Sunday, December 18, 2011

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts #edreform


The Longer School Day in Chicago Part II: What Should it Look Like? | The Classroom Sooth

The Longer School Day in Chicago Part II: What Should it Look Like? | The Classroom Sooth: The Longer School Day in Chicago Part II: What Should it Look Like?byclassroomsoothI havepreviously arguedthat reforming education by just adding time onto the school day amounts to good talking points for the newspapers, but bad planning, and won’t necessarily improve education teaching or learning. Perhaps that argument fell on deaf ears because it seems as if the Longer School Day is more or ... more »

Census shows half of Americans are poor or low-income « Larry Miller's Blog

Census shows half of Americans are poor or low-income « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Census shows half of Americans are poor or low-incomebymillerlfThe news that should be dominating the airwaves is the recent report that half of the American people live in poverty or near poverty conditions. It should be the main discussion at the Republican debates, from White House news conferences and from all news sources. Instead it has been treated in the news cycle and political ... more »

PostRank’s Listing Of The “Most Engaging” Education Blogs | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

PostRank’s Listing Of The “Most Engaging” Education Blogs | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: PostRank’s Listing Of The “Most Engaging” Education BlogsbyLarry FerlazzoAs regular readers know, I periodically publish posts sharing what some organizations list as the “most popular” sites or services. I find them interesting and sometimes useful (seeThe Best Places To Find The Most Popular ( Useful) Resources For Educators –2011).Every six months or so, I also publish Postrank’s listing of their determination of the“most engaging”education blogs ... more »

A City Education: Going Back to Basics Is Key to Achievement - Education - GOOD

A City Education: Going Back to Basics Is Key to Achievement - Education - GOOD: A City Education: Going Back to Basics Is Key to AchievementbyLiz WardenIn ourA City Educationseries, two City Year corps members share their experiences working as tutors and mentors in schools in hopes of closing the achievement gap and ending the dropout crisisAt the start of the school year I played the name game with my middle-school students. I remember trying so hard to remember all ... more »

Daily Kos: Battlefield America: Is Gitmo in Your Future?

Daily Kos: Battlefield America: Is Gitmo in Your Future?: Battlefield America: Is Gitmo in Your Future?byrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)I am finding many must reads in my morning perusal of emails and news websites. Ray McGovern is a former ranking figure at the Central Intelligence Agency who took his oath of office to the Constitution seriously. He sought the impeachment of the last administration. He has opposed the expansion of military and administrative power at the expense of civil liberties. In short, he ... more »

Occupy Wall Street | NYC Protest for World Revolution

Occupy Wall Street | NYC Protest for World Revolution: OWS D18 Round UpPosted 34 minutes ago on Dec. 18, 2011, 10:24 a.m. EST byOccupyWallSt(1) D18: CHARAS COMES HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYSFacebook Event(2) D18: IMMIGRANTS OCCUPYFacebook event(3) D18: OWS-WIDE VISIONING SESSIONFacebook EventRead More...2 CommentsLive: #D17 Occupiers in Times SquarePosted 15 hours ago on Dec. 17, 2011, 7:50 p.m. EST byOccupyWallSt48 CommentsOWS D18 Round UpOccupyWallStatOccupyWallSt News-5 minutes ago[image: Walmart] *(1) D18: CHARAS COMES HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS* Facebook Event *(2) D18: IMMIGRANTS ... more »

Revolution Tools « Cooperative Catalyst #ows #edreform

Revolution Tools « Cooperative Catalyst: Revolution ToolsbyPaula WhiteGot this on Twitter this morning–Revolution Tools–and chuckled at the image…but then acknowledged in my mind how Twitter has indeed revolutionized my professional sharing and growing, and I began thinking of the revolution tools I now use in my classroom.My learning space has changed dramatically since last year. I still have tables and chairs, but have added two futons, 6 beanbags, area rugs and scads of pillows (pillows which the kids, for the ... more »

Schools Matter: New Jerey Becomes Battle Ground Over Charter Schools

Schools Matter: New Jerey Becomes Battle Ground Over Charter Schools: New Jerey Becomes Battle Ground Over Charter SchoolsbyJudy RabinProtestors occupied the New Jersey Department of Education Fridayover the creeping charter school movement taking over the leafy suburban enclaves where most parents are happy with their children's public schools. These parents are fearful precious dollars will be siphoned from their quality public schools to a more privatized, market-based agenda under the guise of "school choice."In fact, recently 3 out of 4 ... more »

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky: Sunday links.byFred KlonskySaturday night. Times Square.Manhattan’s Trinity Churchturns away thoseseeking sanctuarythe week before Christmas day.Tea Party loyalistsare furious overRomney endorsements.CPS Board President David Vitaledeclares,“Let them eat cake.”New York’s Board of Regentsishanding overall their confidential student information to Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch. I didn’t know Rupert Murdoch understood the concept of“confidential.”Coming to Chicago for the G8 protests in May?“Welcome”says the mayor.If you haven’t voted in myFire the Foolpol... more »

Restoring Hope to McDowell County - Randi's NY Times Column #edreform #ows

AFT - A Union of Professionals - Randi's NY Times Column: Restoring Hope to McDowell Countyby Randi WeingartenPresident, American Federation of TeachersIn America, a great public education is our primary opportunity agent for a better future. Yet as our economic struggles have reminded us, educational opportunity and economic prospects are inextricably linked, and in McDowell County, W.Va., as in many rural communities, the opportunities are exceedingly limited.McDowell County has been in economic decline for more than 30 years.McDowell County, located ... more »

The Ghost of Christmas Presents - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher #edreform

The Ghost of Christmas Presents - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: The Ghost of Christmas PresentsbyNancy FlanaganIn a holiday-themed archetype of legislative overreach,Alabama passed an ethics law earlier this year forbidding K-12 school teachers from accepting expensive presents.Previous legislation set a $100 limit on individual gifts to public workers, but the new law specifies that gifts to teachers be limited to those of nominal value. The stated purpose: to reinforce ethical practices by state employees.This was ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts #edreform

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Moving On After Enfield's AnnouncementBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-3 minutes agoSeattle Schools Community Forum: Moving On After Enfield's Announcement: Moving On After Enfield's AnnouncementbyMelissa WestbrookI saw aninterviewthat Dr. Enfield did with KING-5 news yesterday. She was quite cheerful and said:-Might she leave the door open, if the board were to make her a good offer? “This work is too important and I have too much respect for this community to play games like that, ... more »

Daily Kos: I'm not sure how to title this

Daily Kos: I'm not sure how to title this: I'm not sure how to title thisbyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)I am sitting in the waiting area at Penn Station in NYC, waiting for an 11:05 train home, after having boarded one in Union Station at 3:15 this morning for my day trip to Netroots New York, where I was on a panel about education.I am thinking about New York, a city from which I moved 40 years ago, to which I return perhaps ... more »

Achievement Gap in AISD and IDEA Charter Schools « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues

Achievement Gap in AISD and IDEA Charter Schools « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues: Achievement Gap in AISD and IDEA Charter SchoolsbyDr. Ed FullerThe achievement gap is generally considered to refer to the gap in achievement between two groups of students as measured by test scores. Other measures of the achievement gap include dropout rates, high school completion rates, and college-going rates. Generally, however, the phrase refers to test scores.One rationale for expanding charter schools is that such schools ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Accountability For Thee, But Not For Me

Jersey Jazzman: Accountability For Thee, But Not For Me: Accountability For Thee, But Not For MebyDukeWhitney Tilson- Wall Street maven and part-time corporate education reformer - says it's imperative to fire bad teachers, even if good teachers are fired in an inaccurate process:I don't know this teacher of course – maybe the Impact system did evaluate her unfairly, which raises an important question: no system is perfect – this is why I oppose the death penalty, because I'm not willing ... more »

Scholastic News: Tool of OWS. « Fred Klonsky

Scholastic News: Tool of OWS. « Fred Klonsky: Scholastic News: Tool of OWS.byFred KlonskyFirst Pat Robertson claimed the Teletubbies promoted the Gay lifestyle. Whatever.Then Kyle Olson toured the country promoting is book which claims that Click Clack Moo. Cows that Type is pro-union propaganda. Which it is. And I’m glad.NowWorldNetDaily, an outlet for the goofiest of the right-wing goofballs, is upset that Scholastic News is pro-

Stephen Krashen speaks to Chicago Teachers Union on Standards and High-Stakes Testing | The Classroom Sooth

Stephen Krashen speaks to Chicago Teachers Union on Standards and High-Stakes Testing | The Classroom Sooth: Stephen Krashen speaks to Chicago Teachers Union on Standards and High-Stakes TestingbyclassroomsoothThe ever-succint teacher-educator Stephen Krashen @skrashen spoke to the a group of teachers at he Chicago Teachers Union recently.“Everyone thinks our schools are broken and that’s why we have standards and tests.”Popout

Carroll: Impossible judgment on schools - The Denver Post

Carroll: Impossible judgment on schools - The Denver Post: Carroll: Impossible judgment on schoolsPOSTED:12/17/2011 01:00:00 AM MSTBy Vincent CarrollDenver Post ColumnistIf you want to understand the stunning implications of Judge Sheila Rappaport's ruling on Colorado school finance, first wrap your mind around a simple comparison.One month ago, state voters rejected by nearly two to one a tax package that would have raised $3 billion for education over five years. Yet in her ruling last week declaring school funding in this ... more »

D17 Re-Occupy 3-Month Celebration (Livestream Videos) | OWSnews.org #ows

D17 Re-Occupy 3-Month Celebration (Livestream Videos) | OWSnews.org: D17 Re-Occupy 3-Month Celebration (Livestream Videos)December 17, 2011inLiberty Park,OccupyTogetherOccupy the Dream Statement of Solidarity on Three Month Anniversary of Occupy Wall StreetbyadminDear Sisters and Brothers of Occupy Wall Street, On behalf of Occupy the Dream, we resolutely and respectfully salute all of you in acknowledgment and appreciation of the tremendous progress that you have made on this the important occasion of the Three Month Anniversary of Occupy Wall Street. More than anything ... more »