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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts #ows #edreform


Video: Rosemont HS Teacher Learns to 'Cat Daddy' - Rosemont, CA Patch

Video: Rosemont HS Teacher Learns to 'Cat Daddy' - Rosemont, CA Patch:Video: Rosemont HS Teacher Learns to 'Cat Daddy'DD performed at the school Thursday.By Cody KitauraEmail the author6:00 am Email Print Comment1 of 1Credit Cody Kitaura Upload Photos and VideosRosemont High School Band Director Robin Wilmer learned something from a former student this week.DD, a former student and his brother who are now Los Angeles hip-hop musicians, taught Wilmer how to do the "Cat Daddy" on Thursday. Watch the video ... more »

Help Parents Across America grow even stronger in 2012 | Seattle Education

Help Parents Across America grow even stronger in 2012 | Seattle Education:Help Parents Across America grow even stronger in 2012by seattleducation2011Issued by Parents Across America:Dear Friends:It’s nearly impossible for parents to ignore what’s being done to our public schools these days. It’s become even harder for parents to have a say about decisions that affect our children’s lives on a daily basis. In fact, politicians and those running our school systems often seem to think that the only voices that ... more »

California courts redefining who counts as a parent - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

California courts redefining who counts as a parent - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:California courts redefining who counts as a parenthsangree@sacbee.comPUBLISHED WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21, 2011Even as the definition of family in America expands and shifts, California courts are trying to keep pace by redefining whom the law regards as parents.Judges have moved beyond traditional notions of biology and adoption and have assigned parental rights to adults with no genetic or legal ties to kids.In ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts #ows #edreform

Person of the Year | Lefty ParentBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-4 hours agoPerson of the Year | Lefty Parent:Person of the Yearby Cooper ZaleI caught the cover art of the recent Time magazine piececalling out the “Protester” as its “Person of the Year” and thought it was very cool. For the second time in this new century this long-time bulwark of the Eastern U.S. establishment has gone against its longstanding elitist tradition of calling out a member (or ... more »

The truth about school prayer - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

The truth about school prayer - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:The truth about school prayerby Valerie StraussThis was written by Charles Haynes, director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum. He writes and speaks extensively on religious liberty and religion in American public life. This appeared on the The Amendment Center’s website.By Charles HaynesThe latest attack on the “godless public schools” — a staple of Republican primaries past — is a new ad in Iowa by ... more »

Engaging Parents In School… - “Effective Communication With Parents”

Engaging Parents In School… - “Effective Communication With Parents”:“Effective Communication With Parents”by Larry FerlazzoEffective Communication With Parents is a useful article at Education World.This Week’s “Links I Should Have Posted About, But Didn’t”by Larry FerlazzoI have a huge backlog of resources that I’ve been planning to post about in this blog but, just because of time constraints, have not gotten around to doing. Instead of letting that backlog grow bigger, I regularly grab a few and list them here with ... more »

ASCD Inservice: In Case You Missed It

ASCD Inservice: In Case You Missed It:In Case You Missed ItCheck out the most recent highlights from ASCD:Use the following seven principles to guide instruction in every classroom and at every level of schooling, says Elliott Seif.Technology should be a part of the daily routine in the classroom writes Celina Brennan.Teacher leadership, curriculum development and keeping the "main thing the main thing" should be on your list to focus on in the new year.One approach to use with students who ... more »

Schools Matter: Poverty Matters!: Questions Needing Answers

Schools Matter: Poverty Matters!: Questions Needing Answers:Poverty Matters!: Questions Needing Answersby P. L. ThomasIn "Poverty Matters!: A Christmas Miracle pt. 1," I conceded the new refrain that no one is discounting the negative influence of poverty on student learning, specifically on the narrow representation of learning through test scores. I also ventured to identify the broad positions of the education reform debate, acknowledging the problem with suggesting anything has two sides but believing that this characterization is fair—with the "No ... more »

hctiB G: Holiday Greeting 2011 | The G Bitch Spot

hctiB G: Holiday Greeting 2011 | The G Bitch Spot:hctiB G: Holiday Greeting 2011by G BitchAh, the season of what-DO-you-eat is here again.originally posted December 21, 2006It’s time to make another magical, atheist, vegan Christmas/holiday season for The Girl. I will take a break from now until about the 30th. Spare an animal–have a vegetarian/vegan holiday meal. Donate to others and smile for no reasonRemember: Dec. 31, 2005by G BitchLongtime educators are kicked to the curb, letter to editor, Times-Pic. ... more »

Person of the Year | Lefty Parent

Person of the Year | Lefty Parent:Person of the Yearby Cooper ZaleI caught the cover art of the recent Time magazine piececalling out the “Protester” as its “Person of the Year” and thought it was very cool. For the second time in this new century this long-time bulwark of the Eastern U.S. establishment has gone against its longstanding elitist tradition of calling out a member (or at least a darling) of the elite as its (once “Man” and now) “Person ... more »

Rethinking Schools Article Goes Viral: Students Asked to Critically Consider Gender Stereotypes « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Rethinking Schools Article Goes Viral: Students Asked to Critically Consider Gender Stereotypes « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:Rethinking Schools Article Goes Viral: Students Asked to Critically Consider Gender Stereotypesby millerlfThe following Rethinking Schools article, written by Melissa BollowTempel a Milwaukee Public School teacher, was posted this past week on Huffington Post. It has gone viral state-wide in Wisconsin, nationally and internationally.It’s Ok to Be NeitherTeaching that supports gender-variant children By Melissa Bollow Tempel Fall 2011, Rethinkin... more »

Teach for America: The Hidden Curriculum of Liberal Do-Gooders

Teach for America: The Hidden Curriculum of Liberal Do-Gooders:Teach for America: The Hidden Curriculum of Liberal Do-Goodersby ANDREW HARTMAN · in WINTER 2012Art by Loki MuthuThe job of the American public school teacher has never been so thankless. In states across America, cutting teacher salaries and pensions has become the most popular method for fixing budget deficits. New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie’s deep cuts, for instance, force teachers to contribute a much higher percentage of their salaries to their ...more »

At least our union rights weren’t pimped cheap. « Fred Klonsky

At least our union rights weren’t pimped cheap. « Fred Klonsky:At least our union rights weren’t pimped cheap.by Fred KlonskyI guess I owe Audrey Soglin, the IEA Executive Director and retired ex-president Ken Swanson an apology.For several years I have ridden them kind of hard for selling out our union rights and getting nothing in return.In order to qualify for Race to the Top money several years ago, Audrey was appointed by the governor to head the committee that drafted ...more »

Jay P. Greene Highlights Internal Common Core Battles | Truth in American Education

Jay P. Greene Highlights Internal Common Core Battles | Truth in American Education:Jay P. Greene Highlights Internal Common Core Battlesby James BellJay P. Greene writes on his own blog that a battle is brewing between various strains of the pro-Common Core factions as they realize the immensity of the monopoly they are proposing to put into place:Let the in-fighting begin.Supporters of digital learning, many of whom were among the strongest supporters of national standards, have organized in opposition to the ... more »

SBE Agenda for January 2012 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)

SBE Agenda for January 2012 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education):SBE Agenda for January 2012Agenda for the California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting to be held on January 11 and 12, 2012.State Board MembersMichael W. Kirst, PresidentTrish Williams, Vice PresidentJames AschwandenYvonne ChanCarl CohnAida MolinaJames C. RamosPatricia A. RuckerIlene W. StrausCaitlin Snell, Student MemberSecretary Executive OfficerHon. Tom TorlaksonExecutive DirectorSusan K. BurrSchedule of MeetingLocationWednesday, January 11, 20128:30 a.m. Pacific Time +STATE BOARD OF EDUCATIONClos... more »

School Tech Connect: Dumb Ideas

School Tech Connect: Dumb Ideas:Dumb Ideasby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Race To The Top. If I weren't so lazy, I'd still be racking by brain trying to figure out which constituency is supposed to be happy about RTTT. Aside from data-system salespeople, it all seems like it's just designed to piss people off.At some point, the RTTT money was coming out of the stimulus package of 2009. Is is still? And how in the frick is it supposed to stimulate the economy when ... more »

December 2011 Information Memoranda - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)

December 2011 Information Memoranda - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education):December 2011 Information MemorandaBackground information and updates on issues of interest to the State Board Members.Periodically, the State Board Members may receive information memoranda from State Board staff and the California Department of Education. The information memoranda may include background information, updates on issues of interest to the State Board Members, and reports on a variety of educational topics.California High School Exit Examination: Annual and Biennial Independent Evalu... more »

Bridging Disparities in U.S. Student Learning « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

Bridging Disparities in U.S. Student Learning « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:Bridging Disparities in U.S. Student Learningby Klea ScharbergNine years after NCLB, although there have been improvements in test scores of U.S. minority students, serious gaps persist between the achievement of white students and their Black and Latino counterparts.In Creating the Opportunity to Learn: Moving from Research to Practice to Close the Achievement Gap, authors A. Wade Boykin and Pedro Noguera, nationally recognized experts in the fields ... more »

Please help PAA grow even stronger in 2012! « Parents Across America

Please help PAA grow even stronger in 2012! « Parents Across America: Please help PAA grow even stronger in 2012!by leoniehaimsonDear Friends,It’s nearly impossible for parents to ignore what’s being done to our public schools these days. It’s become even harder for parents to have a say about decisions that affect our children’s lives on a daily basis. In fact, politicians and those running our school systems often seem to think that the only voices that matter in education are ... more »

#OWS Thanks Our Supporters! | OccupyWallSt.org

OWS Thanks Our Supporters! | OccupyWallSt.org:OWS Thanks Our Supporters!by OccupyWallSt‎2011 was a revolutionary year for a new movement that is changing the world. From NYC to Cairo, we are just getting started. We are still busy building this amazing movement, and we couldn't do it without you -- our supporters! Let's make next year even better!Popout(This video was passed by consensus through the New York City General Assembly on Tuesday, December 20, 2011.)