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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top late Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform 1-14


Grumpy Educators: Florida: Parent, community member, and tax payer opposition strengthens

Grumpy Educators: Florida: Parent, community member, and tax payer opposition strengthens:Florida: Parent, community member, and tax payer opposition strengthensby SandraFlorida legislators introduced a Parent Trigger bill, calling it the Parent Empowerment Act. Under the bill, parents and teachers could vote to turn a public school into a charter school if 51% agree and the local elected school board has no say in the matter. However, in a combined statement, these Florida parent groups have come out publicly opposing the legislation:Florida ... more »

Tim Tebow’s unusual education - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Tim Tebow’s unusual education - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Tim Tebow’s unusual educationValerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 hour agoTim Tebow’s life story is now familiar to football fans, who know this about the Denver Broncos quarterback: * He was born in the Philippines to Christian missionaries. * His mother was very ill while pregnant with him and was urged by doctors to have an abortion, but she refused. Read full article Report: We still don’t ... more »

NYC Educator: Kim Jong-Un Hearts Mayor Mike

NYC Educator: Kim Jong-Un Hearts Mayor Mike:Kim Jong-Un Hearts Mayor Mikeby NYC EducatorYo, my peeps. It's me, Kim Jong-Un, and let me say, yo, I am blown away by this Bloomberg dude. I mean, here I am, the Supreme Leader, and there's this little fat dude doing everything I want to do and more!!!!First of all, this merit pay thing is sheer genius, dude. I mean, like, I can barely find the cash to pay my armies, and then, like, ... more »

Modern School: America Worse Than Apartheid on Black Incarceration

Modern School: America Worse Than Apartheid on Black Incarceration:America Worse Than Apartheid on Black Incarcerationby Michael DunnMichelle Alexander, who wrote the book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” was interviewed on Democracy Now on Friday, January 13, 2012. According to the interview, there are more African Americans under correctional control today than there were enslaved in 1850. More African American men are disenfranchised today than in 1870 as a result of felony disenfranchisement laws. And, ... more »

What Happend To… « DFER Watch

What Happend To… « DFER Watch:WHAT HAPPEND TO…Posted by ken libby on January 14, 2012 · Leave a Comment The image below comes from a letter sent to Education Reform Now supporters at the end of 2010. The year 2011 is over now, and those two reports ERN planned to publish in 2010 haven’t come out yet: the “Grading State Leaders” report and the report on teacher union political power:It is entirely possible that:

Saturday coffee.+ Old school « Fred Klonsky

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky:Saturday coffee.by Fred KlonskyThe Park Ridge Education Association turns folks out for Lobby Day. Maybe that’s one of the reasons the IEA leadership cancelled it for this year. Spring is over in the Heartland.Thursday night about eight inches fell on Chicago. That is enough to make the commute difficult but not enough for a snow day. A cold blast has now followed the snow. At 11AM it is fifteen degrees.I’m still pissed and amazed at the ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg's damaging education proposals to cost $350 million per year

NYC Public School Parents: Bloomberg's damaging education proposals to cost $350 million per year:Bloomberg's damaging education proposals to cost $350 million per yearby Leonie HaimsonThere's horrific news in today's Daily News: that NY State Education Commissioner King is likely to approve the mayor's proposal to fire half of all of teachers at 33 struggling schools:"That's a pretty aggressive teacher evaluation system,” the state insider said. “We believe the switch meets all the federal requirements.”Firing a fixed quota of at least ... more »

PECO Funding Dries Up; What Does it Say About Rick Scott’s Economic Policies? | Scathing Purple Musings

PECO Funding Dries Up; What Does it Say About Rick Scott’s Economic Policies? | Scathing Purple Musings:PECO Funding Dries Up; What Does it Say About Rick Scott’s Economic Policies?by Bob SikesIn the Miami Herald, Mary McGrory writes:TALLAHASSEE – There isn’t likely to be any new money for school construction and maintenance for the next few years, Florida economists said Friday.That’s because state officials expect to receive less revenue next year from the Gross Receipts Tax, a tax on electric, telephone ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle High Schools

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle High Schools:Seattle High Schoolsby Melissa WestbrookA request was made for a thread about high schools and parents' experiences with them. I did a quick check and it appears most high schools are having at least one daytime tour and one evening tour (Roosevelt and Hale seem to be the only ones with a single tour.) Again, while the tours aren't always the most fun, it is a very good way to get a feel for ... more »

#edreform - Cream - White Room

Cream - White Room---In the white room with black curtains near the station.Blackroof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings.Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes.Dawnlight smiles on you leaving, my contentment.Ill wait in this place where the sun never shines;Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves.You said no strings could secure you at the station.Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows.I walked into such a sad time at the station.As I walked out, felt my own ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform 1-13

GOP House Leader Tom Cross: Give tax money to Sears and CME. Freeze employee wages. « Fred KlonskyBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-8 minutes agoGOP House Leader Tom Cross: Give tax money to Sears and CME. Freeze employee wages. « Fred Klonsky:GOP House Leader Tom Cross: Give tax money to Sears and CME. Freeze employee wages.by Fred KlonskyGOP House Leader Tom Cross, who along with Mike Madigan, Governor Quinn and Rahm Emanuel got the massive tax breaks for Sears ... more »

Sac City Unified Faces Dire 2012-13 Budget - Rosemont, CA Patch

Sac City Unified Faces Dire 2012-13 Budget - Rosemont, CA Patch:Sac City Unified Faces Dire 2012-13 BudgetSchool district officials discussed next year's budget this week.By Cody KitauraEmail the author4:25 pm Email Print Comment PHOTOS (1)PDFS (1) Upload Photos and VideosCalifornia's mid-year budget cuts weren't as bad for K-12 education as many expected, but the Sacramento City Unified School District is again facing a grim outlook for the next school year.At Thursday's board meeting, district officials discussed laying off all middle ... more »

Modern School: Wisconsin Worker Sent Home For Wearing Union Shirt to Work

Modern School: Wisconsin Worker Sent Home For Wearing Union Shirt to Work:Wisconsin Worker Sent Home For Wearing Union Shirt to Workby Michael Dunn(Image from Flickr, by Buschap)An employee of the Lincoln Hills School in Irma, Wisconsin, was sent home without pay last week for wearing a union t-shirt on the job, according to the Waussau Daily Herald. The employee was Ron McAllister, a youth counselor, who was wearing a t-shirt and jacket with an American Federation of State, County and ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The Williamsburg Latino community fights back against Success charter expansion

NYC Public School Parents: The Williamsburg Latino community fights back against Success charter expansion:The Williamsburg Latino community fights back against Success charter expansionby Leonie HaimsonIn yesterday's State of the City, Mayor Bloomberg said he would encourage Eva Moskowitz' Success Academy charter chain and KIPP to accelerate their expansion. He may have a fight on his hands. First, see the stickers being pasted all over the glossy recruiting ads in the Williamsburg subways and bus stops for her new charter, to ... more »

Modern School: Jerry Brown Wants to Kill Transitional Kindergarten

Modern School: Jerry Brown Wants to Kill Transitional Kindergarten:Jerry Brown Wants to Kill Transitional Kindergartenby Michael DunnCalifornia is moving toward an earlier cutoff age for kindergarten, requiring them to be 5 by Nov. 2 for the 2012-13 school year and they must be 5 by Oct. 2 for the 2013-14 school year. Many of the children affected could enroll in a transitional program to help prepare them academically and socially for kindergarten. However, with the California state budget still in ... more »

Teacher pensions under attack? IEA leadership cancels May Lobby Day. « Fred Klonsky

Teacher pensions under attack? IEA leadership cancels May Lobby Day. « Fred Klonsky:Teacher pensions under attack? IEA leadership cancels May Lobby Day.by Fred KlonskyIEA President Cinda Klickna addresses PREA members at last year’s Lobby Day. This year she is telling us to stay home. Lobby Day has been cancelled this year by the IEA “no fight” leadership.Shocking news from an IEA Region meeting last night.The annual Lobby Day, where IEA rank-and-file members head for Springfield to meet with their state ... more »

A Letter from Michael Mulgrew to UFT Members in PLA Schools | Edwize

A Letter from Michael Mulgrew to UFT Members in PLA Schools | Edwize:A Letter from Michael Mulgrew to UFT Members in PLA Schoolsby Michael MulgrewToday, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) filed legal papers with the NYS Public Employee Board (PERB) to declare impasse in the negotiations between the UFT and the NYC Department of Education (DOE) over a teacher evaluation system for schools that had been placed in the Transformation and Restart models of school improvement. We have charged ... more »

GOP House Leader Tom Cross: Give tax money to Sears and CME. Freeze employee wages. « Fred Klonsky

GOP House Leader Tom Cross: Give tax money to Sears and CME. Freeze employee wages. « Fred Klonsky:GOP House Leader Tom Cross: Give tax money to Sears and CME. Freeze employee wages.by Fred KlonskyGOP House Leader Tom Cross, who along with Mike Madigan, Governor Quinn and Rahm Emanuel got the massive tax breaks for Sears and the CME, demanded wage freezes for state employees.The State Journal Register:Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration should push for a wage freeze in upcoming