Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 3-3 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-1 #soschat #EDReform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Mother Crusader: NJDOE Conducts A Careful And Stringent Approval Process? Now THAT Is Funny!Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-4 minutes agoMother Crusader: NJDOE Conducts A Careful And Stringent Approval Process? Now THAT Is Funny!:NJDOE Conducts A Careful And Stringent Approval Process? Now THAT Is Funny!by darciecimaI had a bit of an outburst when I read this in today's NJDOE press release:Under the Christie Administration, the Department has strengthened charter operations by:Following a careful and stringent three-stage review and approval ... more »

Beaverton School District is holding 100 meetings to help people understand its budget | OregonLive.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Beaverton School District is holding 100 meetings to help people understand its budget | OregonLive.com:Beaverton School District is holding 100 meetings to help people understand its budgetby Wendy Owen, The OregonianBeaverton School District is offering a more intimate look at its pending budget woes by opening its school doors to parents, students and community members for budget teaching sessions. Folks will have their choice of 100 meetings at a variety of schools to attend between March 6 and March 22. ... more »

School Tech Connect: Nobody's Going To Wait Years For Anything

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Nobody's Going To Wait Years For Anything:Nobody's Going To Wait Years For Anythingby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I've been warning about this phenomenon for centuries. Heverly is pointing to something important but unmentioned in the Common Core debates that I have read. These new tests in nearly every state will delay, if not stop altogether, the national move towardrating teachers by student score improvements. School districts can’t do that when the tests change so radically. They might have to wait ... more »

Jeb Bush’s Desperate Attempt to Save Florida’s Parent Trigger Legislation | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Jeb Bush’s Desperate Attempt to Save Florida’s Parent Trigger Legislation | Scathing Purple Musings:Jeb Bush’s Desperate Attempt to Save Florida’s Parent Trigger Legislationby Bob SikesApparently, its not such a sure thing to advocates of Florida’s parent trigger legislation. After Bush ally John Thrasher’s attempt to circumvent the committee process failed this afternoon, Bush sent the following email to followers: Dear Friend,Florida’s parents and students need your help. Tomorrow, the Senate Budget Committee is holding a special meeting on a bill ... more »

Modern School: San Francisco School Board Waives Seniority

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Modern School: San Francisco School Board Waives Seniority:San Francisco School Board Waives Seniorityby Michael DunnThe San Francisco School Board voted 5-1 this week to do away with seniority protections in order to save the jobs of 70 low-seniority teachers in 14 low-performing schools in the “Superintendent’s Zone.” They also voted 5-1 to issue 485 layoff notices, including 210 teacher and counselor layoffs, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.An editorial in the Chron lamented that “low-performing schools won't improve if their ... more »

Parent Opt Out Letter from Colorado | United Opt Out National

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Parent Opt Out Letter from Colorado | United Opt Out National:Parent Opt Out Letter from Coloradoby adminDear —————:The response I received from you via e-mail dated March 1, 2012 is a clear violation of my rights as a parent. It is also a clear indication that ——- is being denied a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment unless he participates in the TCAP.I am aware that parental rights are broadly protected by Supreme Court decisions (Meyer and ... more »

Schools Matter: The Gates Solution to Political Deadlock: More Technocrats in Charge from ALEC

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Schools Matter: The Gates Solution to Political Deadlock: More Technocrats in Charge from ALEC:The Gates Solution to Political Deadlock: More Technocrats in Charge from ALECby Jim HornAt the heart of this generation's retread argument for post-partisanship in all things political, there is another, though more dangerous, version of rule by the experts lurking there. Society engineered by scientific managers or "experts" was tried a hundred years ago, but since Bill Gates doesn't read history, apparently we must go down that ... more »

Tweak. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Tweak. « Fred Klonsky:Tweak.by Fred KlonskyFredWhen I was starting out, it seemed like all the principals were wizened career veterans. Now that I’m a wizened career veteran, it seems like there’s a whole generation of 5-year teachers running schools.I was telling one of our local activists that last year, at a local principal candidate forum, one of the candidates said in response to a question, “Well, we’ll have to tweak the metrics around that and see what we come up ... more »

School Tech Connect: Can I Get A Witness?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Can I Get A Witness?:Can I Get A Witness?by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)What is this?Jim Broadway has evidently been telling people about Illinois' new Virtual Witness Slip program, but I've only just opened my eyes to it.As you review the list of bills in the House committee, you may find some that you have an opinion about - but you are busy with your job and your family responsibilities and your life. How can you express your opinions without ... more »

Mother Crusader: NJDOE Conducts A Careful And Stringent Approval Process? Now THAT Is Funny!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Mother Crusader: NJDOE Conducts A Careful And Stringent Approval Process? Now THAT Is Funny!:NJDOE Conducts A Careful And Stringent Approval Process? Now THAT Is Funny!by darciecimaI had a bit of an outburst when I read this in today's NJDOE press release:Under the Christie Administration, the Department has strengthened charter operations by:Following a careful and stringent three-stage review and approval process for new charter school applicants to evaluate the quality of the proposed educational program, the capacity of the founding team ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: MSNBC: Worse Than Fox

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: MSNBC: Worse Than Fox:MSNBC: Worse Than Foxby DukeMSNBC had yet another one of their "town halls" on education this morning. I could only watch a little as Mrs. Jazzman and I were busy getting the Jazzboys out the door and on the bus before I got in the car and drove to my job where I work daily to destroy America.From what I saw, this was yet another vacuous gab session which ignored actual teachers in favor of ... more »

Waist Deep In The Big Muddy, And The Little Fool Says To Push On | Edwize

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Waist Deep In The Big Muddy, And The Little Fool Says To Push On | Edwize:Waist Deep In The Big Muddy, And The Little Fool Says To Push Onby Leo CaseyThis morning, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor Dennis Walcott appeared at an American University forum with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and the mayors and school superintendents from Chicago and Los Angeles. A video of the forum is here.Bloomberg defended giving out invalid and inaccurate Teacher Data Reports as ... more »

Department Announces New Effort to Strengthen Accountability for Students with Disabilities | U.S. Department of Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Department Announces New Effort to Strengthen Accountability for Students with Disabilities | U.S. Department of Education:Department Announces New Effort to Strengthen Accountability for Students with DisabilitiesMoving from Compliance-Focused Approach to One Driven by ResultsMARCH 2, 2012Contact: Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov Related ResourcesOffice of Special Education ProgramsToday, the Department of Education announced new steps to help close the achievement gap for students with disabilities by moving away from a one-size-fits-all, compliance-focused approach to a... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Community Education - It's Not Just For Pottery and Dance Classes

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Community Education - It's Not Just For Pottery and Dance Classes:Community Education - It's Not Just For Pottery and Dance Classesby AnngieSpringfield MO is testing a pilot program for a community school. This is not continuing education for adults, this is a full service community center housed in the public school. Their integrated focus is on academics, youth development, family support, health and social services and community development. The belief is that such an approach leads to ... more »

Honoring our Heroes By Closing Opportunity Gaps « EdVox

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Honoring our Heroes By Closing Opportunity Gaps « EdVox:Honoring our Heroes By Closing Opportunity Gapsby edvoxnyBy Tina DoveFrom my earliest childhood, I was told that my education would provide the tools necessary to save my life, and that the pursuit of a high quality education would be extremely valuable. I later realized that I had an obligation as a woman of color to pass along this life-saving gift to others by becoming a high school teacher. One of my role ... more »

The Bait and Switch Between Senate and House Parent Trigger Bills on Cost | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

The Bait and Switch Between Senate and House Parent Trigger Bills on Cost | Scathing Purple Musings:There’s Bait and Switch Between Senate and House Parent Trigger Bills on Costby Bob SikesThe parent trigger bill which passed the House yesterday maintained that there would be no cost involved. This February 20th analysis of HB 1191 states:“the bill does not have a fiscal impact on state or local governments.”But a different story is being told in the Senate bill. An analysis released ... more »

The double-edged sword. What goes up, must come down. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

The double-edged sword. What goes up, must come down. « Fred Klonsky:The double-edged sword. What goes up, must come down.by Fred KlonskyTim has a point. He says, “I think that faculties should organize themselves in such a way that they are prepared to politely and publicly decline any awards offered to them based on standardized test scores.”When we make too much of it when our scores go up, there are no excuses when they go down some years.And they will. ... more »

L.A. mayor: Bypass states on No Child Left Behind education waivers - Washington Times

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

L.A. mayor: Bypass states on No Child Left Behind education waivers - Washington Times:L.A. mayor: Bypass states on No Child Left Behind education waiversBy Ben Wolfgang-The Washington TimesFriday, March 2, 2012**FILE** Los Angeles Mayor Antonio VillaraigosaSTORY TOPICSPoliticsEducationAntonio VillaraigosaBarack ObamaD.C.'S American UniversityFOLLOW US ONFACEBOOKQUESTION OF THE DAYShould home-schooled children be able to participate in public school activities and athletics?YesNoUndecidedOtherLogin to VoteView resultsSpeaking at an education roundtable at D.C.’sAmerican University, ... more »

Student Protests Boiling Over as Marchers Head to Sacramento | Fog City Journal

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Student Protests Boiling Over as Marchers Head to Sacramento | Fog City Journal:Student Protests Boiling Overas Marchers Head to SacramentoDemonstrating for social and economic justice, protesters began a 4-day march from Oakland to Sacramento yesterday in a quest to restore cuts to education and social services. Photo by Eric Louie, Media Workers Guild.By Eric Louie, via Media Workers Guild.March 2, 2012The weather was ominous Thursday morning as Bay Area Occupiers for Education prepared to spend four days marching to Sacramento ... more »

Digital Natives, Or Digital Citizens? | Taking Note

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Digital Natives, Or Digital Citizens? | Taking Note:Digital Natives, Or Digital Citizens?by John MerrowHow can we make today's students less consumers of technology -- and more the innovators behind it?I often hear adults describing today’s young people as ‘digital natives,’ usually with a tone of resignation or acceptance: “They are so far ahead of us, but we can turn to them for help,” is the general message I hear.My reaction is “Whoa there, Nellie,” because to me that kind of ... more »

Shanker Blog » A Look At The Education Programs Of The Gates Foundation

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Shanker Blog » A Look At The Education Programs Of The Gates Foundation:A Look At The Education Programs Of The Gates Foundationby Ken LibbyOur guest author today is Ken Libby, a graduate student studying educational foundations, policy and practice at the University of Colorado at Boulder.The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest philanthropic organization involved in public education. Their flexible capital allows the foundation to change course, experiment and take on tasks that would be problematic for other organizations.Although ... more »

(Real) Graph vs (Fake) Graph Friday « School Finance 101

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

(Real) Graph vs (Fake) Graph Friday « School Finance 101:(Real) Graph vs (Fake) Graph Fridayby schoolfinance101This post provides a quick follow up to yesterday’s post (late last night) when I critiqued a questionable graph from an NJDOE presentation here: State of NJ Schools presentation 2-29-2012It turns out that the slide presentation had many comparable graphs that deserve at least some attention. First, there’s this graph which attempts to argue that early reading proficiency is a statewide issue, and not just ... more »

Diane Ravitch criticizes Jindal education plan | The Advertiser | theadvertiser.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Author criticizes Jindal education plan | The Advertiser | theadvertiser.com:Author criticizes Jindal education plan11:00 PM, Mar. 1, 2012 | CommentsAAGuest speaker Diane Ravitch delivers her keynote address during the School Board Association Meeting at the Cajundome Convention Center on Thursday in Lafayette.Written byMike HastenFILED UNDERNewsLocal NewsBobby JindalLAFAYETTE — Gov. Bobby Jindal and several other governors across the country have bought into an education reform plan that won't work, a nationally recognized education advisor and author told members of the Louisiana ... more »

The Education Games: Reform as Doublespeak | Dailycensored.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

The Education Games: Reform as Doublespeak | Dailycensored.com:The Education Games: Reform as Doublespeakby Paul ThomasAlthough we currently live in a world informed by George Orwell’s dystopian unmasking-as-novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, we seem unable to acknowledge that the Ministry of Peace is actually waging war. In our current education reform debate, educators must come to terms with Orwell’s recognition of the essential nature of political speech:“I have not here been considering the literary use of language, but merely language as an instrument ... more »

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, EFL:The Best Photos — In The World?Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 7 hours agoSmithsonian Magazine just announced the fifty finalists in their annual photo competition. You can see the finalists, and the winners from their previous nine years, here. You can also see a related photo gallery created by the Boston Globe’s Big … Continue reading →Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELLLarry Ferlazzo at Larry ... more »

Steinberg back with API alternative | Thoughts on Public Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Steinberg back with API alternative | Thoughts on Public Education:Steinberg back with API alternative - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guessby John Fensterwald - Educated GuessRebuffed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg is back with another academic accountability bill, this time giving the governor lots of latitude to help redefine how to measure schools’ performance. SB 1458 needs to be vague, because, at this point, no one but Brown professes to know what he ... more »