Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

CHICAGO TEACHERS STRIKE UPDATE 9-12: Diane in the Evening Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:



Dana Goldstein on the First Teachers’ Union

Dana Goldstein has written an interesting commentary on the history of teacher unionism.
Chicago was the home of the very first teachers’ union, and it was founded by a tough female teacher named Margaret Haley.
Haley hated the factory-style schools of the day, objected to rigid standardization, and wanted dignity for the teaching profession. I will quote some of her words on another post.
For now, read Dana’s overview of the origins of the teachers’ union in Chicago. I told Dana, by the way, that I 


To Chicago Teachers: Millions Say Thank You

A reader writes to his colleagues in Chicago:
Stay strong, and trust your colleagues. I remember being on strike in Seattle. It was my first year with the big school district – 29 years ago. I remember the ambivalent feelings like they were yesterday. I barely understood it all. I was so grateful for having a job – and there I was, marching shoulder to shoulder with veterans who were willing to lose their jobs for the cause.
I remember being told that others in outlying districts were watching, rooting us on. Looking back, that was 



Here Is How to Support Chicago Teachers

The Chicago Teachers Union does not have a strike fund. Teachers are forfeiting their pay every day they strike. They need help, moral and financial.
Deborah Meier wrote a comment and asked, how can we help?
Here is the answer from a Chicago teacher:
Hi Deb! As a member of the CTU and one who has spent every day this week fighting the good fight on the picket lines, it is absolutely amazing after months of being disparaged in the media, we are getting such overwhelming support. For every 30 people who honk their horns and give us a thumbs up, there is one person who is mean. The community really is on our side. As far as I know the CTU doesn’t have a message board, but you can email them here: leadership@ctulocal1.com
and donate to the solidarity fund here: https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4013/c/468/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=7204
Hope that helps! And again, thanks for the support! We truly appreciate it!



Was She the Worst Teacher in Chicago?

Investigative journalist Greg Palast digs into the story of the Chicago strike. He begins with the story of a teacher who was fired: Was she the worst teacher in Chicago? What happened to her? You would be surprised.




Chicago Teacher: I Need Your Help

A reader writes and asks for our support:

Chicago has the Broad virus http://goo.gl/GKM2m I am a Chicago Teacher and not a fighter by nature at all. I am completely out of my comfort zone with this strike. I look with longing at my classroom window each day on the picket line.

However, I am angry that my students and dedicated colleagues are being used (and abused) as pawns in political and corporate games. When I read articles like the one I posted and read the information from these blogs, I shake my head in disbelief. If I don’t stay strong and help my union stand up to this really awful attack–


Why Is the State Commissioner in Tennessee Interfering in Local Decision?

Kevin Huffman–the Tennessee Commissioner of Education–really, really wants the Metro Nashville school board to approve the Great Hearts Charter School. He ordered them to do it. He monitored their meeting through an aide.
Against his wishes, they turned it down–for a third time.
It will come back for a fourth consideration, and no doubt arms will be twisted.
Why is the State Commissioner of Education–a TFA alum–injecting his personal wishes into a local decision?
Maybe we will learn in future news stories.

Debating the Teachers Strike

I was on an NPR show called “To the Point” today, where a panel debated the teachers’ strike. The discussion of the strike begins 24 minutes into the show.
Other panelists included Juan Jose Gonzalez, the Chicago director of Stand for Children, who opposed the union; Timothy Knowles of the University of Chicago, who advised Mayor Rahm Emanuel; Rick Perlstein, author; and me.
It was a spirited discussion, to say the least.


The Chicago Teachers’ Strike: Two Visions

This is my analysis of the strike, posted on the website of the New York Review of Books.


What Does Equal Educational Opportunity Mean in Chicago?

An article that appeared in “In These Times” describes the school where Mayor Rahm Emanuel sends his children. It is the University of Chicago Lab School. President Obama chose it for his girls when he lived in Chicago. Arne Duncan is a graduate.
It is a wonderful progressive school, originally founded by John Dewey. It has small classes, a broad and rich curriculum, wonderful facilities, a beautiful library, seven full-time arts teachers for a student body of 1,700


This Mainstream Writer Respects Teachers

This is a column written for U.S. News and World Report by an experienced journalist.
Yes, she understands what teachers are dealing with.
Thank you, Susan Milligan!
We can’t improve education if we don’t improve the conditions of teaching and learning.
It is hard to read the comments that follow this post or any other.
There are many people who seem to think that teachers are vastly overpaid, greedy, lazy, selfish, and


Two Visions for Chicago’s Schools

Diane Ravitch

Rahm Emanuel at a temporary day care during the Chicago teachers strike, September 10, 2012
According to most news reports, the teachers in Chicago are striking because they are lazy and greedy. Or they are striking because of a personality clash between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and union president Karen Lewis. Or because this is the last gasp of a dying union movement. Or because Emanuel wants a longer school day, and the teachers oppose it.
None of this is true. All reports agree that the two sides are close to agreement on compensation issues—it is not money that drove them apart. Last spring the union and the school board agreed to a longer school day, so that is not the issue either. The strike is a clash of two very different visions about what is needed to transform the schools of Chicago—and the nation.
Chicago schools have been a petri dish for school reform for nearly two decades. Beginning in 1995, they came under tight mayor control, and Mayor Richard Daley appointed his budget director, Paul Vallas, to run the schools; Vallas set out to 

“Sacramento City Teachers Association declines to participate in Race to the Top “ | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

“Sacramento City Teachers Association declines to participate in Race to the Top “ | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:


“Sacramento City Teachers Association declines to participate in Race to the Top “

Our teachers’ union local has just decided to not support our Superintendent’s plan to apply for District Race To The Top funds. A diverse committee, including Alice MercerLori Jablonski and myself (I’m just including our three names and links because of our social media activity) met to develop a report and recommendations to our Executive Board, which has issued this statement:
Sacramento City Teachers Association declines to participate in Race to the Top
SCTA appreciates Superintendent’s desire to raise more funds and agree that having sufficient resources is critical to our students’ education. And, as we have done in the past, will continue to also offer our own ideas on how to funnel more monies directly to the classroom.
However, we feel that putting time and effort into crafting a proposal for the District Race to the Top program 

Report Card: Duncan meets with mayors and school superintendents

Report Card: Duncan meets with mayors and school superintendents:


duncan.JPGWhile in Sacramento during a national bus tour, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the biggest challenge facing public education is complacency and he challenged parents and students to demand more of those in charge.
Duncan spoke Wednesday to a group of more than 40 mayors and school superintendents from across the state, who met in Sacramento for a panel discussion on education issues, such as California's No Child Left Behind waiver and the hot button topic of tying test scores to teacher evaluations.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson hosted the education panel, which also included his wife Michelle 

2012 Sacto mayor summit with Duncan

SaveSacSchools


You Can’t Bubble Literacy … A College Freshman Calls Out Standardized Testing for What It Is. « Continuing Change

You Can’t Bubble Literacy … A College Freshman Calls Out Standardized Testing for What It Is. « Continuing Change:


You Can’t Bubble Literacy … A College Freshman Calls Out Standardized Testing for What It Is.

I blog alot. This blog,  entitled  ”You Can’t Bubble Literacy”  was written by a college freshman. No doubt it will be the blog that makes me the most proud. Why? Simple.
.
This blog was written by my daughter: 
“Christina Haas and Linda Flower’s Reading Strategies and Construction of Meaning tackles the question: What makes a ‘good’ reader? Their results show that experienced, graduate-level readers tend to be more rhetorical in their reading approach, going beyond “knowledge-getting” (136) reading and more into the territory of in-depth analysis.
However, the question always remains: Who’s fault is it? Why, as college freshmen, are 

Obama’s Education Secretary Far From Neutral When It Comes to Chicago Teachers Strike | The Dissenter

Obama’s Education Secretary Far From Neutral When It Comes to Chicago Teachers Strike | The Dissenter:


Obama’s Education Secretary Far From Neutral When It Comes to Chicago Teachers Strike

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at Education Commission States Event (Photo by US Department of Education)
The Chicago Teachers Union went on strike on September 10. At least twenty-six thousand educators have been taking a stand in the streets, for a fair contract and for reductions in class sizes, the provision of social services for children, a halt to the expansion of charter schools and an end to “turnarounds” and school closings.
The Associated Press reports President Barack Obama’s education secretary, Arne Duncan, “isn’t taking sides in the Chicago teachers’ strike that is keeping more than 350,000 students out of the classroom.” The AP notes Duncan’s statement,“I’m confident that both sides have the best interests of the students at heart, and that they 

School Tech Connect: Bad Ideas Abound

School Tech Connect: Bad Ideas Abound:





Bad Ideas Abound

Wtf is the board out in Lake Forest thinking?
The teachers are standing firm in opposition to the school board’s demands for a two-tier salary schedule that would require new teachers to teach for 45 years in order to reach top pay.
Um, two-tier salary schedules are worth walking out over, and this one in particular just stupid. It's nonsense. Did the Tea Party take over out there? I'm sorry, I meant to ask if the Tea Party underwent a lobotomy and then took 

People Get What's Happening

Omfg this is good. Not a false word in it. I'm just gonna steal it and post it here. Awesome. 





A Little Love For The CTU

I work in the 'burbs. Today our staff did a little shout out to our great, great colleagues fighting the good fight in the city.

Popout

I am one jacked-up photographer, aren't I? There are like20 people off-camera to the left. I can never find my glasses, either. I was just pressing buttons hoping for video.

Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #3 9-12-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #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




Afternoon UPDATE: Chicago Teachers Strike News and Commentary 9-12-12


Morning Chicago Teachers Strike News and Commentary 9-12-12
 



Synergizing Entrepreneurship and a Strong Commons | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago
Synergizing Entrepreneurship and a Strong Commons | Lefty Parent: Synergizing Entrepreneurship and a Strong Commons by Cooper Zale As a progressive, I continue to be frustrated with the ideological split in our country’s governing bodies that seems to be preventing them from addressing key issues that will help us move forward as a society. But as not a particularly partisan one, I always try to appreciate the positions and underlying world view of more conservative comrades on the other side of our current dysfunctional divide. So trying to get beyond all this pitched political con... more »

A Petition to reduce the use of Standardized Testing in Connecticut - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 43 minutes ago
A Petition to reduce the use of Standardized Testing in Connecticut - Wait, What?: A Petition to reduce the use of Standardized Testing in Connecticut by jonpelto It’s a Petition to reduce the use of Standardized Testing in Connecticut This is our opportunity to make a difference. The “education reformers” and their corporate partners are making their push to undermine and destroy public education. Public school teachers are on the picket line in Chicago. The strike is not the traditional battle over fair pay, as much as it is a about a group of courageous teachers, willing to

Schools Matter: How Can Randi and Dennis Support the Chicago Teachers and Continue to Embrace the Policies They Are Rejecting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 48 minutes ago
Schools Matter: How Can Randi and Dennis Support the Chicago Teachers and Continue to Embrace the Policies They Are Rejecting: How Can Randi and Dennis Support the Chicago Teachers and Continue to Embrace the Policies They Are Rejecting by Jim Horn We all knew sooner or later teachers would wake up and realize they have been sold down the river by the union bosses. That has happened in Chicago, even as Randi and Dennis continue to spin their lies that teachers support the ed deforms that are dismantling public education for the benefit of the ed industry and the social control ol... more »

Diane in the Evening Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 50 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Why Is the State Commissioner in Tennessee Interfering in Local Decision? by dianerav Kevin Huffman–the Tennessee Commissioner of Education–really, really wants the Metro Nashville school board to approve the Great Hearts Charter School. He ordered them to do it. He monitored their meeting through an aide. Against his wishes, they turned it down–for a third time. It will come back for a fourth consideration, and no doubt arms will be twisted. Why is the State Commissioner of Education–a TFA alum–injecting his personal wishes into a local decision? Maybe we wi... more »

Dealing with Students Who Bully: Part I (The Essential First Step) — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Dealing with Students Who Bully: Part I (The Essential First Step) — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bob Sullo]Dealing with Students Who Bully: Part I (The Essential First Step) September 12, 2012 by Bob Sullo Note: Just as I warned about the dangers of identifying kids as "victims" in my last post, I try to avoid calling kids "bullies." So even though it's faster and easier to label a kid as a bully, I prefer to say "a kid who bullied another." It might seem like a subtle difference, but I think it dramatically changes our perception and behavior. After readi... more »

UPDATE: Topinka knows who caused the pension problem. But she is afraid to say how to fix it. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Topinka knows who caused the pension problem. But she is afraid to say how to fix it. « Fred Klonsky: Rebel Diaz. Chicago Teacher. by Fred Klonsky [CHORUS] Homey I was taught by a Chicago teacher! Chicago teacher, Chicago teacher! I learned to read and write from a Chicago teacher, So I’m inspired by the fight from our Chicago teachers! [RODSTARZ VERSE] The teachers are tired, the students dumbfounded, the budgets get cut so classes are overcrowded. Streets full of violence, the blue code of silence so imma keep rhyming til salaries start rising! The unions uprising! takin to the stree... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran: Put Up Or Shut Up

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Tom Moran: Put Up Or Shut Up: Tom Moran: Put Up Or Shut Up by Duke *Did I really say all that? Oh, man, I really can act like a jerk...* Tom Moran writes yet another column saying that Chris Christie would be even more awesome if he wasn't so angry all the time. Whatever; the Star-Ledger Op-Ed Editor has been giving the guv career advice since he was sworn in. What really irks me here is that Moran once again ascribes all sorts of bad motives to the teachers union without giving cause: Christie has had many overheated moments like this. But *when he targets the te... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The real issues in the Chicago teachers strike and why they should matter to us here in NYC: Leonie Haimson on CNBC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: The real issues in the Chicago teachers strike and why they should matter to us here in NYC: Leonie Haimson on CNBC: The real issues in the Chicago teachers strike and why they should matter to us here in NYC: Leonie Haimson on CNBC by Leonie Haimson See the video from last night below, in which I stood up for the teachers in Chicago, three against one, on the Kudlow Report on CNBC. I tried to explain why most voters and parents in Chicago support the teachers, and how the strike is about many issues, one of them being class size. In the NY Times yest... more »

Why Rahm Emanuel and The New York Times are wrong about teacher evaluation - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Why Rahm Emanuel and The New York Times are wrong about teacher evaluation - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Why Rahm Emanuel and The New York Times are wrong about teacher evaluation By Valerie Strauss You know things are going very badly for public school teachers when The New York Times editorial board calls a bad teacher evaluation system a “sensible policy change.” The Times ran an editorial on Wednesday that smacked Chicago teachers for striking against a school reform package pushed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff of President Obama. It says in part: ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Latest I'm hearing...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Latest I'm hearing...: Latest I'm hearing... by Mike Klonsky At Clemente High School this morning, teachers manned all 4 corners at Division and Western . I seemed like every car , truck, bus and taxi that went by was honking its horn in support of the strikers. (M. Klonsky pic)Fire Alarm Insiders tell me that Fire Dept. inspectors went to Children First holding centers to do safety checks yesterday. Many of the buildings aren't schools and may not have proper safety requirements for little kids. I'm told that

Is Your Governor A Shill for Corporate Education Reformers? Do you have to fear your Public Schools being Privatized?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Education 50: EDUCATION 50 - States - FAQ - Our Mission *SELECT* A STATE - ALABAMA - ALASKA - ARIZONA - ARKANSAS - CALIFORNIA - COLORADO - CONNECTICUT - DELAWARE - FLORIDA - GEORGIA - HAWAII - IDAHO - ILLINOIS - INDIANA - IOWA - KANSAS - KENTUCKY - LOUISIANA - MAINE - MARYLAND - MASSACHUSETTS - MICHIGAN - MINNESOTA - ... more »

Ed Waivers, Junk Ratings & Misplaced Blame: Jersey Edition « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Ed Waivers, Junk Ratings & Misplaced Blame: Jersey Edition « School Finance 101: Ed Waivers, Junk Ratings & Misplaced Blame: Jersey Edition by schoolfinance101 I’ve been writing over the past few weeks about NCLB waivers and the schools that are being targeted by states under the waiver program as targets for federally endorsed state intervention. [all of which is built on highly suspect legal/governance assumptions] My concerns here operate at a number of levels. First, the current Federal Administration has again used an “incentive” application process to coerce states to adopt ... more »

RheeFirst! » DC auditor slams Rhee’s deceptive accounting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
RheeFirst! » DC auditor slams Rhee’s deceptive accounting: DC auditor slams Rhee’s deceptive accounting by admin When Michelle Rhee closed 23 schools in DC, the damage to communities was evident. Rhee justified the closures by citing supposed cost savings, but a recently released investigation by the DC Inspector Generalshows that those savings, like so much of Michelle Rhee’s legacy, have turned out to be illusory. The $9.7 million price tag that Rhee quoted at the time turned into a whopping $40 million. Even on Rhee’s terms, the number should have been $17.7 million, and the ... more »

Corp reform media blaming teachers, touting charters Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Corp reform media blaming teachers, touting charters: Corp reform media blaming teachers, touting charters by admin The corporate reform-backed media is doing its “Education Nation” best to prop up Rahm Emanuel’s union busting efforts, with a lot of help from Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Parents Across America’s Leonie Haimson was put up against three white male corp reformers on CNBCyesterday. I know, not fair that the men were so overmatched, but one of them still managed to suggest that the parents supporting the CTU are ... more »

Afternoon UPDATE: Chicago Teachers Strike News and Commentary 9-12-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
*Morning Chicago Teachers Strike News and Commentary 9-12-12* Chicago teacher: They didn’t think that we were serious by Eric W. Dolan Union delegate Darryl Reed explained Monday that the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) began their strike on Monday to prevent teachers from being unjustly fired. “We’ve been saying all along that the [Chicago Public School system] did not think that we were this strong, did not think that... The Chicago Teachers’ Strike: Two Visions by dianerav This is my analysis of the strike, posted on the website of the New York Review of Books. Debating the ... more »

Chris Hedges on the Chicago teachers’ strike | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Chris Hedges on the Chicago teachers’ strike | Seattle Education: Chris Hedges on the Chicago teachers’ strike by seattleducation2011 From Democracy Now’s program on September 11, 2012: Chris Hedges: Dems Owe Chicago Public Teachers Support For “Most Important Labor Action in Decades” As the Chicago public school teachers’ strike enters its second day, we’re joined by the journalist and author Chris Hedges. “The teacher strike in Chicago is arguably one of the most important labor actions in probably decades,” Hedges says. “If it does not prevail, you can be certain that the temp... more »

Chicago teachers say they’ve been handed an ultimatum | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Chicago teachers say they’ve been handed an ultimatum | The Raw Story: Chicago teachers say they’ve been handed an ultimatum By David Ferguson Wednesday, September 12, 2012 10:52 EDT [image: Print] Share on facebookShare on redditShare on diggShare on twitterShare on farkShare on stumbleupon0 [image: Chicago teachers strike via Flickr] Topics: chicago board of education ♦ Chicago teachers ♦ Chicago Teachers Union Chicago Teachers’ Union representatives say that school district officials have issued them an ultimatum with regards to their demands, according to ABC News. The strike... more »

» CHART: High School Graduation Rates in “Right-to-Work” States Clearly Lower than States Where Unionism is Welcome

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
» CHART: High School Graduation Rates in “Right-to-Work” States Clearly Lower than States Where Unionism is Welcome: CHART: High School Graduation Rates in “Right-to-Work” States Clearly Lower than States Where Unionism is Welcome by Chaz Bolte An interesting, though dated map is making its way around the web that shows graduation rates across the country versus state “Right-to-Work” status. The graphic likely resurfaced, despite showing information from 2002-2003, because of the Chicago Teachers Union strike and the ongoing assault on public education. Even though the Right-to-... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Autocrat Rahm draws a line in the sand on test-based evaluation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Autocrat Rahm draws a line in the sand on test-based evaluation: Autocrat Rahm draws a line in the sand on test-based evaluation by Mike Klonsky Whitney Young H.S. teachers are hanging tough. So far, the teachers have won overwhelming community support.. Latest polls show 47% support CTU and only 39% for the mayor. (CTU pic)It appears this morning that our autocrat mayor has decided to stonewall the negotiations. While he's moved on compensation issues but he's refusing to even discuss teacher evaluation and the power of principals to hire and f... more »

Schools Matter: PBS-Gates News Hour Features Present Randi-Roy Tag Team Against Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Schools Matter: PBS-Gates News Hour Features Present Randi-Roy Tag Team Against Teachers: PBS-Gates News Hour Features Present Randi-Roy Tag Team Against Teachers by Jim Horn Ever since the PBS News Hour became a subsidiary of the Gates Foundation, their reporting has suffered, both in what they cover and how they cover it. In terms of the street actions going on in Chicago, with parents, children, and teachers raising holy hell to save their schools from corporate takeover, PBS remains a distant observer, preferring to interview a polite PBS affiliate reporter two nites ago, and... more »

The Chicago Strike and the History of American Teachers' Unions - Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Chicago Strike and the History of American Teachers' Unions - Dana Goldstein: The Chicago Strike and the History of American Teachers' Unions by Dana Goldstein * [image: Haley] Margaret Haley, the "lady labor slugger" of Chicago. She was one of the nation's first teachers' union organizers.* I live in New York, and like almost every national education commentator, I have no idea about the specific details left on the table in the Chicago teachers’ negotiations. Broadly, we know the union leadership resents Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s enthusiasm for non-unionized charter schools and ne... more »

» Chicago Teachers Union Begins Day 3 of Strike to Save the City’s Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
» Chicago Teachers Union Begins Day 3 of Strike to Save the City’s Schools: Chicago Teachers Union Begins Day 3 of Strike to Save the City’s Schools by Steve Cooper For a third straight day, Chicago’s public school teachers (members of the Chicago Teachers Union) will be on strike to protest the direction that Chicago’s school system is headed. The CTU and Mayor Rahm Emanuel are at odds on a handful of issues, leaving 350,000 students unable to attend school. The catch is, however, that even if they were in school, they might not have books, they’d likely be in classrooms of 40 o... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Is THIS why Arne Duncan wants Everyone to go to College?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Is THIS why Arne Duncan wants Everyone to go to College?: Is THIS why Arne Duncan wants Everyone to go to College? by stlgretchen Is college debt collection the new "Wild West in Education" scheme for "entrepreneurs" to make money? It is no secret this Administration's goal is to make the majority of students college/career ready, in fact, it is in its educational blueprint and heard in many of their speeches. What is the stated goal of the Administration's school reform? From an Arne Duncan speech: Last Call for Common Core Questions to Smarter Ba... more »

Mid Day UPDATE: Good News from the Heritage Foundation LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-12-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] What Does Equal Educational Opportunity Mean in Chicago? by dianerav An article that appeared in “In These Times” describes the school where Mayor Rahm Emanuel sends his children. It is the University of Chicago Lab School. President Obama chose it for his girls when he lived in Chicago. Arne Duncan is a graduate. It is a wonderful progressive school, originally founded by John Dewey. It has small classes, a broad and rich curriculum, wonderful facilities, a beautiful library, seven full-time arts teachers... more »

Obama between a rock and a hard place with Chicago teachers strike - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Obama between a rock and a hard place with Chicago teachers strike - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Obama between a rock and a hard place with Chicago teachers strike By Valerie Strauss Among the signs that striking Chicago teachers are carrying are ones that say, “Obama don’t ignore us.” Actually, the Chicago teachers, who began their first strike in 25 years on Monday, shouldn’t expect President Obama to do much more than ((Sitthixay Ditthavong/AP))ignore them. Their strike is at best highly inconvenient and could actually work against him, though how much isn’t clear. Th... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: Why We're Striking in Chicago

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Teachers For Social Justice: Why We're Striking in Chicago: Why We're Striking in Chicago by sarah atlas Teachers, paraprofessionals and school clinicians in Chicago have been without a labor agreement since June of this year. Following the inability of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to reach an agreement over benefits, the role of standardized tests in teacher evaluations, and physical improvements to schools that teachers say are harming both teacher and student performance, the CTU has announced that a city-wide stirke will begin today - ... more »

The New York Times’ folly. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The New York Times’ folly. « Fred Klonsky: The New York Times’ folly. by Fred Klonsky *The NY Times issues their encyclical.* It’s not being provincial to point out that the NY Times, which stakes some claim on being a national newspaper, generally ignores the middle of the country. Once in a while you might read *36 Hours in Iowa* in the travel section. But that’s about it. Over this past year they have certainly ignored the story of Chicago and its teachers. Until this morning, when they decided to lecture the 30,000 members of the Chicago teachers on the folly of For your Face... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: No On 1240 Campaign

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: No On 1240 Campaign: No On 1240 Campaign by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] In the "tag you're it" section, I looked around a couple of months ago and realized that no one seemed to mounting a campaign against charter schools. So I'm the head of the No On 1240 campaign. I have a great steering committee (all parents) and great supporters down in Tacoma and we have a starting list of volunteers. I put a link to our campaign on the blog to the right of the threads. It is chock-full of information (unlike the Yes side - th... more »

School Tech Connect: Truly, Truly...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Truly, Truly...: Truly, Truly... by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Moronic. And these are the best and brightest? Seriously, this kid writes with the certainty of someone who's never been shat upon once in her life. And this.. Great educators produce great results. Using challenging social factors as an excuse, as a crutch, as a reason to say our children cannot perform on standardized tests is shameful. Karen Lewis is using these challenges as a scapegoat for the failures of the public education system. You can almost see the holier-than-thou expression th... more »

Students Last: Drug Dealers Defeat Teachers: New Poll

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Students Last: Drug Dealers Defeat Teachers: New Poll: Drug Dealers Defeat Teachers: New Poll by Students Last Some surprising results turned up in a new Gallup poll. The poll asked parents to rank occupations according to how much they hoped their children aspired to the profession. Among the most desired were perennial favorites, doctors and lawyers. Nurses also did well. Although they fell 3% from last year's ranking, nurses still managed to come in third place. Teachers, however, did not fair so well. Two years ago they came in third place; this year they scored below drug dea... more »

Conservatives and Education Reformers: When in doubt, make sh*t up - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Conservatives and Education Reformers: When in doubt, make sh*t up - Wait, What?: Conservatives and Education Reformers: When in doubt, make sh*t up by jonpelto The verbal assault on teachers has reached a fevered pitch as conservatives and “education reformers push to make it look like the Chicago Teacher Strike is about money and the demands of greedy teachers and their greedy unions, rather than the fact that Chicago teachers are actually standing up to the “education reform” industry and the politicians that support it. Yesterday, Leonie Haimson, a leader of Parents Across Amer... more »

Teaching Exponents In Eighth Grade, Part 1: [Old To The Now] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Teaching Exponents In Eighth Grade, Part 1: [Old To The Now] | The Jose Vilson: Teaching Exponents In Eighth Grade, Part 1: [Old To The Now] by Jose India Power Outage Every so often, I’m inserting some posts on pedagogy, especially for those of us who aren’t as math-inclined. If you find this helpful, just let me know in the comments. Today, I’m differentiating between the old way I used to prepare the students for a lesson on exponents and the way I do it now. *Old Way* 1. Ask “What’s an exponent?” 2. Here are the five mail rules you need to know. 3. Apply them. *New Way* 1. Ask “... more »

115 YEARS AGO « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
115 YEARS AGO « Teachers Fight Back: 115 YEARS AGO by alkleen A hundred and fifteen years ago, in 1897, a strike by coal miners in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia ended with the miners winning an eight-hour workday. (The previous day, 20 Pennsylvania miners were killed when sheriff’s deputies fired on them.) I posted the above, lest we forget that every major benefit and working condition ever gained by working men and women in this country came at a very high cost. If you have a working knowledge of the history of the labor movement in this country, you can’t help but be a l... more »

Rick Scott: “Should we get rid of the FCAT and just go with the ACT?” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Rick Scott: “Should we get rid of the FCAT and just go with the ACT?” | Scathing Purple Musings: Rick Scott: “Should we get rid of the FCAT and just go with the ACT?” by Bob Sikes Maybe Rick Scott really has seen the light. After meeting with parents and teachers in Boca Raton yesterday,*Sun Sentinel *reporter Anne Geggis reported this: For his first year-and-a-half in office, Gov. Scott seemed at odds with many parents and teachers by supporting the state’s use of high stakes testing for everything from teacher pay to student promotion. He signed teacher performance pay legislat... more »

Radical Scholarship: THE DISASTER CAPITALISM CURRICULUM: THE HIGH PRICE OF EDUCATION REFORM

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Radical Scholarship: THE DISASTER CAPITALISM CURRICULUM: THE HIGH PRICE OF EDUCATION REFORM: THE DISASTER CAPITALISM CURRICULUM: THE HIGH PRICE OF EDUCATION REFORM by P. L. Thomas THE DISASTER CAPITALISM CURRICULUM: THE HIGH PRICE OF EDUCATION REFORM BY ADAM BESSIE AND DAN ARCHER *“What do you do when you want to reach the public but you have no access to the mainstream media? Here’s what: Some very brilliant educators decided to try a novel way to explain the issues to the public. They used comic journalism, a simple, direct means of communicating complex ideas.”* Diane Ravitc... more »

Modern School: Chicago Strike Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Modern School: Chicago Strike Update: Chicago Strike Update by Michael Dunn Yesterday, the first day of Chicago’s teacher strike, 35,000 teachers and their supporters (including hundreds of students) picketed in front of their schools and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) headquarters. 578 schools held pickets, according to “On The Line,” the CTU’s strike website. Today, CTU asked all members to picket at one of the 144 school sites that CPS is trying to keep open. These sites are being run by people from the district office, with scab support from members of religious organizations. *... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Teachers Strike Day 2: Our Newest Radio Ad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: Teachers Strike Day 2: Our Newest Radio Ad: Teachers Strike Day 2: Our Newest Radio Ad by Last Stand for Children Popout We couldn't stand it anymore. With our kids locked out of their beloved schools, we jumped into action with an ad buy aimed at getting the Chicago teachers to call off their strike and think of the most vulnerable in our society.

Charter campuses focus of L.A. school-board protests - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Charter campuses focus of L.A. school-board protests - latimes.com: Charter campuses focus of L.A. school-board protests [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] About 400 charter school advocates descended on Los Angeles school district headquarters Tuesday to protest a proposed moratorium on new charters. Later, a smaller but equally passionate contingent of parents and teachers from Berendo Middle School arrived to oppose construction of a building to house a charter school on that campus. Charters have become a flashpoint in battles over school reform. Charte... more »

Chicago Teachers Strike: Why I'm On Strike & What I'm Telling My Family and Friends | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Strike: Why I'm On Strike & What I'm Telling My Family and Friends | K-12 News Network: Chicago Teachers Strike: Why I’m On Strike & What I’m Telling My Family and Friends by David As the strike makes national news I am finding along with many teachers that many people are weighing in on the strike who really have no idea what is going on and are basing their opinions off a 2 minute news clip. Here are the talking points and explanation I will share with my family. Dear Friends and Family, As the Chicago Teachers Strike becomes national news it is important to re... more »

American School Health Association Offers Free School Health Webinars — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
American School Health Association Offers Free School Health Webinars — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kristen Pekarek]American School Health Association Offers Free School Health Webinars September 11, 2012 by Kristen Pekarek Schools play an important role in improving student health, social outcomes, and overall academic success. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, aside from families, schools have the most direct contactwith more than 95 percent of U.S. young people aged 5–17 years, for 6 hours a day, and for up to 13 critical years of their s... more »

Blue Jersey:: School Privatization Efforts Continue in NJ

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Blue Jersey:: School Privatization Efforts Continue in NJ: School Privatization Efforts Continue in NJ by KendalJames The deceptively-named school privatization group American Federation for Children is attempting to link the Chicago Teachers Union strike to what they claim is public support for school vouchers. That's a long walk, considering that most Americans don't want their tax dollars to pay for private and religious schools. AFC claims that their commissioned polling shows a whopping 85% of New Jerseyans support vouchers. If that figure seems weird, it is - AFC's claims are... more »

The Educated Reporter: Chicago Teachers' Union Strike: Win the Battle But Lose the War?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Chicago Teachers' Union Strike: Win the Battle But Lose the War?: Chicago Teachers' Union Strike: Win the Battle But Lose the War? by Emily Richmond As numerous news organizations have noted, including the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor,and the Wall St. Journal, the Chicago teachers' strike is being posited by some as a referendum on President Obama’s education initiatives. Indeed, the U.S. Department of Education has dangled some sizeable carrots to motivate states and districts to adopt significant reforms. Among them is Race To The Top... more »

LAUSD: DOING ITS PART IN "THE UNRAVELING" OF AMERICA INTO PAKISTAN? - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
LAUSD: DOING ITS PART IN "THE UNRAVELING" OF AMERICA INTO PAKISTAN? - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: DOING ITS PART IN "THE UNRAVELING" OF AMERICA INTO PAKISTAN? by Leonard Isenberg [image: Birsing Deo.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *Over the years I have kept in touch with my old Indian school chum Madukar Shah from my days in the late 1960s and 1970s at UCLA. While I didn't know it until I visited him in India several years ago, Madukar is the Maharajah of the Indian state of Madya Pradesh, even though th... more »

9-11-12 Late Nite with the Unabridged Diane Diane Ravitch's blog #FairContractNow #CTUstrike

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Conservative Pundits Pummel Chicago Students by dianerav Jersey Jazzman calls out the conservative pundits who, in an effort to embarrass Chicago teachers,try to show how awful student perormance is in that district and paint it in the worst possible light. If they are casting stones, you kinda wonder why they don’t throw them at Arne Duncan and Mayor Daley, whose policies determined what happened in the schools. What they do is akin to blaming the war in Iraq on the soldiers, not the policymakers. The National Context of Chicago Strike by dianerav The New ... more »

Why the Chicago Teachers Strike Is Really About Better Schools #ctustrike #1u #labor #faircontractnow

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Why the Chicago Teachers Strike Is Really About Better Schools | Alternet: Why the Chicago Teachers Strike Is Really About Better Schools The Chicago Teachers Union has pushed for smaller classes, enriched curriculum, better supplies and facilities, and more counselors and support staff. *September 10, 2012* | Photo Credit: CTU Local 1 / Flickr LIKE THIS ARTICLE? Join our email list: Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email. The following article first appeared at Working In These Times , the labor blog of In These Times magazine. For more news and analysis like ... more »

Striking Chicago teachers get support from parents | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Striking Chicago teachers get support from parents | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com: Striking Chicago teachers get support from parents - By Don Babwin - Associated Press - 2 Comments [image: Parents Stand With CTU (CLICK ON PICTURE)] * * * * *Chicago* — As Chicago teachers walked the picket lines for a second day, they were joined by many of the very people who are most inconvenienced by their walkout: the parents who must now scramble to find a place for children to pass the time or for babysitters. Mothers and fathers — some with their kids in tow — are marching... more »





Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-25-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-18-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-11-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-4-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post





Big Education Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION 9-11-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

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