Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - Late Nite Posts May Day 12 #soschat #EDReform

Big Education Ape:


NYC public school teachers get robust new social media guidelines Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: NYC public school teachers get robust new social media guidelines NYC public school teachers get robust new social media guidelines By Tami Abdollah | 12:07 p.m. | Add your comments [image: Facebook's Influence In Consumer Consumption Of News Growing] Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The Facebook website is shown on a laptop. The growing use of social media has led school districts across the country to examine their policies for teacher-student contact online. New York City put out its first social media guidelines for public school teachers this week urging tea... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Cuomo's Lone School Board Appointee to Education Reform Panel

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
NYC Public School Parents: Cuomo's Lone School Board Appointee to Education Reform Panel: Cuomo's Lone School Board Appointee to Education Reform Panel by Patrick J. Sullivan Governor Cuomo's new blue-ribbon school reform commission has been criticized for its lack of parents, teachers and school board members. But as Gotham Schools pointed out here, Cuomo did appoint one school board member, Eduardo Marti, my colleague on the NYC citywide school board, a.k.a the Panel for Educational Policy. As is typical for the eight-member mayoral bloc on the Panel, Marti has generally remai... more »

LAUSD issues notice of violations to Birmingham charter school, first step in revoking charter - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
LAUSD issues notice of violations to Birmingham charter school, first step in revoking charter - LA Daily News: LAUSD issues notice of violations to Birmingham charter school, first step in revoking charter By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 05/01/2012 05:38:51 PM PDT Updated: 05/01/2012 06:54:01 PM PDT Birmingham Community Charter High School has until May 23 to respond to concerns that it mishandled admissions, expulsions and claims of racial bias as it fights to prevent Los Angeles Unified from retaking control of the campus. The LAUSD board issued a notice of violations ... more »

BLAMING TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
BLAMING TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back: BLAMING TEACHERS by alkleen A Golden Chalk Award goes to Paul Easton an English teacher at New Trier High School. He managed to get the Chicago Tribune to publish his opinion piece in the editorial page. I’ve been trying to do so for some time without success. His piece sums up a great deal of what I have been saying about the Tribune. The following is the editorial: “I’m ceaselessly amazed at how the oligarchic Tribune editorial board can on one hand call public teachers as lazy, union-protected unprofessionals and – sometimes using the... more »

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Cuts Ties to ALEC | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Cuts Ties to ALEC | MyFDL: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Cuts Ties to ALEC by Rebekah Wilce [image: Teacher's Certificate]The national certifying body for teachers in the United States, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), participated in the Education Task Force of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) until April 2012. In an official statement sent to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) today, NBPTS spokesperson Brian Lewis said, “Given recent events, the new NBPTS ... more »

Schools Matter: A Cog in the Wheel of Charters in Connecticut

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Schools Matter: A Cog in the Wheel of Charters in Connecticut: A Cog in the Wheel of Charters in Connecticut by Judy Rabin Finally, a modicum of sanity in the insane asylum of education deform has emerged in Connecticut over turnaround schools. It appears Senate Democrats did their homework and stopped drinking the ALEC Kool-Aid. Instead, they are proposing charter schools should not be a solution for any school turnaround plan because they only lead to further privatization and are no better than public schools. Charter school advocates in Connecticut are "stunned and angry." ...more »

celebrate asian pacific american heritage month

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
celebrate asian pacific american heritage month: *celebrate asian pacific american heritage month* Hey, it's May. And you know what that means. It's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Originally established by a Congressional Resolution as Asian American Heritage Week in 1978, APAHM is a celebration of the contributions and accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Yay. I don't know about you, but for me, it's pretty much always APA Heritage Month -- and I'm always celebrating. I guess this is just the month when everybody else is supp... more »

Modern School: It May Be May Day, But My Students Trump All Else!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Modern School: It May Be May Day, But My Students Trump All Else!: It May Be May Day, But My Students Trump All Else! by Michael Dunn Today Fred Klonsky wrote, “It may be May Day, but I’ve got kids to teach.” He admitted that he could have used a personal day to join the National General Strike called by OWS for today, but insisted that “I’ve got kids to teach.” He admitted that he will take the day off later this week to go to Springfield to lobby on behalf of his union, but today he has 4th grade paper mâchĂ© projects. I don’t begrudge Fred for blowing off the General Strike. ... more »

SES IS A MESS: Suit: Princeton Review charged city for tutoring it didn’t provide | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Suit: Princeton Review charged city for tutoring it didn’t provide | GothamSchools: Suit: Princeton Review charged city for tutoring it didn’t provide by Philissa Cramer This chart from the Justice Department's lawsuit against Princeton Review shows how many times the company billed the city for tutoring students who were absent or when school was closed — and how much it was paid. (Click to enlarge) A company hired to provide tutoring services in New York City bilked the city out of millions of dollars in federal funding for poor students, according to the U.S. Justice Department.... more »

Chamber PAC endorses Frerichs, Souza and Wolk for City Council | Davis Enterprise

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Chamber PAC endorses Frerichs, Souza and Wolk for City Council | Davis Enterprise: Chamber PAC endorses Frerichs, Souza and Wolk for City Council The Davis Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee has announced that it is endorsing Lucas Frerichs, chairman of the city’s Planning Commission, and incumbent City Council members Stephen Souza and Dan Wolk in the June 5 City Council election. “Frerichs, Souza and Wolk have the vision and demonstrated commitment to build a more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable community,” a news release said. “They are all c... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Program Placement Issue Done for the Year

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Program Placement Issue Done for the Year: Program Placement Issue Done for the Year by Charlie Mas As last year, this year the superintendent refused to follow the program placement policy and the board refused to enforce it. I've gotten the message that the Board will not make any effort to encourage the superintendent to reveal her procedure for making program placement decisions. In short, the superintendent doesn't care about policy and neither does the board. I guess there's always next year. The program placement process used to be secretiv... more »

Testing bill passes easy floor vote | EdNewsColorado

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Testing bill passes easy floor vote | EdNewsColorado: Testing bill passes easy floor vote by Todd Engdahl Sen. Mike Johnston trimmed down his already-short Senate Bill 12-172 Tuesday, and the Senate gave it preliminary approval on a voice vote Tuesday. [image: Pencil on test paper]The bill would require the State Board of Education to become a governing member of a multistate testing group. One amendment successfully proposed by the Denver Democrat would allow the board to withdraw after Jan. 1, 2014, from whichever group it joins if the board doesn’t like the tests the group develo... more »

Washington’s Student-Loan Face-off | The Defenders Online | A Civil Rights Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Washington’s Student-Loan Face-off | The Defenders Online | A Civil Rights Blog: Washington’s Student-Loan Face-off by The Editors By* Kenneth J. Cooper* For the time being, President Obama has routed the Republicans on the politically-potent issue of college student loans and preventing the interest on them from doubling. After Obama took his case to college campuses in swing states, the Republican-controlled House backtracked and approved legislation to keep the interest rate on the federally-subsidized loans at 3.4 percent. Without the enactment of a new law, the rate will... more »

New Charter Report Improves Transparency but Leaves Many Questions Unanswered | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
New Charter Report Improves Transparency but Leaves Many Questions Unanswered | Edwize: New Charter Report Improves Transparency but Leaves Many Questions Unanswered by Christina Collins The release of a new “State of the Sector” report by the New York City Charter School Center will hopefully mark a turning point in efforts to have a more substantive conversation about charter schools’ demographics and performance in our city. As local media have noted, the report is one of the first from within the charter sector itself to acknowledge some troubling data on charter schools that ...more »

Let Our Voices be Heard (Guest Post by SWDFS student Raychel Gafford) « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Let Our Voices be Heard (Guest Post by SWDFS student Raychel Gafford) « Cooperative Catalyst: Let Our Voices be Heard (Guest Post by SWDFS student Raychel Gafford) by dloitz Reposted with permission from Southwest Detroit Freedom School. Originally posted at* Let Our Voices Be Heard! * Originally recited by Raychel Gafford during a walk out and protest at Western International School in Detroit Wednesday April 25, 2012.* See video of the speech below! *Her speech starts at 3:46! Hi my name is Raychel Gafford. I’m 17 years old and I am in the 11th grade. We are the students of Weste... more »

Byrne Creek Is Paving A Way for Success — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Byrne Creek Is Paving A Way for Success — Whole Child Education: Byrne Creek Is Paving A Way for Success by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers *Post submitted by Laida Falsetto and Mirella Gargiulo* Byrne Creek Secondary School has been and continues to becreative and flexible in designing varying programs to meet the needs of our current population. Over 60 percent of our student population does not have English as their first language. As a result, we have worked innovatively to develop programs and activities that pave a way for individual success and celebrate diversity. But what is suc... more »

PAA Austin TX Affiliate to host State Board of Education Candidates’ Forum « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
PAA Austin TX Affiliate to host State Board of Education Candidates’ Forum « Parents Across America: May 1, 2012 Contact: Lorie Barzano, Co-Chair CoalitionSAUS (Strengthen Austin Urban Schools) coalitionsaus@gmail.com barzano@flash.net (512)447-5577 CoalitionSAUS Hosts State Board of Education Candidates Forum CoalitionSAUS (Strengthen Austin Urban Schools) will host a forum of the candidates running for the TX State Board of Education (SBOE) in Districts #5 and #10. The state’s recently re-districted electoral maps split the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in half between... more »

If You Build a Better Crutch, We’ll Make a Lazier Student | Mr. Teachbad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
If You Build a Better Crutch, We’ll Make a Lazier Student | Mr. Teachbad: If You Build a Better Crutch, We’ll Make a Lazier Student Isn’t that the truth? I was talk­ing to a friend from my old school the other day. They had to read the arti­cle from the last post about the kid who went to DC pub­lic char­ter schools and then was unpre­pared for his fresh­man year at Georgetown. Sur­prise! You weren’t pre­pared because your teach­ers had to spend most of their time cod­dling and cajol­ing the way-behind, the lazy and the dis­rup­tive in your midst. (If you are poor and your mom is a ... more »

School Tech Connect: Cry Me A River?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Cry Me A River?: Cry Me A River? by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I have evidently announced my ambulatory status too soon. I'm going to do this one post and then crawl to bed. In any event, in case you missed it, Rich Miller had this to say today, among other things. * Listen, folks, when the state is talking about kicking tens (even hundreds) of thousands of some of Illinois’ most vulnerable citizens (elderly and the poor) off Medicaid programs, it’s really tough to totally sympathize with public employees. Senior citizens paid taxes their entire liv... more »

PSAT for 5-1-12: Petition day! Support PURE!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 5-1-12: Petition day!: PSAT for 5-1-12: Petition day! by admin Petitions may seem like mere couch potato activism, but they can work. One that I was going to urge you to sign today has already done the job! Nearly 1000 people signed a petitionasking Kenneth Cole, the clothing designer, to take down a billboard in New York suggesting that teachers’ rights conflict with students’ rights. Within hours, the company tweeted that the billboard is coming down. Score one for our side. But there are more battles to be fought,... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Daley strikes back with poke at longer school day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Daley strikes back with poke at longer school day: Daley strikes back with poke at longer school day The growing rift between *Rahm Emanuel *and former *Mayor Daley* has begun to surface publicly. Daley is punching back (well, maybe slapping is a better word) at Rahm's longer-school-day initiative. *Lengthening the school day at Chicago public schools is a key part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s agenda, but his predecessor doesn’t think it’s the answer to providing a better education. “At first I thought it was, but I don’t think so,” former Mayor Richard ... more »

Doing My Part for High School Readiness | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Doing My Part for High School Readiness | The Jose Vilson: Doing My Part for High School Readiness by Jose [image: Amare's wildin' out a la Office Space] On Sunday, during our walk for the Run for Change, one of my students asked, “What are we going to do for the rest of the year?” “You mean in terms of math?” “Yeah, like what’s going to happen?” “Well for the next month, I’ll be teaching high school math, and in June, I might even do some calculus if we have time.” He said, “HA! That’s what you think. I’m going to go to class, sleep, wake up, maybe draw something, then go

Affordable College is not a Luxury. It´s the Foundation of a Healthy Middle Class - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Affordable College is not a Luxury. It´s the Foundation of a Healthy Middle Class - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Affordable college is not a luxury. It´s the foundation of a healthy middle class by Lily Affordable College is not a Luxury. It´s the Foundation of a Healthy Middle Class May 1st, 2012 by Lily. I was lucky that I went to college in 1976. I was working as a secretary but I wanted so much to be a teacher. My husband and I were living paycheck to paycheck and could meet our bills just fine, but we had no extra m... more »

Jim Stergios Hits Common Core on Conflicts of Interest | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Jim Stergios Hits Common Core on Conflicts of Interest | Truth in American Education: Jim Stergios Hits Common Core on Conflicts of Interest by James Bell Common Core Conflicts of Interest The erudite Jim Stergios has just released the second in a series of articles highlighting the numerous conflicts of interest that have riddled advocates of the Common Core. The first article he defines the issue of the Common Core conflicts of interest: “No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his in... more »

How to Destroy Education While Making a Trillion Dollars | Common Dreams

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
How to Destroy Education While Making a Trillion Dollars | Common Dreams: How to Destroy Education While Making a Trillion Dollars by Robert Freeman The Vietnam War produced more than its share of iconic idiocies. Perhaps the most revelatory was the psychotic assertion of an army major explaining the U.S. bombing of the provincial hamlet of Ben Tre: “We had to destroy the village in order to save it.” If only such self-extinguishing claims for intelligence were confined to military war. The U.S is ratcheting up a societal-level war on public education. At issue is whether we are goi... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
LAO: District oversight works | Thoughts on Public Education Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 32 minutes ago LAO: District oversight works | Thoughts on Public Education: LAO: District oversight works - by John Fensterwald - Educated GuessbyJohn Fensterwald - Educated GuessDespite occasional interference by the Legislature, the system of fiscal oversight over districts by county offices of education has worked, the Legislative Analyst’s Office has concluded. “Given the substantial fiscal challenges that school districts have faced over the last two decades, the state’s ... more »

Teacher Research Transforms a School in Oakland - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Teacher Research Transforms a School in Oakland - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Teacher Research Transforms a School in Oakland by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody Teachers in what was once one of the lowest performing elementary schools in Oakland have transformed their school through a combination of teacher research and innovative instructional strategies. Teacher action research has a long history in the Oakland schools. The Mills Teacher Scholars program, under the guidance of Mills College professor Anna Richert, has been supporting teacher rese... more »

Schools Matter: Lisa Delpit on Teach for America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Schools Matter: Lisa Delpit on Teach for America: Lisa Delpit on Teach for America by Jim Horn From Ed Week. Really, that Ed Week: Our next Teacher Book Club, featuring Lisa Delpit's "*Multiplication Is for White People": Raising Expectations for Other People's Children*, is just three weeks away. Get familiar with the issues Delpit raises.[image: Multiplication]In discussing systemic problems in disadvantaged schools, Delpit comes down hard on alternative-certification programs such as Teach for America that recruit bright, young leaders for two-year stints teaching in low-inco... more »

Geaux Teacher!: The Power of Grassroots!!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Geaux Teacher!: The Power of Grassroots!!: The Power of Grassroots!! by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) I was recently invited to join the Steering Committee of the national grassroots organization called *Save Our Schools March & National Call to Action*. I have been a member of the group since its inception in 2010 and participated in their National March & Call To Action in Washington, D.C. last summer. The initial group has reorganized for the purpose of carrying on its mission of supporting and improving public education in America. The battle against privatiz... more »

Mother Crusader: Cerf Positioning Himself To Grab the Brass Ring

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Cerf Positioning Himself To Grab the Brass Ring: Cerf Positioning Himself To Grab the Brass Ring by darciecima This blog has been severely neglected lately. Sometimes life just gets in the way, but I have really missed blogging, and some HUGE things have happened!! For instance, Tikun Olam founder Sharon Akman DID NOT reapply for a charter in April. As Jersey Jazzman was so kind to point out, both on his blog and at Blue Jersey, this was a huge victory for parents against reforminess! (And geez, what a backlash you got to that post, sorry Duke!) We're not ... more »

The Haymarket Riot and the Origins of May Day | Dissident Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
The Haymarket Riot and the Origins of May Day | Dissident Voice: The Haymarket Riot and the Origins of May Day by Jerry Elmer May 1st is May Day, the international workers’ holiday honoring the labor movement. May Day is celebrated in at least 80 countries worldwide, from Argentina to Vietnam, but not in the United States. Here, our “Labor Day” was carefully put into September – by President Grover Cleveland in 1894 – specifically so that we would not observe May Day, with all of its radical roots in syndicalist labor history. This is deeply ironic, for the event that gave rise t... more »

One Big Idea: Universal Preschool - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
One Big Idea: Universal Preschool - Dana Goldstein: One Big Idea: Universal Preschool by Dana Goldstein For their series "The Campaign for Big Ideas," my friends at *GOOD* magazine asked me what one policy proposal ought to be part of the national political debate, but has been mostly left off the table. I suggesteduniversal preschool: Guaranteeing universal access to preschool would benefit children, of course, but also their parents and the overall economy. First, extending the social contract to 3-and-4-year-olds would acknowledge that our public education system can no longer r... more »

Creaming? Study Finds Charters Service Fewer High-Needs Students Than Public Schools - NY1.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Study Finds Charters Service Fewer High-Needs Students Than Public Schools - NY1.com: Study Finds Charters Service Fewer High-Needs Students Than Public Schools By: Lindsey Christ *There are now 136 charter schools in the city, and dozens more are opening every year, but now a report by the New York Charter School Center is trying to pinpoint what works with charters and what doesn't. NY1's Education reporter Lindsey Christ filed the following report.* Publicly financed but privately run, charter schools are a lightning rod for controversy. Supporters argue they often outperform loc... more »

Duncan Talks Obama Education Record at Mom Congress | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Duncan Talks Obama Education Record at Mom Congress | ED.gov Blog: Duncan Talks Obama Education Record at Mom Congress by Cameron Brenchley [image: Secretary Duncan speaks to Mom Congress]Secretary Duncan speaks to the 2012 Mom Congress Delegates. Official Department of Education photo by Leslie Williams. What is the proper role of the federal government in education? Secretary Arne Duncan answered this question Monday at *Parenting*‘s annual Mom Congress in Washington. “Under President Obama’s leadership, our role here in Washington is to support you,” Duncan said. There’s a transf...more »

What You Need To Know About ALEC - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
What You Need To Know About ALEC - Bridging Differences - Education Week: What You Need To Know About ALEC by Diane Ravitch Dear Deborah, Since the 2010 elections, when Republicans took control of many states, there has been an explosion of legislation advancing privatization of public schools and stripping teachers of job protections and collective bargaining rights. Even some Democratic governors, seeing the strong rightward drift of our politics, have jumped on the right-wing bandwagon, seeking to remove any protection for academic freedom from public school teachers. This out... more »

May Day | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
May Day | Seattle Education: May Day by seattleducation2011 For nearly 150 years, May 1st has been an international day to celebrate and defend the rights of the working class. While the immigrant rights movement and the Occupy movement have helped bring it back to the United States in recent years, May Day originated in the American labor movement in the 19th century. The first mass labor protest on May Day was held in 1867 to celebrate an Illinois law mandating an eight-hour workday. When employers refused to abide by the law, the celebration turned into a rebellion. Chicago poli... more »

Empty Nest: Life Beyond Parenting - Now What? | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Empty Nest: Life Beyond Parenting - Now What? | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network: Empty Nest: Life Beyond Parenting - Now What? By Natalie Caine Right now, in homes across the country, college acceptance letters are sitting on kitchen tables. Your own children may be deciding where to go to college. Excitement is high, but the reality is also bittersweet. Why? You know that there will be an empty chair at the table. When your child leaves home for college, work, marriage, or service, the reality of a major change in your parenting role sits with you in your now silent home. W... more »

Daily Kos: Calling attention to possibly critical piece about Romney and financial shenanigans

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Daily Kos: Calling attention to possibly critical piece about Romney and financial shenanigans: Calling attention to possibly critical piece about Romney and financial shenanigans by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) now up at Think Progress. It is titled Exclusive: Romney Family Investment Group Partnered With Alleged Perpetrators Of $8 Billion Ponzi Scheme. You will find out that Mitt Romney, his son Tagg, and his brother Scott all have involvement. Tagg has key involvement, and when challenged on the relationship with three key players from the Stanford Financial Group - which was r... more »

Schools Matter: Krash Course #8: Putting Together the Poverty/Education Puzzle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Schools Matter: Krash Course #8: Putting Together the Poverty/Education Puzzle: Krash Course #8: Putting Together the Poverty/Education Puzzle by P. L. Thomas The "no excuses" reformers subscribe to the "never let evidence get in the way of your agenda" approach to theirbully pulpit of education reform. However, the evidence is powerful and growing in terms of what we know about inequity in U.S. society and in U.S. education. So what do we know? *• Race, class, and gender correlate strongly with inequitable starting points for children entering formal education in the U.S.—includin... more »

LAO: District oversight works | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
LAO: District oversight works | Thoughts on Public Education: LAO: District oversight works - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess Despite occasional interference by the Legislature, the system of fiscal oversight over districts by county offices of education has worked, the Legislative Analyst’s Office has concluded. “Given the substantial fiscal challenges that school districts have faced over the last two decades, the state’s fiscal oversight system has been effective in ensuring that school districts remain fiscally [...] Local funding can c... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What's going on down on Rahm's plantation?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What's going on down on Rahm's plantation?: What's going on down on Rahm's plantation? by Mike Klonsky Donoso's toastIs anybody buying the story than *Noemi Donoso*"resigned" from her $195,000 post as the mayor's hand-picked chief education officer, after less than a year, in order to "pursue national projects.."? Is that the new version of "spending more time with my family"? She is the third top CPS officer to bail in less than three months. And what timing -- right in the middle of union negotiations and Rahm's reckless move to impose his will, i... more »

Yes You - May Day! | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Yes You - May Day! | OccupyWallSt.org: May 1st General Strike Shut Down the 1% and Fight Back No Work – No School – No Housework – No Shopping Take The Streets Click Here for NYC Schedule and Other Cities Yes You - May Day! by OccupyWallSt Popout*from the Internet:* "May what now!" Francesca (and figurines made in China) will teach you all about the history of May Day and give you some advice on what to do to celebrate workers around the world General Strike Banner Drop in Union Square by OccupyWallSt Popoutvia StrikeEverywhere!: A banner drop promoting the May 1st General St... more »

It may be May Day, but I’ve got kids to teach. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
It may be May Day, but I’ve got kids to teach. « Fred Klonsky: It may be May Day, but I’ve got kids to teach. by Fred Klonsky Millions of workers will take to the streets today. Shops and factories will be closed. I could have used a personal day. I think I have one left. The contract requires that I use a personal day only for business that I could not take care of during the normal working day. I think May Day qualifies. But I’ve got kids to teach. I only have a month left, and I’m trying to get the fourth grade paper mâchĂ© project done. It is taking longer than I The in box. Chi... more »

AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations | Get Schooled: AJC cheating series: National Blue Ribbon Schools that may be red-faced at these revelations 1:56 pm April 28, 2012, by Maureen Downey [image: testing (Medium)]The AJC has published the second installment in its major series on test score disparities nationwide. Today’s stories look at the improbable score patterns in some of the nation’s most highly decorated schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools. AJC reporters included a winning school that even merited a visit from Educat... more »

The Innovative Educator: Read this opt out of testing letter from parent - Get ready to be inspired!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
The Innovative Educator: Read this opt out of testing letter from parent - Get ready to be inspired!: Read this opt out of testing letter from parent - Get ready to be inspired! [image: Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com] Editor's note: This amazing opt out letter was shared in The Texas Opt Out of State Tests group (there's one for every state). I'm sharing it here because it so eloquently and passionately identifies so many of the ills of standardized testing from a parent who has her child's freedom to learn as her main priority. You can find more opt out letters at th... more »