Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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


John Thompson: Diane Ravitch and the History That "Reformers" Do Not Know

John Thompson: Diane Ravitch and the History That "Reformers" Do Not Know:John ThompsonAward-winning Historian, Lobbyist and Guerilla-gardener, and Inner City TeacherGET UPDATES FROM JOHN THOMPSON Like134Diane Ravitch and the History That "Reformers" Do Not KnowDiane Ravitch has again done the seemingly impossible. She prompted Education Sector's Kevin Carey to take a glance at the history of education. Even so, Carey's piece in The New Republic, "The Dissenter," indicates that he did not read carefully.Carey wrote that Ravitch "left a polarized ... more »

SCAPEGOAT REASONS « Teachers Fight Back

SCAPEGOAT REASONS « Teachers Fight Back:SCAPEGOAT REASONSby alkleenSome readers disagree that teachers are scapegoats and have asked why I have that opinion.Here we go:When parents fail to prepare their preschool age children for school and then blame the teacher when the child falls behind in school, that’s scapegoating.When parents have allowed their children to grow up without any sense of discipline and self-control, and then blame the teacher when their child has discipline problems in school, that’s scapegoating.When government officials ... more »

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Teachers Of Los Angeles, Introducing Education4Excellence's Princess Sydney Morris

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Teachers Of Los Angeles, Introducing Education4Excellence's Princess Sydney Morris:Teachers Of Los Angeles, Introducing Education4Excellence's Princess Sydney Morrisby noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)Hello teachers and educators of Los Angeles. This pastSaturday, December 3, Little Evan Stone, co-founder and co-chief executive officer was profiled in these pages. Tonight in the promise to share all we know here at SBSB about Educators4Excellence with our Los Angeles brethren we would like to introduce the Left Coast to the other brain behind E4E, the ... more »

Leonie Haimson on CNN’s American Morning on class size « Parents Across America

Leonie Haimson on CNN’s American Morning on class size « Parents Across America:Leonie Haimson on CNN’s American Morning on class sizeby leoniehaimsonCarol Costello interviewing Leonie Haimson on CNN’s American Morning. Here’s an accompanying article from the CNN blog. Despite the claims made in this piece about Forest Hill HS, only 38% of their graduates are college ready, according to DOE, meaning they will probably need remediation. I’m sure that even this relatively successful school could do [...]

School Tech Connect: Those Terrible Teachers

School Tech Connect: Those Terrible Teachers:Those Terrible Teachersby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I can't add anything to Sharon's lovely, sad piece about the AUSL infomercial on the 29th at Morton. I occasionally read commentary from so-called reformers to the effect that nobody is attacking teachers, so stop saying that reformers are attacking teachers. Well, the mayor of Chicago is attacking teachers. It's his M.O.These parents who were rounded up to slam the teachers from the pre-AUSL Morton, let me just say this about ... more »

CA Dem chair John Burton (bleeping) kills on The Daily Show (VIDEO) | Politics Blog | an SFGate.com blog

CA Dem chair John Burton (bleeping) kills on The Daily Show (VIDEO) | Politics Blog | an SFGate.com blog:CA Dem chair John Burton (bleeping) kills on The Daily Show (VIDEO)Share 90On the day after Gov. Brown proposed a tax-raising ballotmeasure, “The Daily Show” did a hilarious — but ultimately, for those of us who live here, sad – take Monday on California’s messed up initiative process. The star of the bit was California Democratic Party chair John Burton.It was even ... more »

Nancy Pelosi provides Newt Gingrich ethics report | Politics Blog | an SFGate.com blog

Nancy Pelosi provides Newt Gingrich ethics report | Politics Blog | an SFGate.com blog:Nancy Pelosi provides Newt Gingrich ethics reportShare 206In case you haven’t been watching cable TV, two former House Speakers named Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich are having a bit of a fracas related to all that Gingrich baggage about which GOP primary voters in Iowa appear to be blissfully ignorant.Pelosi, the San Francisco Democrat and now House minority leader, promised to release records that are public but ... more »

Robert Reich (The Most Important Economic Speech of His Presidency)

Robert Reich (The Most Important Economic Speech of His Presidency):The Most Important Economic Speech of His PresidencyThe President’s speech today in Osawatomie, Kansas — where Teddy Roosevelt gave his “New Nationalism” speech in 1910 — is the most important economic speech of his presidency in terms of connecting the dots, laying out the reasons behind our economic and political crises, and asserting a willingness to take on the powerful and the privileged that have gamed the system to their advantage.Here ... more »

Loss of Memory and Reform-driven Policymakers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Loss of Memory and Reform-driven Policymakers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:Loss of Memory and Reform-driven Policymakersby larrycubanIn 1975, Neurologist Oliver Sacks saw a hospitalized patient by the name of Jimmy R. (see “Lost Mariner” inwife-hat-2)“Jimmie was a fine-looking man, with a curly bush of grey hair, a healthy and handsome forty-nine year-old. He was cheerful, friendly, and warm.‘Hiya, Doc!’ he said. ‘Nice morning! Do I take this chair here?’ He was a genial soul, very ready ... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: SAN DIEGO SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WARNED OF CUTS, LAYOFFS: Superintendent sends letter to 14,000 outlining financial problems

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: SAN DIEGO SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WARNED OF CUTS, LAYOFFS: Superintendent sends letter to 14,000 outlining financial problems:SAN DIEGO SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WARNED OF CUTS, LAYOFFS: Superintendent sends letter to 14,000 outlining financial problemsWRITTEN BY MAUREEN MAGEE |SIGNON DAN DIEGO.COM/SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE| HTTP://BIT.LY/TD9EQ97:40 p.m., Dec. 2, 2011 :: San Diego city schools chief Bill Kowba issued a sobering letter to some 14,000 employees Friday, warning about grim finances and layoff notices set to ... more »

Daily Kos: Do You Believe in Miracles?

Daily Kos: Do You Believe in Miracles?:Do You Believe in Miracles?by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)No, I am not quoting Al Michaels at the end of the Lake Placid Gold Medal Hockey game. Rather, I am quoting my friend Diane Ravitch, for the title of this important blog postOften we are in education presented with supposed examples of "miracles" - high poverty schools that have a remarkable performance, or so we are told. As Diane begins her post,One of the central claims of ...more »

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) Welcomes New Federal Guidance on Diversity in K-12 and Higher Education | The Defenders Online | A Civil Rights Blog

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) Welcomes New Federal Guidance on Diversity in K-12 and Higher Education | The Defenders Online | A Civil Rights Blog:NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) Welcomes New Federal Guidance on Diversity in K-12 and Higher EducationPosted By The Editors | December 2nd, 2011 | Category: Education | No Comments » Print This PostToday the United States Department of Education and the Department of Justice issued policy guidance that provides greater ... more »

Support PURE! » PSAT for 12-6-11: School principals, unite!

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 12-6-11: School principals, unite!:PSAT for 12-6-11: School principals, unite!by adminLast night we watched a charming movie, “Amreeka,” about a Palestinian mom and her son who emigrate to Illinois the same week the US invaded Iraq. Not surprisingly, they encounter some challenges. Somewhat surprisingly, one of the film’s heroes is the mild-mannered principal of the local high school.School principals are popularly portrayed as creeps, crooks, or idiots (anyone besides me ... more »

PSAT for 12-6-11: Principals, Unite! « Parents Across America

PSAT for 12-6-11: Principals, Unite! « Parents Across America:PSAT for 12-6-11: Principals, Unite!by pureparentsLast night we watched a charming movie, “Amreeka,” about a Palestinian mom and her son who emigrate to Illinois the same week the US invaded Iraq. Not surprisingly, they encounter some challenges. Somewhat surprisingly, one of the film’s heroes is the mild-mannered principal of the local high school.School principals are popularly portrayed as creeps, crooks, or idiots (anyone besides me remember Osgood Conklyn in Our Miss Brooks? ... more »

Union democracy by polling data. « Fred Klonsky

Union democracy by polling data. « Fred Klonsky:Union democracy by polling data.by Fred KlonskyThe late, great Chicago newspaperman, Mike Royko.One of the great things about living in Chicago back in the day was reading Mike Royko in the daily newspaper. I didn’t always agree with his politics. In fact, I rarely agreed with his politics. He was the epitome of the cynical reporter.And he was a friend of Studs Terkel. And any friend of Studs…Royko hated exit polls. In fact, ... more »

In the News: Getting at why school choice fails | catalyst-chicago.org

In the News: Getting at why school choice fails | catalyst-chicago.org:In the News: Getting at why school choice failsBy: Cassandra West / December 06, 2011Tags: charters Chicago Teachers Union dropouts Jean-Claude Brizard Karen Lewis school choice school closingsNatalie Hopkinson, a Washington-based writer and parent, takes on the perverse inequities that play out along racial lines and have resulted from a "reform" process that proponents say will bring choice and accountability to school systems in majority-black neighborhoods such as hers. (The ... more »

Who is the Best EDU Consultant? « My Island View

Who is the Best EDU Consultant? « My Island View:Who is the Best EDU Consultant?by tomwhitbyI had a busy morning today. I observed a student teacher for her final observation, and I made it home in time to participate in the weekly noon #Edchat on Twitter. As I participated in the #Edchat I was struck by the fact that it had a great deal to do with a conversation I had with my student’s cooperating teacher in a high school ... more »

Daily Kos: Revealed: School board member who took standardized test

Daily Kos: Revealed: School board member who took standardized test:Revealed: School board member who took standardized testby rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)is the title of this followup blog post by Valerie Strauss, who yesterday posted the story by Marion Brady of the school board member who, having taking Florida's FCAT test and done poorly, was criticizing them. I am going to suggest you read this followup piece as well. As Strauss writes about Rick Roach, the board member who has now gone public, ... more »

Revealed: School board member who took standardized test - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Revealed: School board member who took standardized test - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Revealed: School board member who took standardized testBy Valerie StraussThis is a follow-up to Monday’s guest post about a school board member who took a version of a state standardized test and was horrified at what he found.That post was written by veteran educator Marion Brady, who said he did not name the board member to save him from mean personal attacks by critics. The ... more »

Blue Jersey:: Latino Action Network Opposes Opportunity Scholarship Act

Blue Jersey:: Latino Action Network Opposes Opportunity Scholarship Act:Latino Action Network Opposes Opportunity Scholarship Actby NJAgitatorpromoted by RosiLast month, Governor Christie called on the New Jersey lawmakers to pass his version of education reform during the lame duck session of the legislature. The governor listed four bills as crucial to his reform agenda. Among those bills was the controversial 'Opportunity Scholarship Act' which would provide corporations a 100% tax credit for contributions made to a state run voucher program, which ... more »