Monday, September 3, 2012

by edutalknola

This profile is part of an ongoing series of portraits of key Parents Across America members.

Karran Harper Royal’s articulate, impassioned advocacy for children has made her a familiar figure in her hometown of New Orleans and a sought-after speaker the national scene. In public meetings, government hearings, conference presentations, radio programs and television broadcasts, she cuts straight through the puffery that so often characterizes education “reform,” asking hard questions and describing the experiences of her city’s most vulnerable children in eloquent detail.

Karran’s activism began back in the 1990s, when her oldest son encountered difficulties in kindergarten, largely because he did not fit the expected student mold. She became his full-time advocate, and in the process learned to negotiate the

Chicago teachers draw a line: What does it mean for K-12 public education? | Dailycensored.com

Chicago teachers draw a line: What does it mean for K-12 public education? | Dailycensored.com:

Chicago teachers draw a line: What does it mean for K-12 public education?

by Danny Weil

Analysis: Lee Sustar

http://socialistworker.org/2012/08/28/chicago-teachers-draw-a-line

August 28, 2012

Chicago teachers rally support in the streets during a mass march in May

CAN THE scrappy band of outsiders that now heads the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) lead the kind of high-stakes fight that most labor unions have ducked?

That question looms large–not just for the city’s teachers, students and their parents, but for the entire labor movement. Because while both private- and public-sector unions are taking a pounding across the U.S. with layoffs, pay cuts and pension rollbacks, the CTU is gearing up for a showdown with America’s most politically connected mayor, Rahm Emanuel–and it will come to a head in September.

At a time when most union officials are shamefacedly selling concessions as “the best we can do,” Chicago teachers are defiant. Just ask anyone who encountered the giant inflatable rat that accompanied the spirited

NYC Public School Parents: Teacher & parent leader critique new report & implementation of DOE's inclusion initiative

NYC Public School Parents: Teacher & parent leader critique new report & implementation of DOE's inclusion initiative:

Teacher & parent leader critique new report & implementation of DOE's inclusion initiative

by Leonie Haimson

Saturday's post about the new report from the Public Advocate’s office on the DOE’s special education inclusion initiative, whose author refrained from interviewing any parents, teachers or other school-based staff, provoked comment on our NYC Education List. I think I can speak for most parents who believe that given the right training provided to classroom teachers, sufficient expertise, including enough specialists to push in, AND small classes, inclusion could be a wonderful thing.

But as usual with the NYC Department of Education, because of poor planning, mismanagement, top heavy spending on “network” and “cluster” leaders, and a concurrent disinvestment in actual classroom teachers, as well as an apparent total disinterest in how people on the ground are experiencing their policies, they seem likely

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: LABOR DAY WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: LABOR DAY WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

LABOR DAY WEEKEND QUOTABLES

by Mike Klonsky

Social Justice High School firings

“The foundation from which Social Justice High School was built on was from unity and the need to rectify an ongoing injustice. What set SoJo apart was its strong connection between teachers and parents, but now that’s changed.” -- Patricia Buenrostro, original Little Village H.S. hunger striker

As strike approaches in Chicago

"The strike obviously is a big piece of the picture, but it's not the only thing out there. It feels like

CTU President Lewis at today's rally

by Mike Klonsky

School Tech Connect: Karen Lewis in Daley Plaza

School Tech Connect: Karen Lewis in Daley Plaza:

Karen Lewis in Daley Plaza

Karen Lewis in Chicago today.

(Go full screen. Live a little.)

I'm still working on the sound quality.

There's nobody else like Karen Lewis. It needs to be said. The reason 18k people turned out in Daley Plaza today is that she tells the truth and she inspires people. She leads with honesty and love, and people respond to that.

Our mayor, on the other hand, leads with a sharp elbow and forked tongue. I wouldn't want to be a Democratic president saddled to the reputation of this toxic mayor. He came into this town ready to beat up teachers, and that's been the entire focus of the part of his

Diane Ravitch: Take Action Now

Diane Ravitch: Take Action Now:

A LETTER TO MY FRIENDS AND READERS

Many people have asked what they can do to try to change the conditions and misguided policies that I describe in my book. Wherever I go, the same question comes up: What can we do? How do we stop these bad policies and programs? Whether they are parents, teachers, administrators, school board members or citizens concerned about the future of our children and our society, they want ideas about how to persuade our elected officials to change course.

Education used to be a state and local function. Unfortunately, since the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001–02, the levers of power now are in the hands of federal officials. With Republicans and Democrats both advocating policies that endanger the future of public education, the situation seems dire indeed. Unfortunately, many of our nation’s wealthiest philanthropies and individuals embrace the misuse of testing and accountability and the advance of privatization.

The odds against us seem overwhelming, but we cannot afford to do nothing. We must take action. At present, the Obama administration is embarked on a course of action that many find repugnant. The Race to the Top is built on the foundation of No Child Left Behind. It emphasizes high-stakes testing, judging teachers by their students’ test scores, closing low-performing schools instead of helping them improve, and promoting a huge increase in private management of public schools. These approaches will narrow the curriculum and promote teaching to the test, which will rob children of the opportunity for a good education. Furthermore, none of these strategies has a solid research base, none has been proven effective in practice, all have the potential to disrupt students’ education, demoralize teachers, and shatter communities. The burden of these policies will fall heavily on low-income, minority communities, but many other communities will be affected as well.

What we need to improve education in this country is a strong, highly respected education profession; a rich curriculum in the arts and sciences, available in every school for every child; assessments that gauge what students know and can do, instead of mindless test prepping for bubble tests. And a government that is prepared to change the economic and social conditions that interfere with children’s readiness to learn. We need high-quality early childhood education. We need parent education programs. We need social workers and guidance counselors in the school. Children need physical education every day. And schools should have classes small enough for students to get the attention they need when they need it.

We cannot improve education by quick fixes. We will not fix education by turning public schools over to entrepreneurs. We will not improve it by driving out experienced professionals and replacing them with enthusiastic amateurs. We will not make our schools better by closing them and firing teachers and entire staffs. No high-performing nation in the world follows such strategies. We cannot be satisfied with the status quo, which is not good enough for our children, nor can we satisfied with the Bush-Obama-Duncan “reforms” that have never been proven to work anywhere.

This is what I suggest:

Join Parents Across America. Their website is www.parentsacrossamerica.org. This is a group of parents who want to work together to strengthen public education and restore common sense reforms.
Write your elected officials. Find out whether any Congressmen or Senators from your state are on the education committee in their House of Congress. Write the members of the education committees even if you don’t live in their state. Ask your colleagues to write letters to them. Write letters to the editor. Comment on education blogs. Call in to talk shows. Speak up at school and community meetings. Speak up, speak out.
Gather a group of teachers, principals, and parents and schedule a meeting with your local legislator, your member of Congress, your state and local representatives. Prepare a list of issues and explain to them how federal and state regulations are harming their schools and what must be done to remove these burdens. Explain that what the media calls “reform“ has no evidence and is actually the opposite of real improvement. Remind them why public education is important and how it matters as a cornerstone of our democracy.
Run for your school board. Run for elected office in your town, your city, your community, your state.
Vote for candidates who pledge to support public education and to fund the needs of children and schools.
Invite local civic and business leaders to spend a day in your classroom and school. Invite them to teach for a day.
Build alliances between teachers, principals, parents, and the local community to support children and the school.

As the great Southern writer Flannery O’Connor wrote in a letter to a friend, “You have to push as hard as the age that pushes against you.”

This age is pushing mighty hard against children, against educators, and against the very concept of good education.

Let’s all push back as hard as we can.

Diane Ravitch

“Look up! Look down! Chicago is a union town!” « Fred Klonsky

“Look up! Look down! Chicago is a union town!” « Fred Klonsky:

“Look up! Look down! Chicago is a union town!”

by Fred Klonsky

I heard everything from ten thousand to eighteen thousand. I say twenty. Matt Farmer half jokingly said that the Tribune is reporting 326.
We filled Daley Plaza in a sea of red.
We surrounded Rahm’s City Hall and poured from the sidewalk on to the street.
We marched down Clark Street to the headquarters of the Chicago Public Schools.
“Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Rahm Emanuel has got to go!”

We turned the Blue Line into the Red Line.

more: “Look up! Look down! Chicago is a union town!” « Fred Klonsky:

Chicago Teachers Should Be Supported As They Prepare For Possible Strike On September 10th « CAFFEINATED POLITICS

Chicago Teachers Should Be Supported As They Prepare For Possible Strike On September 10th « CAFFEINATED POLITICS:

Chicago Teachers Should Be Supported As They Prepare For Possible Strike On September 10th

by dekerivers

Parents Stand With CTU (CLICK ON PICTURE)

For now most of the national focus when it comes to union rights is concentrated on Chicago, where school teachers are demanding their rights be respected, and a contract that is fair to the profession be negotiated and concluded.

Too often workers are timid and reticent about standing up for their rights. Workers jump as high as the employer wants, and never seem to understand their real place in the workplace is more important than the ones who call themselves ‘boss’. Let the boss try and make it all come together without the workers.

Therefore, I am very proud of the efforts and resolve of the teachers in Chicago who are working to make sure their rights are protected.

Having said that I also am very much in support of the efforts made by Chicago Mayor Rahm

Which Democrats Are Hostile to Teachers? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Which Democrats Are Hostile to Teachers? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Which Democrats Are Hostile to Teachers?

by dianerav

DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)

IT IS A RULE: YOU CAN'T BE AGAINST PEOPLE AND FOR CORPORATIONS AND CALL YOURSELF A DEMOCRAT...EVER!

As a historian, I can assure you that the roots of the current “reform” movement are on the far right. Vouchers began with Milton Friedman in 1955; charters began in 1988 with liberal origins, but were quickly adopted by the right as a substitute for vouchers because voters always defeated voucher proposals. The attacks on teachers’ unions are out of the rightwing playbook. The demands for test-based accountability did not originate in the Democratic party. The effort to remove all job protections–seniority, tenure, the right to due process–did not originate with liberal thinkers or policymakers, but can be traced to the Reagan administration and even earlier to rightwing Republicans who never wanted any unions or job protections for workers. The embrace of privatization and for-profit schooling is neither liberal nor Democratic.
How this happened is a long story.
No matter who supports this agenda, it is not bipartisan. It originated in the ideology of the rightwing extreme of

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Board Meeting Agenda Sept 5, 2012

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Board Meeting Agenda Sept 5, 2012:

School Board Meeting Agenda Sept 5, 2012

by Charlie Mas

The agenda for the September 5, 2012 regular legislative school board meeting is now available online.

Let's review it!

The meeting is scheduled to start at 4:15pm. The public testimony comes at 5:00.

The Board knows, and has been told, that it is difficult for working people to reach the Board meetings by 5:00 on Wednesdays. They have no intention, however, of changing the time for public testimony. It is difficult not to see this as an effort to discourage participation by working people. Public testimony is the Board's primary community engagement and they have diminished it by reducing it from two sessions at every meeting to one,

LUCKY TO JUST HAVE A JOB « Teachers Fight Back

LUCKY TO JUST HAVE A JOB « Teachers Fight Back:

LUCKY TO JUST HAVE A JOB

by alkleen

The forces that benefit from having workers accept low pay and limited benefits have done an exceptional job at convincing the average worker that they are “lucky to just have a job.” Workers all over the country have fallen for this brand of propaganda. I’ve never seen workers be so intimidated during an economic downturn as they are during this one. It’s amazing. Especially with so many corporations sitting on trillions of dollars in cash and refusing to hire anyone. Teachers are probably the group most guilty of falling prey to this nonsense.
When you go to the doctor, does he mention that he will charge you a much lower fee than normal because he knows these are hard economic times ? Of course not. How about the dentist ? Does he reduce the cost of a

Remembering Don Moore Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Remembering Don Moore:

Remembering Don Moore

by admin

News of the death of Don Moore is rippling through the Chicago public school community. Don founded Designs for Change, a key education advocacy group, and was one of the architects of Chicago’s Local School Council-based reform law.
Don dedicated his entire life to promoting LSCs and their potential for leading significant improvement in public education. He documented their successful impact on parent empowerment, teacher collaboration, and overall

How school textbooks distort labor history - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

How school textbooks distort labor history - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

How school textbooks distort labor history

By Valerie Strauss

This being Labor Day, it seems like a good time to look at the way the history of the labor movement is taught in U.S. schools. Unfortunately, it isn’t — at least, not much, and when it is, it is too often inaccurately portrayed.

Members of the Communications Workers of America demonstrate. (Joseph Kaczmarek/AP)State content standards sometimes ignore the movement almost completely, and textbooks either do the same thing or else treat inadequately the role labor has played in the creation of the American middle class and the raising of living standards in the country.

Why? Scholars say that the answer is largely because unions are unfavorably viewed by the business community as well as by some politicians — and that this has spilled over into the treatment of the subject in textbooks because of the

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Status of MTSS

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Status of MTSS:

Status of MTSS

by Charlie Mas

Here is the status report on MTSS from the Friday Memo to the Board on August 17, 2012:

Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS)
Seattle Public Schools is committed to implementing a comprehensive Multi-Tier System of
Supports (MTSS) district wide by the 2014-2015 academic school year. MTSS is a framework
designed to accelerate academic and social/emotional learning behaviors for all students through
high quality instruction and intervention, curriculum aligned to standards and collaborative
decision making using student achievement data. The framework integrates many of the
initiatives within Seattle Public Schools including transition to Common Core State Standards,

Missouri Education Watchdog: Does Your Child Have the Right to Self-Protection and Self-Defense at School?

Missouri Education Watchdog: Does Your Child Have the Right to Self-Protection and Self-Defense at School?:

Does Your Child Have the Right to Self-Protection and Self-Defense at School?

by stlgretchen

This book might go against Arne Duncan's on the Department of Defense's ideas on dealing with bullies.

The Departments of Labor and Health & Human Services are sharing information and directing programs with the Department of Education. The DOEd door is now open to the Department of Defense.

From Family Matters Blog: Websites Teach Kids How to Deal With Bullying:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2012 – The start of school is a good time to talk to children about the

Parents in Charlotte to Protest Film and DFER « Diane Ravitch's blog

Parents in Charlotte to Protest Film and DFER « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Parents in Charlotte to Protest Film and DFER

by dianerav

IT IS A RULE: YOU CAN'T BE AGAINST PEOPLE AND FOR CORPORATIONS AND CALL YOURSELF A DEMOCRAT...EVER!

A press release from Parents Across America:
MecklenburgACTS/PAA to protest film/DFER event & Present Positive Education Reforms at DNC

For immediate release: September 3, 2012
Contact: Pamela Grundy, 704-806-0410, shamrockparent@earthlink.net
Members of MecklenburgACTS.org and Parents Across America will be rallying and distributing literature at two events associated with the Democratic National Convention here in Charlotte.

We will call on President Obama and other Democrats to reject the ineffective “reform” measures being pushed

A Note to My Readers « Diane Ravitch's blog

A Note to My Readers « Diane Ravitch's blog:

A Note to My Readers

by dianerav

Diane Ravitch Website

Upcoming Events

With school starting tomorrow (and in some districts it has already started), I know you won’t have as much time to read these posts. The typical teacher, according to the Scholastic-Gates survey, works an 11-hour day. And from your comments, I know that most of the readers of the blog are teachers. I know there are also parents, principals, superintendents, school board members, journalists, concerned citizens–and, I hope, students as well.
So I will try to restrain myself, not post as many times each day. But it will be hard. People send me articles from all over the nation, and even from other countries.
My impulse is to share.
I’ll just have to develop a huge backlog. That way, when my fall schedule of travel and lecturing begins, my blog will be on auto-pilot, posting every day even if I am on the road.
I will continue to post the great comments of readers about their own insights into the education issues of the day.
By the way, my first lecture this fall will be in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on September 18. I was invited to speak by the Benwood Foundation. If you are in the area, please try to attend.
Then I will be in Austin, Texas, on September 30 speaking at the annual convention of the TASA and TSBA, the administrators and school boards. I speak in the morning. That afternoon, I will speak to parents and teachers and anyone else who wants to show up at an Austin high school, thanks to the invitation of the Austin Independent School District. I’ll post the details when I know them. Come on over, y’all.

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

MecklenburgACTS/PAA to Present Positive Education Reforms at DNC « Parents Across America

MecklenburgACTS/PAA to Present Positive Education Reforms at DNC « Parents Across America:

MecklenburgACTS/PAA to Present Positive Education Reforms at DNC

by leoniehaimson

Contact: Pamela Grundy, 704-806-0410, shamrockparent@earthlink.net

Members of MecklenburgACTS.org and Parents Across America will be rallying and distributing literature at two events associated with the Democratic National Convention here in Charlotte.

We will call on President Obama and other Democrats to reject the ineffective “reform” measures being pushed by well-heeled organizations such as Students First and Democrats for Education Reform, and instead join parents and education experts in support of a more proven, community-based set of changes.

As the Charlotte Observer and the Huffington Post have noted, Democrats differ significantly over ways to improve the nation’s schools. We will be highlighting this debate.

On Monday, we will be at the Students First-sponsored showing of the controversial movie “Won’t Back Down” at the Epicenter complex, 201 E. Trade St., from 12:30 to 1 p.m.. Although several of us signed up to see the movie and attend the discussion some weeks ago, we were informed early this morning that we would not be admitted. So we will make our case outside.

On Tuesday, we will be at the “Town Hall” sponsored by Democrats for Education Reform at the Knight Theater, 4:30 S. Tryon St., from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.We will present the following statement:

Our Children Need Education Reforms that Work

Students First, Parent Revolution and Democrats for Education Reform are pushing for education policies that have no track record of success:

• An expansion of high-stakes testing that turns schools into testing factories and drives families and top teachers away from public education.

• Relentless charter school expansion even though charter schools regularly perform less well than comparable public schools.

• School closings which disrupt families and communities and send most students to schools that perform no better than the ones they left.

• Parent trigger laws which divide parents and have yet to improve a single school.

We’ve seen here in Charlotte how these policies destabilize communities, anger parents and demoralize our best teachers. We call on President Obama and other Democrats to reject these policies and join parents and education experts in support of a more positive set of changes that includes small classes, a well-rounded curriculum, more meaningful parent involvement and greater investment in teachers and families.

For REAL solutions visit MecklenburgACTS.org and ParentsAcrossAmerica.org.

###

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 9-3 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Modern School: Pension Crisis for Affluent School Bosses

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago

Modern School: Pension Crisis for Affluent School Bosses: Pension Crisis for Affluent School Bosses by Michael Dunn The Pension Crisis is not really a crisis at all in most states. It is true that if every state employee were to simultaneously retire, there would not be enough money to cover their guaranteed pensions. But this will not and cannot happen since employees aren’t even eligible to receive benefits until they’ve worked a minimum number of years. It is also true that most pension systems have lost considerable value as a result of the financial meltdown, but this was caus... more »

Daily Kos: a few ways I am better off than four years ago

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 minutes ago

Daily Kos: a few ways I am better off than four years ago: a few ways I am better off than four years ago by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) only 5.65% in payroll taxes deducted from paychecks this year if I change medical insurance I cannot be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions the gay students I taught who wanted to go into the military can do so now without having to be dishonest my gay students and friends now have a President who advocates for marriage equality for them I do not have former students at risk of dying in Iraq on their fifth or more tours there the st... more »

Hopes and Fears for the 2012-13 School Year | Outside the Cave

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Hopes and Fears for the 2012-13 School Year | Outside the Cave: Hopes and Fears for the 2012-13 School Year by Stephen Lazar I think this may be my favorite piece to write each year, but I can’t imagine I will ever be less able to capture my hopes and fears in words than I can now. Not since my first year teaching, and maybe not even then, have I started a year with such overwhelming feelings of excitement, apprehension, nervousness, anticipation, and helplessness. *Harvest is Now Real* Eight months ago I sat down for coffee with Kate and Atash, the principal and social worker of ... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Matt Damon’s Speech to Teachers at SOS Rally

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 38 minutes ago

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Matt Damon’s Speech to Teachers at SOS Rally: Matt Damon’s Speech to Teachers at SOS Rally by Lisa M *I love this speech! I wonder how many politicians have heard it ?* Popout I flew overnight from Vancouver to be with you today. I landed in New York a few hours ago and caught a flight down here because I needed to tell you all in person that I think you’re awesome. I was raised by a teacher. My mother is a professor of early childhood education. And from the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public ... more »

Charter schools study state | The Columbian

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago

Charter schools study state | The Columbian: Charter schools study stateNational nonprofits watch vote, consider doing business here [image: Renee Wyman, a paid signature checker, tallies pages of signatures in July at the State Elections Office.] Anna Marum Renee Wyman, a paid signature checker, tallies pages of signatures in July at the State Elections Office. By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP, Associated Press SEATTLE -- Some of the most successful charter school organizations in the nation say they would like to open schools in Washington if voters approve the charter initiative on t...more »

Democratic Split Over Education Reform Tested By Hollywood Movie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago

Democratic Split Over Education Reform Tested By Hollywood Movie: Democratic Split Over Education Reform Tested By Hollywood Movie Posted: 09/02/2012 9:00 pm Updated: 09/03/2012 7:52 am “Won’t Back Down" Rhymes with "Stand Your Ground" and is brought to you by those great folks at ALEC WASHINGTON -- The most controversial thing to happen at the Democratic National Convention this week may end up being a movie screening. On Monday afternoon, a Hollywood film called "Won't Back Down" -- which opens in theaters nationwide on Sept. 28 -- will be shown to a select crowd of conventio... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 55 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] In Defense of the Teachers’ Unions by dianerav Many readers have been critical of their unions and wish they were more militant in fighting the corporate suits. This reader disagrees and explains why: *I’m going to go out on a limb here because the comments I am about to post are probably not going to be very popular with anyone who has commented in this discussion.**So many people want their state and national teachers unions to launch a campaign of all-out protest toward the corporate reform movement.**... more »

Daily Kos: Lessons from a master educator

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Daily Kos: Lessons from a master educator: Lessons from a master educator by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *the original version of this was posted in November 2010. I have cleaned up some typos and modified the original so that it is not time sensitive. I think the content is just as relevant now as it was almost two years ago* Teachers make an easy target, for they are such a common species and so powerless to strike back. We blame teachers for being unable to cure social ills that no one knows how to treat; we insist that they instantly adopt whatever "solution" has most rec... more »

School Tech Connect: Let's Roll

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

School Tech Connect: Let's Roll: Let's Roll by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) See you down there. Hey if you see me, say hello. I'll be the guy with the red shirt on.

Peg with Pen: SpringBoard: Common Core Crap

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Peg with Pen: SpringBoard: Common Core Crap: SpringBoard: Common Core Crap by Peggy I recently had the unfortunate opportunity to examine a SpringBoard assignment, sent to me by a concerned parent with a child in seventh grade. SpringBoard is the latest and greatest curriculum creation of The College Board which is led by no less than David Coleman, the well known architect of the Common Core. Their website states, "SpringBoard is fully aligned to the Common Core State Standards and helps all students and teachers reach the goals of the Common Core Initiative. The Common Core S... more »

6 Ways Principals Can Connect With Students | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

6 Ways Principals Can Connect With Students | Connected Principals: 6 Ways Principals Can Connect With Students by George Couros This killed me today… My 8 year old girl when asked what a Principal does, “It’s that person that talks to you when you’ve done something bad.” #*cpchat* —Alec Couros (@courosa) August 25, 2012 As most of you know, that was from my brother and he is referring to my amazing little niece. I do not want her or any other kid seeing their principal in that manner. This is in no way meant to criticize the current principal or Raine’s school, but it did spark ... more »

A BIG LAUSD TEACHER LABOR DAY SALUTE TO STRIKING CHICAGO TEACHERS (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

A BIG LAUSD TEACHER LABOR DAY SALUTE TO STRIKING CHICAGO TEACHERS (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com: A BIG LAUSD TEACHER LABOR DAY SALUTE TO STRIKING CHICAGO TEACHERS (VIDEO) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Karen Lewis.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) ** If one dispassionately asks what is the defining difference between how teachers and students are allowed to be treated in Los Angeles as opposed to Chicago, one immediately focuses on the dynamic Chicago Teachers' Union (CTU) and its President Karen Lewis, which ... more »

New Charter Schools Thrive in Harlem, but Some Parents Are Feeling Left Out - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

New Charter Schools Thrive in Harlem, but Some Parents Are Feeling Left Out - NYTimes.com: School Choice Is No Cure-All, Harlem FindsBy KYLE SPENCERPublished: September 2, 2012 When it came time to pick a Harlem middle school for her daughter, Eula Guest did her research. She inquired with friends, principals and PTA presidents, and talked to students inside art studios and auditoriums. “I got down to the nitty-gritty,” she said. “I asked about everything.” Eventually, she chose Frederick Douglass Academy II, a middle and high school with a robotics class, a college-readiness... more »

This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Good Posts On Education Policy | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Good Posts On Education Policy | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Good Posts On Education Policy by Larry Ferlazzo Here are some recent good posts on educational policy issues: Key questions for Democrats on ‘school choice’ is from The Washington Post. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning Why School Vouchers Are A Bad Idea. The Perennial Reform: Fixing School Time is by Larry Cuban. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On The Idea Of Extending The School Day. How to fix the charter school movement (and what Albert S... more »

The in box. From Tom Olson, former SFC member, on Jonah at the ASCD. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The in box. From Tom Olson, former SFC member, on Jonah at the ASCD. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. From Tom Olson, former SFC member, on Jonah at the ASCD. by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *As a former high school and college political science teacher, I also agree with protecting the right of free speech. I, as you can see from the open letter to Edelman (below) have also seen him “up close and personal.” Given his adoption of the anti-teacher corporate agenda for education reform (read “deform”), I found it amazing that ASCD would pay this character money to spew his bile about “education’... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: See you there!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: See you there!: See you there! by Mike Klonsky

The Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: What happens when Profits drive Reform? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

The Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: What happens when Profits drive Reform? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: What happens when Profits drive Reform? by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody This is the last exchange in this formal dialogue with the Gates Foundation. The tension uncovered by this dialogue reveals a disconnect between the work of the Gates Foundation and many of us who have spent our lives working in schools. Nonetheless, this represents an opportunity to move beyond the impasse. Similar to the po... more »

Labor Day facts - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Labor Day facts - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Labor Day facts By Valerie Strauss For well over a century Americans have been celebrating Labor Day on the first Monday in September, yet it may be the federal holiday about which kids — and plenty of adults — know the least. A protest in 2011 in Ohio against a Republican effort to cut public workers’ union bargaining rights. (Melina Mara/THE WASHINGTON POST)Too many don’t know that it was labor activists who forced employers to stop sending kids into mines, textiles, glass factories, canneries and o... more »

Teachers Need To Look At Jim Bouton As A Role Model.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Teachers Need To Look At Jim Bouton As A Role Model by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Jim Bouton pitched for the Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and the Houston Astros from 1962-1970 and a brief comeback briefly with the Atlanta Braves in 1978. His two best seasons were 1962 and 1963, but after that arm troubles did him in and he was never the same. He was known for his wicked fastball and his hat flying off his head as he pitched. He was apply nicknamed "The Bulldog." But his two claims to fame came from off the field. He was the inventor of the bub... more »

Letter from Louisiana State Board Member « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Letter from Louisiana State Board Member « Diane Ravitch's blog: Letter from Louisiana State Board Member by dianerav A few days ago, I started honoring people who defend public education and teachers against reckless assaults on them. One of the first of those on the honor roll was Lottie Beebe, an elected member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Here is her response. *************** Diane, you are my hero. Thank you for your untiring efforts to keep everyone informed of what is happening in Louisiana. We must continue to be vocal and strive to educate... more »

Students Last: From Slime to Self-flagellation: Teachers Prepare for New School Year

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Students Last: From Slime to Self-flagellation: Teachers Prepare for New School Year: From Slime to Self-flagellation: Teachers Prepare for New School Year by Students Last [image: Strike] *New York City - *While some teachers prepare to return to their classrooms by reviewing curriculum and purchasing needed supplies, many veteran educators get ready in less traditional ways. We sent reporters to each of the boroughs to uncover their secrets. *Staten Island* Beginning early in August, Ginny Evans, who has taught middle schoolers at I.S. 352 for twelve years, practices holding ... more »

In box. Jonah Edelman at ASCD. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

In box. Jonah Edelman at ASCD. « Fred Klonsky: In box. Jonah Edelman at ASCD. by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *ASCD cancelled him has a speaker……I hope everyone is happy that FREE SPEECH is now the new “squeaky wheel”………..so much for a nonprofit being A-Political…….isn’t the choice of the educator to attend his speaking engagement …..not the choice of ASCD to not allow him to speak? Horrible times we live in now……..* *- not a teacher…but a teacher’s dad * Dear not a teacher, Just to be clear. I never suggested that Edelman not be allowed Guest blog. I find myself unable to sit still. by... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Lord Help Perth Amboy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Lord Help Perth Amboy: Lord Help Perth Amboy by Duke [image: christopher-cerf-chris-christie.JPG] Because NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf sure won't. Remember, Cerf's the one who dithers and delayson bringing the war between members of the board of education and Superintendent Janine Caffrey to a swift conclusion. Now, just as school is ready to start, everything starts to fall apart. A former Perth Amboy school principal has filed a counterclaim after losing his job following accusations of allowing sales of alcoholic beverage in the school. Alvaro Cores, wh... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Does Tony Bennett Reflect the GOP's View of Education?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Does Tony Bennett Reflect the GOP's View of Education?: Does Tony Bennett Reflect the GOP's View of Education? by stlgretchen This is what a Republican Superintendent supports in education. Does this look state driven to you? What happens educationally in Indiana will happen in Missouri will happen in Florida will happen in Utah....and in any other state signed on to the Common Core standards. If Romney is elected president, will his new Secretary of Education support these unproven and untested standards? Will a DOEd secretary support standards an... more »

TO A HIGHER STANDARD « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

TO A HIGHER STANDARD « Teachers Fight Back: TO A HIGHER STANDARD by alkleen When are teachers going to understand that they are held to a higher standard than a person in any other profession known to man? That high standard takes away many of the freedoms that people who work in other professions are allowed to have. Teachers don’t really have freedom of expression, freedom of speech, the right to express themselves politically, (at least in the classroom), the right to make moral choices that might offend a school board or a community, the right to act in any manner that might... more »

School Tech Connect: It Needs To Be Honoroed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

School Tech Connect: It Needs To Be Honoroed: It Needs To Be Honoroed by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Nice letter in the downstate press. To the Editor: My pension does not need to be reformed; it needs to be honored. I am a retired public school teacher. I did not earn or pay into the Social Security system during my years of teaching. I instead paid into the Teacher Retirement System every paycheck (almost 10 percent each month). This was not a choice; it was an automatic deduction from my paycheck. My employers also paid into the Teacher Retirement System. The TRS invested ... more »

Eh, Political - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Eh, Political - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Eh, Political by Nancy Flanagan *Today is my birthday. I'm giving myself a day of relaxation--I've been working hard all week, keeping up with the political splatfest on TV and Twitter, from empty chairs to shopping for milk. Here's a reworked column I wrote in September of 2008. Guess what? Not much has changed.* I wish I had a stock certificate for every time I've heard a teacher exclaim "I'm not very political, but..." Or maybe I'd rather have a dollar, cash money in the cookie jar, given the times--but the poin... more »

Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram: Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in MaineDocuments expose the flow of money and influence from corporations that stand to profit from state leaders' efforts to expand and deregulate digital education. By Colin Woodard cwoodard@pressherald.com Staff Writer Stephen Bowen was excited and relieved. click image to enlarge Celestial McBride, left, 14, and her brother Sevan, 12, work on their online classes from the Florida Virtual School at their h... more »

UPDATE - Online Scandal in Maine: For-Profit Online Charter Scandal « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

For-Profit Online Charter Scandal « Diane Ravitch's blog: Understanding the Online Scandal in Maine by dianerav If you read this article about how online companies bought American education, you would not be at all shocked or surprised by the scandal in Maine. There, the state commissioner of education is following the instructions of Jeb Bush’s education advisor and implementing the ALEC model legislation to change the laws to bring in for-profit online corporations. Corporations will make millions. Many children in Maine will get a lousy education, and the taxpayers in Maine will... more »

Jonathan Kozol: FIRE IN THE ASHES: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Jonathan Kozol: FIRE IN THE ASHES: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children: Event Jonathan Kozol: FIRE IN THE ASHES: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children KPFA Radio 94.1 FM with the Oakland Education Association and the Berkeley Federation of Teachers presents Jonathan Kozol FIRE IN THE ASHES: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America A Tribute to Jonathan Kozol & All Public School Teachers Hosted by Anthony Cody $12 advance tickets: brownpapertickets.com : (800) 838-3006 or Pegasus Books, Marcus Books, Mrs. Dalloway's, Moe's Books, Walden Pond, DIESEL, ... more »

Vice President Biden Selected to "Talk to the Chair" at the Democratic National Convention

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

* **Vice President Biden Selected to* *"Talk to the Republican Chair"* *at the Democratic National Convention* * * * * * *

UPDATE: The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 . *John Dillon’s Pension Vocabulary:* “Who’s on first?” The Springfield art of finger-pointing and double talk. *My old Atlanta buddy Jim Skillman wrote an op-ed piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.* They wouldn’t print it. He wrote that all freedom loving Washington Post editorial: Illinois Dems are a problem for the national party on the eve of the DNC. by Fred Klonsky The Washington Post editorial today: *The Democrats Pension Dilemma.* For the party of activist government, the competing interests of th... more »

Daily Kos: what health care and education have in common

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Daily Kos: what health care and education have in common: what health care and education have in common by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is that neither can be addressed in isolation I am writing this as a result of watching Melissa Harris-Perry this morning, where she had a focus on issues of health care - an overall shortage of doctors, a specific shortage of primary care physicians, the costs of getting the necessary education versus the returns one can get (in certain practices), and problems of geographical distribution of physicians. But what also was mentioned is that much ... more »

The destructive power of “Education Reform” is spreading - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The destructive power of “Education Reform” is spreading - Wait, What?: The destructive power of “Education Reform” is spreading by jonpelto *Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram newspaper leads with the headline, “*Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine.” The reporting is a stunning tribute to what reporters can do when they look past the spin and the fancy press releases and really start digging. It is also another shocking example about how public education is falling to the education reform industry. Change the location from Maine to Connecticut and the ter... more »

Guest blogger: “Do they think WE’RE idiots.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Guest blogger: “Do they think WE’RE idiots.” « Fred Klonsky: Guest blogger: “Do they think WE’RE idiots.” by Fred Klonsky By guest blogger: MiC Shortly after a special session of the Illinois General Assembly ended a couple weeks ago, Representative Daniel Biss described the failure to enact pension “reform” by the politicians assembled in Springfield this way: *“We all look like idiots.”* This line, widely reported, pretty much summed up the view held prior to the special session of roughly 800,000 working and middle class Illinois public employees who keep us safe, care for our si... more »

C.O.R.E. video on Successful Chicago Strikes: Teachers set to walk out | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

C.O.R.E. video on Successful Chicago Strikes: Teachers set to walk out | Dailycensored.com: C.O.R.E. video on Successful Chicago Strikes: Teachers set to walk out by Danny Weil Produced by CORE (the Caucus of Rank and File Educators of the Chicago Teachers Union) and Chicago’s Labor Beat. Titled “CTU Strikes: 1968 – 1987″, the video was made during the summer of 2012 in conjunction with the four CORE “Successful Chicago Strikes” forums. It is now up and available on You Tube. The video contains interviews from retired Chicago Teachers Union members who participated in these... more »

American Rhetoric: Lyndon Baines Johnson -- "The Great Society"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

American Rhetoric: Lyndon Baines Johnson -- "The Great Society": A third place to build the Great Society is in the classrooms of America …We are still far from that goal. In many places, classrooms are overcrowded and curricula are outdated. Most of our qualified teachers are underpaid, and many of our paid teachers are unqualified. So we must give every child a place to sit and a teacher to learn from. Poverty must not be a bar to learning, and learning must offer an escape from poverty. Lyndon Baines Johnson *The Great Society* delivered 22 May 1964, Ann Arbor, MI Audio mp3 of... more »

Blue Collar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Q & A: Chiefs of five school districts talk reform — and describe their biggest wish - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Q & A: Chiefs of five school districts talk reform — and describe their biggest wish - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Q & A: Chiefs of five school districts talk reform — and describe their biggest wish By Valerie Strauss With the new school year upon us, we asked a handful of superintendents of districts in the greater Washington area to answer six questions so we could get a better understanding of their vision and challenges. Th school district chiefs were asked to talk about teacher evaluation, class size, new initiatives and more, including the one thing they would do ... more »

FCAT, PARCC: High-stakes testing by any other name - Other Views - MiamiHerald.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

FCAT, PARCC: High-stakes testing by any other name - Other Views - MiamiHerald.com: FCAT, PARCC: High-stakes testing by any other name BY KATHLEEN OROPEZAKATHLEENO@CFL.RR.COM Gov. Rick Scott and his advisors really need to get out more. If they were more clued in Scott would not be out there taking credit for stopping the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Here’s a newsflash: FCAT was always going away. Scott has nothing whatsoever to do with that. Gov. Charlie Crist implemented a plan to phase out the FCAT by 2014. The truth didn’t stop approval-hungry Scott from starring i...more »

Daily Kos: On "Hostile Rhetoric," Laziness, and the Education Debate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Daily Kos: On "Hostile Rhetoric," Laziness, and the Education Debate: On "Hostile Rhetoric," Laziness, and the Education Debate byplthomasEdDFollow 3 PERMALINK1 COMMENT In the early 1980s, I was newly married, seeking my first teaching job, and necessarily living in my parents' home, which also housed my sister, her husband, and child. We were a pretty interesting extended family nestled in the Upstate of rural South Carolina. One night, I was suddenly startled awake by my sister ripping the screened door off its hinges as she shouted for me to wake up. After a blur of jumping ... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-2-12 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] The Reason for Public Education by dianerav A reader explains why we maintain public schools. It is not about being college and career ready; it is not about global competition. It is this: *The reason for universal, free, and compulsory education is is simply this: the job requirements of a citizen in a democratic society are far and away more demanding than the job qualifications of a serf in a feudal society.* *The age of emancipation from compulsory education may vary with circumstances, but the reason ... more »

Bridgeport Election Tuesday: What Excel Bridgeport failed to point out - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Bridgeport Election Tuesday: What Excel Bridgeport failed to point out - Wait, What?: Bridgeport Election Tuesday: What Excel Bridgeport failed to point out by jonpelto This Tuesday, September 4th, the voters of Bridgeport can finally go to the polls to select members of a democratically elected board of education. This new board will replace the illegal board of education that has been running Bridgeport’s school for more than a year. It is the illegal board that hired Paul Vallas and his entourage of outside consultants. Excel Bridgeport is the group that pushed for the state’s ... more »

School Tech Connect: Thoughts On The Strike Notice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

School Tech Connect: Thoughts On The Strike Notice: Thoughts On The Strike Notice by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Two notes from Karen Lewis's press conference following the 10-day notice. 1. It's brilliant. It's both a concise summary of what's going on in the negotiations and of the larger picture of what's going on in the nation. This isn't some slick eduhucktster with a PowerPoint--- this is a chemistry teacher, laying out exactly what is happening, why it's happening, and how it all fits into the bigger picture. 2. The narrative of disruption that's going on the press is b... more »

Daily Kos: Nicholas Kristof takes on Republicans over abortion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: Nicholas Kristof takes on Republicans over abortion: Nicholas Kristof takes on Republicans over abortion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Today in America, more than one-third of teens say that when they began having sex, they had not had any formal instruction about contraception. Is this really the time for a Republican Party platform denouncing comprehensive sex education?Some Americans don’t even seem to have had any sex education by the time they’re elected to Congress. Like Todd Akin. That is the conclusion of Nicholas Kristof's Sunday *New York Times* column, tit... more »

Yes, they cheat at Harvard, too - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Yes, they cheat at Harvard, too - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Yes, they cheat at Harvard, too By Valerie Strauss The scandal at Harvard University in which authorities are investigatingwhether nearly half of a class of 279 students cheated on a take-home final exam raises a number of questions, including this: Does everybody cheat? Dozens of Harvard University students are being investigated for cheating after school officials discovered evidence they may have wrongly shared answers or plagiarized on a final exam. (Elise Amendola - AP)At the moment, Harvard is dealing w... more »

"Yo Soy 132" Student Movement Protests Calderon Government in Mexico - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

"Yo Soy 132" Student Movement Protests Calderon Government in Mexico - Hispanically Speaking News: “Yo Soy 132” Student Movement Protests Calderon Government in Mexico [image: “Yo Soy 132” Student Movement Protests Calderon Government in Mexico]Hundreds of people demonstrated outside Mexico’s Congress Saturday against President Felipe Calderon, a protest coinciding with the presentation of his final state-of-the-nation report. Members of the Yo soy 132 student movement, which arose in May as a reaction to the Mexican mass media’s bias in favor of now-President-elect Enrique Peña Ni... more »

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