Thursday, June 21, 2012

Teaching With Style … - The Educator's PLN

Teaching With Style … - The Educator's PLN:


Teaching With Style …


Part of my responsibilities at my first teaching assignment (36 years ago!!) was to be in charge of the “High School Bowl” quiz team.  The team was made up of four students who competed against two other teams, answering various questions about the sciences, history, English, math and the arts.  I remember being quite intimidated at first with the visual art questions.  Various pictures would be presented to the team members from famous artists, and the students were supposed to recognize them.  This seemed like a daunting task at first, but as we began to look at paintings from the various artists, many were recognizable because of the “style” of the artist … the particular way the artist painted or drew his/her pictures or the subjects of interest that were painted often gave the artist away.  Even though I wasn’t an artist, I began to recognize paintings by Rembrandt, Monet, and of course, Picasso, just by the “style” that the artist used.

Using this same principle, teachers can become much better teachers simply by observing their students and recognizing their learning “style.”  Most new teachers entering the field are quick to mention the three major learning “styles” most often discussed:  visual, auditory, and/or tactile/kinesthetic.  These are sometimes 

Mother Crusader: If Regis Needs Students From 25 Districts To Open, Should It?

Mother Crusader: If Regis Needs Students From 25 Districts To Open, Should It?:


If Regis Needs Students From 25 Districts To Open, Should It?

Remember back in February when Amir Khan was bragging at a Regis Academy Board of Trustees Meeting that he could take kids from Hoboken if he wanted to because the NJDOE had allowed him to expand his districts?  A couple weeks later the NJDOE told the Courier Post that Regis was NOT given permission to expand their districts.  For a minute there it looked like Regis would actually have to fill the majority of their seats with kids from the districts they were actually approved to serve.  Imagine that!

Fast forward to June and it's crunch time.  The NJDOE is doing their walk through of Regis' facility in the next couple of weeks, and all of the final paperwork is due to the NJDOE by June 30th.  Acting Commissioner Cerf will decide if Regis gets it's final charter on July 15th.

At a Board of Trustees meeting tonight Regis claimed to have 267 students enrolled, and this is also the number Khan cites in an article in today's South Jersey Sun.  On June 8th however Christian Barnes, Regis Lead Person/Principal/Founder, confirmed enrollment of just 187 students and provided a breakdown.  

Guess how many districts those students were being pulled from?  25.  That's right, 25.  And how many of those students are from the original four sending districts?  Only 78, or 42%.  Here's the breakdown.
This brings me back to the old adage trotted out over and over and over again by

Educational Martyrdom http://www.southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:


Educational Martyrdom

How long are we just going to be pacifist and not take ownership of ourselves as educators, professionals, parents, friends in the war being waged against education? Critical mass is right around the corner and when the implosion happens we need to be the ones that survive, not the deformers.

Rallies, blogs, Twitter, picketing, etc... are nice. It works. But a little too slow.
A new radical approach to destroying the deform movement must be the next step. And just what is this step?

Simple, we need a Martyr. Only a Martyr will succeed at where the movements, the groups, the organizations are not succeeding, or barely making a dent.

Do Not Kill Registry

Do Not Kill Registry:





 Do Not Kill Registry
In response to the establishment of a national 'kill list' and the expansion of the United States' predator drone program, the National Agency for Ethical Drone-Human Interactions has launched the Do Not Kill Registry. Adding your name to the registry will assist us in avoiding accidental casualties in our mission to make the world a safe place for Democracy and Free Enterprise. You can read more about the agency and our mission by clicking here.


Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-21-12 #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



Educational Success Is Largely Determined By Where You Live « MomsRising Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago
Educational Success Is Largely Determined By Where You Live « MomsRising Blog: Educational Success Is Largely Determined By Where You Live by care2 by Judy Molland at care2.com Earlier this year, Care2′s Kristina Chew wrote about the widening gap between rich and poor students in schools across the U.S. over the past few decades and how, as a result, the gap in standardized test scores between affluent and low-income students has grown by 40 percent since the 1960′s. Now comes a report that demonstrates exactly how this works. If you thought that children receive different educati... more »

School Tech Connect: We're So Marginalized It's Crazy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago
School Tech Connect: We're So Marginalized It's Crazy: We're So Marginalized It's Crazy by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Ok, there's a lot going on in the clip I'm embedding below. First is a terrific interview with Chris Hayes, who is in town tonight. Much of what is happening in public education can also be described in the terms outlined in this discussion and in Hayes' book. So watch it. However, pay attention to the commercial at the start of it. You may get a different commercial from the one I get, but I get an Exxon commercial about American students coming in last on... more »

Geaux Teacher!: REMEMBER PAUL VALLAS?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 46 minutes ago
Geaux Teacher!: REMEMBER PAUL VALLAS?: REMEMBER PAUL VALLAS? by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) Remember Paul Vallas? - he's the guy who followed up the destruction of our schools by Katrina with further destruction of the entire public school system with hurrican Reform! Well he has finished up with Chile (or was thrown out) and is now collecting a cool million $ to destroy Connecticut schools. Check out what he left in Chile!!!! Are we getting the big picture here yet? * More than 10,000 High School Chilean Students March for 'Free Education' | Common Dreams* ht... more »

Corporate Education Reform - Michigan Style | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Emergency manager recommends Highland Park become a charter school district, as state educators fear plan will spread to others | MLive.com: [image: mlive.com] Emergency manager recommends Highland Park become a charter school district, as state educators fear plan will spread to othersPublished: Monday, June 18, 2012, 5:31 PM Updated: Monday, June 18, 2012, 5:52 PM [image: Dave Murray | dmurray@mlive.com] By *Dave Murray | dmurray@mlive.com * [image: Emergency Managers Michigan.JPG]AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Kimberly P. MitchellReview Board Members Rob Bovitz, left, Fredrick ... more »

On the ethics of selling slingshots :: Sabrina Joy Stevens

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
On the ethics of selling slingshots :: Sabrina Joy Stevens: On the ethics of selling slingshots Posted by Sabrina on June 21st, 2012 I was very happy when I learned of Change.org’s decision to end their relationships with two astroturf organizations operating against the common good in education. It’s always heartening to see how people faced with tough decisions can listen to (often heated) input and weigh sometimes competing concerns. Having spoken to some of their staff, I know they take our concerns very seriously, and I applaud them for having the courage to publicly take... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Reactions to sample Common core questions; what do you think?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
NYC Public School Parents: Reactions to sample Common core questions; what do you think?: Reactions to sample Common core questions; what do you think? by Leonie Haimson NYS Education Commissioner John King released sample Common Core questions this week. Here are some responses from parents and former teachers on the NYC Education list. Please take a look and add your comments below. *Jeff Nichols: parent of 3rd grader:* Well, I looked at the sample 3rd grade ELA questions. Utterly bizarre. I would never put this material in front of my 8-year- olds (avid, enthusiastic, proficie... more »

Louisiana Believes Advisory Committees | The G Bitch Spot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Louisiana Believes Advisory Committees | The G Bitch Spot: Louisiana Believes Advisory Committees by G Bitch FINAL *LOUISIANA BELIEVES* PLAN INTRODUCED AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES NAMED: Statewide School Board Meeting Tour to Follow Announcement. Press release. 6/18/2012. PDF. Louisiana believes what exactly? Of the principal advisory committee’s 23 members, 5 are from Orleans. The 11-member superintendents advisory committee, a small one, has the superintendents of KIPP and Crescent City Schools. The teaching advisory committee has 76 members, one from Orleans. Yes, one, even though... more »

EDUCATION AND THE WHIPLASH IT’S CAUSED | GoingPublic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
EDUCATION AND THE WHIPLASH IT’S CAUSED | GoingPublic: EDUCATION AND THE WHIPLASH IT’S CAUSED by admin The marvels of Facebook surprised me again last week. A former student–this time from 1968–’found’ me through my daughter’s work. Thanks, Liz ( mom-101.com.) Wendy reminded me of “Alice in Bookland,” the film we made when she was in the 4th grade. Her gracious message brought on a wonderland of memories. I followed my reverie to the basement where I store students’ love notes, workshop handouts, binders, class photos. Memories. While I was downstairs I decided to go through the mater... more »

Secretary’s Mom Inspires National Service at Chicago Conference | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Secretary’s Mom Inspires National Service at Chicago Conference | ED.gov Blog: Secretary’s Mom Inspires National Service at Chicago Conference Posted on June 21, 2012 by Julie Ewart Who inspires you? Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s hero is his mother, Sue Duncan, who founded a tutoring center in one of Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods 51 years ago, and continues to lead it today. The Secretary used his mom’s story to stir an audience of more than 3,000 members of volunteer organizations from throughout the U.S., as she listened from the front row at the plenary session on “Cele... more »

Michelle Rhee asks NEA and AFT, “Can’t we all just get along?” And she has good reason to ask. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Michelle Rhee asks NEA and AFT, “Can’t we all just get along?” And she has good reason to ask. « Fred Klonsky: Michelle Rhee asks NEA and AFT, “Can’t we all just get along?” And she has good reason to ask. by Fred Klonsky *Does MichelleRhee want to paddle Dennis Van Roekel? Or sing a little Kumbayaa?* Here in Chicago Michelle Rhee and her *StudentsFirst *(I think I’ll start calling her, *MichelleRhee*.) just got their heads handed to her on a platter by Jennifer Johnson, history teacher and CTU union activist. *MichelleRhee* and Jonah Edelman of *Stand for Children* posted a Change... more »

EXCLUSIVE: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee To For-Profit College Industry: "You're Doing Incredible Work" | Republic Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Rhee To For-Profit College Industry: "You're Doing Incredible Work" | Republic Report: EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Rhee To For-Profit College Industry: “You’re Doing Incredible Work” POSTED AT 4:49 PM BY DAVID HALPERIN She promised a bang, but delivered a whimper. Republic Report was the first to report that Michelle Rhee, the hard-charging former chancellor of the District of Columbia public schools, would be addressing the Las Vegas annual convention of APSCU, the largest trade association for the controversial for-profit college industry. Not everyone is a fan of Rhe... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates + Decline to Sign

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates: Decline to Sign Updates by Melissa Westbrook Breaking news from the West Seattle Blog; Executive Director Aurora Lora is leaving the district. She's going to Dallas as an assistant superintendent. Her last day is July 6th. That's one TFA gone (and I hear we lost another in HR). Decline to Sign flyer here. Going to the Gay Pride parade? There an SPS float in it that will be decorated as a school bus. The Board approved the change to the advertising policy and will permit it on school calendar, scoreboards, etc. Not sure where (high ... more »

School Tech Connect: Father, Forgive Them..

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Father, Forgive Them..: Father, Forgive Them.. by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) *For they do not know what they are doing..* From the man who came up with Race to the Top, a program that took all of the worst aspects of NCLB and made them worse. No successful nation on earth does anything like what Arne Duncan has inflicted on America. He's the national version of mayoral control.

NJ Spotlight | Op-Ed: Tenure Reform -- The Teacher Perspective

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
NJ Spotlight | Op-Ed: Tenure Reform -- The Teacher Perspective: Op-Ed: Tenure Reform -- The Teacher Perspective Despite all the misunderstandings and misinformation, tenure simply means teachers have the right to due process print | email | share By Kathryn Strom and Brian Ford, June 21, 2012 in Opinion |Post a Comment The tenure bill (S-1455) sponsored by Democratic State Senator Theresa Ruiz (D-Essex) is the latest attack on teachers demonstrating New Jersey legislators’ bipartisan support of the corporate education agenda. These anti-teacher reforms, couched in the language of e... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Group Asks Teachers Unions To Promote Reform Policies At State Level

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Michelle Rhee's Group Asks Teachers Unions To Promote Reform Policies At State Level: Michelle Rhee's Group Asks Teachers Unions To Promote Reform Policies At State Level by Joy Resmovits The day after Michelle Rhee's education lobbying group, StudentsFirst, got dumped by progressive petition site Change.org because of intense pressure from teachers' unions, StudentsFirst waved a thorny olive branch of sorts at the nation's two largest such unions. On Wednesday afternoon, StudentsFirst, along with other education groups such as Democrats for Education Reform, Students for Educati... more »

NCCP | Who are America’s Poor Children?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
NCCP | Who are America’s Poor Children?: Who are America’s Poor Children? The Official Story *Authors:* Vanessa R. Wight, Michelle Chau, and Yumiko Aratani *Publication Date:* January 2010 DOWNLOAD PDF|PRINT|EMAIL Fourteen million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $22,050 a year for a family of four. 1 The number of children living in poverty increased by 21 percent between 2000 and 2008. There are 2.5 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000. Not only are these numbers troubling, the official poverty measure... more »

Rita M. Solnet: "Let's Be Real Clear"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Rita M. Solnet: "Let's Be Real Clear": ""Let's Be Real Clear"" "Let's Be Real Clear"*Rita Solnet* is a parent of a son who graduated from south Florida public schools in 2008. She has been an education activist in Palm Beach County and in Tallahassee for over a decade, and often acts as the intermediary to the business community. "Let's be real clear." That's what Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said to Florida School Board members who convened in Orlando on June 14th at the FSBA Conference. *"What they're focusing on is high-stakes testing, which is a political way of say... more »

Here’s me and David Schaper on Ken Davis’ Chicago Newsroom. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Here’s me and David Schaper on Ken Davis’ Chicago Newsroom. « Fred Klonsky: Here’s me and David Schaper on Ken Davis’ Chicago Newsroom. by Fred Klonsky Popout Ken Davis is joined by education blogger, Fred Klonsky and NPR National Desk reporter, David Schaper. They discuss the merits of an elected school board, the CTU strike authorization vote and President Obama’s decision to block the deportation of young undocumented immigrants. This program was produced by Chicago Access Network Television.

RheeFirst! » Rhee speaks at subprime college conference, her booking agent is ec$tatic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
RheeFirst! » Rhee speaks at subprime college conference, her booking agent is ec$tatic: Rhee speaks at subprime college conference, her booking agent is ec$tatic by admin Michelle Rhee is speaking today at the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities—the trade association of for-profit colleges, many of whom are under investigation. Following the outpouring of criticism, Rhee wrote an op-ed for the *Huffington Post* defending her appearance: “*Some have questioned why I would speak at an event like this, given the poor records of so many of these schools, and I under... more »

The Shame of the College Board « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The Shame of the College Board « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Shame of the College Board by dianerav I opened up my *New York Times* and was surprised to find a full-page ad sponsored by the College Board attacking American education. The ad showed a graphic in which “national security,” “jobs,” “healthcare,” and the “economy” rest upon a base of “education,” but the base is cracking. The ad says: “Our future depends on the strength of our education system. But that system is crumbling.” The ad then says “Help make education a higher priority in the presidential campaign. Go to DontFo... more »

Mother Crusader: Virtual Charters Earn Real Money Despite Low Student Achievement

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Virtual Charters Earn Real Money Despite Low Student Achievement: Virtual Charters Earn Real Money Despite Low Student Achievement by darciecima Looks like Pennsylvania has caught on: Under the law that brought charter schools to Pennsylvania in 1997, charters and cyber charters receive funds from school districts based on the district's own per-student spending. Because there are 500 school districts, there are 500 different rates. *And cyber charters - which enroll students from across the state - receive the same amount as traditional charter schools that ope... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, June 21, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Solvang CA]*Solvang* *CA* Education Headlines *Thursday, June 21, 2012* Desert Sands Unified School District Superintendent plans to retireDesert Sands Unified School District Superintendent Sharon McGehee will retire next year. McGehee will leave the district Jan. 31, she said Tuesday during the district's Board of Education meeting. Fresno Unified approves hiring of consultants to track absenteeismFresno Unified trustees on Wednesday approved a contract with a Northern California consulting firm to track student absences ... more »

Presidential Scholars Recognized in Washington | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Presidential Scholars Recognized in Washington | ED.gov Blog: Presidential Scholars Recognized in Washington by Cameron Brenchley [image: Secretary Duncan and the 2012 US Presidential Scholars] Secretary Duncan and the 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholars at the White House this week. Official Department of Education photo by Leslie Williams. More than 140 of the country’s brightest high school seniors arrived in Washington this week for the U.S. Presidential Scholars’ National Recognition Week. The annual event brings together and honors the recipients of the nation’s highest honor for g... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Brizard the 'great unifier', runs for cover

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Brizard the 'great unifier', runs for cover: Brizard the 'great unifier', runs for cover by Mike Klonsky I've been working in and around schools for many years. In all that time I've rarely seen 90 percent agreement among teachers on anything. The one man who seems to unite every district teacher (against him) wherever he goes, is *J.C. Brizard.* His charm and education background seems to get him through his first year. But once teachers and the public see past the smiling face and figure out what he's there for, it's just a matter of time before the... more »

More re: GAO Report on Charters and Special Education « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
More re: GAO Report on Charters and Special Education « Diane Ravitch's blog: More re: GAO Report on Charters and Special Education by dianerav Matthew DiCarlo at the Shanker Blog is a careful social scientist who does thoughtful analysis of education issues. His blog today reviewed the GAO report on special education enrollments in charter schools. The report got lots of attention for finding that about 11% of students in the nation are special education, but charters enroll only 8%. James Shelton at the U.S. Department of Education was unimpressed by the disparity and basically ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core is a Money Making Venture and Social Justice. Is this the Educational Reform Taxpayers Want?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core is a Money Making Venture and Social Justice. Is this the Educational Reform Taxpayers Want?: Common Core is a Money Making Venture and Social Justice. Is this the Educational Reform Taxpayers Want? by stlgretchen Forget the Arne Duncan "Happy Dance" and verbal spin about his plan of education reform. Common Core and Race to the Top mandates are not about making students STEM ready or globally competitive. It's about: - making preselected suppliers wealthy - centralized educational control - educational equity That's it. It's c... more »

Letter From Cape Town - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Letter From Cape Town - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Letter From Cape Town by Deborah Meier Dear Diane, I'm sitting in Cape Town, having just cabled down from fabled Table Mountain. Even before that we were in love with Cape Town. We leave tomorrow, so I thought I'd send a few words for Thursday. I imagine that when I get into my own bed Thursday a.m. I won't want to stop to write! We've done all the usual and delightful tourist things—like safari'ing near Cape Elizabeth where we saw lions, giraffes, warthogs, hippos, many antelopes of every sort, and two elephants at pl... more »

Test-Based Teacher Evaluation Earns F, Again | Education | AlterNet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Test-Based Teacher Evaluation Earns F, Again | Education | AlterNet: Test-Based Teacher Evaluation Earns F, Again South Carolina is poised to link 40% of teacher evaluations to student test scores. Is that a colossal mistake? Teacher quality, including teacher evaluation and pay scales, is a growing national and state concern in education reform -- a trend that can be traced to, and remains reflected in, the *Los Angeles Times*' repeated publication of value-added models (VAM) of ranking teacher quality. Catherine S. Durso’s National Education Policy Center review of VAM results ca... more »

Schools Matter: Videos of Occupy the DOE Collected Here by UOON

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schools Matter: Videos of Occupy the DOE Collected Here by UOON: ' Videos of Occupy the DOE Collected Here by UOON Follow this link to the video library, which would not exist without the tireless work by Califather. You will find many useful talks that can be viewed by classes and parent-teacher groups for discussion and explication. My talk on KIPP starts 30 minutes into the third clip from the top and runs almost 40 minutes.

Lions and Tigers and Math SOL scores – Oh My!!! « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Lions and Tigers and Math SOL scores – Oh My!!! « PWC Education Reform Blog: Lions and Tigers and Math SOL scores – Oh My!!! by pwceducationreform Lions and Tigers and Math SOL scores – Oh My!!!June 21, 2012 — pwceducationreform Word on the street is that PWCS’s pass rates on the revised and “more rigorous” Math SOL are abysmal, and hysteria has broken out across the county. OK, hysteria might be a bit of an exaggeration because most of us are already in a summer vacation frame of mind and getting all hot and bothered when it’s 90 degrees out at 8:30 in the morning is impossible,... more »

Shanker Blog » Do Charter Schools Serve Fewer Special Education Students?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Do Charter Schools Serve Fewer Special Education Students?: Do Charter Schools Serve Fewer Special Education Students? by Matthew Di Carlo A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides one of the first large-scale comparisons of special education enrollment between charter and regular public schools. The report’s primary finding, which, predictably, received a fair amount of attention, is that roughly 11 percent of students enrolled in regular public schools were on special education plans in 2009-10, compared with just 8 percent of char... more »

Corporate Education Reform - DC Style

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
*Corporate Education Reform - DC Style* * * * *

NYC Educator: They're Just Kids (and Teachers)! They Don't Need No Stinkin' A/C

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
NYC Educator: They're Just Kids (and Teachers)! They Don't Need No Stinkin' A/C: They're Just Kids (and Teachers)! They Don't Need No Stinkin' A/C by Miss Eyre Well, for once, I applaud Mayor Bloomberg's approach to answering questions about students in non-air-conditioned classrooms taking Regents exams and, theoretically, teachers still trying to conduct classes. Man up, kids, says the Mayor. Life is full of challenges. The Mayor, of course, is right. And I'm so excited to hear that he and his staff are foregoing air conditioning in solidarity. After all, running all these a... more »

Pa. auditor again blasts funding formula for cyber and charter schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Pa. auditor again blasts funding formula for cyber and charter schools: ' Pa. auditor again blasts funding formula for cyber and charter schools By Martha Woodall Inquirer Staff Writer Pennsylvania taxpayers could save $365 million each year if the state fixed its flawed formula for funding cyber and charter schools, state Auditor General Jack Wagner said Wednesday. Wagner released a report saying the state has spent "substantially more" than the national average on the charter and cyber charter schools that educate more than 100,000 students. "With the tightening of school budge... more »

The in box. Todd Mertz responds to IEA President Cinda Klickna’s pension update. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The in box. Todd Mertz responds to IEA President Cinda Klickna’s pension update. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Todd Mertz responds to IEA President Cinda Klickna’s pension update. by Fred Klonsky Todd Mertz is an Illinois teacher pension activist. *Dear President Klickna and the EA Team,* *I, and others, have major concerns and are disappointed with the IEA Pension update on June 13th.* *It appears to us that the IEA is “softening us” for some concessions ahead. I’m sure you can understand this perturbs us. Please correct me if I am wrong with any of these historical facts below: *... more »

Death Watch for Public Schools in Michigan « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Death Watch for Public Schools in Michigan « Diane Ravitch's blog: Death Watch for Public Schools in Michigan by dianerav Governor Rick Snyder’s administration is closing down public schools in two districts in Michigan and turning the schools over to charter operators. Michigan has a draconian law that permits the governor to appoint an emergency manager whenever a municipality or school district or other governmental entity is in financial distress. All democratically elected officials are superseded by the emergency manager. Democracy comes to an end. The emergency manager has a... more »

Oh No! I Am a Member of Students First « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Oh No! I Am a Member of Students First « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Oh No! I Am a Member of Students First by dianerav After I blogged about Change.org dropping Michelle Rhee and Jonah Edelman, I got an email from a representative of Change.org asking me to explain its policy on my blog. I told him my concern was not with its policy, but with the deception involved in signing people up as members of an organization they did not wish to join. On our third exchange of emails, he informed me that I was a member of Students First. He sai... more »

The in box. Response to Fareed Zakaria’s “Why We Need Pension Reform,” (Time Magazine, June 25) by Richard Sasso. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The in box. Response to Fareed Zakaria’s “Why We Need Pension Reform,” (Time Magazine, June 25) by Richard Sasso. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Response to Fareed Zakaria’s “Why We Need Pension Reform,” (Time Magazine, June 25) by Richard Sasso. by Fred Klonsky From Glen Brown’s blog. *I write in defense of my pension and that of my fellow public employees. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously quipped that people were entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. In the recent debate surrounding public pensions, I have noticed that many people desperately wa... more »

Another report urges changing API | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Another report urges changing API | Thoughts on Public Education: [image: Account-EdSectorStudyCover062012] Another report urges changing API Share Added arguments making Steinberg's case Posted on 6/21/12 • Categorized as A to G Curriculum, Multiple pathways, Tests, Twenty-first Century Learning, Workforce preparation By *John Fensterwald - Educated Guess* A report this week from a Washington think tank bolsters Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg’s call for significantly revising the state’s primary accountability measure, the Academic Performance Index. Now, if Gov. Jerry ... more »

Daily Kos: June 21, 1964 - A day of shame

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Daily Kos: June 21, 1964 - A day of shame: June 21, 1964 - A day of shame by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) It is the date on which three young men, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, "disappeared." All three were involved in Freedom Summer, the attempt to register - and educate - Blacks in Mississippi. They had been arrested on false charges, released from the jail in Neshoba County and ordered to leave the county, but then re-arrested as they were living the county by deputy sheriff Cecil Price and held until a murder squad from the KKK arrived. They were mur... more »

The real meaning of ‘accountability’ and ‘trust’ in education - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The real meaning of ‘accountability’ and ‘trust’ in education - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: The real meaning of ‘accountability’ and ‘trust’ in education By Valerie Strauss This* is an abridged version of a speech that Michael J. Feuer, dean of George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development, recently gave at a conference in Jerusalem about trust and accountability in education.* ** By Michael Feuer The topic of this conference brings back fond memories of my undergraduate years at Queens College (CUNY), where lessons of accountability ... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Gail Collins' take on privatization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Gail Collins' take on privatization: Gail Collins' take on privatization by Mike Klonsky In her column this morning, "Political Private Practice", NYT's Gail Collins talks privatization, including public school privatization with what she calls *humorization*. No one can do it better. I*n honor of the campaign season, maybe this is a good time to point out some examples of privatization disasters. Texas tried to turn eligibility screening for social services over to a private company, creating all sorts of messes until it gave up the experimen... more »

Unsolicited Advice for New and Novice Teachers: How We Teach Matters Most & Stay Humble | Outside the Cave

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Unsolicited Advice for New and Novice Teachers: How We Teach Matters Most & Stay Humble | Outside the Cave: Unsolicited Advice for New and Novice Teachers: How We Teach Matters Most & Stay Humble by Stephen Lazar I caught wind of a math blog meme giving advice to new teachers after reading a wonderful post from Jason Buell called “Life in the Gray,” which nicely goes a long way toward summing up how complicated teaching really is. It reminded me of something I just wrote, which I though I would post here as well. The following is a response to an email that was forwarded to me wit... more »

Change.org's Support for Stand For Children Should (And Did) Not Stand: When Liberals Push An ALEC Education Agenda | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Change.org's Support for Stand For Children Should (And Did) Not Stand: When Liberals Push An ALEC Education Agenda | K-12 News Network: Change.org’s Support for Stand For Children Should (And Did) Not Stand: When Liberals Push An ALEC Education Agenda by admin *Disclosure: I was sought out by and interviewed with Change.org back when they were seeking an education organizer; I like and respect many talented organizers there, and from speaking with him, I believe that Ben Rattray is a reasonable, thoughtful, person committed to social change. I’ve also written for Care2.com and s... more »

All Education Matters: Cruel and Inhumane Punishment - "Father Struggles To Pay Dead Son's Student Loans"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
All Education Matters: Cruel and Inhumane Punishment - "Father Struggles To Pay Dead Son's Student Loans": Cruel and Inhumane Punishment - "Father Struggles To Pay Dead Son's Student Loans" by Cryn Johannsen I have heard so many stories that are similar to this one. It's infuriating, because it is unjust and cruel and unnecessary. The creation of this system of payday scammers of higher education is despicable, and has no place in our society. And yet they are flourishing and cashing in at the expense of borrowers, their families, and US taxpayers. Meanwhile, the best we can get... more »

Can’t Economists Stay Away From Schools? Don’t They Have Enough Other Things To Do? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Can’t Economists Stay Away From Schools? Don’t They Have Enough Other Things To Do? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: Can’t Economists Stay Away From Schools? Don’t They Have Enough Other Things To Do? by Larry Ferlazzo Just what we need, another study from economists telling us how to make schools more effective (one released earlier this year concluded that “The message is to fire people sooner rather than later” ). This new study, The Behavioralist Goes to School: Leveraging Behavioral Economics to Improve Educational Performance, has several authors, including Steven D... more »

Participate in “The People’s School for Public Education” and endorse Oakland’s Sit-in | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Participate in “The People’s School for Public Education” and endorse Oakland’s Sit-in | Dailycensored.com: Participate in “The People’s School for Public Education” and endorse Oakland’s Sit-in by Danny Weil Dear community and supporters, We have managed to hold on to the Lakeview building and grounds for 6 days now!!! We also have been running a free Social Justice based summer program since Monday morning. Each day we have had more students attending. Yesterday there were between 20 and 30 students! For more updates and pictures check out our blog at: saveoaklandschools.org We... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: In the Mailbox

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: In the Mailbox: In the Mailbox by Mike Klonsky *From Jennifer Johnson* Dear Public Education and Teacher Supporters, Yesterday, we got some good news. Thanks largely to your thousands of signatures and comments Change.org has dropped both Jonah Edleman’s Stand for Children and Michelle Rhee’s Students First as clients. You can read Huffington Post's coverage here: huff.to/M5j0bh Though this is good news, we still need to be very realistic about Change.org and their willingness to repeatedly dupe signers into supporting petitions that appear to be p... more »

APNewsBreak: Post-Katrina school firings wrongful - Boston.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
APNewsBreak: Post-Katrina school firings wrongful - Boston.com: APNewsBreak: Post-Katrina school firings wrongful By Kevin McGill Associated Press / June 20, 2012 - E-mail| - Print| - Comments (0) Text size – + NEW ORLEANS—Thousands of New Orleans school employees were wrongfully fired after Hurricane Katrina scattered the populations and shut down the city and its schools, a Louisiana judge ruled Wednesday. Judge Ethel Simms Julien awarded more than $1 million to seven people who filed the class-action suit against the New Orleans school board and the state. Her deci... more »

Oprah, Reagan and Mitt Romney’s Views on EducationPolitical News and Opinion from a Multicultural Point of View | Political News and Opinion from a Multicultural Point of View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Oprah, Reagan and Mitt Romney’s Views on EducationPolitical News and Opinion from a Multicultural Point of View | Political News and Opinion from a Multicultural Point of View: Oprah, Reagan and Mitt Romney’s Views on Education [image: Oprah, Reagan and Mitt Romney’s Views on Education] Asked nearly half a dozen times whether or not he would overturnPresident Obama’s decision to stop deporting undocumented youth, affording them the opportunity to pursue higher education, careers in the armed services, and temporary work permits, Mitt Romney danced around the question as though he ... more »

Corporate Education Reform - Sacramento Style - What's Wrong With This Picture?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*Corporate Education Reform - Sacramento Style * * What's Wrong With This Picture?* [image: ScreenHunter_33 Jun. 20 12.10] Joe Biden to raise money in Sacramento on Tuesday Vice President *Joe Biden*, in California for two days this week, is scheduled to attend a fundraiser at the Sutter Club in downtown Sacramento on Tuesday. Tickets for the afternoon fundraiser, to raise money for the Obama Victory Fund, start at $500. Biden was expected to speak earlier Tuesday in Los Angeles, at a convention of the American Federation of S