Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, September 10, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-10-12 #faircontractnow #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP



The BIG 2 on CHICAGO #faircontractnow PS THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
*The BIG 2 on CHICAGO* * * * * What Does Rahm Emanuel Believe? by dianerav When Mayor Rahm Emanuel is talking about youth crime, he assigns responsibility to parents and families for the values and attitudes and behavior of what he calls “gang bangers.” When he talks about schools, however, he forgets that parents and families have any influence on how students behave and the effort they are willing to expend on their studies. All of a sudden, teachers alone control test scores, no one else. Chicago strike by debmeier Forty five years go, fresh from Chicago, I began teaching kinde... more »

The Chicago Teachers Union Fight is a National Fight | FDL News Desk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The Chicago Teachers Union Fight is a National Fight | FDL News Desk: The Chicago Teachers Union Fight is a National Fight by David Dayen Dylan Matthews published a post today about how teacher strikes harm student achievement, reaching all the way to suggest that the future earning potential of students off from school today at the Chicago Public Schools will be impacted by a protracted strike. Let’s set aside the fact that it seems a bit presumptuous to enter into this conversation ONE DAY INTO a strike action, and the fact that the company of the organization for which Matthews w... more »

Chicago Teachers Strike: Additional links and information | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Chicago Teachers Strike: Additional links and information | Seattle Education: Chicago Teachers Strike: Additional links and information by seattleducation2011 Chicago teachers in a picket line outside the headquarters of Chicago Public Schools. September 10, 2012. As I posted this morning, Democracy Now had a great program on the Chicago teachers’ strike. Teachers outside the Chicago Public Schools headquarters. Substance News, which is providing great coverage of the strike also, started off with the article Strike begins. Reuters also posted an article this morning which is well w... more »

By Striking, Chicago Teachers Put Children First - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
By Striking, Chicago Teachers Put Children First - Education - GOOD: By Striking, Chicago Teachers Put Children First by Liz Dwyer [image: on.strike] Is it Groundhog Day for the Chicago Public Schools? Back in 1987, the city's teachers went on a 19-day strikeover pay and class size. Sunday night, ongoing contract talks between Mayor Rahm Emanuel's team—Chicago schools are under mayoral control—and the Chicago Teacher's Union fell apart, seemingly over the same issues. Emanuel says the strike is the "wrong choice for children," but the biggest strike in a generation isn't just ab... more »

Chicago Strike Emblematic Of Union Struggle : NPR

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Chicago Strike Emblematic Of Union Struggle : NPR: Chicago Strike Emblematic Of Union Struggle [image: Chicago public school teachers picket outside William H.Wells Community High School on Monday.]Scott Olson/Getty Images Chicago public school teachers picket outside William H.Wells Community High School on Monday. The strike that shut schools in Chicago on Monday illustrates a larger, national trend: Teachers unions are having a harder time getting what they want. For decades, teachers unions have been among the most powerful lobbying groups in nearly every state — and have been ... more »

Comment Open for CTE Model Curriculum Standards - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Comment Open for CTE Model Curriculum Standards - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Invites Comment on New Career Technical Education Standards SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today invited the public to comment on the new Career Technical Education (CTE) Model Curriculum Standards. "I want all students to have the skills they need for demanding careers or the rigors of college after graduating from high school," said Torlakson. "That's why it is so important for all Californians have input on these new standar... more »

Chicago teachers strike: The issues - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Chicago teachers strike: The issues - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Chicago teachers strike: The issuesBy Valerie Strauss The teachers strike in Chicago, the third largest public school district in the country with some 350,000 students, is about more than money. For the first time, teachers in a major school district have walked off Teacher Jillian Connolly helps her daughter, Mary, study math problems while picketing outside of the William H.Wells Community High School in Chicago. (Scott Olson/GETTY IMAGES)the job in part to challenge some of the key tenets of modern sc... more »

The in box. AFT statement in support of CTU Local #1. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
The in box. AFT statement in support of CTU Local #1. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. AFT statement in support of CTU Local #1. SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 *UFT President Michael Mulgrew and AFT President Randi Weingarten wearing red in solidarity with CTU Local #1.* *Dear Fred,* *Late last night, the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike. This came after months of intense negotiations that continued until the last hours before the strike deadline. Today, teachers, educational support personnel and community members throughout Chicago walk together on picket lines to continue to demand a contra... more »

CPS Fails To Negotiate Fair Contract To Prevent First Strike In 25 Years Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: CPS Fails To Negotiate Fair Contract To Prevent First Strike In 25 Years 09/09/2012 More than 29,000 teachers and education professionals will not report to work today 9/10 *CHICAGO—* After hours of intense negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have failed to reach an agreement that will prevent the first teachers strike in 25 years. Pickets are expected to begin Monday at 675 schools and the Board of Education as early as 6:30 a.m. Teachers, paraprofessionals and school ... more »

How you can help Chicago teachers from anywhere : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
How you can help Chicago teachers from anywhere : blue cheddar: How you can help Chicago teachers from anywhere September 10, 2012 By bluecheddar [image: Share] Teachers in the 3rd largest school district in the United States are on strike today. * What can you do to support Chicago teachers:* * *Learn about the issues in play.* *Read* STRIKE! CPS fails to respond to educational proposals of Chicago Teachers Union, while Mayor Rahm Emanuel continues insults forcing first Chicago schools strike in 25 years from Substance News of Chicago If you’re in a rush, at least read this tidbit f... more »

Greatness By Design Report - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Greatness By Design Report - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Unveils* Greatness by Design*, Task Force's Comprehensive Report on Supporting Outstanding Teaching SACRAMENTO—In a new report, a group of California's leading education experts formed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson called for sweeping improvements to the way teachers are recruited, trained, brought into the profession, mentored, and evaluated. "This is the most comprehensive look our state has taken at California's most important profession—teaching—in a gen... more »

Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line: Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line by Joy Resmovits On Monday, Chicago's public school students won't have any classes to go to. After weeks of negotiations, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's team and the Chicago Teacher's Union failed to agree on a contract. On Sunday night, CTU officially announced it was going to strike for the first time in a quarter century. So on Monday, instead of teaching, the union's 26,000 educators will protest. "In the morning, no CTU members will be inside our schools," C... more »

"NYSUT sends message of support to Chicago teachers." September 10, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
"NYSUT sends message of support to Chicago teachers." September 10, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: NYSUT sends message of support to Chicago teachers NYSUT Media Relations - September 10, 2012 ALBANY, N.Y. September 10, 2012 - The 600,000-member New York State United Teachers pledged its full support to the 30,000 teachers and staff in Chicago who today went on strike. Outstanding issues leading to the strike include fairness and respect for teachers and staff serving the Chicago Public Schools; a demand for badly needed resources for Chicago students, a... more »

Standing up to Rahm - Salon.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Standing up to Rahm - Salon.com: Standing up to RahmBullied by their city's Democratic mayor, teachers in Chicago are making a bold stand against misguided "reform"BY SALLY KOHN - - 6 - 21 - - more - TOPICS: CHICAGO, EDUCATION, RAHM EMANUEL, TEACHERS, TEACHERS UNIONS [image: Standing up to Rahm] (Credit: AP/Sitthixay Ditthavong) When I was a kid, teachers were like gods. In eighth grade, my school had a day where students got to take over and make lesson plans, teach a class or two, try and get our fellow students to pay attention. After being sel... more »

Why Chicago teachers are on strike and what could come next | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Why Chicago teachers are on strike and what could come next | GothamSchools: Why Chicago teachers are on strike and what could come next by Philissa Cramer Striking Chicago teachers picket today outside Ray Elementary School, where U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent his children when he was Chicago's schools chief. (Photo: Raiselle Resnick for GothamSchools) Chicago’s long-threatened teacher strike, which began today, isn’t just about Chicago teachers. It’s also something of a referendum on the current moment in education policy. Of the many reasons for the strike, three stan... more »

CTU striking for better schools Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » CTU striking for better schools: CTU striking for better schools by admin It seems very odd to be in Phoenix getting my mom settled back into her home after a summer with us, rather than being in Chicago where all the action is. But the whole world IS watching, and it’s not because the whole world really cares that much about a local city labor dispute. It’s because this is a fight about the very nature of public education and the needs of middle class families. Read this letter by Teacher X’s (the amazing Xian Barrett) to J... more »

LET THE CHICAGO STRIKE BE A START OF THE TEACHERS’ REVOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
LET THE CHICAGO STRIKE BE A START OF THE TEACHERS’ REVOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back: LET THE CHICAGO STRIKE BE A START OF THE TEACHERS’ REVOLUTION by alkleen FINALLY ! We finally see a group of teachers demanding some respect. Let the Chicago teachers lead the way to a new era of respect for teachers. I’m referring to self-respect. Let’s go all you other teachers. Let this bold strike for respect inspire a whole nation of teachers to demand an end to this teacher bashing, union busting, teacher scapegoating era. You teachers need to have enough respect for yourself and your profe... more »

Striking Teachers, Parents Join Forces to Oppose "Corporate" Education Model in Chicago

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Striking Teachers, Parents Join Forces to Oppose "Corporate" Education Model in Chicago: Striking Teachers, Parents Join Forces to Oppose "Corporate" Education Model in Chicago DOWNLOAD: VIDEOAUDIOGET CD/DVDMORE FORMATS [image: Reddit_20][image: Email_20][image: Addthis_20] PRINTER-FRIENDLY TRANSCRIPT | To discuss the Chicago teachers’ strike, we’re joined by two guests: Phil Cantor, a teacher and strike captain at Chicago’s North-Grand High School and member of Teachers for Social Justice, and Rhoda Rae Gutierrez, the mother of two public school students in Chicago and a memb... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Questions on Common Core? Smarter Balanced to Convene Member States and Education Experts in St. Louis. The Public is Invited to a Two-Hour Discussion Period.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Questions on Common Core? Smarter Balanced to Convene Member States and Education Experts in St. Louis. The Public is Invited to a Two-Hour Discussion Period.: Questions on Common Core? Smarter Balanced to Convene Member States and Education Experts in St. Louis. The Public is Invited to a Two-Hour Discussion Period. by stlgretchen Do you have questions for the SBAC Consortium? Here's your chance to ask them. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is meeting in St. Louis and will have a 2 hour public discussion open to the public. Repr... more »

Teacher X: Why I'm striking, JCB

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Teacher X: Why I'm striking, JCB: Why I'm striking, JCB CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard is on record saying both that CTU leadership is deciding whether or not to strike, and that “everyone knows that a strike would only hurt our kids.” I just wanted to educate my boss a little on the history of Chicago, as he is relatively new to the area. Chicago is founded on the hard daily struggle of working people. It is the birth of the labor movement—not a movement just for wages and benefits, but a movement that stopped child labor so that each of the kids in CPS schools could attend school ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, September 10, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *California Supports TEACHERS!* Education Headlines *Monday, September 10, 2012* Galt school districts team for request of federal fundsThe school districts in Galt have joined up to apply for $10 to $20 million in federal money commonly known as Race to the Top funds, but only 20 to 25 applications will be selected nationwide. O.C. schools see $1.3 billion construction boomEleven of the county's 27 school districts are currently renovating aging campuses and adding other features like new gymnasiums, performing-arts complexes, p... more »

Chicago Teachers Union | Press Release: CPS Fails To Negotiate Fair Contract To Prevent First Strike In 25 Years

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Union | Press Release: CPS Fails To Negotiate Fair Contract To Prevent First Strike In 25 Years: CPS Fails To Negotiate Fair Contract To Prevent First Strike In 25 Years 09/09/2012 More than 29,000 teachers and education professionals will not report to work today 9/10 [image: Strike Central]*http://www.ctunet.com/for-members/strike-central* *CHICAGO—* After hours of intense negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have failed to reach an agreement that will prevent the first teachers strike in 25 years. Pickets are expect... more »

Chicago teachers strike and challenge corporate reform model of education | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Chicago teachers strike and challenge corporate reform model of education | Seattle Education: Chicago teachers strike and challenge corporate reform model of education by seattleducation2011 Strike! For the best coverage on the strike this morning, go to Democracy Now’s coverage of the strike: *Striking Teachers, Parents Join Forces to Oppose “Corporate” Education Model in Chicago* Here are the specific stories on the strike: More than 29,000 Chicago public school teachers and support staff have gone on strike today after union leaders failed to reach an agreement with the nation... more »

Chicago Teachers Union Heads Out on Strike | FDL News Desk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Union Heads Out on Strike | FDL News Desk: Chicago Teachers Union Heads Out on Strike by David Dayen The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) commenced their first education strike in a generation last ight, with 29,000 teachers and school personnel walking out and taking up picket lines. “Rahm says cut back, we say fight back,” picketers dressed in red T-shirts chanted this morning outside Chicago Public Schools headquarters. Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis announced late Sunday night that weekend talks had failed to resolve all the union’s issues. “We have ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Karen Lewis *“Real school will not be open [Monday]. ... No CTU member will be inside our schools." *-- Sun-Times Bad timing for Rahm? *The timing also may be inopportune for Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff whose city administration is wrestling with a spike in murders and shootings in some city neighborhoods and who just agreed to take a larger role in fundraising for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. -- * Time More Lewis *“We stand in solidarity with our brothers and ... more »

The Real Stand for Children :: Sabrina Joy Stevens

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The Real Stand for Children :: Sabrina Joy Stevens: The Real Stand for Children Posted by Sabrina on September 10th, 2012 Pop History Quiz: Do you know how children ended up off the factory floor and in classrooms? Unionized adults. From the 1830s until the 1938 passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act, organizations like the Women’s Trade Union League of New York, the New England Association of Farmers, Mechanics and Other Workingmen, the American Federation of Labor and others led the fight to end child labor and institute compulsory schooling laws. (That fight, by the way, contin... more »

Seeing Red: Chicago Teachers Elevate Anti-Privatization Fight to National Level | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Seeing Red: Chicago Teachers Elevate Anti-Privatization Fight to National Level | OccupyWallSt.org: Seeing Red: Chicago Teachers Elevate Anti-Privatization Fight to National Level by OccupyWallSt [image: "United We Bargain, Divided We Beg"] *via the Occupied Chicago Tribune:* When a teachers’ strike started to look like a realistic possibility earlier this spring, CPS Chief Communications Officer Becky Carroll warned the readers of Catalyst, “Any talk of a strike is the wrong message to send our schools, students and taxpayers.” For her, and the rest of the privatization evangelist... more »

Obama’s Failing Education Agenda | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Obama’s Failing Education Agenda | Dailycensored.com: Obama’s Failing Education Agenda by P.L. Thomas In the 2008 presidential election, I cast a symbolic vote for Barack Obama. I would have eagerly done the same for Hillary Clinton. I believed deeply in the need to confront the lingering and corrosive racism and sexism that haunt the promise of democracy and equity that the U.S. represents (but has yet to achieve). My vote for Obama had little to do with the hope and change that drove his campaign. I am far too skeptical of politicians to believe that policy will follow rhetoric. ... more »

Modern School: Chicago Teachers Strike is On

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Modern School: Chicago Teachers Strike is On: Chicago Teachers Strike is On by Michael Dunn The Chicago teachers strike is officially on, with thousands of teachers walking off the job today in Chicago’s first teacher strike in 25 years. It is also the first major American teacher strike in years. The stakes are high for all sides. In some ways, the strike is a test case for the labor movement, particularly among public sector workers. A loss for the teachers would motivate anti-union officials across the country to increase their attacks on public sector workers, giving them the... more »

Schools Matter: We Are Chicago Teachers Now!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Schools Matter: We Are Chicago Teachers Now!: We Are Chicago Teachers Now! by Jim Horn STRIKE! CPS fails to respond to educational proposals of Chicago Teachers Union, while Mayor Rahm Emanuel continues insults forcing first Chicago schools strike in 25 years *Substance News* George N. Schmidt - September 09, 2012 After a quarter century, it was finally scheduled to begin at midnight, and it did with a handful of pickets in front of the headquarters of the nation's third largest school district four blocks south of Chicago's City Hall. It is the first strike by the Chicago Teachers ... more »

America would be better off with more strikes - CNN.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
America would be better off with more strikes - CNN.com: America would be better off with more strikes By *Chris Rhomberg*, Special to CNN updated 7:42 AM EDT, Mon September 10, 2012 [image: In June, Chicago school teachers protested a decision by the board of education to rescind a 4% annual raise.] In June, Chicago school teachers protested a decision by the board of education to rescind a 4% annual raise. *STORY HIGHLIGHTS* - In Chicago, public school teachers are set to go on strike - Chris Rhomberg: The strike has mostly disappeared from American life - He says declining... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Says GOP Shouldn't 'Kowtow' to Tea Party

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Says GOP Shouldn't 'Kowtow' to Tea Party: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Says GOP Shouldn't 'Kowtow' to Tea PartyAnn Kane and M. Catharine Evans * * Weighing in on education reform at the Democratic National Convention last week, Michelle Rhee, former DC Schools Chancellor, and CEO of the lobbying organization StudentsFirst said the Republican Party shouldn't "kowtow to the special interests within their own party." After almost two years of vetting Rhee as a liberal Democrat who won the hearts and minds of conservative Republicans, we are s... more »

UPDATE: “Why I’m striking.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
“Why I’m striking.” « Fred Klonsky: Ten minute drawing. David Vitale by Fred Klonsky CTU: “Recognizing the Board’s financial woes, we are not far apart on compensation.” But there are other major concerns. by Fred Klonsky *Teachers and staff at Logan Square’s Darwin Elementary School at 6:30 this morning.* From the CTU: “Recognizing the Board’s fiscal woes, we are not far apart on compensation. However, we are apart on benefits. We want to maintain the existing health benefits. “Another concern is evaluation procedures. After the initial phase-in of the new evaluation system it c... more »

UPDATE: How Good Were the Good Old Days? LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-10-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How Good Were the Good Old Days? by dianerav Jamie Vollmer is the author of the famous Blueberry Story. He was working for an ice cream company that won recognition for making the best ice cream in America. Buoyed by success, he would go to conferences and decry the sorry state of American education, based on what he knew of business. One day, when speaking to a group of teachers, someone asked him what his company would do if he got a shipment of damaged blueberries. He promptly replied that the shipment wo... more »

Why are Chicago teachers on strike? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Why are Chicago teachers on strike? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Why are Chicago teachers on strike? By Valerie Strauss They couldn’t make a deal in Chicago so more than 350,000 public school kids won’t have class on Monday. Why are teachers in the third largest school district in the country going on strike for the first time since 1987, when a walkout lasted 19 days? (Sitthixay Ditthavong/AP)Because Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel gave up some, but not enough, of his questionable plans to reform schools with initiatives that haven’t been shown to be effective (but are p... more »

Post-AB 5: Focus on substantial areas of agreement on evaluations | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Post-AB 5: Focus on substantial areas of agreement on evaluations | EdSource Today: Post-AB 5: Focus on substantial areas of agreement on evaluations - by David B. Cohen by David B. Cohen [image: David B. Cohen] David B. Cohen Last month’s legislative drama involving Assembly Bill 5 provided a snapshot of the dysfunctional politics of education policy, with distrust and division inflaming what should be worked out in a calm and straightforward manner. All stakeholders would welcome teacher evaluation improvements, but disagreements about the nature of the reform unfortunately domi... more »

Chicago Teachers Go On Strike...On behalf of all Public Education! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Go On Strike...On behalf of all Public Education! - Wait, What?: Chicago Teachers Go On Strike…On behalf of all Public Education! by jonpelto For the first time in twenty-five years, school teachers in Chicago are going on strike. President Obama’s confidant and former chief of staff, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, set up this strike over two key issues – merit pay and evaluation. 700,000 students out of school, 30,000 teachers and support staff on the picket-line because Emanual, a Democrat, wants to introduce even more “education reform,” and this after Paul Vallas... more »

Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line: Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, Emanuel Disagree On Bottom Line by Joy Resmovits On Monday, Chicago's public school students won't have any classes to go to. After weeks of negotiations, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's team and the Chicago Teacher's Union failed to agree on a contract. On Sunday night, CTU officially announced it was going to strike for the first time in a quarter century. So on Monday, instead of teaching, the union's 26,000 educators will protest. "In the morning, no CTU members will be inside our school... more »

High School Students Get Swag on Count Day - High School Notes (usnews.com)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
High School Students Get Swag on Count Day - High School Notes (usnews.com): High School Students Get Swag on Count Day By KELSEY SHEEHY September 10, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: Ten states use attendance counts from a single day to determine district funding for the school year.] Ten states use attendance counts from a single day to determine district funding for the school year. Once a year, Detroit Public Schools pulls out all the stops to get students in their seats. In 2010, the district enticed students with a total of $20,000 in Target gift cards. The prize for attendance in ... more »

Chicago Teachers Strike as Education Reform Tensions Boil Over - Teacher Beat - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Strike as Education Reform Tensions Boil Over - Teacher Beat - Education Week: [image: Teacher Beat] Chicago Teachers Strike as Education Reform Tensions Boil Over by Stephen Sawchuk Chicago teachers are scheduled to take to the picket lines today, following the failure of marathon negotiations this weekend with the school district over issues of pay, job security, and evaluations. The strike, which will involve some 25,000 teachers and support staff, is the first in the city in 25 years, and it will be the largest teachers' strike since Detroit teachers marched i... more »

NYC Educator: Wear Red Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
NYC Educator: Wear Red Today: Wear Red Today by NYC Educator In solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Chicago, who are on strike. If you want to help, please contribute to their solidarity fund. I have. Remember that Mayor Rahm Emanuel reneged on a negotiated 4% raise. He then offered a 2% raise, with undetermined merit pay to follow as he saw fit and demanded, for this, that teachers work a 20% longer school day. Rahm's corporate pals changed the law so that CTU needed a 75% vote of union members to authorize a strike, thinking that would never happen. Some "reformer" whose... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CTU PRESS RELEASE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CTU PRESS RELEASE: CTU PRESS RELEASE by Mike Klonsky *Press Release: CPS Fails To Negotiate Fair Contract To Prevent First Strike In 25 Years* *09/09/2012* More than 29,000 teachers and education professionals will not report to work today 9/10 CHICAGO— After hours of intense negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have failed to reach an agreement that will prevent the first teachers strike in 25 years. Pickets are expected to begin Monday at 675 schools and the Board of Education as early as 6:30 a.m. T... more »

Chicago teachers strike for first time in 25 years; contingency sites ready, charters remain open - Chicago Sun-Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Chicago teachers strike for first time in 25 years; contingency sites ready, charters remain open - Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago teachers strike for first time in 25 years; contingency sites ready, charters remain open BY ROSALIND ROSSI and LAUREN FITZPATRICK Staff Reporters September 9, 2012 5:36PM [image: Story Image]Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union and Vice president Jesse Sharkey talk to the media as Chicago Public Schools will be on Strike this Monday. Sunday Sept 9, 2012 | Scott Stewart~Sun-Times For the first time in 25 years, Chicago’s teachers are ...more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week One 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week One 2012: Week One 2012 by alicemercer [image: Number one-1=] And so it begins… It was a pretty good week. Feedback from one of the kids about day one was that he liked me, but I wasn’t warm and friendly. I wasn’t trying to do the “don’t smile until Christmas” routine, but I did make an effort to be friendlier as the week went on. There is not a lot of reason to crab on this group of kids, who are very sweet for sixth graders. Normally kids in this grade-level are feeling out their adolescent attitudes. This group on initial impression ... more »

LAUSD vs. LEONARD ISENBERG - WRITTED TO SUPERIOR COURT - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
LAUSD vs. LEONARD ISENBERG - WRITTED TO SUPERIOR COURT - Perdaily.com: LAUSD vs. LEONARD ISENBERG - WRITTED TO SUPERIOR COURT by Leonard Isenberg [image: Drefus.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *After two years and seven months waiting for my hearing before the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), without pay or benefits, tomorrow was to be my day in this administrative law court, where no teacher ever gets their job back. Even thought Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent ... more »

FAIR CONTRACT RALLY MONDAY AT 3:30PM Chicago Teachers Union | Strike Central

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Union | Strike Central: Strike Central [image: CTU members rally on may 23rd. Signs read Whatever We Do We Will Do Together and Love Our Students] Latest Information As of 12:01 a.m. we will be on strike. Please report to your picket location by 6:30 a.m. Click here for the latest press release on negotiations. Click here for our first daily strike bulletin, On the Line. *FAIR CONTRACT RALLY MONDAY AT 3:30PM**125 SOUTH CLARK * * CTU Strike Headquarters is located at Teamster City.* On Van Buren between Ashland and Paulina on the north side of I-290 - the Eisenhower ... more »

Chicago's Teachers Just Went On Strike -- Here's Everything You Need To Know About Why | Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Chicago's Teachers Just Went On Strike -- Here's Everything You Need To Know About Why | Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC): THE DAILY CHANGE: CHICAGO’S TEACHERS JUST WENT ON STRIKE — HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHY During a press conference tonight the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) announced that it will be going on strike, its first action of the sort in 25 years. Why are these 29,000 teachers and school workers going on strike in the nation’s third-largest public school district? Because they want what all workers want: fair pay and decent working conditio... more »

BREAKING: Chicago Teachers to strike after negotiations fail looms - Chicago News and Weather | FOX Chicago News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Teacher contract negotiations continue as deadline looms - Chicago News and Weather | FOX Chicago News: BREAKING: Chicago Teachers to strike after negotiations fail Chicago News and Weather | FOX Chicago News More Sharing Services - - Share - | - Share on facebook - Share on twitter - | - Share on email - Print *Posted: Sep 07, 2012 2:25 PM PDT**Updated: Sep 09, 2012 8:12 PM PDT* By Tisha Lewis, FOX Chicago News Reporter - bio | email - CPS will implement 'Children First' if teachers strike: DETAILS CHICAGO (FOX Chicago Ne... more »

School Tech Connect: I Stand With The Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
School Tech Connect: I Stand With The Union: I Stand With The Union by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) from the Labor Day RallyI stand with Karen Lewis, the CTU negotiating team, the united Chicago Teachers' Union. I'm not a member of their union, but I've been paying attention. What's happening in Chicago is a full-scale assault on communities and public education in the guise of "reform." The national fetish for teacher-hating has its epicenter here in Chicago, where Rahm Emanuel has decided that his personal agenda is the only way forward, without negotiation, without the assen... more »

Peg with Pen: On the Eve of the Strike: Thank you CTU

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Peg with Pen: On the Eve of the Strike: Thank you CTU: On the Eve of the Strike: Thank you CTU by Peggy As a former public school teacher who has been out of the system for six years, who feels as though no large body of people have ever – *ever *- stood up for educators – for me - for public schools – for students – *in my professional lifetime* – I just want to say thank you. For all of the professionals – teachers – who are out there tonight – *remember who you are* – while I remember who I am. CTU is making sure I remember. We are professionals with high expertise in a fiel... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Overpaid Teachers? As If!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Overpaid Teachers? As If!: Overpaid Teachers? As If! by Duke *But I need those people to find new ways to blame teachers for... everything!* When Chris Christie first came on the scene, he would go on and on about greedy teachers getting big raises while everyone else was struggling. What he failed to tell his constituents is that most NJ teacher contracts are for three years; that means there is a lag in wage inflation changes between the general workforce and teachers. Now it's been a few years since the recession hit. How are those "overpaid" teachers doing? ... more »

Online Education's Lucrative Bottom Line | OurFuture.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Online Education's Lucrative Bottom Line | OurFuture.org: Online Education's Lucrative Bottom Line by Sam Pizzigati *Corporate execs and billionaire ideologues are creating — at taxpayer expense — a network of schools where learning takes a back seat.* The sounds of September: school bells ringing, looseleaf binders snapping open, sneakers squeaking on gymnasium floors. Next to apple pie, what could be more American than sounds like these — and the local public schools where we hear them? But times change. Blackboards and chalk no longer grace every classroom. We have whiteboards ... more »

Evening Time with Diane 9-9-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Tomorrow, Wear Red for ED to Support Chicago Teachers FairTest: Give Arne a Warm Welcome by dianerav The nation’s leading anti-testing organization has issued a call to its supporters to turn out and welcome Secretary Duncan if he visits their communities on his cross-country bus tour. Tell him why his teach-to-the-test policies are failing. Tell him why high-stakes testing is bad for the quality of education. Tell him that children need time to play and dance and sing, not just take test prep. Tell him that it is wrong to ditch physical education and the art... more »

The in box. “As a teacher, I am vilified and my profession is denigrated by the mayor and his office’s media tactics.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The in box. “As a teacher, I am vilified and my profession is denigrated by the mayor and his office’s media tactics.” « Fred Klonsky: The in box. “As a teacher, I am vilified and my profession is denigrated by the mayor and his office’s media tactics.” by Fred Klonsky The Reality of Education: *Each year I teach five sections of high school English. That’s thirty (or more!) students in a room. That means that in my short career, I’ve already influenced almost 500 people directly! This doesn’t even include students I’ve taught in summer or night school, students who I mentor, h... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV - the Battle To Come

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV - the Battle To Come: BEX IV - the Battle To Come by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] Next week is the first of the BEX IV community meetings (Thursday, the 20th at Whitman at 6:30 p.m.). It now looks like a real battle brewing and the Board will certainly have a decision to make. For your consideration: - the Downtown Seattle Association has made the unfortunate decision to continue to pressure the Board/City Council for a downtown school. To their credit, they took a meeting with me and I outlined why, at this j... more »

Tomorrow, Wear Red for ED to Support Chicago Teachers Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Continuing Change: Tomorrow, Wear Red for ED to Support Chicago Teachers by gatorbonbc Reblogged from Diane Ravitch's blog: I will be wearing red in solidarity with the Chicago Teachers Union tomorrow, in support of whatever decision they make. If they should strike, they have my support. If they don’t, they also have my support. I am not giving my support unthinkingly or blindly. I support their right to bargain collectively. Knowing Karen Lewis, I believe she has the best interests of the children of Chicago in her heart. Read more… 132 more words Diane Ravitch supports Chicag... more »

NYC Educator: Why Do We Need Union?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
NYC Educator: Why Do We Need Union?: Why Do We Need Union? by NYC Educator Here's a sign from Chicago--ground zero as of midnight tonight.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS News: SPS News by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] Yesterday, Superintendent Banda and Mayor McGinn announced a new partnership called "*Evening Community Meetings in School Libraries*" that would open every school library for use by community/neighborhood groups. The cost would be $15 for meetings held after school hours. From SPS Communications: *Any local community group or nonprofit organization is eligible to sign up, but the libraries are not available for business or commercial uses, nor for events that have ad... more »

The Education Report: Immigration policy and local high schools -- and an Oakland school board candidate's residency challenge - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Education Report: Immigration policy and local high schools -- and an Oakland school board candidate's residency challenge By Katy Murphy Oakland Tribune Posted: 09/09/2012 12:00:00 AM PDT This is a sampling of The Education Report, Katy Murphy's Oakland schools blog. Read more atwww.IBAbuzz.com/education. Follow her at Twitter.com/KatyMurphy. Sept. 5: A recent story in the Oakland Tribune examined how the federal "deferred action for childhood arrivals" immigration policy might provide added inspiration to some students to graduate from high school and go to college. The pr... more »

Jimmy Fallon sings James Taylor Parody at DNC2012 – Oh, I’ve seen Romney, I’ve seen Bain. VIDEO « Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jimmy Fallon sings James Taylor Parody at DNC2012 – Oh, I’ve seen Romney, I’ve seen Bain. VIDEO « Continuing Change: Jimmy Fallon sings James Taylor Parody at DNC2012 – Oh, I’ve seen Romney, I’ve seen Bain. VIDEO by gatorbonbc *Kudos to Jimmy Fallon – He sings this James Taylor Parody at DNC2012, beautifully.* *“Oh, I’ve seen Romney, I’ve seen Bain. I’ve seen Clinton speeches I thought would never end, I’ve seen crazy guys talking to invisible men — so I’ll probably vote Obama, one more time again. “* *Watch Video Here:* *‎”We seen both sides and we seen both guys,* *But 2016... more »

UPDATE: Clueless Citizens are Good For PWCS « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Clueless Citizens are Good For PWCS « PWC Education Reform Blog: Accentuating the Postivie or Misleading the Public? by pwceducationreform September 9, 2012 — pwceducationreform Most of us who have ever worked for a private business have experience in trying to highlight the things we do well. A restaurant with an extensive wine list will emphasize the variety of wines they offer in adverts, and maybe not mention that they don’t serve dessert. A business that’s received awards for processing the greatest volume of home mortgages won’t mention how many of their mortgages ended up ... more »

“Will Standards Save Public Education?” « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
“Will Standards Save Public Education?” « Deborah Meier on Education: When Books Were..Over My Head. by debmeier I still get publishers’ materials about the latest education books. And I can’t sop myself from looking–and alas, getting discouraged. Heinemann! I used to love-ya. Trust Heinemann…and implement th Como Core with confidence.” I hate the idea of “implementing” books. One book “Explicitly links instruction to the standards for nonfiction.” We’re moving away, incidentally, from fiction. Some of these may be great…well, good…well, as good as they can be, given…that you’d n... more »

Chicago Teachers Union | Diane Ravitch: Tomorrow is Decision Day in Chicago.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Chicago Teachers Union | Diane Ravitch: Tomorrow is Decision Day in Chicago.: Diane Ravitch: Tomorrow is Decision Day in Chicago. BY *DIANE RAVITCH* | 09/09/2012 Tomorrow, Wear Red for ED to Support Chicago Teachers Mayor Rahm Emanuel has tried to bully the Chicago Teachers Union and its leader Karen Lewis. Lewis was elected by the members because they knew she would stand up for them. Emanuel has the support of the Wall Street hedge fund managers organization, somewhat absurdly called Democrats for Education Reform. He also has the other big-monied people in Chicago, as mentio... more »

“Won’t Back Down” and “Will Stand Up” | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
“Won’t Back Down” and “Will Stand Up” | Parents Across America: “Won’t Back Down” and “Will Stand Up” by pureparentsBy Lorie Barzano [image: Stealing Schools = Won't Back Down (click Picture)] Chair of Coalition SAUS (Strengthen Austin Urban Schools), a parent led group representing inner-city public schools working to ensure accessible, quality Public Education for all children and healthy, thriving Public Schools in Austin’s urban core. I saw “Won’t Back Down” last week with two other parents from Coalition SAUS. A free, pre-screening hosted by the Charter School Association, ... more »




Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-25-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-18-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-11-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-4-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post




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