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Monday, March 26, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 3-26 AM Posts #soschat #edreform


Melissa Harris-Perry: Standing in solidarity with Trayvon Martin #trayvonmartin

msnbc video: Standing in solidarity with Trayvon Martin: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyMelissa Harris-Perry Mocks Geraldo Rivera For Trayvon Martin Hoodie Comments (VIDEO)Posted: 03/25/2012 10:10 am Updated: 03/25/2012 10:19 amVisit msnbc.com forbreaking news,world news, andnews about the economy89736352,126GET MEDIA ALERTS:SIGN UPREACT:AmazingInspiringFunnyScaryHotCrazyImportantWeirdFOLLOW:Video,Geraldo Rivera Melissa Harris-Perry,Melissa Harris-Perry,Melissa Harris-Perry Geraldo,Melissa Harris-Perry Trayvon Martin,Trayvon Martin Melissa ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-25 #soschat #EDReform

Jersey Jazzman: Arne Duncan: Indifferent ManiacBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-12 minutes agoJersey Jazzman: Arne Duncan: Indifferent Maniac: Arne Duncan: Indifferent ManiacbyDukeWhat a nutcase:Publishing teachers' ratings in the newspaper in the wayThe New York Timesand other outlets have done recently is not a good use of performance data, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in an interview yesterday."Do you need to publish every single teacher's rating in the paper? I don't think you do," he said. "There's not ... more »

Walton Family Foundation awards Denver $8M for school reform - The Denver Post

Walton Family Foundation awards Denver $8M for school reform - The Denver Post: "Walton Family Foundation "Walton Family Foundation awards Denver $8M for school reformPOSTED: 03/25/2012 01:00:00 AM MDTBy Karen AugéThe Denver PostThe Walton Family Foundation gave out more money for education reform last year than any other year in its history, and a big chunk of it ended up in Denver.Organizations here, from individual schools to influential nonprofits, got just shy of $8 million of the $159 million in ... more »

Watch us on Livestream from March 30th to April 2nd: Occupy the DOE in DC | United Opt Out National

Watch us on Livestream from March 30th to April 2nd: Occupy the DOE in DC | United Opt Out National: Watch us on Livestream from March 30th to April 2nd: Occupy the DOE in DCbyadminFor those interested in watching the occupation of the Department of Education in D.C. from March 30th to April 2nd, the majority of our livestreaming will be athttp://www.livestream.com/califather. (all day Saturday, all day Sunday and Monday afternoon.During other times, including Friday, one of the following two ... more »

Resources for Teachers Teaching about Trayvon Martin | Outside the Cave #trayvonmartin

Resources for Teachers Teaching about Trayvon Martin | Outside the Cave: Resources for Teachers Teaching about Trayvon MartinbyStephen LazarTomorrow we will begin a formal discussion of Trayvon Martin’s murder in my classes. As all my students are of the colors that causes them to experience police harassment and distrust in lighter communities, there won’t be much need for background. We’ll readthis articleto establish facts, and then use the following protocol:Students are presented with readings (and sometimes video) on the eventThe ... more »

School Tech Connect: Let's Join Forces In Illinois #soschat

School Tech Connect: Let's Join Forces In Illinois: Let's Join Forces In Illinoisbynoreply@blogger.com (Tim)As you might know, I've been working on a database.It's a project where people interested in our issues--- public education, neighborhood schools, pensions, the fight against privatization, testing, segregation, etc.-- can organize themselves by political districts.It's all about building effective lobbying relationshipswith the individuals most accountable to us.The database project is coming out this week, so brace yourself.As a part of this project, I have also created ... more »

What the latest revelations on test cheating really mean - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

What the latest revelations on test cheating really mean - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: What the latest revelations on test cheating really meanbyValerie StraussThiswas written by Gary Miron, professor of education at Western Michigan University who has extensive experience evaluating school reforms and education policies. Over the past two decades he has conducted several studies of school choice programs in Europe and in the United States, including nine state evaluations of charter school reforms. Before coming to ... more »

The Commissioner’s Network is not about school improvement or community engagement. It is about power. - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News

The Commissioner’s Network is not about school improvement or community engagement. It is about power. - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: Jonathan KantrowitzPolitical activist, health nutAbout Jonathan KantrowitzThe Commissioner’s Network is not about school improvement or community engagement. It is about power.March 25, 2012 at 1:56 pm byJonathan Kantrowitzby Wendy Lecker…SB 24…gives sweeping powers over schools with the lowest test scores to the state education commissioner in establishing a Commissioner’s Network. The commissioner will decide how and by whom these ... more »

Calif. Hmong community launches online translator - Boston.com

Calif. Hmong community launches online translator - Boston.com: Calif. Hmong community launches online translatorBy Gosia WozniackaAssociated Press/March 25, 2012E-mail|Print|Comments (0)Text size–+00ShareThisNewFRESNO, Calif.—When Phong Yang, a Hmong refugee from Laos, landed in California's Central Valley -- via stops in Thailand and France -- he was 14 years old. He learned to speak Hmong from his parents, but today he has a hard time teaching the language to his children, who are distracted by cell phones and computers.Many Hmong are losing their ... more »

The in box. Kyle Olson’s papa wasn’t exactly a rolling stone. « Fred Klonsky

The in box. Kyle Olson’s papa wasn’t exactly a rolling stone. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Kyle Olson’s papa wasn’t exactly a rolling stone.byFred KlonskyFred,As a MI resident, I know all about the Mackinac Center, even did a point-counterpoint op-ed for them once. (Yes, I was counterpoint. Ha.) While they get Koch money, they have other usual-suspect funders, including Walton, DeVos VanAndel, and Dow. It’s hard to track where all that money comes from and goes but the purpose ... more »

A former KIPP teacher comments on her experience | Seattle Education

A former KIPP teacher comments on her experience | Seattle Education: A former KIPP teacher comments on her experiencebyseattleducation2011KIPP is one of the charter school franchises that’s been tossed around in Seattle by ed reformers as an option if charter schools were to be legalized in our state. I’ve been following KIPP and several articles that I have come across are listed in the right column of this blog under “KIPP”. It could possibly be the worst example of a ...more »

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

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His BalconyBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-6 minutes agoSOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His Balcony: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His Balconybynoreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)OnMarch 12, I wrote about one of Eva Moskowitz's official henchman Gideon Stein.But calling Gideon Eva's henchman is not enough. I think, at least my opinion is Gideon is Eva's Little mouthpiece.Now to remind you who Gideon is, he ... more »

CT Gov proposes to take the public & parents out of public education « Parents Across America

CT Gov proposes to take the public parents out of public education « Parents Across America: CT Gov proposes bill to take the public — parents — out of public educationbyleoniehaimsonby Wendy Lecker, cross-posted from theStamford Advocate.The Connecticut Education Commissioner, Stefan Pryor, is aco-founder and former board member of Achievement Firstchain of charter schools. If the Governor’s bill passes, Pryor will have the power to take over any struggling school in the state, eviscerating the power of the local school ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Food Police in Wellesley Stike Back at Kids

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Food Police in Wellesley Stike Back at Kids: The Food Police in Wellesley Stike Back at KidsbystlgretchenWho is supposed to be setting educational policies for schools? The state or the Federal Government?This is a classic example of governmental overreach reported by boston.com. The food police strikes again! Poor kids. It's supposed to be about them, right? It's to make them fit and healthy according to Michelle Obama. It's more as if the schools via the Federal ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Just Wondering

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Just Wondering: Just WonderingbyMelissa WestbrookNow we know a few more things about the situation at Lowell and I just have to ask Dr. Enfield and Mr. Apostle a couple of questions:This was in the comments section on the thread about the release of the investigation report.Last year, Gregory King shared with the entire staff during a staff meeting, a "This is my life" power point. In it he revealed that his father had been killed by ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Arne Duncan: Indifferent Maniac

Jersey Jazzman: Arne Duncan: Indifferent Maniac: Arne Duncan: Indifferent ManiacbyDukeWhat a nutcase:Publishing teachers' ratings in the newspaper in the wayThe New York Timesand other outlets have done recently is not a good use of performance data, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in an interview yesterday."Do you need to publish every single teacher's rating in the paper? I don't think you do," he said. "There's not much of an upside there, and there's a tremendous downside for teachers. We're ... more »

Schumer: DOJ must probe Stand Your Ground laws - CBS News #trayvonmartin@ritacolleen

Schumer: DOJ must probe Stand Your Ground laws - CBS News: Schumer: DOJ must probe Stand Your Ground lawsByLucy MadisonPLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO(CBS News) Senator Chuck Shumer is calling on the Justice Department to expand its probe of the Trayvon Martin shooting to include an examination of controversial Stand Your Ground laws associated with the case, he told CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.Schumer, in interview with CBS News' Norah O'Donnell, said he is sending a letter to the ... more »

Daily Kos: The Tragedy of Education Tranformation: Leadership without Expertise

Daily Kos: The Tragedy of Education Tranformation: Leadership without Expertise: The Tragedy of Education Tranformation: Leadership without ExpertisebyplthomasEdDFollowShareNewPERMALINK1COMMENTSouth Carolina'sSuperintendent of Education Mick Zais makes several claimsinThe State(March 25, 2012) that build on one central argument: "The most important information about teachers isn’t the degrees they have or their years of seniority. Their effectiveness in the classroom matters much, much more."Like Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Zais has no experience teaching children in K-12 pu... more »

For The People - a Social Democracy Conference | Uppity Wisconsin

For The People - a Social Democracy Conference | Uppity Wisconsin: For The People - a Social Democracy ConferenceSubmitted bySteve Hansonon Sun, 03/25/2012 - 11:54amDate:Wed, 04/04/2012 -12:00am-4:00pmStudent-Run Social Democracy conference at UW- Stout. Steve Hanson of Uppity Wisconsin will be one of the speakers in the Oral Presentations section.https://www.facebook.com/events/177648715686026/LocationUW Stout Memorial Student Center302 10th Avenue Cedar, Maple, and Birch RoomsMenomonie,WI54751United States44° 52' 24.8592" N,91° 55' 35.9472" WSee map:Google Maps

Jersey Jazzman: How To Convince Me the Merit Pay Fairy Is Real:

Jersey Jazzman: How To Convince Me the Merit Pay Fairy Is Real:: How To Convince Me the Merit Pay Fairy Is Real:byDukeThis is one of the most despicable things I have read in this whole reformy debate, and it stands as evidence as to why billionaires should not be influencing education policy. FromBill Turqueof theWashington Post, writing about the D.C. schools:One of the more striking line items on the operating side is for private grant funds. They averaged about $21 ... more »

Reflections on Teaching » 3 simple questions for Common Core mathematics standards…

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » 3 simple questions for Common Core mathematics standards…: 3 simple questions for Common Core mathematics standards…byalicemercerInmy last post, I said I would look at three questions about the new common core standards and how they play out for fifth grade in California:How do they compare with the current standards (with no assumption that the current standards are working–they aren’t);Are they too narrow, or too broad;Are they developmentally appropriate, and are some of theexemplars ... more »

Stand Up for Trayvon Martin Rally – Sunday – March 25th in City Heights #trayvonmartin

Stand Up for Trayvon Martin Rally – Sunday – March 25th in City Heights: Stand Up for Trayvon Martin Rally – Sunday – March 25th in City HeightsbyStaffStand Up for Trayvon Martin Rally SundayMarch 25, 2:00 pmHighland Landis Park, 3795 Fairmount Ave. San Diego 92105(between the library and rec center in City Heights)George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, inside a gated Florida community on Feb. 26, 2012. He has not yet been charged in the shooting. ... more »

Steve Wise Sought to Suppress Test Data for a Campaign Contributor | Scathing Purple Musings

Steve Wise Sought to Suppress Test Data for a Campaign Contributor | Scathing Purple Musings: Steve Wise Sought to Suppress Test Data for a Campaign ContributorbyBob SikesFrom Leslie Postal in theOrlando Sentinel:Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, is convinced.Since watching some of Lockavitch’s 30-minute demonstrations , Wise, a veteran legislator and chairman of the Senate’seducationcommittee, has used his influence to insert millions of dollars for Lockavitch’s program into the state budget since 2000. The 2012-13 budget the Legislature just approved includes an ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Schools Need Real Research

Jersey Jazzman: Schools Need Real Research: Schools Need Real ResearchbyDukeYesterday,I pointed outthat Newark superintendent Cami Anderson's piece in theStar-Ledgerreferred to all sorts of "research" without giving us any citations. I can't say for sure whether that's the fault of Anderson or theS-L; I can say that Anderson is making some very controversial assertions, and she should back them up with actual citations from the literature.A good role model for both her and the S-L is Matt DiCarlo ofshankerblog.org. Matt is ... more »

In schools, a question of cops vs. students - Queens Chronicle: Queenswide

In schools, a question of cops vs. students - Queens Chronicle: Queenswide: In schools, a question of cops vs. studentsCalls for change in school safety after NYPD releases arrest dataStoryCommentsShareSharePrintCreate a hardcopy of this pageFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font sizePHOTO COURTESY DESIS RISING UP AND MOVINGStudents protested outside One Police Plaza in Manhattan last week against what they said are discriminatory police practices in the city’s public schools.Posted:Thursday, March 1, 2012 12:00 pm|Updated: 12:43 pm, Thu Mar 8, 2012.by Anna ... more »

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His Balcony

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His Balcony: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His Balconybynoreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)OnMarch 12, I wrote about one of Eva Moskowitz's official henchman Gideon Stein.But calling Gideon Eva's henchman is not enough. I think, at least my opinion is Gideon is Eva's Little mouthpiece.Now to remind you who Gideon is, he is a very rich white man whose mission in life is to correct the behavior, culture, and education of ... more »

Mike Klonsky...: Keynoter at Bowling Green

Mike Klonsky...: Keynoter at Bowling Green: Keynoter at Bowling GreenbyMike KlonskyThe third annual Urban Education Conference is where BGSU undergraduates presented alongside University faculty, graduate students, professional teachers, and administrators to learn from each other about the complexities of the urban education experience.The Keynote speaker was Dr. Michael Klonsky, Small Schools Workshop, Chicago, "Public Schools-An Endangered Species" at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23, in 101 Olscamp Hall.

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee tells how she Divided D.C.

Education reformer Michelle Rhee tells her side: Education reformer Michelle Rhee tells her sideJill TuckerSunday, March 25, 2012Michelle Rhee, the former Washington, D.C., schools chancellor, might very well be the most controversial figure in publiceducationthese days.She runs the national nonprofit she started in 2010 called Students First, which advocates for increased parent choice, fiscal accountability at all levels of public education and weeding out ineffective teachers and, last year, Time magazine named her among the world's 100 most influential people.But ... more »

Daily Kos: What Kids Aren't Learning

Daily Kos: What Kids Aren't Learning: What Kids Aren't Learningbyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)is the title of the kickoff session of a camoaign titled "Teaching Out Loud" being run byTeaching for Change, and organization whichprovides teachers and parents with the tools to transform schools into centers of justice where students learn to read, write and change the world.It is dedicated to the idea thatbuilding social justice starts in the classroom.The subtitle of the campaign isSocial Justice Teaching Shouldn't Be Silenced, and that of ... more »