Saturday, November 10, 2012

by Melissa Westbrook

Update at 4:40 pm: I still think the trend is not enough to say No to 1240 but it will end up being as close as it can be. At this time the Yes has dropped to 50.78% and No is at 49.22%, a difference of 1.56% and less than 42K.

From their press release:

After comprehensively reviewing ballot returns to date, The YES on 1240
Coalition announced today that Initiative 1240, the Washington Public Charter Schools
Initiative, will be approved by a majority of Washington voters. With over 2.6 million votes
counted, Initiative 1240 is leading with 51% of the vote.

According to Washington state law, election results will be officially certified and Initiative 1240
will take effect on December 6th. The initiative calls for members of the Washington State

High Teacher-Absentee Rates Hurt Schools | toteachornototeach

High Teacher-Absentee Rates Hurt Schools | toteachornototeach:

High Teacher-Absentee Rates Hurt Schools

by aristotlethewise

High Teacher-Absentee Rates Hurt Schools
By Francesca Duffy
Thirty-six percent of teachers nationwide missed more than 10 days of school during the 2009-10 year, according to an analysis of federal data by the Washington-based Center for American Progress.
Rhode Island had the highest percentage of teachers missing more than 10 days with 50.2, while Utah had the lowest with 20.2.
The analysis, based on data collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, also found

Are EDU conferences meeting our needs? « My Island View

Are EDU conferences meeting our needs? « My Island View:

Are EDU conferences meeting our needs?

by tomwhitby

Today I attended the 39^th Annual Conference for the Association of Middle Level Education in Portland, Oregon. I actually presented for this group for a couple of times about 25 years ago when it was The National Middle Schools Association. That was back in the day when we had far fewer middle schools. The model most often employed back then was the Junior High School. Junior high schools were 7-9 mini high schools. Little kids, little problems (what were we thinking?).
The middle school movement changed that for many school districts. It supported a more collaborative model for educators with a team oriented approach to education. I was a high school teacher for Six years, a junior high school teacher for ten years and a middle school teacher for eighteen years. From that perspective I describe middle school educators as teachers of kids, and high school educators as teachers of courses. I also describe elementary teachers as saints. That is not meant to disparage high school educators. Their job is to prepare

Schools Matter: Schools As Ecosystems Lessons from Sandy

Schools Matter: Schools As Ecosystems Lessons from Sandy:

Schools As Ecosystems Lessons from Sandy

by Judy Rabin

Teachers, who are the first responders when it comes to children, are doing their job here in New York. Despite no help from the Department of Education and the aftermath of the most devastating storm since Katrina, teachers are now free to bring the joy, caring and love to learning essential for success in nurturing the "whole child". Education reform is happening where it matters, on the ground in real classrooms, with or without lights, electricity, heat or buildings. The material needs are great, but the spiritual needs which have been neglected for so long because of the emphasis of high stakes standardized testing, can now return. These teachers might not have text books and databases, but they are free to teach.

Two NYC special Education Teachers and bloggers at Schools as Ecosystems,are paying close attention to public policy, are changing the conversation and shifting

Jersey Jazzman: Ronnie Greco of Jersey City: A Real Union Leader

Jersey Jazzman: Ronnie Greco of Jersey City: A Real Union Leader:

Ronnie Greco of Jersey City: A Real Union Leader

by Duke

Teachers union leaders across America, pay heed to Ronnie Greco, President of the Jersey City Education Association. This is what a real fighter for students, parents, and teachers looks like:

Dear colleagues,
I need to bring you up to date on a recent development. Several weeks ago, the administration contacted the JCEA and asked us to review an application that the district was planning to submit for a grant under the Race to the Top program. As you may know, the Race to the Top grant program is an initiative of the federal government that seeks to stimulate reform in public education. You may remember that under the first Race to the Top grant competition it was states that were competing for funding. You may further recall that the Commissioner of Education (and former Jersey City Mayor) Bret Schundler lost his job because he came to an

Washington charter initiative STILL undecided — update

Washington charter initiative STILL undecided — update:

Washington charter initiative STILL undecided — update

Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 8, 2012 at 4:40 pm

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We STILL don’t know the outcome of Washington’s initiative to allow charter schools to open in the state.

Pro charter forces spent more than $10 million to win approval from voters, who had rejected approving charter schools three times before. Bill Gates alone donated more than $3 million, Alice Walton of Wal-Mart fame gave more than $1.6 million, just to name a few of the billionaires who tried to get the initiative passed.

The latest numbers on the Web site of the secretary of state show that “yes” votes on Initiative 1240 have 50.84 percent of the vote — down from 51.1 percent of the vote a fe

Must Teachers Shut Down Our Compassion to Survive Education Reform? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Must Teachers Shut Down Our Compassion to Survive Education Reform? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Must Teachers Shut Down Our Compassion to Survive Education Reform?

by Anthony Cody

Yesterday I received a message from a reader. She wrote:

I am convinced that educators in this country have lost their senses. At least, they seem to have lost their consciences.

I sent your blog - What Hurricane Sandy is Teaching Us About Students Under Stress - to my fellow teachers this week. No one responded to the post via e-mail. I can understand that, since our school e-mails are monitored. But no one would talk to me about the "storms" our kids are living through when I mentioned your article at school.

Now, you may think, this is not unusual and that educators, in general, are not conscious of

Daily Kos: Saturday Morning reflection on reflection and living

Daily Kos: Saturday Morning reflection on reflection and living:

Saturday Morning reflection on reflection and living

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

I have always been a reflective person. Starting in pre-adolescence I used to carry notebooks around and jot down observations, thoughts, perceptions. I would "think aloud' on paper. I would step back from what i was doing and try to understand it, and would apply the same technique to things around me as well.
For almost a decade, blogging in various forms has taken the place of those notebooks, although a few months ago, as the results of a chance encounter, I found myself again carrying small notebooks and periodically writing in them instead of online.
During my time here it was not unusual that on a Saturday morning in particular I would offer some sort of reflection - on observations about the world around me, about my experiences in the classroom.
I have appreciated the feedback I have received, and the willingness of the members of this community to click on my posts and at least take a glance at what might be above the fold.
So today what I propose to do is to reflect upon reflection. If that does not interest you, so be it. If you might at least be curious, please continue below.

to further encourage you to see "Lincoln"

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

about which I wrote early this morning in this post after returning from seeing the film, I want to share something with you.
Slate has put together an array of photos of the real characters and the actors and actresses who portray them in the film.
You can see that here
Thought it worth a separate posting.

Fiscal Accountability? Oh you meant Fiscal Accountability… - Wait, What?

Fiscal Accountability? Oh you meant Fiscal Accountability… - Wait, What?:

Fiscal Accountability? Oh you meant Fiscal Accountability…

by jonpelto

Back around 2009, Governor Jodi Rell and her Office of Policy and Management had a tendency to misrepresent the state’s revenue and expenditure data in order to make it appear that the state budget was more balanced than it actually was. Some recall this was the time period when Rell allowed the Democratic Legislature’s budget to become state law without her signature, while claiming that she opposed the budget. Rell even went so far as to attempt to illegally use her line item veto authority to remove certain expenditures, but alas, the court ruled that she could have only used that authority if she had actually signed the budget, not simply allowed it to go into law without her signature.

In any case, in revenge for refusing to be honest about revenue estimates, and in a fit of

$tudent$ for Education Reform | EduShyster

$tudent$ for Education Reform | EduShyster:

$tudent$ for Education Reform

by edushyster2012

Members of Connecticut chapters of Students for Education Reform. $FER spent more than $15,000 to bus 60 members to a rally in support of CT Governor Malloy’s education reform bill.

Reader, today we revisit what has become perhaps my very phavorite rephorm group: Students for Education Reform. As you are no doubt aware, students are on the march from Chile, where they are demanding equal access to higher education, to Quebec, where striking students recently brought down the government for proposing a $325 PER YEAR tuition hike. You’ll be happy to know that US students are demanding education reform too, but alas it is of a somewhat different variety. Students for Education reform or $FER now has more than 100 chapters on campuses across the country, all focused on enacting what can only be described as

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky:

Return on our investment.

by Fred Klonsky

Illinois’ public employee unions spent a huge amount of member dollars in the last campaign.

American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees: $645,787
Illinois Federation of Teachers: $1,098,219
Illinois Education Association: $1,080,700
Service Employees International Union: $919,598

What will we get in return?

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

Funny thing about elections.
Except in the case of a rare tie, there are no do-overs.
Sure. You can try to steal it like when Bush stole the election from Gore by having his buddies on the Supreme Court order a halt to the Florida recount.
But, in theory at least, the votes are supposed to count.
The latest craze is to spin a loss into a win. That’s what the Republicans are trying to do now.
They are argue the election didn’t count.
See, unlike 2008 when Obama would have won even if no Black people had voted for him, this year he won because he got even more Black, Latino and young voters’ votes than in 2008. And, in their view, only old white men’s votes really matter.
There is similar spinning going on in Illinois where House Speaker Mike Madigan got every single member of the

Old school.

by Fred Klonsky

Annie Lennox.

Illinois Pension Alert!

by Fred Klonsky

Chicago Sun-Times:

House eyes six-day January session

By Dave McKinney on November 9, 2012 1:08 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

When Illinois lawmakers last were in session in a January, they voted to abolish the death penalty, increase the income tax and legalize civil unions.
Now, at least one of the two legislative chambers has told its members to be prepared to be at the Capitol for up to six days for another January session, this one possibly beginning Jan. 3.

Teachers Unions: Scourge of the Nation? « School Finance 101

Teachers Unions: Scourge of the Nation? « School Finance 101:

Teachers Unions: Scourge of the Nation?

by schoolfinance101

Let me start by stating that I, myself am somewhat agnostic when it comes to the questions around whether I believe teachers unions are generally good or bad for the overall quality of our education system and for educational equity. In my personal experiences as a young teacher in the early 1990s, I had my issues with my local teachers unions (in New York State in particular), resulting in some pretty heated battles with local and regional union officials [and some pretty nasty internal politics in my own school]. As a young teacher, I was anything but a fan of the teachers union. But unlike many of my TFA pals [I was a few years too early for TFA, but had friends & later colleagues in the first few waves] who only stuck it out in teaching for a year or two and may have developed similar negative feelings toward their local union, I did outgrow that initial reaction – which in my view- was somewhat isolated – and partly a function of my own youthful ignorance. I didn’t stick it out in public school teaching much longer than that [the local union actually ran me out!], but did have the unique experience of working in an elite private school that had a union, and I worked in that school during a contract renegotiation.
The idea for this post first came about when I read the following quote in an article in the Economist. This has to

The Illinois teacher strike wave continues. Geneva teachers may walk on a cold Tuesday morning. « Fred Klonsky

The Illinois teacher strike wave continues. Geneva teachers may walk on a cold Tuesday morning. « Fred Klonsky:

The Illinois teacher strike wave continues. Geneva teachers may walk on a cold Tuesday morning.

by Fred Klonsky

PopoutThe wave of teacher strikes in Illinois appears to continue as negotiators for the Geneva Education Association and Geneva board members meet one last time tomorrow, Sunday.
Picketing is planned for Tuesday, when the temperatures in the Chicago area will drop into the 30s.
Sitting on a $30 million budget surplus, the board demanded a one year hard salary freeze. No step increase. No cost of living increase. This will cost teachers $20000 over the life of their careers according to GEA negotiators.

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 11-10-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-10-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] What Grades Do You Give to a First Grader? by dianerav This rural teacher says his head is about to explode. The state says he has to give test after test after test to his first graders. Then he has to convert those scores into a letter grade. This doesn’t make any sense to him. The children are just beginning to make sense of letters and words. Rhee’s Organization Vindicates Rhee’s Reforms by dianerav Michelle Rhee founded The New Teacher Project. Rhee, of course, was then chancellor of the DC school sys... more »

Louisiana Educator: More Jindal Coersion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago

Louisiana Educator: More Jindal Coersion: More Jindal Coersion by Michael Deshotels Governor Jindal intimidated his way to another win over the Legislature and the voters by turning over the administration of group benefits health insurance to Blue Cross Blue Shield. See the excellent post on this travesty in the Louisiana Voice blog. All employee groups participating in OGB programs spoke against the privatization move. The groups opposing included the Retired Teachers' Association, the LAE, LFT, AFSME, and the School Boards Association. These groups remained in opposition even ... more »

School Lunches From Around The World | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago

School Lunches From Around The World | toteachornototeach: School Lunches From Around The World by aristotlethewise School Lunches From Around The World School lunch has been a contentious issue this year, ever since First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack rolled out their new school lunch initiative last spring. But the attention on what schools are serving isn’t unique to the States. Scotland’s 9-year-old Martha Payne garnered international headlines for her school lunch blog that chronicled dismal school meals. The blog drew so much attention that local of... more »

Daily Kos: Lincoln

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago

Daily Kos: Lincoln: Lincoln by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) we have just returned from seeing the new Steven Spielberg film, "Lincoln." It has a superb cast - Daniel-Day Lewis, David Straithaim, Sally Field, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Tommy Lee Jones. It is based to a large degree on the book *Team of Rivals* by Doris Kearns Goodwin, with the script written by playwright Tony Kushner. It is about politics, about character, about history, focusing on the first few months of 1865 and the attempt to pass the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery through the House of Representativ... more »

Ann Coulter vs. the Jesuits: A college invite is rescinded | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Ann Coulter vs. the Jesuits: A college invite is rescinded | Get Schooled: Ann Coulter vs. the Jesuits: A college invite is rescinded by Maureen Downey [image: Pundit Ann Coulter]Pundit Ann Coulter I have written this blog now for several years, and only mentioned acidic pundit Ann Coulter once. Three weeks later, I am bringing her up again because this incident demonstrates a sensible way to handle controversies over college speakers. Coulter was invited to Fordham University in New York to speak on Nov. 29 by the College Republicans. The planned appearance triggered protests and a... more »

An easy trick to reduce cheating

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

An easy trick to reduce cheating: An easy trick to reduce cheating Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 10, 2012 at 6:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » (University of Nebraska-Lincoln website) What can teachers do to help stem pervasive cheating among students? Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham has a suggestion. Willingham is a professor and director of graduate studies in psychology at the University of Virginia and author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?” His newly publishe... more »

Schools Matter: D. Ravitch: the President sends out mixed messages about education.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago

Schools Matter: D. Ravitch: the President sends out mixed messages about education.: D. Ravitch: the President sends out mixed messages about education. by skrashen Quoted in the Huffington Post, Diane Ravitch commented on President Obama’s future education policies (http://tinyurl.com/amyjkne). "My worst fear is it'll continue to be the same. His education policy is indistinguishable from Mitt Romney's, aside from vouchers. It's based on test test test test." She also noted that "The president sends out mixed messages. He says he doesn't want teachers teaching to the test, and... more »

Scandalous Payoff to Failed Florida Charter School Principal Shocks….SHOCKS Legislators | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago

Scandalous Payoff to Failed Florida Charter School Principal Shocks….SHOCKS Legislators | Scathing Purple Musings: Scandalous Payoff to Failed Florida Charter School Principal Shocks….SHOCKS Legislators by Bob Sikes [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] While Rick Scott is telling Floridians he wants even more charter school expansion, another scandal erupts when it was learned a failed charter school principal received a $519,000 payoff. Writes Lauren Roth in the*Orlando Sentinel*: An Orange County charter school that gave its principal a $519,000 departure... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teacher Versus Student; All's Well That Ends Well

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teacher Versus Student; All's Well That Ends Well: Teacher Versus Student; All's Well That Ends Well by Melissa Westbrook Very interesting story from our friends at The Stranger Slog: *According to the police report, a female student at Nathan Hale High School walked into the classroom "asking for some note cards" when she was allegedly struck with a 500-page copy of Homer's The Odyssey around 9:00 a.m. on November 1. By way of explanation, the teacher reportedly told police, "I was in a dramatic moment of teaching and when I was interrupt[ed], I... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Our New National Anthem? Teach THIS Song to Students.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Our New National Anthem? Teach THIS Song to Students.: Our New National Anthem? Teach THIS Song to Students. by stlgretchen Instead of the soaring *Star Spangled Banner* as America's national anthem, I suggest the sad and poignant song *Our Town* better reflects our country and its slide from exceptionalism to a European model of government. Popout How sad Americans now want more federal government intrusion in their lives while losing their

Persistent Dilemmas That Cling to Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago

Persistent Dilemmas That Cling to Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Persistent Dilemmas That Cling to Teaching by larrycuban *Nearly three years ago I wrote a post on a new teacher’s dilemma. In that post I defined what a dilemma was and distinguished it from a problem. Then I presented an instance of a dilemma in a novice’s classroom and asked readers what they thought.* *Since then, I have written about dilemmas often in this blog (see here, here, and here). Because “dilemma” is so often used as a synonym for “problem” and because these tensions ove... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: CES Fall Forum: Day One

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago

An Urban Teacher's Education: CES Fall Forum: Day One: CES Fall Forum: Day One by James Boutin [image: Coalition of Essential Schools] Today I worked in an all-day session on creating student-led classrooms at the CES Fall Forum in Providence, Rhode Island. The presenters asked us to think about traditional models of schooling and scrutinize their rationales. As you would expect, they went on to argue that learning should be in service of exploring student wonderings and in places students learn best. While I felt the session was mostly just a rehashing of CES principles in the c... more »

Teaching Career Pathways: Curriculum Design and School Partnerships « InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago

Teaching Career Pathways: Curriculum Design and School Partnerships « InterACT: Teaching Career Pathways: Curriculum Design and School Partnerships by David B. Cohen [image: numbers]*Note: in November 2012, Accomplished California Teachers (ACT) released the policy report “Promoting Quality Teaching: New Approaches to Compensation and Career Pathways.” The following post is the second in a series of profiles showing how California teacher leaders are beginning to develop and follow diversified career pathways. California teachers, and our peers around the nation, are looking for ... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 11-10-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 58 minutes ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* 6 stories: WITH PASSAGE OF PROP 30 DEASY TO ASK LAUSD BOARD TO RESTORE SCHOOL YEAR/RESCIND FURLOUGH DAYS smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 7 minutes ago "There is absolutely zero risk," Deasy said in an interview. - Be afraid. Be very afraid. LAUSD chief seeks to rescind furloughs, restore 180-day calendar By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer LA Newspaper Group/Daily News | http://bit.ly/Qwdm5l 11/09/2012 07:44:53 PM PST :: Just a week after voters approved a package of tax h... more »

Untitled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 59 minutes ago

This Week's Education Research Report 11-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2 Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * Link Found Between Child Prodigies and Autism Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 17 hours ago A new study of eight child prodigies suggests a possible link between these children’s special skills and autism. Of the eight prodigies studied, three had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. As a group, the prodigies also tended to have slightly elevated scores on a test of autistic traits, when compared to a control group. In addit... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 11-10-12 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY* [image: Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Problems.] “If we don’t take time to listen and get to know them, who will?” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 10 hours ago The headline of this post comes from a nice piece by Jimmy Casas on home visits called My First Home Visit With Larry Leonard. It’s worth a read…. Molly Munger’s (& PTA’s) Initiative Gets 28% Of CA Vote Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 2 days ago I’... more »

Curriculum Frameworks - English Language Arts (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Curriculum Frameworks - English Language Arts (CA Dept of Education): Curriculum FrameworksGuidelines for implementing the content standards adopted by the California State Board of Education that are developed by the Instructional Quality Commission. ------------------------------ English Language Arts2014 Revision of the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework Assembly Bill 250 (Chapter 608, Statutes of 2011) calls for the revision of the *English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework* to align with the Common Core State Standards for English ... more »

NEA - American Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

NEA - American Education Week: American Education Week Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility American Education Week—November 11-17, 2012—presents all Americans with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education. The weeklong celebration features a special observance each day of the week. They include: *Monday, November 12: Veterans Day* Schools nationwide are closed in observance of the armed service veterans who have served this country, includi... more »

Presidential Proclamation -- American Education Week, 2012 | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Presidential Proclamation -- American Education Week, 2012 | The White House: Presidential Proclamation -- American Education Week, 2012 AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK, 2012 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION All children deserve access to a world-class education and the chance to pursue their dreams. Our schools are a gateway to those opportunities and the key to our Nation's economic prosperity and civic life. This week, we reaffirm our national mission of educating our students and training our workers better than any other country on earth. My Administratio... more »

Insights About Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Insights About Teacher Evaluation — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Insights About Teacher Evaluation November 9, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: Teacher Evaluation - ASCD Educational Leadership] The role of teacher evaluation is among the most contentious issues in education today. Even when there is general agreement that teachers' performance should be assessed in some way, there is vigorous disagreement about how those assessments should be conducted and how the results should be used. If the ultimate goal of teacher evaluat... more »

Value-added teacher assessment hit by Council for Exceptional Children

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Value-added teacher assessment hit by Council for Exceptional Children: Value-added teacher assessment hit by Council for Exceptional Children Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 9, 2012 at 4:22 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » The Council for Exceptional Children has issued a new position paper that rejects the use of “value-added” systems that link evaluations of teachers — especially those in the field of special education — to student standardized test scores and says they are cause “fo... more »

Jersey Jazzman: TFAers Need To Watch Sesame Street

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: TFAers Need To Watch Sesame Street: TFAers Need To Watch Sesame Street by Duke Wendy and Michelle and Joel and all our other little reformy friends need to take a break and watch Sesame Street, with special guest Justice Sonia Sotomayor: Popout Justice Sotomayor: "*A career is a job that you train for and prepare for and plan on doing for a long time.*" Abby Cadabby: "*Well, then what kind of career can a girl like me have?*" Justice Sotomayor: "*Well, you can go to school and train to be a teacher... *" Abby Cadabby: "*Ahh!*" Teach For Americans, please take

John Dewey on comparing students — Blast from the Past/Quote of the Day | AMPS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

John Dewey on comparing students — Blast from the Past/Quote of the Day | AMPS: John Dewey on comparing students — Blast from the Past/Quote of the Day by Thomas J. Mertz Sly & the Family Stone, ” Everyday People” (click to listen or download). How one person’s abilities compare in quantity with those of another is none of the teacher’s business. It is irrelevant to his work. What is required is that every individual shall have opportunities to employ his own powers in activities that have meaning. John Dewey *Democracy and Education*, 1916 The current “accountability” madness is ... more »

Commentary: Testing! Testing! 1 2 3! Detouring away from meaningful education | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Commentary: Testing! Testing! 1 2 3! Detouring away from meaningful education | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Commentary: Testing! Testing! 1 2 3! Detouring away from meaningful education by thenotebook *This is a guest blog, and the ideas expressed are solely the opinions of the author. The *Notebook *invites guest blog posts on current topics in Philadelphia education from its readers. Send submissions to notebook@thenotebook.org.* ------------------------------ *by Joseph P. Batory* During the past 12 years, since the adoption of No Child Left Behind, elected officials at ... more »

Daily Kos: thinking about financial issues for the nation. . .

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Daily Kos: thinking about financial issues for the nation. . .: thinking about financial issues for the nation. . . by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) On Social Security - the system is not "broke" and can be funded as far as is necessary by raising the ceiling on the salaries from which FICA taxes are deducted. In fact, there is no reason not to raise it to whatever the ordinary members of the House and Senate are paid in lockstep with when they raise their own pay. It is more than ridiculous that they do not pay Social Security taxes on all their tax-payer salaries while the vas... more »

Charter schools fail superintendent’s test - Chagrin Valley Times The Solon Times, The Geauga Times Courier

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Charter schools fail superintendent’s test - Chagrin Valley Times The Solon Times, The Geauga Times Courier: Charter schools fail superintendent’s test By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR. [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] NEWBURY — Newbury School Superintendent Richard Wagner is mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore. Mr. Wagner fired what he called the “first salvo” Monday in what could be a war of words with state politicians who have diverted public dollars to charter schools. Charter schools, also known in Ohio as community schools, are publicly funded pri... more »

The Most Precious Thing, Part II Middle Grades Mastery

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Middle Grades Mastery: The Most Precious Thing, Part II NOVEMBER 8, 2012 LEAVE A COMMENT In the days following the general election, we are starting to take stock of what we have to work with and where we need to go from here. This is an important time to assess what we, as parents and teachers need to do to make sure our kids are afforded what we want most for them: their futures. Here are some things that my friends and I will be working toward over this next year: 1) Opting Out of State Tests Schools and superintendents like to make this sound like it’s totally illegal and impo... more »

Barack Obama's second-term Cabinet - Edward-Isaac Dovere - POLITICO.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Barack Obama's second-term Cabinet - Edward-Isaac Dovere - POLITICO.com: Barack Obama's second-term Cabinet - 80 - 144 - Short URLURLClose - Email - Print [image: Barack Obama is pictured with members of his first-term Cabinet. | AP Photo] Obama's planning for a second term has been under way for months. | AP Photo Close *Health and Human Services* One contentious figure who’s expected to stay in place is Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. She’s steeped in Obama’s health care law, and with the amount of work needed to prepare for most of its ... more »

The Weekly Update: The 2012 Election Results on Education… so far | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

The Weekly Update: The 2012 Election Results on Education… so far | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: The 2012 Election Results on Education… so far by seattleducation2011 Before going through the results of the elections, one last note about the Walton’s. I came across a list of candidates running for election or re-election who received donations from the Waltons this year. It is interesting to note that Obama and Romney got about the same amount of money from the Waltons. I suppose that’s called “hedging your bets”. The list of cash recipients is long and worth a look. Rick... more »

Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at he Education Trust Conference | U.S. Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at he Education Trust Conference | U.S. Department of Education: Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at he Education Trust Conference *Dispelling the Myth School Awards Dinner* NOVEMBER 8, 2012 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov This is a day of celebration in so many ways. I'm thrilled for our nation, and I'm thrilled for our nation's school children, that President Obama has been re-elected. And to top it off, we're going to hear from Sweet Honey in the Rock next. I know what a treat that is... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Jon Stewart, Brooklyn Castle, and the Importance of Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Jon Stewart, Brooklyn Castle, and the Importance of Teachers: Jon Stewart, Brooklyn Castle, and the Importance of Teachers by Duke Valerie Strauss points us to Jon Stewart's interview last night with the director and one of the stars of *Brooklyn Castle:* * On “The Daily Show” Thursday night, Jon Stewart did a segment that focused on public education — the impact of budget cuts, how kids learn, teachers. This was all in his discussion with director Katie Dellamaggiore and student Pobo Efekoro about their documentary film “Brooklyn Castle,” which details how budg... more »

Go Figure - Turns out Bridgeport voters aren’t the only ones who appreciate the right to vote - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Go Figure - Turns out Bridgeport voters aren’t the only ones who appreciate the right to vote - Wait, What?: Go Figure – Turns out Bridgeport voters aren’t the only ones who appreciate the right to vote by jonpelto Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch…Upon hearing the news that his proposal to do away with a democratically elected board of education and replace it with one made up of people appointed by him, Bridgeport’s Mayor said, “While I believe that the New York, Boston and Providence model would have ensured greater progress for our schools and better results for our students, I wil... more »

THE DEFINITION OF CHRONIC TRUANCY « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

THE DEFINITION OF CHRONIC TRUANCY « Teachers Fight Back: THE DEFINITION OF CHRONIC TRUANCY by alkleen I was unaware that state law in Illinois changed the definition of “chronic truancy” last July. The new law states that a student is “chronically truant” if they miss 5 percent, or nine school days, of the 180 day school year without a valid cause. Under the old law and definition, a student had to miss 10 percent of school days (18) within a school year. The new law makes it much easier for a student to reach the definition of being “chronically truant”. The old law was just rid... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Why TFAers Don't Stay in Teaching

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Why TFAers Don't Stay in Teaching: Why TFAers Don't Stay in Teaching by Duke You're one of the best and the brighest. You attended an elite four-year college and went into serious debt to do so. But after graduation, you weren't quite sure how to turn that degree in Art History into a job. Needing some resume padding, you signed up for Teach For America, and made a two-year commitment to teach. Now you're finished... and you're leaving teaching, just like the vast, vast majority of your TFA peers. Why is that? In the midst of a continuing recession, beginning K-... more »

UPDATE: Illinois pensions. There’s a cold wind blowing come January. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Illinois pensions. There’s a cold wind blowing come January. « Fred Klonsky: Illinois pensions. There’s a cold wind blowing come January. by Fred Klonsky Michael Madigan’s attempt to undermine the pension protection clause of the Illinois Constitution went down in flames. It got neither the 60% of the voters to vote yes nor 50% of the voters who cast a ballot. 2.5 million voters in Illinois *did not* approve the Constitutional Amendment on pensions. In addition there was no *tax rebellion* on Tuesday directed at the Democrats for their vote to temporarily increase the state income... more »

Pass / Fail : LAUSD Superintendent to ask board to restore lost week of instruction | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Pass / Fail : LAUSD Superintendent to ask board to restore lost week of instruction | 89.3 KPCC: LAUSD Superintendent to ask board to restore lost week of instruction by By Tami Abdollah [image: School Shooting] *After the passage of Prop. 30, Superintendent John Deasy will ask the L.A. Unified school board Tuesday to restore all furlough days and the week of instruction cut from this school year. Credit: Nick Ut/AP* Now that Proposition 30 has passed, Superintendent John Deasy will ask the L.A. Unified school board Tuesday to erase teacher furlough days and restore the week of inst... more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: Passing The Balme But Not The Buck

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Teachers Don't Suck !: Passing The Balme But Not The Buck: Passing The Balme But Not The Buck by Walt S. It's all BS just like T&E, QEA, QSAC, NCLB, The Open Classroom. and list goes on. The State has run Paterson, Jersey

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates on 1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates on 1240: Updates on 1240 by Melissa Westbrook *1240* - Still 600K votes still to count and it's down by just under 46K. So doable but the number crunching from the top counties where each side leads just don't support a win unless there is some big turn towards No. Ditto on the race for Governor. The numbers are just not trending McKenna's way so I believe Inslee will take it. Frankly, I think that even though Inslee has been somewhat vague on funding issues, he is far less rigid than McKenna on education issues. And, the Legislature ... more »

Obama Education Policy: Second Term Direction Still Not Clear

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Obama Education Policy: Second Term Direction Still Not Clear: Obama Education Policy: Second Term Direction Still Not Clear Posted: 11/08/2012 7:23 pm EST Updated: 11/08/2012 7:25 pm EST [image: Obama Education Second Term] In Rick Hess's eyes, President Barack Obama has a big choice to make. "The president campaigned with a different face of education reform than what he championed during the first term," Hess, an influential education scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said in an interview. "I'm curious as to whether what he said on the campaign trail is more reflecti... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Video: Daily Show Interview with "Brooklyn Castle" filmmaker and student

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Video: Daily Show Interview with "Brooklyn Castle" filmmaker and student: Video: Daily Show Interview with "Brooklyn Castle" filmmaker and student by Leonie Haimson See the video clip below last night from Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, with Katie Dellamaggiore, the maker of the inspirational film "Brooklyn Castle," about IS 318 in Brooklyn and its champion chess team, and Pobo Efekoro, a former member of the team. This film, which has now opened around the country is an absolute must-see. The villains are not those as in the usual Hollywood propaganda... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, November 9, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *California State University Monterey Bay* Education Headlines *Friday, November 9, 2012* Stockton USD likes early results of in-school suspensionsThree key factors have moved Stockton Unified to test a modification of its approach to student discipline. Novato charter supporters, opponents square offMore than 250 people packed the Novato Unified School District's headquarters Thursday night to debate a controversial proposal for a new charter school. Fensterwald: In local votes of confidence, most bonds, parcel taxes passProposit... more »

Criticizing the One They Endorsed | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Criticizing the One They Endorsed | Truth in American Education: Criticizing the One They Endorsed by Shane Vander Hart It’s pretty fascinating to see people fall all over themselves to endorse President Obama criticize him sharply on his education policies. We’re concerned about a federal take over of education where parents and local stakeholders will lose influence over education policy. They’re afraid of teachers losing their jobs. But Obama’s first term also saw the creation of the Race to the Top program, which angered unions by requiring participating states to evaluate t... more »

Jon Stewart focuses on public education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Jon Stewart focuses on public education: Jon Stewart focuses on public education Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 9, 2012 at 9:11 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » On “The Daily Show” Thursday night, Jon Stewart did a segment that focused on public education — the impact of budget cuts, how kids learn, teachers. This was all in his discussion with director Katie Dellamaggiore and student Pobo Efekoro about their documentary film “Brooklyn Castle,” which details how budget cuts affected a... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Remembering Central Falls, I hear that Duncan is staying put

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Remembering Central Falls, I hear that Duncan is staying put: Remembering Central Falls, I hear that Duncan is staying put by Mike Klonsky Anonymous reader points to Lynn Sweet's column in the Sun-Times which tells us that *Arne Duncan* wants another term and "there is no plan for a change." While I'd be happy to see Duncan go, I'm not so concerned with that now, since it would only amount to a cosmetic change at best. Obama shows no sign of evolving in his understanding of education reform and it's clear (to me at least) that Duncan was never capabl... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Remembering Central Falls, I hear that Duncan is staying put

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Educated Reporter: The Experts Chime In: What's Next For Federal Education Policy?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The Educated Reporter: The Experts Chime In: What's Next For Federal Education Policy?: The Experts Chime In: What's Next For Federal Education Policy? If you’re looking for insights into what's next for federal education policy, I recommend watching the replay of a lively and insightful panel discussion held Thursday at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Here’s just a snippet from panelist Alyson Klein of Education Week’s Politics K-12blog, explaining why President Obama is likely motivated to make higher education a priority in his second term: “If half of t... more »

PublicEye.org -The Right's "School Choice" Scheme

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

PublicEye.org - The Website of Political Research Associates: The Right's "School Choice" Scheme By Rachel Tabachnick *Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, left, makes a point as Kathleen Oropeza, the Orlando mother who helped create the Fund Education Now group, listens during the Florida Forward education reform forum, hosted by the Orlando Sentinel, Tuesday, September 20, 2011, in downtown Orlando, Florida. Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/MCT via Getty Images.* In June 1995, the economist Milton Friedman wrote an article for the *Washington Post* promoting the use of public education ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-9-12 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] “Brooklyn Castle” on the Jon Stewart “Daily Show” by dianerav Jon Stewart is public education’s best friend in the media. Maybe because his mother was a public school teacher. Of course. He interviewed the director/producer of the wonderful film “Brooklyn Castle” and one of the lead students on the school’s chess team. Stewart asked why New York City was willing to cut the funding for the school’s championship chess team while not cutting the amount of standardized testing. We all wonder the same thing. Wh... more »

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Saturday, November 10, 2012

House eyes six-day January session