Big Education Ape: Aug 15, 2012

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

ALEC's Annual Conference and OccupySLC's ALEC Welcoming Committee - Days 2 and 3 | MyFDL

ALEC's Annual Conference and OccupySLC's ALEC Welcoming Committee - Days 2 and 3 | MyFDL:

ALEC’s Annual Conference and OccupySLC’s ALEC Welcoming Committee – Days 2 and 3
By: pastfedup Wednesday August 15, 2012 1:31 pm	Tweet

Picking up where I left off last post, Day 2 of protesting ALEC in Salt Lake City was a bit quieter than Monday, primarily because July 24^th is a very important holiday in Utah. That day, called Pioneer Day, commemorates Brigham Young’s arrival into the Salt Lake valley in 1847; and as you might guess, all state employees, as well as many workers in private companies, have the day off. The morning starts out with the Days of 47 Parade, which commences about 9 in the morning and lasts until around noon hour with the parade ending at Liberty Park, a large 80-acre park in the downtown area. The celebration continues well into the afternoon at the park, with thousands of people attending the festivities. Seeing as how

Why You Should Worry About Khan Academy, Not Just Math Geeks [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson

Why You Should Worry About Khan Academy, Not Just Math Geeks [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson:

Why You Should Worry About Khan Academy, Not Just Math Geeks [Future of Teaching]

by Jose

Excerpt:

The trend of gamifying our culture has had some benefits in other areas. Weight Watchers uses a points system to discourage customers from eating fatty foods. Nike+ has developed a specialized program (with shoes!) that help you compete against others through exercise. Klout uses equations to help rank people and brands through social media. Games often find themselves in the tools we as teachers use to encourage kids to learn skills.

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JJ Biden sings CHAINS OF LOVE

Right-to-know ruling in favor of the Notebook is now a precedent | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Right-to-know ruling in favor of the Notebook is now a precedent | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Right-to-know ruling in favor of the Notebook is now a precedent

by Paul Socolar

Last spring’s Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruling in favor of the Notebook in a right-to-know case involving public access to School Reform Commission resolutions is now a legal precedent.

Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pelligrini ruled last week in support of a motion filed by the Notebook to “report” the decision, meaning that it will now be treated as a precedent in similar cases in Pennsylvania.

In an April decision, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer upheld a lower court ruling that once the District introduces a resolution before a public meeting of the SRC, it becomes a public record and is accessible under the Right to Know Law.

The case stemmed from an event In September 2009, when the District withdrew -

SPRINGFIELD PROTEST « Teachers Fight Back

SPRINGFIELD PROTEST « Teachers Fight Back:

SPRINGFIELD PROTEST

by alkleen

This is it, Illinois teachers. You have one more day to get yourself down to Springfield and show your legislators how angry you are about the upcoming pension reforms that are going to cost you plenty. Get down there and tell them you want our stolen pension money back. You want them to come up with ways that the state can pay back the lost pension money. Show your outrage. Block the doors to the Capitol building. Chain yourself to the fences. Present the legislators with a bill for the stolen billions of dollars. Give media interviews that explain to the public how our money was stolen and that we do not have lucrative pensions. I hope to see thousands of you down there. Let’s make an unforgetable statement.

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-15-12 #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

NEWSFLASH - I gave a billionaire $115 million today (and if you’re from CT, so did you!) - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 52 minutes ago

NEWSFLASH - I gave a billionaire $115 million today (and if you’re from CT, so did you!) - Wait, What?: NEWSFLASH – I gave a billionaire $115 million today (and if you’re from CT, so did you!) When one of my favorite readers sent me the news late this afternoon, I didn’t believe it. When Bloomberg News Service wrote seeking a comment a few moments later, I almost drove off the road. Personally, I can’t make my mortgage payments, but like Connecticut’s other taxpayers, it turns out that I managed to scrounge together $115 million for Bridgewater Associates, the world’s biggest h... more »

Georgia Republican Ed Commish Against State Control of Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Georgia Republican Ed Commish Against State Control of Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings: Georgia Republican Ed Commish Against State Control of Charter Schools by Bob Sikes [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Unlike in Florida’s dysfunctional education infrastructure, Georgia school’s chief is elected. But Georgia’s republican legislators wanted to be more like Florida by establishing a state agency which controlled oversight of charter schools. “No good” says state superintendent John Barge on a ballot measure that would do just that. From *Educat... more »

MALDEF Investigating New Mexico Minority Students' Performance - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

MALDEF Investigating New Mexico Minority Students' Performance - Hispanically Speaking News: MALDEF Announces Investigation Into New Mexico Minority Students’ Lagging Performance [image: MALDEF Announces Investigation Into New Mexico Minority Students’ Lagging Performance]At a conference held by New Mexico’s Latino Education Task Force, an attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) said his organization has launched an investigation into the state’s persistent low graduation rates and test scores among Hispanic students. The achievement gap now und... more »

Modern School: Giant CTA Sellout: Student Test Scores Could Be Used In Teacher Evaluations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Modern School: Giant CTA Sellout: Student Test Scores Could Be Used In Teacher Evaluations: Giant CTA Sellout: Student Test Scores Could Be Used In Teacher Evaluations by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons Assembly Bill 5, which will revamp how teacher evaluations are done in California, has been revived thanks to recent support by the California Teachers Association, according to John Fensterwald, writing for Ed Source. CTA lobbyist Patricia Rucker said that it “is a clear and good policy document” now that some of CTA’s preferences have been incorporated into the

“…they were born in another time.” | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

“…they were born in another time.” | Connected Principals: “…they were born in another time.” by George Couros I was led to this interesting blog post that was asking for some thoughts based on a letter that was sent by a parent discussing “technology and childhood”. Here is the email that was shared: *“I am a parent of two boys aged nine and six. One **of the ongoing concerns within our family is technology and electronic devices. **How do we safely allow technology to be a part of their, and our lives, and still * *let our children experience childhood? Does technology work in u... more »

All Education Matters: Higher Education Panel Claims There Is No Student Lending Crisis

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

All Education Matters: Higher Education Panel Claims There Is No Student Lending Crisis: Higher Education Panel Claims There Is No Student Lending Crisis by Cryn Johannsen Outstanding student loan debt has now surpassed *$1 trillion*. Default rates are up at an alarming rate. Even the Department of Education admits they are concerned about the increase in borrowers defaulting on their loans. Studies, not just articles, are showing that more and more borrowers are struggling or unable to pay off their student loans. Despite all of this evidence, a group of experts - some of whom h... more »

Schools Matter: Tami Abdollah and John Deasy gush that 'Size Matters'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Schools Matter: Tami Abdollah and John Deasy gush that 'Size Matters': Tami Abdollah and John Deasy gush that 'Size Matters' by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"Just continue to follow the money. This Race to the Trough will make the Reading First crooks under Bush look like dopey Boy Scouts." — Professor Jim Horn* [image: Plutocratic priest of privatization, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy]The neoliberal cabal at Southern California's KPCC can't cheerlead for school privatization loud or frequently enough. Not content with Pat Morrison lobbing softballs to Broad Superintendent Academ... more »

This is the time to help dreamers and the dream act | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

This is the time to help dreamers and the dream act | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Dream BIG!! Aug 15th, 2012 by Lily. This is an historic day – August 15, 2012. This is the day *when untold thousands of good, hard-working students* who were brought here, sometimes as infants, will finally have the chance to apply for their Dream to remain legally in the country they call home under the Deferred Action policy of Homeland Security authorized by President Obama. Today, the DHS will begin accepting applications from young people who were brought ... more »

Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives Offers Free Instructional Materials for Nutrition Education August 15, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 12.5 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2–19 are obese in the U.S., and the global prevalence of obesity related diseases among adolescents continues to be a growing concern amongst healthcare professio... more »

Register to Vote and Voting | USA.gov

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Register to Vote and Voting | USA.gov: Registering to Vote and Voting Information to assist citizens with registering to vote and voting. - Absentee Voting (for Citizens in the United States) - Election Assistance Commission - Polling Place Finder - Register to Vote by Mail - State Election Offices - State Voter Laws - Voter Registration Deadlines, by State - Voting Assistance Guide for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: UTLA Pres. Fletcher advises teachers to Opt Out

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: UTLA Pres. Fletcher advises teachers to Opt Out: UTLA Pres. Fletcher advises teachers to Opt Out by Mike Klonsky UTLA Pres. FletcherI guess the teachers union in L.A. isn't buying into Randi Weingarten's *new unionism*.Instead the union is urging its members not to participate in a performance review program that ties student test scores to teacher evaluations. L.A. Times reports: In a recorded back-to-school message sent Monday evening to 38,000 teachers and healthcare service professionals, *Warren Fletcher*, president of United Teachers Los Ange... more »

Still Searching for Miracle Schools and Superguy: Updates on Houston and New York City « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Still Searching for Miracle Schools and Superguy: Updates on Houston and New York City « School Finance 101: Still Searching for Miracle Schools and Superguy: Updates on Houston and New York City by schoolfinance101 I was following a conversation on Twitter a short while back in which one student activist – Stephanie Rivera of Rutgers asked another – Alexis Morin from Students for Education Reform – why SFER chooses to focus almost exclusively on charter schools as beacons of “success” and thus a significant part of the “solutions” for urban education moving forward. Observing t... more »

August 14 Primary Election is Major Win for Public Education « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

August 14 Primary Election is Major Win for Public Education « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: August 14 Primary Election is Major Win for Public Education by millerlf by Larry Miller The August 14 Democratic primary election in Milwaukee was a victory for public education. Who lost? Democrats who support vouchers, the Republican Party and Tea Party activists. At the center of this election was the seat in the 11th assembly district, a race between Mandela Barnes and Jason Fields. Jason Fields has been a longtime advocate for private school vouchers and other forms of ... more »

Summer Lessons about Leadership | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago

Summer Lessons about Leadership | Connected Principals: Summer Lessons about Leadership by dhatch This is a cross post from my personal blog. This is my contribution to #leadershipday12. I want to start by thanking Scott McLeod for spearheading this initiative…I am looking forward to reading some of the posts. I am just getting back to school today after an extremely fun and relaxing summer vacation. As we do every summer, we packed up the family tent trailer so that we could camp in our favorite spot in Northern Idaho. This is an incredible time to relax, rejuvenate and recharge th... more »

Eli Broad: The World Is Moving Forward, but American Education Is Stagnant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Eli Broad: The World Is Moving Forward, but American Education Is Stagnant: Eli Broad: The World Is Moving Forward, but American Education Is Stagnant 'The Art of Being Unreasonable: Lessons in Unconventional Thinking' author shares his thoughts on how America 'can do better.' By Eli Broad August 14, 2012 Comment [image: Eli Broad, education reform, achievement gap] Philanthropist Eli Broad's foundation is transforming K-12 urban public education. Eli is with two students in this photo at Harlem Success Academy in New York City. (Photo: Elibroad.com) I am old enough to remember when... more »

Mid Day Diane 8-15 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Which Public Services Should Have a “Trigger”? by dianerav What other public services might be subject to a “trigger” law? Should 51% of the tenants of a public housing project have the authority to seize control and hand the property over to a private management company? Should 51% of the patrons of a public library have the authority to seize control and privatize it if they don’t like the staff’s efficiency? Should 51% of the riders on a public bus have the power to seize control of the bus and privatize it... more »

Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice High School. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice High School. « Fred Klonsky: Breaking: Students occupying Social Justice Hight School. by Fred Klonsky Breaking: *On the morning of Wed. Aug. 15th 2012, students began occupying the hallways of Social Justice HS in protest of the firing of a popular interim principal and other staff including a clerk who is a military veteran and a new mother. More to come soon.* *-Adam Heenan* Popout

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, August 15, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Tom Torlakson CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction* Education Headlines *Wednesday, August 15, 2012* Twin Rivers Unified School District still facing big legal feesTrustees who ran campaigns calling for an end to exorbitant legal fees in the Twin Rivers Unified School District have faced two bills totaling $1.3 million in the past two months. Inland schools battle A/C issues during heat waveArrowhead Elementary, Cajon High School and the school district headquarters in San Bernardino closed early Tuesday, Aug. 14, beca... more »

Happy Birthday Woodstock

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

*The Woodstock Festival of 1969* *Historical Importance of the Woodstock Festival of 1969:* The Woodstock Festival was a three-day concert (which rolled into a fourth day) that involved lots of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll - plus a lot of mud. The Woodstock Music Festival of 1969 has become an icon of the 1960s hippie counterculture. *Dates:* August 15-18, 1969 *Location:* Max Yasgur's dairy farm in the town of Bethel (outside of White Lake, New York) *Also Known As:* Woodstock Music Festival; An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music *Overview of the Woodstock Festival... more »

Shanker Blog » Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars: Common Core Opens The Second Front In The Reading Wars by Kathleen Porter-Magee *Our guest author today is Kathleen Porter-Magee, Bernard Lee Schwartz policy fellow and editor of the Common Core Watch blog at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Previously, Ms. Porter-Magee served as both a middle and high school teacher, as well as the curriculum and professional development director for a network of public charter schools.* Up until now, the Common Core ELA standards were considered path-breaking mostly because o... more »

Privatization of Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

Privatization of Public Education: Privatization of Public Education In the United States, we have prided ourselves for generations on a system of public education that has been envied by nations all over the world. Public schools are publicly funded, universally available, and accountable to the public. Today there are myriad attacks on the public in public education. *NEW IN AUGUST 2012:* As the school year begins, Justice & Witness Ministries creates a resource to comment from the point of view of the church on the conditions in public schools and public school reform. In y... more »

NYC Educator: The TCRWP; Or, How Bad Ideas Survive Even When You Try to Squash Them

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago

NYC Educator: The TCRWP; Or, How Bad Ideas Survive Even When You Try to Squash Them: The TCRWP; Or, How Bad Ideas Survive Even When You Try to Squash Them by Miss Eyre As some of my regular readers may know, I have no great love for the Teachers' College Reading and Writing Project; or, more accurately, how the TCRWP tends to get implemented in the city schools. It has some fine ideas in theory, and it may be appropriate in some settings, but with the populations that most of us tend to teach, it's like giving a violin player a tuba. So I read, with something like horror, that th... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Ryan & Rhee: Phonies Only a Pundit Could Love

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Ryan & Rhee: Phonies Only a Pundit Could Love: Ryan & Rhee: Phonies Only a Pundit Could Love by Duke Whatever your feelings about Paul Ryan, I'm going to ask you to read what Paul Krugman says here with some detachment. Because he's making a brilliant point about our nation's current education debate - without even mentioning it: So, let me clarify what I believe is really going on in the choice of Paul Ryan as VP nominee. It is not about satisfying the conservative base, which was motivated anyway by Obama-hatred; it is not about refocusing on the issues, because... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Unpacking the Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Unpacking the Standards: Unpacking the Standards by Anngie Many teachers across the state have just spent hours "unpacking" new standards for their classes this year. This is the process where they take the language in the standard and try, as a coordinated group, to decide what specific skill set it it meant to refer to and how, using the resources they have, they will teach it to their classes. Teachers are used to doing this. Unless a district has adopted a new textbook method, like Everyday Math, unpacking the standards is usually not difficult an... more »

Gerald Coles: KIPP Schools: Power over Evidence - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Gerald Coles: KIPP Schools: Power over Evidence - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Gerald Coles: KIPP Schools: Power over Evidence by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Gerald Coles.* In the debate over charter schools, KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) schools are hailed by charter advocates as illustrative of what these alternatives to public schools can produce. With KIPP, poverty need not impede academic success. Enroll students from economically impoverished backgrounds in a "no excuses" school like KIPP and their chances of attaining academic success would soar marked... more »

Duncan Announces 2012 Cross-Country Back-to-School Bus Tour | U.S. Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Duncan Announces 2012 Cross-Country Back-to-School Bus Tour | U.S. Department of Education: Duncan Announces 2012 Cross-Country Back-to-School Bus Tour *“Education Drives America” to Spotlight Classroom Success, Link Education and the Economy* AUGUST 15, 2012 *Contact: * (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and senior leaders from the U.S. Department of Education will push the message that “*Education Drives America*” in its third annual back-to-school bus tour this fall. In a series of events from coast-to-coast, Department officials will highlight... more »

UPDATE: Chilean Students Occupy High Schools « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Chilean Students Occupy High Schools « Student Activism: Eight Things I Remembered At #HereUsNow by Angus Johnston 1. Trust is a risk worth taking. 2. A rough beginning can be a reason for optimism. 3. The people you are in awe of are often in awe of you. 4. Sleeping on a church floor is a beautiful thing. 5. The road is long because it’s supposed to be long. 6. Sharing stories is life-altering. 7. The beloved community exists in a state of constant reinvention. 8. Where the movement is now … is thrilling. Chilean Students Occupy High Schools by Angus Johnston Chilean student activi... more »

Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video - Hispanically Speaking News: Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video Published at 7:08 am EST, August 15, 2012 [image: Activists Warn of Possible Dangers of Deferred Action in Video] Photo: Still from the video Click Here to Enlarge Photo A group of pro-immigrant activists in Chicago on Tuesday released an informational video warning about the possible dangers of deferred action, which on Wednesday will begin to register undocumented young people who want to try and postpone deportation. The video,... more »

Because A Few Parents Beat Their Kids, None Should Have Choice? - Caffeinated Thoughts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Because A Few Parents Beat Their Kids, None Should Have Choice? - Caffeinated Thoughts: Because A Few Parents Beat Their Kids, None Should Have Choice? Shane Vander Hart | August 14, 2012 | 1 Comment [image: john-white1] John White Louisiana State Superintendent of Education I wrote about this earlier today on another blog, but wanted to expand my comments here. Over the weekend Diane Ravitch, defender of public teachers and public education everywhere, responded to the statement that the Louisiana State Superintendent of Education, John White, made defending that state’s voucher p... more »

UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-15-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] RTTT: More Lipstick on a Pig? by dianerav Larry Ferlazzo notes that the latest requirements for Race to the Top is just more lipstick on a pig. By which, he means that when RTTT refers to “personalized learning,” what it really means is using online learning for adaptive testing. That’s pretty much what the hawkers of technology mean too. But teachers had something else in mind, something that would encourage students to explore and think and make their own decisions, not just answer test questions. Is This... more »

UPDATE: Who us? Vallas and illegal Bridgeport Board of Education trumpet their commitment to “process.” - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Who us? Vallas and illegal Bridgeport Board of Education trumpet their commitment to “process.” - Wait, What?: The Bizarre and Upside Down World of Education Reform by jonpelto When it comes to Connecticut government and politics, the term “Local Control” is the closest we come to the notion that some concepts are so sacred that it would be more accurate if we simply referred to them as “the word of God,” and called it a day. While reasonable people might *secretly* discuss the negative impact Connecticut’s absurdly small geo-political units (read cities and towns) have on racia... more »

An Ominous Political Trend for Common Core'ites :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

An Ominous Political Trend for Common Core'ites :: Frederick M. Hess: An Ominous Political Trend for Common Core'ites *by Frederick M. Hess • Aug 15, 2012 at 7:24 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share When it comes to the Common Core, I see great potential value in states choosing to embrace common, high-caliber reading and math standards, if these are implemented with conviction and attention to how they will interact with current reforms. That said, seems to me there's a huge chance that the whole exercise will go south, with many states imple... more »

A new way to evaluate teachers — by teachers - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

A new way to evaluate teachers — by teachers - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: A new way to evaluate teachers — by teachers By Valerie Strauss This *was written by Stanford University Education Profession Linda Darling-Hammond, who directs the Stanford University Center for Opportunity Policy in Education and was founding director of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. A former president of the American Educational Research Association, Darling-Hammond focuses her research, teaching, and policy work on issues of school restructuring, teacher quality... more »

Tamien residents object to plans for Rocketship school; county school board puts off decision on zoning exemption - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Tamien residents object to plans for Rocketship school; county school board puts off decision on zoning exemption - Inside Bay Area: Tamien residents object to plans for Rocketship school; county school board puts off decision on zoning exemption By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 08/14/2012 05:39:03 PM PDT [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Rocketship, the darling of the national charter movement, hit a speed bump Tuesday in its quest to open more schools that serve low-income, disadvantaged children. The Santa Clara County Board of Educa... more »

Give parents and students a voice in teacher evaluations | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Give parents and students a voice in teacher evaluations | EdSource Today: Give parents and students a voice in teacher evaluations ** August 15th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Liz Guillen and Rev. Dr. H. James Hopkins Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: Liz Guillen] Liz Guillen On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee will decide the fate of AB 5, a long overdue legislative proposal to reform California’s dysfunctional teacher evaluation system. Unless significant amendments are added to include the voices of stud... more »

The Future of Parent Trigger in the Florida Senate | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The Future of Parent Trigger in the Florida Senate | Scathing Purple Musings: The Future of Parent Trigger in the Florida Senate by Bob Sikes In short, the cash and electioneering from Michelle Rhee, for-profit charter schools, ed privatization PACs and the RPOF didn’t help Parent Trigger in Democrat state senate races, but may have in Republican ones. For the opponents of parent trigger who helped defeat it last March, the expected victory’s by former representatives to the senate, John Legg and Kelli Stargel, will be grudgingly recognized as unwavering votes for the charter sch... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: A great Parent-Trigger Fact Sheet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Schooling in the Ownership Society: A great Parent-Trigger Fact Sheet: A great Parent-Trigger Fact Sheet by Mike Klonsky Re-posted from Parents Across America's Blog Researched by Caroline Grannan, San Francisco Parents Across America founding member 1. There have been no successful parent triggers anywhere. Only two parent triggers have been attempted, both in Southern California. [i] 2. The organization that created the parent trigger, Parent Revolution, organized both of those campaigns.[ii] 3. Parent Revolution has been inaccurately described as “grassroots” and as founded ... more »

The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner: “It would border on the criminal if they did this in the private sector.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner: “It would border on the criminal if they did this in the private sector.” « Fred Klonsky: The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner: “It would border on the criminal if they did this in the private sector.” by Fred Klonsky A reminder from Tim Furman: Popout The in box. “Governor Quinn. Leave the fictional 87-year old retirees alone.” by Fred Klonsky *Leave the fictional 87-year old retirees alone.* *Dear Governor Quinn,* *I just saw you on the news using that word “reform” again. But what really got my attention was I heard you make the claim that a person w... more »

UPDATE: Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: How about a hand for Ga. schools chief Barge -- a Republican by Mike Klonsky BargeGeorgia's school chief *John Barge* has been a loyal Republican -- up 'til now. But Barge is breaking with his own party and with Gov. Deal over the issue of charter schools. AJC reports that Barge will announce his opposition to the proposed charter school amendment to the constitution today, becoming the highest profile Republican to break with his party on the issue. *"I cannot support the creation of a new and costly state bureaucracy that takes away... more »

The Connected Conundrum for Education « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

The Connected Conundrum for Education « My Island View: The Connected Conundrum for Education by tomwhitby Education Secretary Arne Duncan declared August Connected Educator Month. To the delight of many connected educators, this was a validation for much of their time spent and their many accomplishments achieved through the use of technology in general, and using the Internet specifically. Many connected educators have gathered virtually to assemble panels, webinars, podcasts and blog posts about all of the advantages of being a “connected educator” and its possibility of trans... more »

Chile student protesters occupy high schools | World news | guardian.co.uk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Chile student protesters occupy high schools | World news | guardian.co.uk: Chile student protesters occupy high schools Students want education system taken back from private sector and made affordable to poorer families - Share****104 - - - Email - Associated Press in Santiago - guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 14 August 2012 23.15 EDT Chilean students set buses on fire in education protest. Link to this video Hundreds of students have occupied high schools and blocked traffic inChile's capital to demand education reform. Police in riot gear evicted students from seve... more »

Chicago Teacher's Union under attack by right wing blitz and astro-turf organizations | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Chicago Teacher's Union under attack by right wing blitz and astro-turf organizations | Dailycensored.com: Chicago Teacher’s Union under attack by right wing blitz and astro-turf organizations by Danny Weil From a Chicago teacher- The profession that I – and thousands of my colleagues and friends have chosen – is being vilified in Chicago, as well as throughout the nation. Well-funded “astroturf” groups have taken out attack ads vs. teachers in Chicago on the radio, and our union is looking for ways to defend us. Please check out the link, distribute to friends and family, and i... more »

Pass / Fail : Public school students enter classrooms with unequal instructional calendars | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Pass / Fail : Public school students enter classrooms with unequal instructional calendars | 89.3 KPCC: Public school students enter classrooms with unequal instructional calendars by By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: President Obama Delivers Commencement Address At Joplin High School] *As the academic year begins, students in the Southland will attend public schools with significantly unequal instructional calendars. Credit: Pool/Getty Images* Students in the Southland may have a hard time lining up summers with their friends, as schools begin the 2012 academic year with extremely lop-... more »

Mind Your Manners and Your Language « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Mind Your Manners and Your Language « Diane Ravitch's blog: Mind Your Manners and Your Language by dianerav This is a site for discussing better education for all. You know that. And you know that I won’t permit comments that are blatantly offensive. I am the judge of what is offensive. It seems that one of my posts, in which a teacher asked whether parents were *always* the best judge of what is best for their children, got published on a home-schooling website. I don’t know which site it was, but for hours I have been receiving offensive comments. Some describe teachers as perve... more »

School Tech Connect: On The Taking of A Mile

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

School Tech Connect: On The Taking of A Mile: On The Taking of A Mile *What..... .....Really?* I'm supposed to be getting ready for bed.... but after reading this letter by the great Ken Previti over at the Mothership, I'm too agitated. Ken makes the point that the history of pension systems is full of examples of miles being taken after inches were conceded. In fact, it's the conceding of the inches that appears to green light court rulings in favor of pension-raids that should have been plainly illegal. He's recommending a terrific book called *Retirement Heist* by Ellen E. Shul... more »

Our Children: Arrested Developments | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Our Children: Arrested Developments | The Jose Vilson: Our Children: Arrested Developments by Jose Yesterday, Think Progress reported that administration in Meridian, MS sent children (predominantly special needs and / or Black) to prison for infractions as small as dress code violations. Read: After months of investigation into claims of such a pipeline, the Justice Department released Friday a definitive letter revealing that the Meridian Police Department “automatically arrests all students referred to MPD by the District. The children arrested by MPD are then sent to the Coun... more »

Who Makes the Rules in a Classroom? Seven Ideas about Rule-making. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Who Makes the Rules in a Classroom? Seven Ideas about Rule-making. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Who Makes the Rules in a Classroom? Seven Ideas about Rule-making. by Nancy Flanagan A couple of years ago, I was working as lead facilitator in an e-mentoring program for new teachers. Several recognized teachers from around the nation were contributing their very best "first days" advice for novice teachers--how to set up a classroom for success, selecting activities for the first week of school, common crises, etc. I asked the teachers about classroom rules... more »

GOP House leader to state school chief on charter stand: “Were you lying then or are you lying now?” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

GOP House leader to state school chief on charter stand: “Were you lying then or are you lying now?” | Get Schooled: GOP House leader to state school chief on charter stand: “Were you lying then or are you lying now?” 8:46 pm August 14, 2012, by Maureen Downey [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] In talking today to my colleagues who cover politics, several felt State Schools Superintendent John Barge would pay a steep political price for *his decision to oppose the Nov. 6th amendment that* would recreate a state commission to approve charter schools. One no... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Is this pimping, or pandering? You decide…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Is this pimping, or pandering? You decide…: Is this pimping, or pandering? You decide… by alicemercer There has been an outbreak of “concern” about the safety of ”children” from adult predators, and those who “turn a blind eye” to such goings on. This comes naturally on the heels of the Penn State atrocities, and those at Miramonte Elementary, but I think there is more at work and this is part of a campaign to undermine teacher dismissal rights and due process. The summer started with an attempt to strip due process rights for teachers to ... more »

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

James Baldwin said it best:

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

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