Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 3-25 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

An Urban Teacher's Education: Teaching Humanity

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

An Urban Teacher's Education: Teaching Humanity: Teaching HumanitybyJames BoutinThis is the first year of my career I've been tasked with teaching literacy directly. I have two groups of 9th-grade students whose literacy I'm responsible for improving in a detectable way.Prior to this year, I'd never really thought about literacy all that deeply. Literacy - the ability to read, right? As someone trained in language arts, I know how to engage students with reading: engage and build background knowledge, make predictions, ... more »

The in box. “Fool me once.” « Fred Klonsky

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

The in box. “Fool me once.” « Fred Klonsky: The in box. “Fool me once.”byFred KlonskyFred,Here’s what I don’t understand about Sen. Cullerton’s rational: He’s offering a promise to honor the state’s previous promise as “something of real value”.Call me silly, but fool my once…If the state had honored it’s promise in the first place and not skipped it’s payments, there might be some belief in the state following through. But despite this, Sen. Cullerton sees offering a new contract ...more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trayvon Martin

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

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trayvon Martin: Trayvon MartinbyMelissa WestbrookFYI - Tomorrow, a rally and march for Trayvon Martin sponsored by the NAACP, Mothers for Police Accountability, American Friends Service Committee, and other activist groups.Rally at 4pm Sunday the 25thGreater Mt.Baker Baptist Church,2425 South Jackson StreetMarch at 4:30pmtoMLK Memorial Park,2200 Martin Luther King Jr WayTrayvon Martin was 17. He had friends, was bright (but got in trouble for tardiness) and had a close-knit family even though his parents had divorced. He ... more »

SEA Candidate statements by Jonathan Knapp and Phyllis Campano | Seattle Education

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

SEA Candidate statements by Jonathan Knapp and Phyllis Campano | Seattle Education: SEA Candidate statements by Jonathan Knapp and Phyllis Campanobyseattleducation2011In the spirit of fairness, because I have posted information regardingEric Muhswho is a candidate for President of the Seattle Education Association, to follow is a statement by Jonathan Knapp and his running mate Phyllis Campano.Every governance election within a union presents a crossroads for the membership. At the crossroads of this election we believe that there are two paths ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

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

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: IN THE MAILBOXbyMike KlonskyTO: Journalists Who Cover EducationFROM: Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director, National Center for Fair Open Testing (FairTest)RE: Test CheatingDATE: March 24, 2012TheAtlanta Journal Constitution's investigation of suspicious test scores around the nation is the latest example of how the widespread, politically mandated misuse of standardized tests is damaging U.S. public schools and the children they serve. Yes, cheating on standardized exams is very widespread -- FairTest has documented confirmed cases ... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » 100 local academics oppose CPS teacher evaluation tied to test scores

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » 100 local academics oppose CPS teacher evaluation tied to test scores: Don’t miss me on Rev. Jesse Jackson show Saturday pm100 local academics oppose CPS teacher evaluation tied to test scoresI will be speaking Monday at theCReATE press conference:March 23, 2012EDUCATORS SOUND ALARMABOUT USING “STUDENT GROWTH”TO EVALUATE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALSCReATE, a volunteer group of local education professors and researchers, will detail their concerns about a planned Chicago Public Schools evaluation system ... more »

How much will you bet on the IEA leadership having some spine? Will you bet your pension? « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

How much will you bet on the IEA leadership having some spine? Will you bet your pension? « Fred Klonsky: How much will you bet on the IEA leadership having some spine? Will you bet your pension?byFred KlonskyI have had the pleasure of having a number of conversations with Glen Brown.You will not find a man more knowledgable on the issue of Illinois teacher pensions than Glen.Or a nicer guy. And a wonderful poet.His most recent blog postingasks if you ... more »

Schools Drop ‘Pink Slime’ Beef Filler Like a Hot Potato - NYTimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Schools Drop ‘Pink Slime’ Beef Filler Like a Hot Potato - NYTimes.com: ‘Pink Slime’ Losing Place on School Lunch MenusEvan McGlinn for The New York TimesOrchard Gardens K-8 School in Boston no longer serves beef containing “pink slime,” or lean finely textured beef, an ammonia-treated filler.By JESS BIDGOODPublished: March 24, 2012RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINE-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHAREBOSTON — Andy Gomez, a ninth grader at Brighton High School, was not sure why hamburgers and meatballs had disappeared from the cafeteria, but he was not happy about it. ... more »

No, You Can’t End Racism By Tweeting About The Trayvon Martin Foundation « Student Activism

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

No, You Can’t End Racism By Tweeting About The Trayvon Martin Foundation « Student Activism: No, You Can’t End Racism By Tweeting About The Trayvon Martin FoundationbyAngus JohnstonAt 7:24 last night, a Twitter account called @WeLoveTrayvon sent its third tweet:“R.I.P. Trayvon Martin. For every RE-TWEET this tweet gets, $1 will be donated to the TrayvonMartinFoundation, which helps counteract racism.”In the eighteen hours since, that tweet has been retweeted tens of thousands of times.Unfortunately, it’s a hoax.There’s no such thing as ... more »

What happens when charter schools close? | NOLA.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

What happens when charter schools close? | NOLA.com: What happens when charter schools close?Published: Saturday, March 24, 2012, 9:57 AM Updated:Saturday, March 24, 2012, 11:04 AMBySarah Carr, The Times-PicayuneNearly four years ago, teenagers Lynntrell Westbrook and Damonika Stokes took a chance on an ambitious new charter school that promised a rigorous high school curriculum combined with regular community-service activities.Michael Democker, Times-PicayuneStudents board buses to leave Sojourner Truth at the end of the school day Friday.Leaders at Sojourner Truth Academy charter... more »

A weekend interview with parent activists Kathleen Oropeza and Rita Solnet | #soschat #paa #edchat| Tampa Bay Times

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

A weekend interview with parent activists Kathleen Oropeza and Rita Solnet | Education articles blog on schools in Florida Tampa Bay: the Gradebook | Tampa Bay Times: Rita SolnetHow do you feel you got feedback from lawmakers? Do you feel like they listened to what you had to say?Actually, yes. This was quite a learning process for myself. I learned that many of them are just misinformed. They really don't have the facts. They don't have the evidence. And when ... more »

Cheating our children: Suspicious school test scores across the nation | ajc.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Cheating our children: Suspicious school test scores across the nation | ajc.com: Cheating our children: Suspicious school test scores across the nationShareThisPrintE-mailByHeather Vogell,John Perryand Alan Judd and M.B. PellThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionSuspicious test scores in roughly 200 school districts resemble those that entangled Atlanta in the biggest cheating scandal in American history, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows.Enlarge photoHyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.comSt. Louis: Patrick Henry Downtown Academy’s principal was placed on leave last year for... more »

Saturday coffee + Old school. « Fred Klonsky #trayvonmartin

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee.byFred KlonskyI’m pretty sure it wasn’t because Trayvon Martin was wearing a hoodie.Yesterday was the first day of Spring Break. Then all next week. Thursday I head for Brooklyn to see kids and grand kids.With the teacher haters Tweeting me about how overpaid and underworked teachers are, I feel compelled to explain that none of these days off are paid holidays.“What?”you say.Teachers are paid a per diem.No paid holidays.If the legislature were to pass ... more »

Snapshots of Connecticut Charter School Data « School Finance 101

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Snapshots of Connecticut Charter School Data « School Finance 101: Snapshots of Connecticut Charter School Databyschoolfinance101In several previous posts I have addressed the common argument among charter advocacy organizations (notably, not necessarily those out there doing the hard work of actually running a real charter school – but the pundits who claim to speak on their behalf) thatcharter schools do more, with less while serving comparable student populations.This argument appears to be a central theme of current policy proposals in ... more »

Trayvon … Same ALEC, different TRIGGER – May the world start asking, WHO? … Those who wrote STAND YOUR GROUND called it empowerment, too. #DoYouFeelEmpowered? « Continuing Change

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Trayvon … Same ALEC, different TRIGGER – May the world start asking, WHO? … Those who wrote STAND YOUR GROUND called it empowerment, too. #DoYouFeelEmpowered? « Continuing Change: Trayvon … Same ALEC, different TRIGGER – May the world start asking, WHO? … Those who wrote STAND YOUR GROUND called it empowerment, too. #DoYouFeelEmpowered?bygatorbonbcThere are alot of emotions about Trayvon’s death… the world is watching.Let the world know that this Stand Your Ground Law is just another product of ALEC…Through the ... more »

School Tech Connect: Today's Ed Reform Catechism

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Today's Ed Reform Catechism: Today's Ed Reform Catechismbynoreply@blogger.com (Tim)Modern ed reform is like an obscure religion with tenets you may not have heard of but which the true believers cling to with fervor.One of the tenets is that certain types of teachers can eliminate, no merely reduce, the impact of poverty in its test-score manifestation. This belief is carved on a the holiest of tablets. The belief actually lets you off the hook for the causes of ... more »

Trayvon Martin - Parents Recall Son's Last Night : People.com #trayvonmartin

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Trayvon Martin - Parents Recall Son's Last Night : People.com: Trayvon Martin's Parents Recall His Last NightBY STEVE HELLINGSaturday March 24, 2012 08:30 AM EDTTrayvon MartinLandovFacebookTweetIn his quiet moments, Tracy Martin keeps replaying the night of Feb. 26, when his sonTrayvon Martin died, allegedly at the hands of neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman."I had gone out for dinner," says Tracy, "and when I got home, Trayvon wasn't there. I tried calling his cell phone several times, and it went straight ... more »

The Struggle to Save Adult Education in Los Angeles | Dissident Voice

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

The Struggle to Save Adult Education in Los Angeles | Dissident Voice: The Struggle to Save Adult Education in Los AngelesbyRobert D. SkeelsUsing State of California budget shortfalls as an excuse, Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Superintendent John Deasy presented the LAUSD Board of Education (BOE) with a draconian budget that effectively cut some of the most crucial programs in the District. With enthusiastic collaboration from LAUSD BOE President Monica Garcia, Deasy’s chopping block included the District’s Student Readiness ... more »

Action for the Week of March 25th: Blast the Media | United Opt Out National #soschat #edchat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Action for the Week of March 25th: Blast the Media | United Opt Out National: Action for the Week of March 25th: Blast the MediabyadminGood Morning Everyone!!! Our action for the week of March 25th is important. We are asking everyone to blast the media and tell them to come to our occupation. Email Rachel Maddow at mediainquiries@msnbc.com. Email The Ed Schultz Show at james@edschultzshow.com. Help us get them to cover this occupation. Add additional emails here for people to ... more »

Daily Kos: Texas School districts push back against too much testing

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Daily Kos: Texas School districts push back against too much testing: Texas School districts push back against too much testingbyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)As one can see inthis blog post by Valerie Straussat the Washington Post, over 100 (out of more than 1300) Texas school districts have already signed on to an effort to stop the abuse of too much standardized testing.As Valerie notes, the movement was started in response to remarks of the Texas Commissioner of Education, Robert Scott,who, said the mentality ... more »

Chicago Teachers Union | Get on the bus to support neighborhood schools!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Chicago Teachers Union | Get on the bus to support neighborhood schools!: Get on the bus to support neighborhood schools!03/22/2012Illinois State Rep. Cynthia Soto sponsoredHB4487which would place a moratorium on school closings, consolidations and phase-outs in CPS for the 2012-2013 school year.Sen. Iris Martinez sponsored the Senate version of the bill.We need your help to get these crucial bills passed. We need you to testify at theIllinois HouseElementary Secondary Education Committee hearing.Lobby Day:Monday, March 26, 2012Depart: 4:30 AM from 1100 ... more »

RHEE-VOLTING ‘Rhee Effect:’ Why depending on private cash for reform is a bad idea - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

‘Rhee Effect:’ Why depending on private cash for reform is a bad idea - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: ‘Rhee Effect:’ Why depending on private cash for reform is a bad ideaByValerie StraussMichelle Rhee was a great fundraiser during the 3 1/2 years she was the chancellor of D.C.’s public schools.During her tenure, from 2007 until 2010, when she resigned, she persuaded a handful of private foundations to pony up a total of more than $80 million to ... more »