BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
Will a Florida Superintendent of Schools Stand Up Against Testing? | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago
Will a Florida Superintendent of Schools Stand Up Against Testing? | Scathing Purple Musings: Will a Florida Superintendent of Schools Stand Up Against Testing? by Bob Sikes Ann Doss Helms reports in the *Charlotte Observer*: The barrage of new state tests being rolled out this year is “an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars” that won’t help kids, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Heath Morrison said Thursday. He joins a band of superintendents across the country fighting the push to use student testing to rate teachers and schools. Earlier this month, the superintendent in Mo... more »
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. The Year in Research on Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition Best of the Ed Blogs Matthew Di Carlo December 21, 2012 Race to the Top Results are In: 16 Winner... more »
Sandy Hook Sympathy Card
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 44 minutes ago
Sandy Hook Sympathy Card: [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com] SIGN THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NATIONAL SYMPATHY CARD (click picture)
Winter Solstice 2012: Myths and facts about the shortest day of the year - Capital Weather Gang - The Washington Post
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago
Winter Solstice 2012: Myths and facts about the shortest day of the year - Capital Weather Gang - The Washington Post: Winter Solstice 2012: Myths and facts about the shortest day of the year By Justin Grieser Sunrise and sunset times in major world cities on the winter solstice. Locations in the Northern Hemisphere see their shortest daylight period of the year. Click here to explore sunrise and sunset times in other cities. (Justin Grieser) The world won’t end on December 21, but the 2012 winter solstice is still on the astronomical calendar. On *Friday at 6:12 a.m. (EST)*, Earth... more »
Mass school closings: Why the numbers don’t add up
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago
Mass school closings: Why the numbers don’t add up: Mass school closings: Why the numbers don't add up by Valerie Strauss (Photo by Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post) A number of school systems around the country are looking to close big numbers of public schools, ostensibly to save money. In Washington D.C., Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson is considering closing 20 schools for budget reasons, even though the district’s last effort to shut down 23 schools actually wound up costing $40 million, according to a city audit. (You can read about that here.) In Philadelphia there are p... more »
Obama Replies to Gun Control Petitions with YouTube Address - Politics - The Atlantic Wire
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Obama Replies to Gun Control Petitions with YouTube Address - Politics - The Atlantic Wire: Obama Replies to Gun Control Petitions with YouTube Address by J.K. Trotter Well it looks like when things get really serious, the White House's online suggestion box gets a look from the boss. The "We the People" section of the administration web site has been flooded with 32 separate petitions since the Newtown shootings — some calling for a federal ban on assault weapons, some imploring President Obama to increase funding for mental health services — and early Friday the president release... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-21-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Katie Osgood Defends Karen Lewis by dianerav Karen Lewis spoke up on my behalf when a TFA officer denounced my post “The Hero Teachers of Newtown”) as “reprehensible. Lewis then became the object of attacks from outraged bloggers and tweeters saying that she literally accused TFA of murder. Lewis said no such thing. This was a fine example of the dark art of twisting words. Katie Osgood, who teaches children in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago and has her own blog, here defends Lewis: “Lewis was not spea... more »
Louisiana Educator: Letter to the Baton Rouge Advocate Exposes RSD Snow Job
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Letter to the Baton Rouge Advocate Exposes RSD Snow Job: Letter to the Baton Rouge Advocate Exposes RSD Snow Job by Michael Deshotels *This letter to the editor of the Baton Rouge Advocate by Dr Mercedes Schneider, copied here verbatim, exposes the fraud perpetrated on the state and nation by the Louisiana Recovery School District. I have included also the comments by readers of The Advocate which I believe has been complicit in supporting the RSD propaganda machine.* *Letter: Publicize school letter grades RSD* DECEMBER 19, 2012 I have been reading about Gov... more »
‘Hey, Mr. Russell, it’s show and tell, can we see your Glock 9?’
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
‘Hey, Mr. Russell, it’s show and tell, can we see your Glock 9?’: 'Hey, Mr. Russell, it's show and tell, can we see your Glock 9?' by Valerie Strauss [image: Glock 17 - 9mm pistol] Here's Bill Moyers on the issue of safety in school and community, urging people to reject the notion that there is nothing they can do in the wake of the deadly shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Below the video is the transcript. This essay will be part of this weekend's "Moyers & Company" broadcast. THE TRANSCRIPT Welcome. The bells rang for the lost: Charlotte Bacon, Olivi... more »
California near bottom in number of school counselors | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
California near bottom in number of school counselors | EdSource Today: California near bottom in number of school counselors ** December 21st, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Susan Frey Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services As a mourning nation focuses on the need for more mental health support for students, California has regularly ranked at or near the bottom among the states in the number of counselors per student. In California, there was one counselor for every 810 students in 2009-10. Nationally, there were almost twice as many.... more »
Michigan Schools To Close Early Due To Mayan Apocalypse | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Michigan Schools To Close Early Due To Mayan Apocalypse | toteachornototeach: Michigan Schools To Close Early Due To Mayan Apocalypse by aristotlethewise *Michigan Schools To Close Early Due To* *Mayan Apocalypse ‘Rumors,’ Threats Of Violence* [image: openingmayas] More than 30 Michigan schools have closed two days early for the holiday break, in part, one official says, because of rumors surrounding the belief that the ancient Mayan calendar predicts the end of the world on Friday. Five districts — covering 33 schools in Lapeer county — will cancel all classes and extracurriculars ... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The rabid ferrets
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The rabid ferrets: ' The rabid ferrets by Mike Klonsky *Obama* is trying desperately to avoid the so-called*fiscal cliff* by putting more Medicare and Social Security cuts on the table and letting all but all but the super-rich off the tax hook. *Boehner* tried to cover his ass with House Republican loonies by coming up with a ludicrous "Plan B." But as Krugman writes in a great NYT piece, Obama was once again "saved from himself by the rabid ferrets." Hopefully the union leadership of the We Are One Coalition will be saved from themselves by pension... more »
Private Enterprise & Public Education :: Frederick M. Hess
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Private Enterprise & Public Education :: Frederick M. Hess: Private Enterprise & Public Education *by Frederick M. Hess • Dec 21, 2012 at 6:37 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share [image: Frederick M. Hess] On Tuesday in the *Wall Street Journal*, I noted that McGraw-Hill's recent $2.5 billion sale of its education publishing unit to private equity firm Apollo Global Management elicited only yawns. That same lack of interest greets the tens of billions that are routinely spent on everything from writing utensils to professional development in ... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Byrd-Bennet's "independent" panel on school closings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Byrd-Bennet's "independent" panel on school closings: Byrd-Bennet's "independent" panel on school closings by Mike Klonsky Ha!The news keeps getting worse for Byrd-Bennett's "independent" commission of school closings. First, the Tribune gets hold of a secret CPS document revealing a list of targeted schools in black and Latino communities slated for closing and/or charter-izing. But if the list is already in play, than what's the point of Frank Clark's panel and all the phony public hearings? Then comes the revelation of Commission head, Clark's... more »
Schools Matter: Concerns about day workers
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schools Matter: Concerns about day workers: Concerns about day workers by skrashen Some background: A few weeks ago, a letter was published in the Malibu Surfside News about a Thanksgiving dinner for day workers who use the Malibu Labor Exchange. About 300 people showed up. The next week, a letter appeared in the Surfside News accusing the organizers of the dinner of aiding and abetting “criminal misconduct. Illegal aliens break our laws by virtue of their presence here. When they work, they break more laws, to say nothing of committing identity theft with forged and stolen docu... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Updates
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Updates Seattle Schools Updates by Melissa Westbrook *Dear families,* *The Seattle School District is reviewing whether it should apply to the State Board of Education for a waiver, to allow the three full-day parent teacher conference schedule to continue for elementary and K-8 schools. The waiver also seeks one day for middle and high schools.* *Your input is valuable to us as we consider this decision. Parent-teacher conferences are important to ensuring direct communications between classroom teachers and families, and we want to... more »
Oakland school district mishandled federal money, state finds | California Watch
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Oakland school district mishandled federal money, state finds | California Watch: Oakland school district mishandled federal money, state finds Will Evans Michael Short/California Watch St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church and private school in West Oakland The Oakland Unified School District failed to follow federal regulations in doling out taxpayer money to benefit local private schools and must pay some of it back, a state review has found. The state Department of Education cited Oakland Unified for not meeting federal requirements in its distribution of federal Title I and Tit... more »
The Educated Reporter: From Doomsday to Revolt, Guessing How to Keep Students Safe
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: From Doomsday to Revolt, Guessing How to Keep Students Safe: From Doomsday to Revolt, Guessing How to Keep Students Safe by Emily Richmond Fears over the Mayan calendar doomsday myth and rumors of threats to student safety were enough to shut down 33 schools in Michigan Thursday, and districts across the country are expected to have increased security on campus today. Concerns over the rumors, many of which spread rapidly via Twitter and Facebook, prompted investigations by police and school authorities from Maine to Washington state. No credible evidence ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Pearl Clutchers
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Pearl Clutchers: Reformy Pearl Clutchers by Duke The Reformy Ladies Sewing Circle and Pearl Clutching Society has worked itself into froth of outrage over the defense of teachers by Diane Ravitch and Karen Lewis. What did these women say that has our delicate, reformy flowers running for the fainting couch? *Ravitch and Lewis made the impolite observation that the brave teachers who died in Newtown were union members and tenure-track career educators*. Poor RiShawn Biddle was overtaken by the vapors. Andy Rotherham finds the whole affair to be "obscene."P... more »
Sam Cooke - Wonderful World (lyrics)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
*How do you think ole Sammy will do on the Standardized Test?* *(the basis of your next ev(i)luation)*
School Tech Connect: Fun With Data.... And The New Data Guy
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Fun With Data.... And The New Data Guy: Fun With Data.... And The New Data Guy by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) There is simply nobody doing more interesting data work than Jeanne Marie Olson of *Apple to Apples*, and her crew of intensely talented volunteers. In a nutshell, she's figured out the flaws in the CPS "utilization" formula, and created a more accurate list of schools that are "overcrowded," "efficient," and "underutilitized," all using crowd-sourced data and Google Fusion Tables. In a suburban district, run by elected people, she would be invit... more »
Reclaim Reform | by Ken Previti
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Reclaim Reform | by Ken Previti: Starve the Beast: Us – In spite of Newtown Posted on December 19, 2012 by kenpreviti “Starve the Beast” is a political strategy employed by neoconservatives in order to limit government spending by cutting taxes, especially corporate taxes and those of the wealthiest, in order to deprive the government of revenue in a deliberate effort to force the federal government to reduce and cripple social programs thus forcing the privatization-profitization programs to be the only alternative to failed programs. The short and medium term effect of the stra... more »
School Tech Connect: The More Things Change..
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
School Tech Connect: The More Things Change..: The More Things Change.. by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) WBEZ has been doing a pension series for the past few days. I have arguments with it, and it's insanely incomplete, but all in all it's fair and I believe accurate. Some of the illustrations on this page are mind-boggling; I'm going to steal one here: Welcome To Blogging, Ken Priviti by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Longtime activist, agitator, philosopher, humorist, educator, and free-range intellectual Ken Priviti has a new space online; let's hope he keeps at it. It's... more »
How To Get Your Blog Banned From Your School District [It Takes A Nation Of Millions] | The Jose Vilson
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
How To Get Your Blog Banned From Your School District [It Takes A Nation Of Millions] | The Jose Vilson: How To Get Your Blog Banned From Your School District [It Takes A Nation Of Millions] by Jose [image: public-enemy-it-takes-a-nation-cover] To whom it may concern: Kick butt. Take names. Write them somewhere in your mind. Write to them when you’re writing. See their reactions. Smirk. Repeat. At first, you’ll just write because it feels good to get your thoughts out. You’ll participate in a few blog roundups, showcase your work, and talk to some of the more influential parties in... more »
Blue Ribbon Nominees 2013 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Blue Ribbon Nominees 2013 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Nominates 35 California Schools for 2013 National Blue Ribbon Honor SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today the nomination of 35 California public schools for the coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools Program award. "I applaud the principals, teachers, staff, and families whose commitment to learning has led to success in the classroom," Torlakson said. "Schools nominated for this significant recognition are performing at very high levels or ar... more »
The ABCs of Hmong | Hyphen magazine - Asian American arts, culture, and politics
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
The ABCs of Hmong | Hyphen magazine - Asian American arts, culture, and politics: The ABCs of Hmong Submitted by Momo Chang on December 20, 2012 - 1:59pm - Education - Culture - Diaspora - History - Immigration - Parenthood - Social Issues - dual language immersion - Hmong immersion - Lee Yang - Sacramento - Susan B. Anthony Elementary 0 24[image: Email this page]Email this page *Ninety percent of instruction is in Hmong for kindergartners in the Hmong immersion program at Susan B. Anthony Elementary. Photo by Andria Lo.* *The ... more »
UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: WA State Supreme Court Ruling to Leg - Get Busy
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: WA State Supreme Court Ruling to Leg - Get Busy: New Interim Principal at Lafayette Elementary by Melissa Westbrook From the West Seattle Blog: *Seattle Public Schools* just announced that another elementary principal from West Seattle is being promoted to management downtown – this time Lafayette’s newest principal *Shauna Heath*, after just a few months. From the district: *Today I’m announcing a leadership change at Lafayette. Your principal, Shauna Heath, has been appointed Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction. In her new role, M... more »
Mass school closings: Why the numbers don't add up | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Mass school closings: Why the numbers don't add up | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Mass school closings: Why the numbers don't add upby Helen Gym on Dec 20 2012 Posted in Commentary ="" title="Facebook_like" href="http://thenotebook.org/blog/125462/mass-school-closings-why-numbers-dont-add#" style="text-decoration: initial; color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)EMAILPRINT *by Helen Gym* * * * * Like most of the public, I’ve been baffled by the District’s latest rationale for closing down an unprecedented number o... more »
A PAA welcome to new members of the Senate HELP Committee | Parents Across America
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
A PAA welcome to new members of the Senate HELP Committee | Parents Across America: A PAA welcome to new members of the Senate HELP Committee by pureparents We just sent the following letter to Senators-elect Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin(D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) who will be new members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee: December 20, 2012 Dear Senator-elect: Congratulations on your election! There are so many challenges ahead and we wish you the best as you begin your term. We are a grass-roots network of activist public school parents fr... more »
Fiction vs “Information” « Deborah Meier on Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Fiction vs “Information” « Deborah Meier on Education: Fiction vs “Information” by debmeier The debate on the Common Core’s mandate that schools put less emphasis on fiction and more on “informational books” is an odd one. I get a lot of my information about the world from fiction, even from pulp fiction (mysteries, sci fi, etc) I read “information” when I want “information”–google or otherwise. I don’t read history books for information, but to get insight into another way of seeing the story–a plot with characters. I read books on education for the same reason. I often pick up... more »
Diane in the Evening 12-20-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Jersey Jazzman on Reprehensibility by dianerav What does it men to be reprehensible? Jersey Jazzman explores the question here. Anthony Cody on the Lessons of Newtown by dianerav Anthony Cody, an experienced middle-school teacher in California, regularly blogs at *Education Week*. He has won national attention because he writes eloquently, seeks dialogue with those who disagree with him, displays the compassion and sensitivity of an educator, and writes from many years of experience. Please read his reflections on the heroism of the Newtown educators and... more »
NYC Educator: UFT Comes to Tentative Agreement Over Evaluations
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
NYC Educator: UFT Comes to Tentative Agreement Over Evaluations: UFT Comes to Tentative Agreement Over Evaluations by NYC Educator UFT President Michael Mulgrew announced that, despite the preposterous demands of Tweed, there may be a road to a new evaluation process after all. "As you know," stated President Mulgrew, "there's been a lot of talk about arming teachers. We've seen this come up, most recently in Michigan, and we think there may be a compromise here. You've probably heard the expression an armed society is a polite society. We at the UFT believe that an armed teacher m... more »
Thoughts on “Randomized” vs. Randomized Charter School Studies « School Finance 101
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Thoughts on “Randomized” vs. Randomized Charter School Studies « School Finance 101: Thoughts on “Randomized” vs. Randomized Charter School Studies by schoolfinance101 [image: Slide1] There’s much talk in education research about Randomized Control Trials and truly “experimental” research being the “gold standard” for determining whether a specific intervention “works” or not. Thus is the basis for the Institute for Education Sciences *What Works Clearing House. *It is often argued that randomized, or experimental studies are “good” and decisive, and that other approaches simply ... more »
FEDS SHUT DOWN BOGUS PA CHARTER PERFORMANCE SYSTEM
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Citizens Alliance for a Better Future [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *FEDS SHUT DOWN BOGUS PA CHARTER PERFORMANCE SYSTEM* The federal government has intervened in the attempt by the Governor and Secretary of Education to establish a separate and unequal evaluation method to it easier for charter and for-profit schools to appear to score higher on the Average Yearly Progress (AYP) test than Pennsylvania’s Public Schools. "Pennsylvania is obligated to make AYP decisions for all schools and hold all schools to the same standards," the order, signed by Deb... more »
Today in Poverty: An Education Wish List | The Nation
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Today in Poverty: An Education Wish List | The Nation: Today in Poverty: An Education Wish List Greg Kaufmann on December 19, 2012 - 11:37 AM ET * * * * *A Broader, Bolder Christmas: Top Ten “Gifts” for Under the (Education Policy) Tree* *Co-authored with Elaine Weiss* 10. *A Roof Over Every Student’s Head*: Children who lack stable homes are more anxious and less focused than their peers who have adequate housing. They are also at higher risk for poor health and developmental problems, and have lower educational attainment. There is no reason why any child in the United States shou... more »
Teachers unions reject arming educators in schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Teachers unions reject arming educators in schools: Teachers unions reject arming educators in schools Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 20, 2012 at 2:01 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » A school bus nears a memorial for victims of the Newtown school shootings. (Charles Krupa/Associated Press) The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s dominant teachers unions with a total of some 4.5 million members, have issued a joint statement on school saf... more »
Erik Loomis’s Critics Like Violent Rhetoric Just Fine — As Long as the Targets Are Gay. « Student Activism
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Erik Loomis’s Critics Like Violent Rhetoric Just Fine — As Long as the Targets Are Gay. « Student Activism: Erik Loomis’s Critics Like Violent Rhetoric Just Fine — As Long as the Targets Are Gay. by Angus Johnston University of Rhode Island labor historian Erik Loomis has garnered a lot of conservative attention in the last few days. After the Newtown shootings, Loomis tweeted that he wanted “Wayne LaPierre’s head on a stick.” (LaPierre is the head of the NRA.) Though this statement was obviously metaphorical, some high-profile conservatives pounced on it, and gave it a lot of at... more »
The Washington Teacher: What's the Impact of DCPS School Closures on Teachers & School Staff?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
The Washington Teacher: What's the Impact of DCPS School Closures on Teachers & School Staff?: What's the Impact of DCPS School Closures on Teachers & School Staff? by noreply@blogger.com (Candi Peterson) *By Candi Peterson* There has been a great deal of confusion and angst over what will happen to DCPS teachers and school staff after the school consolidation takes place in 2013-14. The districts plans have been made clear in a recent *"DCPS School Consolidation Staffing Overview."* ( Click on the words DCPS School Consolidation Staffing Overview for attachment). Some DCPS teache... more »
Imtiaz Majeed- Escape: How to Avoid Being a Product of the System
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Imtiaz Majeed- Escape: How to Avoid Being a Product of the System: The system is a terrible thing. It draws you in by advertising a false sense of security and stability. It hijacks your life and holds you hostage. It hinders your thought process, stifles your creativity, and leaves you feeling frustrated. Consider your imagination murdered. This is what being a product of our current education system is like. And it hasn’t been getting better. In fact, it’s been getting worse. But I’m not here today to discuss how to make it better. I want to share how you can escape. First, remember... more »
UPDATE: Appeals court imposes restrictions on parcel taxes + Mum’s the word on uses for Zuckerberg’s $500 million foundation gift | EdSource Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Mum’s the word on uses for Zuckerberg’s $500 million foundation gift | EdSource Today: Appeals court imposes restrictions on parcel taxes ** December 20th, 2012 | 1 Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services Democrats in the Legislature are poised to help make it easier for school districts to pass parcel taxes, but a court ruling this month – if it withstands an appeal – will narrow the scope of what parcel taxes can tax. [image: Screen Shot 2012-12-19 at 11.23.08 PM]The First District Court of Appeal... more »
It's morning in Connecticut: Do you know what the budget bill means? - Wait, What?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
It's morning in Connecticut: Do you know what the budget bill means? - Wait, What?: It’s morning in Connecticut: Do you know what the budget bill means? by jonpelto With little debate, and even less awareness of the ramifications of passing the bill, the State House of Representatives voted 140 to 3 and the State Senate voted 31 to 3 to pass a deficit mitigation bill that included a record breaking set of cuts to social services and education programs. Considering the bill wasn’t even available to review until just before the vote, legislators would be hard-pressed to claim that... more »
Whole Child and All Children: Expanding the Common Core Standards Movement — Whole Child Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Whole Child and All Children: Expanding the Common Core Standards Movement — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Whole Child and All Children: Expanding the Common Core Standards Movement December 20, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers *Post written by Howard Adelman, PhD, and Linda Taylor, PhD, codirectors of whole child partner Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA.* While we share many of the concerns critics have raised about the Common Core State Standards (and we know that the debates and the boycotts will continue), we do appreci...more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Waiting Until the Nth Hour
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Waiting Until the Nth Hour: Waiting Until the Nth Hour by Melissa Westbrook Despite the weather, several of us came to last night's Work Session believing we would see some real progress in what the interim plan for capacity management might be for 2013-2104. I left at 7:45 p.m. shaking my head. Once AGAIN, the district is a day late and a dollar short. I know staff works hard. I know they want to get input via the public both formal (FACMAC) and informal (community meetings). But it's December 20th (and neigh the end of the world upon us) an... more »
Shanker Blog » The Year In Research On Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Shanker Blog » The Year In Research On Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition: The Year In Research On Market-Based Education Reform: 2012 Edition by Matthew Di Carlo 2012 was another busy year for market-based education reform. The rapid proliferation of charter schools continued, while states and districts went about the hard work of designing and implementing new teacher evaluations that incorporate student testing data, and, in many cases, performance pay programs to go along with them. As in previous years (see our 2010 and 2011 reviews), much of the *research* on these ... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, December 20, 2012
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Thursday, December 20, 2012* Marine calls himself to duty as guard of California elementary schoolMarine Sgt. Craig Pusley was on duty Wednesday. Desert camo fatigues, knees slightly bent, the young father stood a self-imposed watch at Hughson Elementary School. One man. No rifle. No pay. No breaks. California teachers fund reviewing firearm holdingsThe nation's largest teachers' pension fund announced Tuesday that it was reviewing its firearms holdings after determining that its investment in a gun maker was... more »
How the brain’s development affects the boy/girl achievement gap | Education Blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
How the brain’s development affects the boy/girl achievement gap | Education Blog: How the brain’s development affects the boy/girl achievement gap by Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnist *Why is it that boys are falling behind girls in critical academic ways, such as high school graduation rates? For example, 88.2 percent of high school females in Texas finished on time during the 2010-2011 school year. By contrast, 83.7 percent of Texas males completed high school in the traditional four years.* High school is not the only place where a graduation gap exists. The Dallas Morning Ne... more »
Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Public School Teachers Claim Our Heroes by Anthony Cody [image: SIGN the Sandy Hook Elementary School National Sympathy Card | causes.com] The tragic shootings in Newtown have given us all a heavy dose of grief, as we contemplate the horror of twenty young lives snuffed out, and the loss of six brave educators. As we have read of the heroic behavior of the teachers and administrators at Sandy Hook, there has also been reflection on the awesome responsibility we take on when we are teaching chil... more »
Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes Uncovers Draft of Mulgrew Letter to DOE Never Sent
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes Uncovers Draft of Mulgrew Letter to DOE Never Sent: Ed Notes Uncovers Draft of Mulgrew Letter to DOE Never Sent by ed notes online *We regret having tried to fool you into believing we were going to dupe our members into an evaluation system that could not be fair when we endorsed the new evaluation framework which became law.** Our internal union elections are coming and we have come to the conclusion that forcing the evaluation system based on bogus student scores and unreliable data will hurt our chances to get re-elected. **We are willing to take the ... more »
UPDATE: “I do not think I can be that technician.” « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
“I do not think I can be that technician.” « Fred Klonsky: “I do not think I can be that technician.” by Fred Klonsky [image: 524222_4174740409888_288646699_n] Even though I have not seen Celia Oyler for nearly 30 years, I’ve kept up. We first met back when we were in the graduate progam at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Celia finished. I did not. She moved to New York and got a job at Columbia’s Teacher College, teaching teachers. How do I know how good she is? Well, as grad students we both taught classes in introduction to curriculum, Ten minute drawing. Person of the ye... more »
Online Courses: Cartoons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Online Courses: Cartoons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Online Courses: Cartoons by larrycuban [image: Students OnLine Courses] U.S. schools, K-12 through higher education, are in the midst of another reform wave. From states mandating online courses as a requirement for high school graduation to university-driven Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), hyperbole-filled Kool-Aid mixed with stark fear fuel reform rhetoric about the impending “revolution” in teaching and learning. I offer my monthly feature* of how some cartoonists poke and tear at the rhetoric a... more »
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