Schools Matter: Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities by Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA)

Schools Matter: Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities by Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA):

Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities by Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA)

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

"It is not legally or morally acceptable that these so-called “schools of choice” that are concentrated in urban communities and supported with public funds, should be permitted to operate as segregated learning environments where students are more isolated by race, socioeconomic class, disability, and language than the public school district from which they were drawn." — COPAA (Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities p. 42)

On the heels of the recent damning Southern Poverty Law Center report Special Education in New Orleans Public Schools, which further exposed the lucrative charter-voucher industry as bastions of discrimination,

H.R.3915: To consolidate programs at the Department of Justice and enact the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2011. - U.S.... OpenCongress

H.R.3915: To consolidate programs at the Department of Justice and enact the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2011. - U.S.... OpenCongress:

Bill Introduced: H.R.3915 To consolidate programs at the Department of Justice and enact the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2011.

To consolidate programs at the Department of Justice and enact the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2011.

School Tech Connect: Why Is Your Name Not On This?

School Tech Connect: Why Is Your Name Not On This?:

Why Is Your Name Not On This?

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

I'm on top at DumpDuncan.

Actually, I'm # 2,155. Go sign on!

My only regret is that I did not sign up in time to be # 2, 132, right after Savanna Bumpus and Clemency Wings.

Jack Hassard Reports: Cobb County, Georgia, Rejects Teach For America - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Jack Hassard Reports: Cobb County, Georgia, Rejects Teach For America - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Jack Hassard Reports: Cobb County, Georgia, Rejects Teach For America

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by Jack Hassard.

Cobb County, Georgia's second largest school district, decided not to consider the superintendent's request to hire 50 Teach for America (TFA) uncertified college graduates to work in under-performing schools in South Cobb. According to an editorial in the Marietta Daily Journal, Dr. Michael Hinojosa, the county's new superintendent (formerly superintendent of the Dallas ISD) had worked with the Atlanta office of the Teach for America program behind the scenes to bring the new teachers to the school district.
Teach for America recruits and then trains the teachers in 5 week summer sessions before they assume their teaching responsibilities, which are usually in low-income neighborhoods, initially in urban schools, but now in school districts that will agree to sign contracts to pay for the TFA training.

The Deal
According to an Open Records Request, Dr. Hinojosa and Shyam Kumar, executive director of Teach for

Jersey Jazzman: Hey, Businessman: Stay Out of My School!

Jersey Jazzman: Hey, Businessman: Stay Out of My School!:

Hey, Businessman: Stay Out of My School!

by Duke

It's Sunday evening, I can't shake this cough, I'm tired and cranky... so I'm really not up to dissecting this ridiculous interview with the very wealthy and very reformy South Jersey Democratic boss, George Norcross. But I can't let the evening go without commenting on this:

Norcross has sat on Cooper’s board since 1990, taking over the top seat in 2006. It is from that pulpit that he now wants to address public policy.

“I am not speaking in a political capacity,” Norcross says. “I am speaking as chairman of Cooper University Hospital. I have no business talking at length about political

NYC Public School Parents: The state's proposed NCLB waiver responds to none of our concerns

NYC Public School Parents: The state's proposed NCLB waiver responds to none of our concerns:

The state's proposed NCLB waiver responds to none of our concerns

by Leonie Haimson

A summary of the public comment and the response by NYSED for their waiver application from NCLB is now posted online; presumably the application will be voted on by the Regents Monday or Tuesday.

NYSED says it received “over 50 submissions from “persons associated with Class Size Matters” and over twenty submissions from individuals associated with the principals’ letter, signed by over one third of New York’s principals, objecting to the new teacher evaluation being developed by the state. Yet the NYSED summary responded substantively to none of our concerns, as expressed in our earlier letter.

1. We (and many others) objected to the proposal of mandating new tests being mandated in 9^th and 10^th grades. In response, the NYSED document first says (on p. 13):

“The Department does not intend to impose new tests as a result of the waiver but will use the existing state assessment program.”

But then on p. 19 it says “New assessments in ELA in grades 9 and 10 and new middle level assessments in

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 2-12 #edchat #p2 #edreform

Two Important Internet Links - Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resources #edchat #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Two Important Internet Links - Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resources: Two Important Internet Links – Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resourcesby rbhattIf you are battling ineffective education reform in your state, you might be interested in the two links below.Occupy DOE is on the horizon. Click on this link for more information:http://unitedoptout.com/occupy-the-doe-in-dc-schedule-march-30th-to-april-2nd-2012/Also, if you are in a state that is fighting the Charter School movement, click on this link for a multitude of resources:http://randd.brentmckim.net/

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The privatization of war parallels education trends

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The privatization of war parallels education trends:The privatization of war parallels education trendsby Mike KlonskyI don't think soThe erosion and selling off of public space isn't limited to public education. This loss of public decision making and government transparency and accountability is the biggest threat to any democratic system of government. The latest news from the Afghan killing fields should do the privatizers proud. This from today's

Parent Power The Zinn Education Project

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Parent Power:Parent PowerFilm. Produced by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown Univ. 2011. 35 minutes.A documentary about parents in the Bronx who organized to bring high-quality education to their neighborhood.Order film online and see trailer.In 1995, a small group of parents in the south Bronx discovered that only 17 percent of their elementary school children were reading at grade level. Their determined campaign to bring high-quality education to their neighborhood, one of the poorest in the nation, evolved ... more »

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky:Sunday links.by Fred KlonskyChicago’s Crane High School. When they close it, where does the glory go?The death of Whitney Houston is a sad one. Such a waste. I’ll leave it to others to debate the broader cultural implications. I spent last night alone watching the news reports and flashing back to visions of my girls when they were kids, pretend microphones in hand, lip syncing to Whitney and mimicking her choreography on the dining room floor. ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 2-12 AM Posts #edreform #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-11 #edreform #owsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-13 minutes agoRIP Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You - LyricsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-26 minutes agoA Father. « Student ActivismBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-26 minutes agoA Father. « Student Activism:A Father.by Angus JohnstonImagine a father gives his teenaged daughter a lovely carved wooden box. Imagine she puts her diary in it, and letters she’s written ... more »

February’s Best Tweets — Part One | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

February’s Best Tweets — Part One | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:February’s Best Tweets — Part OneFebruary 12, 2012 by Larry Ferlazzo | 0 commentsEvery month I make a short list highlighting my choices of the best resources I shared through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. Now and then, in order to make it a bit easier for me, I may try to break it up into mid-month and ... more »

NBA | Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson fights to keep Kings from moving to Seattle | Seattle Times Newspaper

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

NBA | Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson fights to keep Kings from moving to Seattle | Seattle Times Newspaper:Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson fights to keep Kings from moving to SeattleKevin Johnson vows to keep the Kings in his hometown, but deadlines loom and Seattle has its sights on his team.SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kevin Johnson knows what it was like in Seattle.The former NBA point guard remembers the stream of sellout crowds and electric days and nights at the Seattle Center Coliseum ... more »

Advice: Stop overpraising Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - latimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Michelle Rhee's advice: Stop overpraising kids - latimes.com:Michelle Rhee's advice: Stop overpraising kidsFebruary 11, 2012 | 8:00 am 41StudentsFirst chief Michelle Rhee is a lightning-rod figure in educational reform, and I talked to her at length for my ''Patt Morrison Asks'' column. Her goal of a tough-love, top-to-bottom overhaul of public schools doesn't stop in the classroom or with teachers; even how we reward our children is in need of a makeover, she told me.As an example, her own daughters, ... more »

Heed experience of education expert Ravitch | cleveland.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Heed experience of education expert Ravitch | cleveland.com:Heed experience of education expert RavitchPublished: Sunday, February 12, 2012, 4:02 AMBefore endorsing Mayor Jackson's education plan, all taxpayers in the Cleveland School District should view a speech given at the Cleveland City Club on Feb. 3 by eminent education researcher Diane Ravitch.Cleveland is considering adopting ideas that Ravitch herself was largely responsible for developing but later disavowed after seeing study after study over the last 20 years that found choice, testing and ... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Below is an announcement and background info on an... #edchat #p2 #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Below is an announcement and background info on an...:Below is an announcement and background info on an upcoming,...Below is an announcement and background info on an upcoming, southern California regional student conference in support of protest against the dismantling of post-secondary education in the state. These details are provided by a CSULA student actively supporting the Occupy movement in solidarity with this effort to gain more support for university and college education in California. Please feel free ... more »

The Innovative Educator: I don't support daddy laptop shooter Tommy Jordan

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

The Innovative Educator: I don't support daddy laptop shooter Tommy Jordan:I don't support daddy laptop shooter Tommy Jordanby noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)Message to Tommy Jordan's daughter: Hannah, I can relate to how you might have felt. It must be heartbreaking to have your Dad see you as his adversary. It is frustrating when there is someone else who seems to be controlling and dictating everything you do. Like you, I wanted to be trusted and empowered to make and be responsible ... more »

In most Bay Area schools, high-profile school reform ideas remain hypothetical - ContraCostaTimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

In most Bay Area schools, high-profile school reform ideas remain hypothetical - ContraCostaTimes.com:In most Bay Area schools, high-profile school reform ideas remain hypotheticalBy Katy MurphyOakland TribunePosted: 02/12/2012 12:00:00 AM PSTOAKLAND -- Members and supporters of the Oakland teachers union picketed outside the Paramount Theatre this week. Michelle Rhee, one of the nation's most prominent school reformers, was about to address a sold-out crowd of 3,000 about the failures of the nation's education system and the importance of effective teachers."No Rhee-forms," ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader Visual Soundbites for 02.10.12

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader Visual Soundbites for 02.10.12:Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader Visual Soundbites for 02.10.12by stlgretchenWelcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader. The visual soundbites from Twitter for 02.12.12:As Scott Joftus said, it IS the Wild West in Education. Scads of money to be made in education...those dot.com investors had to go somewhere.....For those of you following the explosion of education startups, an interactive map of the new playershttp://www.newschools.org/entrepreneurs/edtechmapFrom... more »

Union accepts district assurance that teachers can return to Miramonte - latimes.com

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Union accepts district assurance that teachers can return to Miramonte - latimes.com:Teachers want moratorium on layoffs and a new evaluation systemLos Angeles teachers have approved a much-watched initiative that calls for a moratorium on layoffs as well as a new teacher-evaluation system.Organizers of the initiative, which passed with 56% of the vote, immediately hailed the results as suggesting that teachers were willing to accept student test scores as part of a new evaluation system.“Teachers will now take the lead on ... more »

Eulogy for a brilliant mentor and teacher - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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Eulogy for a brilliant mentor and teacher - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Eulogy for a brilliant mentor and teacherby Valerie StraussHere is a eulogy for a pioneering scientist that says more about the lifelong effects of a dynamic teacher on his students than any “value-added” formula ever could.The eulogy was delivered by Jeffrey Ravetch, head of the Leonard Wagner Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology at Rockefeller University in New York, at a memorial service last week for ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Clarion Whisper of Alarm

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School Tech Connect: The Clarion Whisper of Alarm:The Clarion Whisper of Alarmby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I saw this tweet over at Small Talk.Remember when Cher slapped Nicholas Cage and told him to snap out of it? I always feel that way about the president of my national federation*. In my view, she's always speaking in these muted terms instead of letting

Daniel Pink Answers Two Questions About Group Incentives | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Daniel Pink Answers Two Questions About Group Incentives | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:Daniel Pink Answers Two Questions About Group Incentivesby Larry FerlazzoAs regular readers know, I’m not a fan of teacher merit pay (see The Best Resources For Learning Why Teacher Merit Pay Is A Bad Idea).Some school reformers and researchers have suggested that providing merit pay for entire schools is an alternative, though I’m not a supporter of those kinds of group incentives for similar reasons why ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-11 #edreform #ows

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

RIP Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You - LyricsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-26 minutes agoA Father. « Student ActivismBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-26 minutes agoA Father. « Student Activism:A Father.by Angus JohnstonImagine a father gives his teenaged daughter a lovely carved wooden box. Imagine she puts her diary in it, and letters she’s written to her friends, and letters they’ve written to her. Imagine she puts photos in it, and keepsakes, and mementoes. Imagine ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Other Learning Problem

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

School Tech Connect: The Other Learning Problem:The Other Learning Problemby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Go read this, including the comments.I agree. Incidentally, technology is not going to change the fact that we have a nation full of kids who are strangely not looped into the fact that k-12 education is now the frontline of national security and economic prosperity. It's not even going to make a dent in the problem, as long as we have standardization and ever-mounting pressure on test scores, even ... more »

RIP Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You - Lyrics

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago