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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Tuition Hikes vs. Corporate Donations - The Bay Citizen

Tuition Hikes vs. Corporate Donations - The Bay Citizen

Fires Alarmed | The Jose Vilson

Fires Alarmed | The Jose Vilson:

Fires Alarmed

Fire drills always unnerve me. One time, our dean asked me to stand in one of the streets, a standard procedure for fire drills as we escort students to about a one-block radius from the school in case of emergency. As the teachers escort the kids to their designated spots, a black SUV with a rather angry disposition pulls up within a feet of my knees and waits patiently for this drill to end. I stood my ground, waiting for all the students to cross the streets and holding my “Fire Drill” sign in a choke hold. The kids crossed the street, and the SUV grew more impatient, inching closer to my less-than-superhuman legs. My throat tightened up. The man kept yelling about having to get to work. I thought how the man could have just gotten to work early like everyone else and not at 9:30am. None of this mattered. My silence held clenched abs tight against what I felt might have gotten really ugly really quickly. The dean and my supervisor talked the man in the SUV down, and not a second too soon as I could feel the heat careening off the bumper could have steam-ironed my pants. The man cursed us all out as he let his engine growl while I stood my ground. The dean had waved the students back, but I couldn’t move until all the classes got back in the building. Every 30 seconds felt like an hour. When I heard the dean wave the

School Tech Connect: Debt and The Great Disconnect

School Tech Connect: Debt and The Great Disconnect:

Debt and The Great Disconnect

I wonder how this is playing out in communities where the new metric isn't a test score but rather the ability to sculpt a school's graduating class so that 100% of the graduates are accepted at colleges, in spite of whether or not there is any evidence they are prepared for the rigors of higher education.

This whole "college and career ready" thing--- I just don't get it. There are all kinds of colleges, and there are all kinds of careers. How can one set of standards be appropriate for all of these things? I guess it's the perfect bookend for a policy that assumes that everyone will do equally well in school no matter what their home situation-- if their teachers are perennially new.

It's all part of the irony-as-policy movement that Arne Duncan seems so unaware of. The great disconnect between policy and rhetoric that seems to undergird the administration. Did you see the George Schmidt piece on Duncan's visit to the shop class at Shurz? Where he wondered aloud why things like vocational ed are disappearing? Apparently he's unaware of the massive, unsupervised bribing he's been doing for states to adopt

Do Black Students Really Have a 576-to-1 Advantage in University of Wisconsin Admissions? « Student Activism

Do Black Students Really Have a 576-to-1 Advantage in University of Wisconsin Admissions? « Student Activism:

Do Black Students Really Have a 576-to-1 Advantage in University of Wisconsin Admissions?

Earlier this week a group called the Center for Equal Opportunity released a 21-page analysis of undergraduate admissions data from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, charging what they call “severe discrimination based on race and ethnicity.” Wisconsin students protested at a press conference announcing the findings, while one Republican state legislator is calling for a formal investigation of the university’s selection process.

Wisconsin is already a political tinderbox, of course, and this is likely to add fuel to the fire. It’s legal under binding Supreme Court precedent to consider race as a factor in college admissions, but CEO claims that UW has gone way overboard, admitting manifestly unqualified black and Latino students ahead of more-deserving whites.

I’ve spent a good chunk of the last two days examining the CEO study, and I’ve found that it’s riddled with serious flaws. Put plainly, UW admissions data don’t show what CEO’s report says they do, and the group’s

TEACHER UNIONS = DEMOCRACY IN ACTION … Which word do they object to more? Collective ? or Bargaining ? « Continuing Change

TEACHER UNIONS = DEMOCRACY IN ACTION … Which word do they object to more? Collective ? or Bargaining ? « Continuing Change:

TEACHER UNIONS = DEMOCRACY IN ACTION … Which word do they object to more? Collective ? or Bargaining ?

1 Votes

A reporter recently contacted me. He had seen my posts objecting to a Gradebook article that referred to legal agreements drawn up by our teacher unions as ‘side deals’ and ‘disturbing’.

Here is the Gradebook article:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2010/06/blogs-abuzz-about-floridas-race-to-the-top-side-agreements.html#comments

I emailed the reporter this response …

I am just a teacher and a parent. I do not speak for the union, but I have followed SB6 and RTTT closely. FB has a sister page, Stop Race to the Top, that you might check out for more info on our objections to Race to the Top.

During Florida’s Memorandum of Understanding meeting, drawn only after a public outcry to be part of the process, the working group only had one day to work out a plan that would dramatically change Florida’s education of children.

Big Education Ape - PostRank Today's 10: 9-15-11

Big Education Ape - PostRank Today's 10


Broward names new, Michelle Rhee-affiliated school superintendent | Florida Independent

Broward names new, Michelle Rhee-affiliated school superintendent | Florida Independent:Broward names new, Michelle Rhee-affiliated school superintendentBy Marcos Restrepo | 09.15.11 | 9:32 am0 CommentsShare6Michelle Rhee and Gov. Rick Scott (Pic via flgov.com)The Broward County School Board on Wednesday selected former businessman Robert Runcie as Broward’s next school superintendent. The Broward school system ”is the sixth largest and the largest fully accredited K-12 and adult school system in the country” with “nearly 257,000 students, 230 traditional schools and centers, 68 cha... more »

Getting teacher evaluation right - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Getting teacher evaluation right - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Getting teacher evaluation rightBy Valerie StraussHere is an edited version of a briefing on the right way to evaluate teachers that Stanford University Professor Linda Darling-Hammond and other leading education research experts gave this week on Capitol Hill to policymakers.This is long, but I am publishing because the issue of how to evaluate teachers and develop high-quality teaching has become a — if not THE — primary focus of ... more »

Education Research Report: Preschoolers' grasp of numbers predicts math performance in school years

Education Research Report: Preschoolers' grasp of numbers predicts math performance in school years:Preschoolers' grasp of numbers predicts math performance in school yearsΩStudy reveals link between early number sense and elementary math scoresA new study published today in the journal PLoS ONE reports that the precision with which preschoolers estimate quantities, prior to any formal education in mathematics, predicts their mathematics ability in elementary school, according to research from the Kennedy Krieger Institute.Humans have an intuitive sense of number that allows ... more »

An Attorney's Observations of LAUSD's Rubber Rooms by Ron Lapekas, esq. - Perdaily.com

An Attorney's Observations of LAUSD's Rubber Rooms by Ron Lapekas, esq. (Observaciones de un abogado de habitaciones de goma LAUSD por Ron Lapekas, esq.) - Perdaily.com:An Attorney's Observations of LAUSD's Rubber Rooms by Ron Lapekas, esq. (Observaciones de un abogado de habitaciones de goma LAUSD por Ron Lapekas, esq.)by Leonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)I am an attorney who was a whistleblower in the 70's. I ... more »

Blue Ribbon Schools for 2010-11 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education)

Blue Ribbon Schools for 2010-11 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates CaliforniaWinners of the National Blue Ribbon Schools ProgramSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson congratulated 20 California public schools and one private school that were named today by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as national Blue Ribbon Schools for 2010-11.The list of schools is attached."Congratulations to all 21 schools, and the students, teachers, school employees, administrators, and parents who worked hard to ... more »

Michelle Rhee spent nearly one million in ad buys to defeat due process and collective bargaining rights for Michigan teachers: outspent all MI lobbyists

Michelle Rhee spent nearly one million in ad buys to defeat due process and collective bargaining rights for Michigan teachers: outspent all MI lobbyists:Michelle Rhee spent nearly $1M in ad buys todefeat due process and collective bargaining rights for teachers in Michigan.Rhee’s group outspent all other Michigan lobbyists in 2011. She teamed up withultra-right wing legislators, Gov. Rick Snyder, and her billionaire funders, launching a Madison Avenue-style advertising campaign that bought her resultsWritten by Eclectablog for the DailyKos. Read theentire ... more »

New Orleans Liberation Academy: Multiple Lines of Defense

New Orleans Liberation Academy: Multiple Lines of Defense:Multiple Lines of Defenseby New Orleans Liberation AcademyLast Friday, New Orleans Liberation Academy student Anthony Johnson had the opportunity to go on a boat tour with the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED), the Gulf Restoration Network, and other local community leaders.It was his first time ever on a boat and he says that at first it was a little scary, but eventually had ... more »

Marco Rubio Breaks with Jeb Bush, Says Arne Duncan Does Not Have the Authority to Grant NCLB Waivers | Scathing Purple Musings

Marco Rubio Breaks with Jeb Bush, Says Arne Duncan Does Not Have the Authority to Grant NCLB Waivers | Scathing Purple Musings:Marco Rubio Breaks with Jeb Bush, Says Arne Duncan Does Not Have the Authority to Grant NCLB Waiversby Bob SikesIn a stunning development, Republican Senator Marco Rubio broke from the influence of Jeb Bush’s desires on education and informed Arne Duncan he did not have the power to grant waivers to states from NCLB guidelines. Here’s some of the ...more »

Local News | Tacoma teachers defy judge, stay on picket line | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Tacoma teachers defy judge, stay on picket line | Seattle Times Newspaper:Tacoma teachers defy judge, stay on picket lineTacoma teachers defied a judge's order to return to teaching and instead returned to picket lines Thursday morning. The next step likely will be a compliance hearing on Friday.By Dana Rebik and James LynchMcClatchy-Tribune news servicesRelatedStriking Tacoma teachers ordered back to classroomsTop comments Hide / Show commentsDefying the judge's order? Ok. Contempt of court, fine and / or jail ... more »

New Orleans Liberation Academy: A Time to Speak

New Orleans Liberation Academy: A Time to Speak:A Time to Speakby New Orleans Liberation AcademyEssential QuestionsWhen is the right time to take action and/or speak up?What can we learn from the past to help us be better citizens today?What does it mean to be an ally? Can an individual really make a difference?How has being an activist changed over time?On Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963, four young girls—Addie Mae Collins (14), Denise McNair (11), Carole Robertson (14) and Cynthia Wesley (14)—were ... more »

All Education Matters: Grotesque Illustration of the Student Loan Bubble, Plus Thoughts on Student Loan Forgiveness and Bankruptcy Protection Rights

All Education Matters: Grotesque Illustration of the Student Loan Bubble, Plus Thoughts on Student Loan Forgiveness and Bankruptcy Protection Rights:

Grotesque Illustration of the Student Loan Bubble, Plus Thoughts on Student Loan Forgiveness and Bankruptcy Protection Rights

Over at the Reformed Broker, there are illustrations of the student loan bubble. They are grotesque! That's why we need our leaders to take immediate action, and we them need to come up with a multi-solution approach that will include loan forgiveness, the restoring of bankruptcy protection rights, and more. Those are the obvious approaches. First, we need to help current borrowers. The policymakers need to stop conflating us with prospective and/or current students. It's not the same. But if we are somehow granted a debt jubilee, we also need to think about those who come after us. We need to ensure that future generations won't be thrown into a similar system. That means we need to overhaul higher education and remove it from the market system. Higher

Big Education Ape: 9-15-11 PM U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Recognizes 305 Schools as 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools EDition

Big Education Ape: Ed News Now:

Published by Coopmike48 – 7 news spotters today

Pearson buys virtual schools company

schoolingintheownershipsociety.blogspot.com - Textbook publisher Pearson announced today that it has acquired Connections Education, which operates virtual schools or academies in 21 states and serves roughly 40,000 students. The company is ex...

mikeklonsky

Obama admin ignored warnings about Solyndra

news.yahoo.com - WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration ignored repeated warnings about a clean-energy loan program that has become an embarrassment for the White House amid the collapse of a California solar e...

mikeklonsky

Reform In The Age of Obama

schooltechconnect.com - Who here among us does not love the legendary Susan Ohanian? Sorry, I always channel John Kerry when blog from the majestic height of my front stoop. Anyway, if you're not a subscriber to her frequ...

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coopmike48 New York’s Race to the Top setbacks more extreme than most | GothamSchools - http://t.co/cyGVuSfW3 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

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coopmike48 New details on the health/sex test - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post - http://t.co/ESF2WIBk2 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

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coopmike48 U.S. Latinos Split Over Obama Jobs Bill - Hispanically Speaking News -http://t.co/pdE3iEcC9 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite

EducationSee all

America’s Vanishing Middle Class - Forbes

forbes.com - Any comparison between wages earned in prior decades and wages earned now needs to take into account the fact that a lot of non-white-males have entered the workforce. Still, these are troubling nu...

mikeklonsky

Promoting K-12 Education to Advance Student Achievement

brookings.edu - Event Summary Great teachers and great schools have the ability to transform the living standard of Americans. Over the past century, investments in education have boosted the productivity and ear...

leoniehaimson

Charter School Opponents Want DOE To Charge Rent

ny1.com - To view our videos, you need toenable JavaScript. Learn how.install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now. Then come back here and refresh the page. The battle over Charter Schools and whether or n...

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whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 15, 2011 NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, 2011BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAA PROCLAMATIONFrom those...

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PoliticsSee all

U.S. Latinos Split Over Obama Jobs Bill

hispanicallyspeakingnews.com - Published at 5:16 pm, September 15, 2011 Photo Credits: U.S. Latinos Split Over Obama Jobs Bill President Obama’s $447 billion jobs bill has the support of a number of the country’s Latinos, as he ...

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Blog posts on this issue

whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 15, 2011 Any plan to grow the economy and create jobs should be measured by whether it puts money in the pockets of mid...

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Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation:Top Ten Back-to-School SongsPeter Rothberg on Friday, September 9, 2011 - 21:15Songs about school have probably been sung by students for as long as there ...

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whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 15, 2011 Olive Garden Hyattsville, Maryland11:47 A.M. EDTMRS. OBAMA: Hi, everyone! How you guys doing? How many people ...

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Talking to kids about marijuana, healthy school birthdays

ednewsparent.org - Healthy school parties: Try popsicles Today happens to be my daughter’s 9th birthday so I wanted to bring in a treat. I will admit to being drawn to small cupcakes or brownies. I figure the fact ...

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CrimeSee all

Should Davis be executed? No

ajc.com - By William S. SessionsNo: Questions about his guilt continue to plague his conviction.As Troy Davis faces his fourth execution date on Sept. 21, many may assume that lingering doubts about the case...

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Former Aide To Gov. (Walker) Speaks About FBI Search

democraticunderground.com - Source: Channel 3000 WISCTVMADISON, Wis. -- In an interview with WISC-TV, a former top aide to Gov. Scott Walker said she did not do anything wrong, and is not sure why federal agents searched her ...

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EnvironmentSee all

Why Hunger Is Still With Us

thenation.com - Editor's Note: This piece is one in a series of replies to Frances Moore LappĂ©’s essay on the food movement today. Amid the joy of local, seasonal ingredients and tides of young people with dirt ...

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Blog posts on this issue

whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release September 15, 2011 TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:On July 19, 2011, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke certified under sectio...

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#eduRead this paperSee all

Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Top Ten Back-to-School Songs | The Nation:Top Ten Back-to-School SongsPeter Rothberg on Friday, September 9, 2011 - 21:15Songs about school have probably been sung by students for as long as there ...

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#edreformRead this paperSee all

Stop Children What's That Sound? Only #edreform

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - There's something happening hereWhat it is ain't exactly clearThere's a man with a gun over thereTelling me i got to bewareI think it's time we stop, children, what's that soundEverybody look what'...

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