NEWSFLASH - I gave a billionaire $115 million today (and if you’re from CT, so did you!) - Wait, What?

NEWSFLASH - I gave a billionaire $115 million today (and if you’re from CT, so did you!) - Wait, What?:

NEWSFLASH – I gave a billionaire $115 million today (and if you’re from CT, so did you!)

 When one of my favorite readers sent me the news late this afternoon, I didn’t believe it.

When Bloomberg News Service wrote seeking a comment a few moments later, I almost drove off the road.

Personally, I can’t make my mortgage payments, but like Connecticut’s other taxpayers, it turns out that I managed to scrounge together $115 million for Bridgewater Associates, the world’s biggest hedge fund.

In fact, since the state is borrowing the money, it will actually cost Connecticut’s taxpayers over $200 million.

$200 million to a company that paid its

Georgia Republican Ed Commish Against State Control of Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

Georgia Republican Ed Commish Against State Control of Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings:

Georgia Republican Ed Commish Against State Control of Charter Schools

by Bob Sikes

Unlike in Florida’s dysfunctional education infrastructure, Georgia school’s chief is elected. But Georgia’s republican legislators wanted to be more like Florida by establishing a state agency which controlled oversight of charter schools. “No good” says state superintendent John Barge on a ballot measure that would do just that. From Education Week reporter Sean Cavanagh:

Barge, a former teacher and principal, said he backs the creation of “high-quality” charters, but said the commission’s approval of new ones would drain funding from traditional public school 

MALDEF Investigating New Mexico Minority Students' Performance - Hispanically Speaking News

MALDEF Investigating New Mexico Minority Students' Performance - Hispanically Speaking News:

MALDEF Announces Investigation Into New Mexico Minority Students’ Lagging Performance

At a conference held by New Mexico’s Latino Education Task Force, an attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) said his organization has launched an investigation into the state’s persistent low graduation rates and test scores among Hispanic students.
The achievement gap now under investigation has been a long studied issue among Hispanic students and has also been the focus of reform efforts from both the state and the Albuquerque Public School system (APS).
According to the Latino Education Task Force, Hispanic, African American, and Native American students made up about 70 percent of New Mexico’s students, but lag behind their white counterparts in the state.
While just 49 percent of Hispanic eighth graders are proficient in reading, white students are at 72 percent, according to the New Mexico Public Education Department. Also, about 69 percent of white third-graders are 

“…they were born in another time.” | Connected Principals

“…they were born in another time.” | Connected Principals:

“…they were born in another time.”

by George Couros

I was led to this interesting blog post that was asking for some thoughts based on a letter that was sent by a parent discussing “technology and childhood”.  Here is the email that was shared:

“I am a parent of two boys aged nine and six. One of the ongoing concerns within our family is technology and electronic devices. How do we safely allow technology to be a part of their, and our lives, and still let our children experience childhood? Does technology work in unison with childhood? Is technology so engulfed within our current society that we are required to partake whether we like it or not?  I seem to be having an increasing number of conversations with other parents about technology and its implications on our, and in particular, our childrens’ lives. There seems to be varying opinions on how to approach it, how to utilise it and how to discipline it, especially in regards to social use and educational purposes.  If you feel you have views to

Calling all bloggers! – Leadership Day 2012 (Repost)

by George Couros

With Scott McLeod’s permission, I am reposting his call out to administrators for #LeadershipDay12.  I encourage school administrators to take part.  Great idea if you are stuck for a blog post, wanting to start a blog, or just want to be part of something.  Here is the full post below:
August is Connected Educator Month and Wednesday is the 6th anniversary of my blog. I can think of no better way to celebrate both than to host Leadership Day 2012! To paraphrase what I said five years ago:

Many of our school leaders (principals, superintendents, central office administrators) need help when it comes to digital technologies. A lot of help, to be honest. As I’ve noted again and again on this blog, most school administrators don’t know

• what it means to prepare students for the digital, global world in which we now live;

All Education Matters: Higher Education Panel Claims There Is No Student Lending Crisis

All Education Matters: Higher Education Panel Claims There Is No Student Lending Crisis:

Higher Education Panel Claims There Is No Student Lending Crisis

by Cryn Johannsen

Outstanding student loan debt has now surpassed $1 trillion. Default rates are up at an alarming rate. Even the Department of Education admits they are concerned about the increase in borrowers defaulting on their loans. Studies, not just articles, are showing that more and more borrowers are struggling or unable to pay off their student loans. Despite all of this evidence, a group of experts - some of whom have ties to the lending industry - claim that the student lending crisis is being sensationalized. At a recent higher education conference, for instance, policy makers - once again -  dismissed the problem. 

The claim is enormously problematic, especially when there are numerous advocates and experts in various fields who, as just mentioned, have evidence - strong and conclusive evidence - that there is a full-blown crisis.

Schools Matter: Tami Abdollah and John Deasy gush that 'Size Matters'

Schools Matter: Tami Abdollah and John Deasy gush that 'Size Matters':

Tami Abdollah and John Deasy gush that 'Size Matters'

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

"Just continue to follow the money. This Race to the Trough will make the Reading First crooks under Bush look like dopey Boy Scouts." — Professor Jim Horn
The neoliberal cabal at Southern California's KPCC can't cheerlead for school privatization loud or frequently enough. Not content with Pat Morrison lobbing softballs to Broad Superintendent Academy graduate and former Gates Foundation employee John Deasy once a week, KPCC's intrepid education beat reporters are always looking for the latest anti-public-school story angle.
Tami Abdollah's latest piece, Size matters in new district-level 'Race to the Top' competition, is a fluffy homage to Deasy and fellow poverty pimp Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The light-on-facts article enthusiastically reports the Los Angeles Unified School District 

This is the time to help dreamers and the dream act | Lily's Blackboard

This is the time to help dreamers and the dream act | Lily's Blackboard:

Dream BIG!!

Aug 15th, 2012 

by Lily.

This is an historic day – August 15, 2012.

This is the day when untold thousands of good, hard-working students who were brought here, sometimes as infants, will finally have the chance to apply for their Dream to remain legally in the country they call home under the Deferred Action policy of Homeland Security authorized by President Obama.

Today, the DHS will begin accepting applications from young people who were brought here as children and wish to remain. It is not a full-fix for the immigration issues with which our country still struggles. But it is a safe-harbor for children; for students; for young adults who want to come in from the shadows.

Not everyone will qualify.

Applicants must have come here before their

Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education — Whole Child Education

Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education

August 15, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 12.5 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2–19 are obese in the U.S., and the global prevalence of obesity related diseases among adolescents continues to be a growing concern amongst healthcare professionals and parents alike. In an effort to undermine the rising rates of childhood obesity, whole child partner National Education Association's Health Information Network (NEA HIN) and Nestlé in the United States are providing free instructional materials that support educators' ongoing efforts to teach students in grades K–3 about healthy living through a program called Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives.

Now aligned the United States Department of Agriculture's new generation food icon MyPlate, the third edition of Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives includes activities that address multiple learning styles and utilize a mixture of grouping structures encouraging students to THINK Healthy, EAT Healthy, and MOVE Healthy. The program is also tied to national curriculum standards in all academic content areas for grades K–3 and helps educators incorporate the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans into their classrooms.

The Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives kit features 14 instructional activities, a MyPlate poster offering visual 

Register to Vote and Voting | USA.gov

Register to Vote and Voting | USA.gov:

Registering to Vote and Voting

Information to assist citizens with registering to vote and voting.

• Absentee Voting (for Citizens in the United States)
• Election Assistance Commission
• Polling Place Finder
• Register to Vote by Mail
• State Election Offices
• State Voter Laws
• Voter Registration Deadlines, by State
• Voting Assistance Guide for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: UTLA Pres. Fletcher advises teachers to Opt Out

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: UTLA Pres. Fletcher advises teachers to Opt Out:

UTLA Pres. Fletcher advises teachers to Opt Out

by Mike Klonsky

UTLA Pres. Fletcher

I guess the teachers union in L.A. isn't buying into Randi Weingarten's new unionism.Instead the union is urging its members not to participate in a performance review program that ties student test scores to teacher evaluations.

L.A. Times reports:


In a recorded back-to-school message sent Monday evening to 38,000 teachers and healthcare service professionals, Warren Fletcher, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, told members he "strongly advises" them to reject district efforts to find one volunteer at each school to participate in the new evaluation program.

"UTLA strongly advises against volunteering for this high-stakes program in the current scapegoating environment. LAUSD should be putting its efforts into negotiating a meaningful, research-based evaluation system rather than trying to impose a flawed program based on discredited methodology."

Well said, Pres. Fletcher.

******

Darling-Hammond

Linda Darling-Hammond has been highly critical of D.O.E. plans to use test scores of graduates’ students to evaluate schools of education. Intoday's Answer Sheet, LD-H offers up a better, more authentic alternative.

Still Searching for Miracle Schools and Superguy: Updates on Houston and New York City « School Finance 101

Still Searching for Miracle Schools and Superguy: Updates on Houston and New York City « School Finance 101:

Still Searching for Miracle Schools and Superguy: Updates on Houston and New York City

by schoolfinance101

I was following a conversation on Twitter a short while back in which one student activist – Stephanie Rivera of Rutgers asked another – Alexis Morin from Students for Education Reform – why SFER chooses to focus almost exclusively on charter schools as beacons of “success” and thus a significant part of the “solutions” for urban education moving forward. Observing this interaction brought me back once again to the astounding gaps in logic which are so pervasive in the current reform rhetoric which seeks to find policy solutions almost exclusively in charter schools and in changing teacher compensation and dismissal policies.  The reformy solutions are pretty much a given regardless of the original question or what the analyses yield.
Too often, the following faulty reasoning is applied in search for solutions in the education reform debate:

1. Scan the horizon for successful charter schools (even though charters are no more successful, on 

August 14 Primary Election is Major Win for Public Education « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

August 14 Primary Election is Major Win for Public Education « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:

August 14 Primary Election is Major Win for Public Education

by millerlf

by Larry Miller


The August 14 Democratic primary election in Milwaukee was a victory for public education. Who lost? Democrats who support vouchers, the Republican Party and Tea Party activists.
At the center of this election was the seat in the 11th assembly district, a race between Mandela Barnes and Jason Fields. Jason Fields has been a longtime advocate for private school vouchers and other forms of privatization of public education. His work has not gone unnoticed by Gov. Scott Walker, who appointed Fields to the Governor’s education committee on reading.
Barnes addressed the issue of vouchers head on with Fields. Barnes did an old-fashioned grassroots, dialogue-at-doorsteps campaign to win landslide support of voters. Fields, on the other hand, relied on outside support in 

Summer Lessons about Leadership | Connected Principals

Summer Lessons about Leadership | Connected Principals:

Summer Lessons about Leadership

by dhatch

This is a cross post from my personal blog.
This is my contribution to #leadershipday12. I want to start by thanking Scott McLeod for spearheading this initiative…I am looking forward to reading some of the posts.

I am just getting back to school today after an extremely fun and relaxing summer vacation. As we do every summer, we packed up the family tent trailer so that we could camp in our favorite spot in Northern Idaho. This is an incredible time to relax, rejuvenate and recharge the battery. During this time, I was disconnected from technology and social media and this gave me an opportunity to reflect on my career as an educational leader. I 

Eli Broad: The World Is Moving Forward, but American Education Is Stagnant:

Eli Broad: The World Is Moving Forward, but American Education Is Stagnant

'The Art of Being Unreasonable: Lessons in Unconventional Thinking' author shares his thoughts on how America 'can do better.'

By Eli Broad

August 14, 2012

Comment

Philanthropist Eli Broad's foundation is transforming K-12 urban public education. Eli is with two students in this photo at Harlem Success Academy in New York City. (Photo: Elibroad.com)

I am old enough to remember when America's K-12 public schools were the best in the world. I am a proud graduate of them, and I credit much of my success to what I learned in Detroit Public Schools and at Michigan State University.

When I was in high school, not long after World War II, the United States had the top graduation rate. Since then, we have dropped behind 20 other industrialized nations. In less time than you just spent reading the last few sentences, another American student has dropped out of school. American students today rank 31st in the world in mathematics and 23rd in science. If the academic rankings of our most precious resource—our young people—were the rankings of our Olympic athletes, it would be a source of major national embarrassment.

The most shameful part of the picture—the one that, by my count, is the 

Mid Day Diane 8-15 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Which Public Services Should Have a “Trigger”?

by dianerav

What other public services might be subject to a “trigger” law?
Should 51% of the tenants of a public housing project have the authority to seize control and hand the property over to a private management company?
Should 51% of the patrons of a public library have the authority to seize control and privatize it if they don’t like the staff’s efficiency?
Should 51% of the riders on a public bus have the power to seize control of the bus and privatize it?
Should 51% of those using

Time for Something Silly

by dianerav

Every once in a while, someone sends me a video that is very funny, and I want to share it.
I don’t recommend that anyone try what is shown in this HP commercial.
But I recommend it for some smiles, laughs and a catchy tune.

Education Activist Scores Again

by dianerav

Sara Stevenson, the librarian of O. Henry Middle School in Austin, Texas, is on a roll.
Two days ago, she had a letter printed in the New York Times refuting its editorial about the need for “carrots and sticks” in dealing with teachers and principals.
Today she has a letter in the Wall Street Journal, taking issue with computer scientist David Gelernter’s claim

Who Owns a Public School?

by dianerav

The question of ownership arises because the “parent trigger” idea enables 51% of parents to “seize control” of their public school and turn it over to a private corporation to manage.
But do the parents “own” the school? Is it theirs to give away?
My view is that it belongs to the public. The public created it. The public paid for it. It belongs to the public. It belongs to those who attended it in the past and to those who will attend it in the future. Next year’s parents and students have the same interest as this year’s. And so do those who will be parents and students in the school

Who Wants to End Local Control of Schools?

by dianerav

It’s kind of funny when a blog talks to a blog, which then talks back to the other blog.
I wrote today about how the State Superintendent of Schools in Georgia came out in opposition to a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would allow a commission appointed by the governor to override the decisions of local school boards that reject charter schools.
The news story about him said:
“I cannot support the creation of a new and costly state bureaucracy that takes away local control of schools and unnecessarily duplicates the good work already being done by local districts, the Georgia Department of 

Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice High School. « Fred Klonsky

Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice High School. « Fred Klonsky:

Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice Hight School.

by Fred Klonsky

Breaking:

On the morning of Wed. Aug. 15th 2012, students began occupying the hallways of Social Justice HS in protest of the firing of a popular interim principal and other staff including a clerk who is a military veteran and a new mother.  More to come soon.

-Adam Heenan

 Popout

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, August 15, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Tom Torlakson
CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Education Headlines

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Twin Rivers Unified School District still facing big legal fees

Trustees who ran campaigns calling for an end to exorbitant legal fees in the Twin Rivers Unified School District have faced two bills totaling $1.3 million in the past two months.

Inland schools battle A/C issues during heat wave

Arrowhead Elementary, Cajon High School and the school district headquarters in San Bernardino closed early Tuesday, Aug. 14, because of air conditioning failures. Other school districts, including Jurupa Unified and Colton Joint Unified, have been struggling with air-conditioning breakdowns during the ongoing heat wave but haven’t had to send students and employees home, officials said.

Earlier start, tougher homework, emphasis on safety for LAUSD's first day of school

Tuesday marked a day of firsts across Los Angeles Unified, as more than 600,000 students headed back to the classroom for the district's earliest-ever opening of a new school year.

Bond spending could be key in Martinez school board race

This year, the board has been wrangling with how to stretch $45 million in bond funds to cover a long list of projects across multiple campuses. How the incumbent board members have voted to spend those funds may play a key role in the upcoming campaign.

Guillen and Hopkins: Give parents and students a voice in teacher evaluations

The problem with the current proposal is that it excludes the voices of students and parents from the conversation. We believe AB 5 should require each school district to involve parents and students in developing its teacher evaluation system and use their feedback as one of the multiple measures used for evaluation.

Dickinson’s school suspension bill gets reprieve, still alive in Senate

A bill designed to restrict administrators from handing out too many school suspensions – voted down by the Senate on Monday – has been resurrected after intervention by leadership and could be taken up again this week.

Fensterwald Los Angeles Unified wants Race to the Top’s last brass ring

The federal Department of Education released criteria Monday for individual districts or groups of districts to compete for the last $400 million in Race to the Top-District dollars. Count Los Angeles Unified in the competition – if Superintendent John Deasy can persuade United Teachers Los Angeles President Warren Fletcher to sign the application (perhaps a big “if”).

L.A. teachers union urges members to ignore performance program

As L.A. Unified reopened for the new school year Tuesday, the teachers' union is urging its members not to participate in a voluntary performance review program that ties student test scores to teacher evaluations.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Five school districts place bonds on November ballot

Four Kern County school districts have placed general obligation bonds on the Nov. 6 ballot, and one other has placed a parcel tax bond, Kern County Elections Division records show.

Fensterwald: Thursday deadline for resolving teacher evaluation bill

The Senate Appropriations Committee has given Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes three days to figure out how to pay for and, if possible, mollify critics of his bill to redesign teacher evaluations.

Bereaved mother turns grief into action on school-bus-stop safety

Harvard-Westlake student Julia Cukier Siegler, 13, was killed in a school-bus-related accident in 2010. Ever since, her mother has been working for changes.

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 8-15 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Happy Birthday Woodstock

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

*The Woodstock Festival of 1969* *Historical Importance of the Woodstock Festival of 1969:* The Woodstock Festival was a three-day concert (which rolled into a fourth day) that involved lots of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll - plus a lot of mud. The Woodstock Music Festival of 1969 has become an icon of the 1960s hippie counterculture. *Dates:* August 15-18, 1969 *Location:* Max Yasgur's dairy farm in the town of Bethel (outside of White Lake, New York) *Also Known As:* Woodstock Music Festival; An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music *Overview of the Woodstock Festival... more »

Shanker Blog » Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

Shanker Blog » Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars: Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars by Kathleen Porter-Magee *Our guest author today is Kathleen Porter-Magee, Bernard Lee Schwartz policy fellow and editor of the Common Core Watch blog at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Previously, Ms. Porter-Magee served as both a middle and high school teacher, as well as the curriculum and professional development director for a network of public charter schools.* Up until now, the Common Core ELA standards were considered path-breaking mostly because o... more »

Privatization of Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago

Privatization of Public Education: Privatization of Public Education In the United States, we have prided ourselves for generations on a system of public education that has been envied by nations all over the world. Public schools are publicly funded, universally available, and accountable to the public. Today there are myriad attacks on the public in public education. *NEW IN AUGUST 2012:* As the school year begins, Justice & Witness Ministries creates a resource to comment from the point of view of the church on the conditions in public schools and public school reform. In y... more »

NYC Educator: The TCRWP; Or, How Bad Ideas Survive Even When You Try to Squash Them

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

NYC Educator: The TCRWP; Or, How Bad Ideas Survive Even When You Try to Squash Them: The TCRWP; Or, How Bad Ideas Survive Even When You Try to Squash Them by Miss Eyre As some of my regular readers may know, I have no great love for the Teachers' College Reading and Writing Project; or, more accurately, how the TCRWP tends to get implemented in the city schools. It has some fine ideas in theory, and it may be appropriate in some settings, but with the populations that most of us tend to teach, it's like giving a violin player a tuba. So I read, with something like horror, that th... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Ryan & Rhee: Phonies Only a Pundit Could Love

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 41 minutes ago

Jersey Jazzman: Ryan & Rhee: Phonies Only a Pundit Could Love: Ryan & Rhee: Phonies Only a Pundit Could Love by Duke Whatever your feelings about Paul Ryan, I'm going to ask you to read what Paul Krugman says here with some detachment. Because he's making a brilliant point about our nation's current education debate - without even mentioning it: So, let me clarify what I believe is really going on in the choice of Paul Ryan as VP nominee. It is not about satisfying the conservative base, which was motivated anyway by Obama-hatred; it is not about refocusing on the issues, because... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Unpacking the Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Unpacking the Standards: Unpacking the Standards by Anngie Many teachers across the state have just spent hours "unpacking" new standards for their classes this year. This is the process where they take the language in the standard and try, as a coordinated group, to decide what specific skill set it it meant to refer to and how, using the resources they have, they will teach it to their classes. Teachers are used to doing this. Unless a district has adopted a new textbook method, like Everyday Math, unpacking the standards is usually not difficult an... more »

Gerald Coles: KIPP Schools: Power over Evidence - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago

Gerald Coles: KIPP Schools: Power over Evidence - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Gerald Coles: KIPP Schools: Power over Evidence by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Gerald Coles.* In the debate over charter schools, KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) schools are hailed by charter advocates as illustrative of what these alternatives to public schools can produce. With KIPP, poverty need not impede academic success. Enroll students from economically impoverished backgrounds in a "no excuses" school like KIPP and their chances of attaining academic success would soar marked... more »

Duncan Announces 2012 Cross-Country Back-to-School Bus Tour | U.S. Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Duncan Announces 2012 Cross-Country Back-to-School Bus Tour | U.S. Department of Education: Duncan Announces 2012 Cross-Country Back-to-School Bus Tour *“Education Drives America” to Spotlight Classroom Success, Link Education and the Economy* AUGUST 15, 2012 *Contact: * (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and senior leaders from the U.S. Department of Education will push the message that “*Education Drives America*” in its third annual back-to-school bus tour this fall. In a series of events from coast-to-coast, Department officials will highlight... more »

UPDATE: Chilean Students Occupy High Schools « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Chilean Students Occupy High Schools « Student Activism: Eight Things I Remembered At #HereUsNow by Angus Johnston 1. Trust is a risk worth taking. 2. A rough beginning can be a reason for optimism. 3. The people you are in awe of are often in awe of you. 4. Sleeping on a church floor is a beautiful thing. 5. The road is long because it’s supposed to be long. 6. Sharing stories is life-altering. 7. The beloved community exists in a state of constant reinvention. 8. Where the movement is now … is thrilling. Chilean Students Occupy High Schools by Angus Johnston Chilean student activi... more »

Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video - Hispanically Speaking News: Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video Published at 7:08 am EST, August 15, 2012 [image: Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video] Photo: Still from the video Click Here to Enlarge Photo A group of pro-immigrant activists in Chicago on Tuesday released an informational video warning about the possible dangers of deferred action, which on Wednesday will begin to register undocumented young people who want to try and postpone deportation. The video,... more »

Because A Few Parents Beat Their Kids, None Should Have Choice? - Caffeinated Thoughts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Because A Few Parents Beat Their Kids, None Should Have Choice? - Caffeinated Thoughts: Because A Few Parents Beat Their Kids, None Should Have Choice? Shane Vander Hart | August 14, 2012 | 1 Comment [image: john-white1] John White Louisiana State Superintendent of Education I wrote about this earlier today on another blog, but wanted to expand my comments here. Over the weekend Diane Ravitch, defender of public teachers and public education everywhere, responded to the statement that the Louisiana State Superintendent of Education, John White, made defending that state’s voucher p... more »

UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-15-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] RTTT: More Lipstick on a Pig? by dianerav Larry Ferlazzo notes that the latest requirements for Race to the Top is just more lipstick on a pig. By which, he means that when RTTT refers to “personalized learning,” what it really means is using online learning for adaptive testing. That’s pretty much what the hawkers of technology mean too. But teachers had something else in mind, something that would encourage students to explore and think and make their own decisions, not just answer test questions. Is This... more »

UPDATE: Who us? Vallas and illegal Bridgeport Board of Education trumpet their commitment to “process.” - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Who us? Vallas and illegal Bridgeport Board of Education trumpet their commitment to “process.” - Wait, What?: The Bizarre and Upside Down World of Education Reform by jonpelto When it comes to Connecticut government and politics, the term “Local Control” is the closest we come to the notion that some concepts are so sacred that it would be more accurate if we simply referred to them as “the word of God,” and called it a day. While reasonable people might *secretly* discuss the negative impact Connecticut’s absurdly small geo-political units (read cities and towns) have on racia... more »

An Ominous Political Trend for Common Core'ites :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

An Ominous Political Trend for Common Core'ites :: Frederick M. Hess: An Ominous Political Trend for Common Core'ites *by Frederick M. Hess • Aug 15, 2012 at 7:24 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share When it comes to the Common Core, I see great potential value in states choosing to embrace common, high-caliber reading and math standards, if these are implemented with conviction and attention to how they will interact with current reforms. That said, seems to me there's a huge chance that the whole exercise will go south, with many states imple... more »

A new way to evaluate teachers — by teachers - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

A new way to evaluate teachers — by teachers - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: A new way to evaluate teachers — by teachers By Valerie Strauss This *was written by Stanford University Education Profession Linda Darling-Hammond, who directs the Stanford University Center for Opportunity Policy in Education and was founding director of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. A former president of the American Educational Research Association, Darling-Hammond focuses her research, teaching, and policy work on issues of school restructuring, teacher quality... more »

Tamien residents object to plans for Rocketship school; county school board puts off decision on zoning exemption - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Tamien residents object to plans for Rocketship school; county school board puts off decision on zoning exemption - Inside Bay Area: Tamien residents object to plans for Rocketship school; county school board puts off decision on zoning exemption By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 08/14/2012 05:39:03 PM PDT [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Rocketship, the darling of the national charter movement, hit a speed bump Tuesday in its quest to open more schools that serve low-income, disadvantaged children. The Santa Clara County Board of Educa... more »

Give parents and students a voice in teacher evaluations | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Give parents and students a voice in teacher evaluations | EdSource Today: Give parents and students a voice in teacher evaluations ** August 15th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Liz Guillen and Rev. Dr. H. James Hopkins Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: Liz Guillen] Liz Guillen On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee will decide the fate of AB 5, a long overdue legislative proposal to reform California’s dysfunctional teacher evaluation system. Unless significant amendments are added to include the voices of stud... more »

The Future of Parent Trigger in the Florida Senate | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Future of Parent Trigger in the Florida Senate | Scathing Purple Musings: The Future of Parent Trigger in the Florida Senate by Bob Sikes In short, the cash and electioneering from Michelle Rhee, for-profit charter schools, ed privatization PACs and the RPOF didn’t help Parent Trigger in Democrat state senate races, but may have in Republican ones. For the opponents of parent trigger who helped defeat it last March, the expected victory’s by former representatives to the senate, John Legg and Kelli Stargel, will be grudgingly recognized as unwavering votes for the charter sch... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: A great Parent-Trigger Fact Sheet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: A great Parent-Trigger Fact Sheet: A great Parent-Trigger Fact Sheet by Mike Klonsky Re-posted from Parents Across America's Blog Researched by Caroline Grannan, San Francisco Parents Across America founding member 1. There have been no successful parent triggers anywhere. Only two parent triggers have been attempted, both in Southern California. [i] 2. The organization that created the parent trigger, Parent Revolution, organized both of those campaigns.[ii] 3. Parent Revolution has been inaccurately described as “grassroots” and as founded ... more »

The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner: “It would border on the criminal if they did this in the private sector.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner: “It would border on the criminal if they did this in the private sector.” « Fred Klonsky: The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner: “It would border on the criminal if they did this in the private sector.” by Fred Klonsky A reminder from Tim Furman: Popout The in box. “Governor Quinn. Leave the fictional 87-year old retirees alone.” by Fred Klonsky *Leave the fictional 87-year old retirees alone.* *Dear Governor Quinn,* *I just saw you on the news using that word “reform” again. But what really got my attention was I heard you make the claim that a person w... more »

UPDATE: Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: How about a hand for Ga. schools chief Barge -- a Republican by Mike Klonsky BargeGeorgia's school chief *John Barge* has been a loyal Republican -- up 'til now. But Barge is breaking with his own party and with Gov. Deal over the issue of charter schools. AJC reports that Barge will announce his opposition to the proposed charter school amendment to the constitution today, becoming the highest profile Republican to break with his party on the issue. *"I cannot support the creation of a new and costly state bureaucracy that takes away... more »

The Connected Conundrum for Education « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The Connected Conundrum for Education « My Island View: The Connected Conundrum for Education by tomwhitby Education Secretary Arne Duncan declared August Connected Educator Month. To the delight of many connected educators, this was a validation for much of their time spent and their many accomplishments achieved through the use of technology in general, and using the Internet specifically. Many connected educators have gathered virtually to assemble panels, webinars, podcasts and blog posts about all of the advantages of being a “connected educator” and its possibility of trans... more »

Chile student protesters occupy high schools | World news | guardian.co.uk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Chile student protesters occupy high schools | World news | guardian.co.uk: Chile student protesters occupy high schools Students want education system taken back from private sector and made affordable to poorer families - Share****104 - - - Email - Associated Press in Santiago - guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 14 August 2012 23.15 EDT Chilean students set buses on fire in education protest. Link to this video Hundreds of students have occupied high schools and blocked traffic inChile's capital to demand education reform. Police in riot gear evicted students from seve... more »

Chicago Teacher's Union under attack by right wing blitz and astro-turf organizations | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Chicago Teacher's Union under attack by right wing blitz and astro-turf organizations | Dailycensored.com: Chicago Teacher’s Union under attack by right wing blitz and astro-turf organizations by Danny Weil From a Chicago teacher- The profession that I – and thousands of my colleagues and friends have chosen – is being vilified in Chicago, as well as throughout the nation. Well-funded “astroturf” groups have taken out attack ads vs. teachers in Chicago on the radio, and our union is looking for ways to defend us. Please check out the link, distribute to friends and family, and i... more »

Pass / Fail : Public school students enter classrooms with unequal instructional calendars | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Pass / Fail : Public school students enter classrooms with unequal instructional calendars | 89.3 KPCC: Public school students enter classrooms with unequal instructional calendars by By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: President Obama Delivers Commencement Address At Joplin High School] *As the academic year begins, students in the Southland will attend public schools with significantly unequal instructional calendars. Credit: Pool/Getty Images* Students in the Southland may have a hard time lining up summers with their friends, as schools begin the 2012 academic year with extremely lop-... more »

Mind Your Manners and Your Language « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Mind Your Manners and Your Language « Diane Ravitch's blog: Mind Your Manners and Your Language by dianerav This is a site for discussing better education for all. You know that. And you know that I won’t permit comments that are blatantly offensive. I am the judge of what is offensive. It seems that one of my posts, in which a teacher asked whether parents were *always* the best judge of what is best for their children, got published on a home-schooling website. I don’t know which site it was, but for hours I have been receiving offensive comments. Some describe teachers as perve... more »

School Tech Connect: On The Taking of A Mile

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

School Tech Connect: On The Taking of A Mile: On The Taking of A Mile *What..... .....Really?* I'm supposed to be getting ready for bed.... but after reading this letter by the great Ken Previti over at the Mothership, I'm too agitated. Ken makes the point that the history of pension systems is full of examples of miles being taken after inches were conceded. In fact, it's the conceding of the inches that appears to green light court rulings in favor of pension-raids that should have been plainly illegal. He's recommending a terrific book called *Retirement Heist* by Ellen E. Shul... more »

Our Children: Arrested Developments | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Our Children: Arrested Developments | The Jose Vilson: Our Children: Arrested Developments by Jose Yesterday, Think Progress reported that administration in Meridian, MS sent children (predominantly special needs and / or Black) to prison for infractions as small as dress code violations. Read: After months of investigation into claims of such a pipeline, the Justice Department released Friday a definitive letter revealing that the Meridian Police Department “automatically arrests all students referred to MPD by the District. The children arrested by MPD are then sent to the Coun... more »

Who Makes the Rules in a Classroom? Seven Ideas about Rule-making. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Who Makes the Rules in a Classroom? Seven Ideas about Rule-making. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Who Makes the Rules in a Classroom? Seven Ideas about Rule-making. by Nancy Flanagan A couple of years ago, I was working as lead facilitator in an e-mentoring program for new teachers. Several recognized teachers from around the nation were contributing their very best "first days" advice for novice teachers--how to set up a classroom for success, selecting activities for the first week of school, common crises, etc. I asked the teachers about classroom rules... more »

GOP House leader to state school chief on charter stand: “Were you lying then or are you lying now?” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

GOP House leader to state school chief on charter stand: “Were you lying then or are you lying now?” | Get Schooled: GOP House leader to state school chief on charter stand: “Were you lying then or are you lying now?” 8:46 pm August 14, 2012, by Maureen Downey [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] In talking today to my colleagues who cover politics, several felt State Schools Superintendent John Barge would pay a steep political price for *his decision to oppose the Nov. 6th amendment that* would recreate a state commission to approve charter schools. One no... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Is this pimping, or pandering? You decide…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Is this pimping, or pandering? You decide…: Is this pimping, or pandering? You decide… by alicemercer There has been an outbreak of “concern” about the safety of ”children” from adult predators, and those who “turn a blind eye” to such goings on. This comes naturally on the heels of the Penn State atrocities, and those at Miramonte Elementary, but I think there is more at work and this is part of a campaign to undermine teacher dismissal rights and due process. The summer started with an attempt to strip due process rights for teachers to ... more »

L.A. teachers union urges members to ignore performance program - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

L.A. teachers union urges members to ignore performance program - latimes.com: L.A. teachers union urges members to ignore performance program As L.A. Unified reopened for the new school year Tuesday, the teachers' union is urging its members not to participate in a voluntary performance review program that ties student test scores to teacher evaluations. In a recorded back-to-school message sent Monday evening to 38,000 teachers and healthcare service professionals, Warren Fletcher, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, told members he "strongly advises" them to reject distri... more »

Modern School: Rocketship’s National Plan to Jettison Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Modern School: Rocketship’s National Plan to Jettison Teachers: Rocketship’s National Plan to Jettison Teachers by Michael Dunn If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is not true. This common sense adage ought to prevent intelligent people from falling for costly scams. Yet otherwise smart people continue to get suckered at an alarming rate. This is particularly true in politics and education “reform,” where people seem to prefer the fantasy of a quick, magic bullet “fix” to social problems, than having to do a little research or critical analysis to determine if the propos... more »

Modern School: Lower Wages, Less Experience—Charter Schools' Recipe for Success

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Modern School: Lower Wages, Less Experience—Charter Schools' Recipe for Success: Lower Wages, Less Experience—Charter Schools' Recipe for Success by Michael Dunn By now most of the public ought to be aware that charter schools receive public money, like traditional public schools, but are freed from many of the rules that traditional schools must follow, including the hiring of unionized teachers and paying union wages. Many charter schools also ignore seniority and hire predominantly young, malleable and lower waged novices. These are just some of the labor cost cutting strategie... more »

Present at SXSWedu | SXSWedu.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Present at SXSWedu | SXSWedu.com: Present at SXSWedu Creativity and innovation are driving significant growth in SXSWedu’s passionate audience of education stakeholders and practitioners. We look forward to seeing you at SXSWedu 2013, March 4-7 in Austin, Texas. With the help of the SXSWedu community and the SXSWedu Advisory Board curating programming for 2013, the excitement has just begun. Make plans to join us today! Present at SXSWedu Sessions for SXSWedu 2013 are submitted for consideration via PanelPicker, a robust online submission form for SXSWedu programming suggest... more »

Deferred Action Request Forms Now Available Online - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Deferred Action Request Forms Now Available Online - Hispanically Speaking News: Deferred Action Request Forms Now Available Online [image: Deferred Action Request Forms Now Available Online]Earlier this afternoon, the Department of Homeland Security officially released the forms to request deferred action that may be filed by undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children and meet various other requirements. Beginning tomorrow, August 15, applicants may mail their requests to specified facilities maintained by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an ... more »

4th Feminist General Assembly | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

4th Feminist General Assembly | OccupyWallSt.org: 4th Feminist General Assembly by OccupyWallSt *When:* Saturday, August 18, 2012, 2pm - 4pm *(Rain date: Sunday, August 19th, 4 to 6 pm)* *Where:* Harlem Meer, Central Park - 110th St. RSVP on Facebook Women Occupying Wall Street (WOWs) invites you to the 4th Feminist General Assembly (FemGA) on Saturday, August 18th at Harlem Meer from 2 - 4 pm. This month our conversation will focus on the struggles particularly important to people of color. We hope to begin the work of planning actions focused on racial, gender, and economic justi...more »

The in box. “A horrible mistake is being made.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The in box. “A horrible mistake is being made.” « Fred Klonsky: The in box. “A horrible mistake is being made.” by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *A horrible mistake is being made by We Are One, IEA, IFT, etc.* *Everyone wants to seem reasonable and present a reasonable public image. The danger is in offering what seems reasonable while the offer itself has unintended disastrous consequences.* *4. With a guarantee that the state would pay its portion, the members who are reliant on the pension systems for their retirement security, would offer to help the state by paying more even though the... more »

Louisiana Educator: A Great Monroe News Star Editorial

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Louisiana Educator: A Great Monroe News Star Editorial: A Great Monroe News Star Editorial *Voucher Program: * * * *“Details to come”* *11:59 PM, Aug. 13, 2012 |* *3 Comments* · Email · Print · Share While no one is certain — because *the state Department of Education will not release its records* — it would appear to the most casual observer that *the state's voucher program was approved "DTC."* That's "*Details To Come."* And those details are so vague that even some members the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, who have rubber stamped approval... more »

A word on behalf of our Public School Instructional Assistants - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

A word on behalf of our Public School Instructional Assistants - Wait, What?: A word on behalf of our Public School Instructional Assistants by jonpelto Every school day, the responsibility for making our schools healthier, safer and better places to learn falls just as heavily on public school instructional assistants as it does on public school teachers and public school administrators. Regardless of whether they are Special Education IAs (providing vital services to one, two, three, four or more special education students) or Traditional IAs (helping teachers prepare and run c... more »

Article Shows Ryan Money Connection to Koch Brothers, Tea Party and Right-Wing « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Article Shows Ryan Money Connection to Koch Brothers, Tea Party and Right-Wing « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Article Shows Ryan Money Connection to Koch Brothers, Tea Party and Right-Wing by millerlf *Ryan Has Kept Close Ties to Donors on the Right* *By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE* August 13, 2012 NY Times This month, as a handful of Republicans auditioned at town halls and on bus tours to be Mitt Romney’s running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan joined a private conference call. For 20 minutes, he walked through his plan to cut government spending and bashed President Ob... more »

Responding to the Gates Foundation: How Do We Consider Evidence of Learning in Teacher Evaluations? | Impatient Optimists

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Responding to the Gates Foundation: How Do We Consider Evidence of Learning in Teacher Evaluations? | Impatient Optimists: Responding to the Gates Foundation: How Do We Consider Evidence of Learning in Teacher Evaluations? ANTHONY CODY August 08, 2012 *This post originally appears on **Anthony Cody's blog, Living in Dialogue. It is the second post in a weekly series of posts, over five consecutive weeks, between teacherAnthony Cody, and various members of the US education team at the foundation. The first dialogue, between Cody and Irvin Scott, Deputy Director of the College Ready... more »

LET THE CONCESSIONS BEGIN « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

LET THE CONCESSIONS BEGIN « Teachers Fight Back: LET THE CONCESSIONS BEGIN by alkleen The teacher unions and public employee unions in Illinois have started to present retirement concessions to the governor and the General Assembly. A coalition of unions said that workers would consider paying one percent more out of their paycheck towards the retirement fund. Governor Quinn immediately rejected the suggestion and said that it wouldn’t come close to solving the pension problem. What a brilliant move by our pathetic unions. They just sent a message loud and clear to legislators a... more »

Check Out ED’s New Parents & Families Page | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Check Out ED’s New Parents & Families Page | ED.gov Blog: Check Out ED’s New Parents & Families Page Posted on August 14, 2012 by Guest Blogger The Department of Education is proud to announce the launch of a new parent web page that provides resources aimed at parent and family engagement. This new addition to ED’s site is an excellent resource for those interested in learning more and getting involved in their child’s education. To make it even simpler, here’s a list of some of the great things this new page has to offer: *[image: School Crosswalk Sign]1. **On the Blog* **Find... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A strike is avoidable if Rahm "finds" the money

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: A strike is avoidable if Rahm "finds" the money: A strike is avoidable if Rahm "finds" the money by Mike Klonsky Google hosted this "fireside chat" with Rahm when he was running for mayor. He easily finds it for corporate cronies Rahm/Brizard have already folded in their attempt to force CPS teachers to work a longer day and year without additional pay. But a settlement in contract negotiations is still problematic and a teachers strike is still possible, especially if Rahm keeps claiming that there's no money for teacher pay increases, as recommende... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, August 14, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *CA STILL HOT* Education Headlines *Tuesday, August 14, 2012* Five school districts place bonds on November ballotFour Kern County school districts have placed general obligation bonds on the Nov. 6 ballot, and one other has placed a parcel tax bond, Kern County Elections Division records show. Fensterwald: Thursday deadline for resolving teacher evaluation billThe Senate Appropriations Committee has given Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes three days to figure out how to pay for and, if possible, mollify critics of his bill to rede... more »

Meet the Dictionary's New Words: F-Bomb, Sexting, Bucket List - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Meet the Dictionary's New Words: F-Bomb, Sexting, Bucket List - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire: Meet the Dictionary's New Words: F-Bomb, Sexting, Bucket List by Jen Doll It's the time of year in which we get new words in the dictionary! Not in our "despicable words" dictionary, to which of course you're welcome to contribute, but in the actual *Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary*. The 2012 update includes a range of new words that you can judge as delightful or reprehensible, including *bucket list*,*mash-up, craft beer, sexting*, and *f-bomb*. (Hm, does this change anythin... more »

Shanker Blog » School Ratings For School Ratings' Sake

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Shanker Blog » School Ratings For School Ratings' Sake: School Grades For School Grades’ Sake by Matthew Di Carlo I have reviewed, albeit superficially, the test-based components of several states’ school rating systems (e.g.,OH, FL, NYC, LA, CO), with a particular focus on the degree to which they are actually measuring student performance (how highly students score), rather than school effectiveness *per se* (whether students are making progress). Both types of measures have a role to play in accountability systems, even if they are often confused or conflated, resulting in wid... more »

I’m wearing black to Springfield as union leadership waves white flag. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

I’m wearing black to Springfield as union leadership waves white flag. « Fred Klonsky: I’m wearing black to Springfield as union leadership waves white flag. by Fred Klonsky “See you in Springfield on Friday. Wearing black?,” asked a retired friend. Yes. Black in mourning at the unions representing state employees and retirees who are waving the white flag of surrender. With lawmakers about to return to Springfield for a one-day session on government employee pension reform, a coalition of unions on Monday for the first time publicly said workers would consider paying more toward ... more »

Before Dropping Algebra, Fix Math Education – SchoolBook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Before Dropping Algebra, Fix Math Education – SchoolBook: *Before Dropping Algebra, Fix Math Education* [image: DESCRIPTION] *A recent opinion essay in The New York Times by Andrew Hacker, asking the question “Is Algebra Necessary?”, drew hundreds of comments. Some of SchoolBook’s contributors went further and have written their own essays in response. What’s your opinion? Respond to our query below. (We would especially love to hear from students or recent graduates.)* As a parent with three children rising through New York City public schools, I’m sympathetic to the argument by ... more »

The Death of the Urban Comprehensive High School? - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

The Death of the Urban Comprehensive High School? - Dana Goldstein: The Death of the Urban Comprehensive High School? by Dana Goldstein Head to The Daily Beast to read my review of Michael Brook's new book, *Saving the School*, which does important work capturing this particular moment in national education reform, when so many urban neighborhood high schools are at risk of closure: Brick, who worked for *The* *New York Times*, spent a year embedded at John H. Reagan High School in “the Two-Three,” a poor neighborhood on the eastside of Austin, Texas, known for tensions between bl... more »

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-11-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-4-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-28-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-21-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-14-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-7-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-30-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-23-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-16-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-9-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-2-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-14-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-13-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-12-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-11-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-31-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-30-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-29-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-28-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-27-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-25-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-23-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-21-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2