC, it has plenty of money left over to float a few grants its new, but struggling franchise in St. Lucie County. Writes Kelly Tyko for *TCPalm*: ……..instead of getting ready for the festivities Friday afternoon, charter school offici... more »

Time to tweet the stars! « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Time to tweet the stars! « Parents Across America: Time to tweet the stars! by pureparents The propaganda campaign for the parent trigger law created by charter school operators and promoted by ALEC is in full swing. The big kick-off event is a concert called “Teachers Rock.” Like the “parent tricker” itself, this concert pretends to honor teachers while promoting a movie, “Won’t Back Down,” that is designed to get a lot of them fired and replaced by Teach for America newbies. The concert will take place this Tuesday, Aug, 14th, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. CBS will air a ... more »

Dear Teachers Rock performer: Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Dear Teachers Rock performer:: Dear Teachers Rock performer: by admin As active parents, we thank you for your support for our public school teachers. We support them, too. But you need to know that the agenda behind the “Teachers Rock” concert and the “Won’t Back Down” movie this concert promotes does not support teachers or our democratic public school system. The WBD movie promotes a parent trigger law created by charter school operators and promoted by ALEC, which wrote the Stand Your Ground law. The real aim is to pri... more »

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Published: August 8