Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, October 18, 2012

(Just Like) Starting Over

JOHN LENNON - (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER LYRICS



Our life together is so precious together
We have grown, we have grown
Although our love is still special
Let's take a chance and fly away somewhere alone 

It's been too long since we took the time
No-one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you darling
It's like we both are falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over, starting over 

Everyday we used to make it love
Why can't we be making love nice and easy
It's time to spread our wings and fly
Don't let another day go by my love
It'll be just like starting over, starting over 

Why don't we take off alone
Take a trip somewhere far, far away
We'll be together all alone again
Like we used to in the early days
Well, well, well darling 

It's been too long since we took the time
No-one's to blame, I know time flies so quickly
But when I see you darling
It's like we both are falling in love again
It'll be just like starting over, starting over 

Our life together is so precious together
We have grown, we have grown
Although our love is still special
Let's take a chance and fly away somewhere 

Starting over...














Diane in the Evening 10-18-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:






LA Times Sues to Get Teachers’ Names

Remember that the LA Times created a firestorm in 2010 when it created value added ratings for teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District and released the names and ratings of thousands of teachers. Arne Duncan said it was a good idea, but many researchers warned that the ratings were volatile, inaccurate, and unstable. And others saw a violation of confidentiality as well as ethical issues. In the aftermath, a teacher named Roberto Riguelas committed suicide, and his family said he was depressed to see what he thought was an unfair rating of his work.
New York City released the teacher ratings earlier this year, and again there were many complaints about 

School Tech Connect: It's All The Same Thing!

School Tech Connect: It's All The Same Thing!:


It's All The Same Thing!

One thing I'm looking for during my declining years is how this term "college ready" is going to play out. Everyone's going to be "college-ready."

Here's how Yale defines that..

JUST DRUG EM ALL « Teachers Fight Back

JUST DRUG EM ALL « Teachers Fight Back:

JUST DRUG EM ALL

I hate to be an “I told you so”, but I knew the day would come when underachieving students were all treated with some drug to make them pay attention better and perform better in school. Now we have doctors prescribing Adderall and other powerful stimulant drugs to improve the grades of underperforming but otherwise healthy schoolchildren. These are not children with ADHD or any diagnosed problem.
This is great. Why stop with the underachieving ones ? Let’s drug em all, even the high achievers, maybe it will help them too. Everything about the way we’ve treated children in the last two decades or so has been leading to this. We’ve long since given up on the old tried and true methods of discipline and self-control that worked for years. We no longer expect our children or their parents to have any sense of discipline and self-control. We '

Allow More Mistakes, And Other Advice for Getting Kids Into Math [Edutopia] | The Jose Vilson

Allow More Mistakes, And Other Advice for Getting Kids Into Math [Edutopia] | The Jose Vilson:


Allow More Mistakes, And Other Advice for Getting Kids Into Math [Edutopia]


An excerpt from my latest (highly shared) Edutopia article:

1) Allow More Mistakes

I would suggest this to just about every teacher, but specifically math teachers, especially those of us who use the word “wrong” a lot. We should strike a balance between using direct instruction and exploration, leaning more on the exploration piece. Once we allow more mistakes, we let students into the process that our earliest mathematicians used in developing the axioms we believe today. Also, by admitting that we all make mistakes, it sends a clear signal to kids that they can be mathematicians, too. Surely, I’m not suggesting that we let the mistakes be. Yet, when I make a mistake on the board (intentionally or otherwise), I hope my students catch onto that, thus putting them in the position of expert. Speaking of which . . .
For more, click here. Read. Comment. Like. Share. Thank you.
Mr. Vilson, who can’t believe his luck …

Most Commented Posts

Opting Out | Inside Higher Ed

Opting Out | Inside Higher Ed:


Opting Out

I am opting out. Not out of my career, but out of the educational system. I have a seven year old who started second-grade this year.  A few weeks into second-grade, we decided to finally act on a decision that’s been a long time coming. We decided we’re going to home-school her – at least for this year.
We live in a rural community, where, besides our public school and one very expensive private school, we don’t have any other options. And although homeschooling seems more common than I had realized, most of the homeschooling families we had heard about in our town are religious families with different motivations than ours (although I would think that there are some important overlapping concerns between religious and secular families when it comes to homeschooling).
I guess it shouldn’t be very surprising that two academics (my husband is also a Sociologist), people who are in the profession of education and the pursuit of knowledge, should come to the decision that our educational 

NYC Public School Parents: Movie of the year: 100% rating for Brooklyn Castle!

NYC Public School Parents: Movie of the year: 100% rating for Brooklyn Castle!:


Movie of the year: 100% rating for Brooklyn Castle!

All New Yorkers who care about kids and who care about our public schools should see the wonderful movie, Brooklyn Castle, about the national chess championship team at IS 318, in Williamsburg Brooklyn, with an amazing cast of characters and more drama than you can believe.  It even has a 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. 
 
There is a screening hosted by GothamSchools this Sunday at 1:45 PM at Lincoln Center, discount tickets available for teachers and students. 

It’s a terrifically involving film whether you know anything or not about chess.  The vivid personalities, relationships and storyline capture your heart; and 

Are We Teaching the Academic or Are We Teaching the Whole Child? — Whole Child Education

Are We Teaching the Academic or Are We Teaching the Whole Child? — Whole Child Education:


Sean Slade

Are We Teaching the Academic or Are We Teaching the Whole Child?

This question was tweeted out from the recent Australian Council for Educational Leaders Conference in Brisbane and sums up one of the key questions being asked not only Down Under, but around the globe. It is one of the bigger questions that must be to asked before we try and answer others around merit pay, large-scale testing (NAPLAN), national curriculum, and school rankings.
"We debate endlessly, and often furiously, the How and the What—language arts versus science; physical education compared to music; extra study time or recess; play or instruction; seat time against project-based learning; standardized testing in competition with portfolios; scripted curriculum or differentiated instruction; common core or site-level control, and so forth, and so forth.
But all these debates, arguments, and shoutfests are meaningless—or, at best, dysfunctional—unless we first determine Why we have education. From this Why

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-18-12 #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



Gates-funded advocacy group to shut down - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago


Gates-funded advocacy group to shut down - latimes.com: Gates-funded advocacy group to shut down The Gates Foundation, the nation’s most influential education-policy organization, has quietly ended financial support for a locally based national group formed to push for favored reforms, including an overhaul of teacher evaluations. Communities for Teaching Excellence, headed by former L.A. school board member Yolie Flores, is planning to close its doors next month. Although based in Los Angeles, the group had a presence in Pittsburgh, Memphis and Hillsborough County in Florida — a...more »

How do you plead: Guilty or Ignorant? Choose carefully, lying will get you a bigger fine. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 58 minutes ago
How do you plead: Guilty or Ignorant? Choose carefully, lying will get you a bigger fine. - Wait, What?: How do you plead: Guilty or Ignorant? Choose carefully, lying will get you a bigger fine. by jonpelto *There are some who seem to think they are above the law.* And then there are those who act like they are above the law, and then attempt to claim they didn’t know they were doing something wrong when they are caught. We’ll soon find out which strategy the education reform forces in Bridgeport will be taking. Not satisfied with intentionally manipulating the wording of Bridgepor... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Sylvester Cann and I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Sylvester Cann and I-1240: Sylvester Cann and I-1240 by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] There was some interest in hearing more about this candidate (from the 46th) and his views on charter schools. This is particularly important because he is one of Stand for Children's candidates and naturally, they generally only fund people who share their views. (They are going after Senator Rosemary McAuliffe of the 1st Legislative district in an aggressive and harsh way.) The Maple Leaf Community Council had their candidate/issues... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What's wrong with this picture? The man in the middle.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What's wrong with this picture? The man in the middle.: What's wrong with this picture? The man in the middle. by Mike Klonsky The man in the middle, between Walter Isaacson and Adlai Stevenson II is Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. They took the stage at Wednesday's Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner benefiting the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Why Rahm is allowed within 100 feet of library awards dinner escapes me. He presides over a school system that has 160 schools with no libraries. That was one of the big issues raised by teachers during th... more »

“Walk In Our Children’s Shoes” « EdVox

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
“Walk In Our Children’s Shoes” « EdVox: “Walk In Our Children’s Shoes” by edvoxny *Bronx District 9 Parents & Elected Officials to the Department of Education: “Walk In Our Children’s Shoes”* *Parents, Advocates and Electeds Lead March Highlighting Abysmal School Opportunities for South Bronx Children; Demand Action Plan* Bronx, NY- Frustrated by a decade of ineffectual reforms, while seeing almost half of their schools on state lists for poor performance, Bronx students, parents, community advocates and elected officials, including Senator Gustavo Rivera, led a “Walk in Our Childre... more »

Who Is the Real Mitt Romney?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
"Who Is the Real Mitt Romney?" highlights how the presidential candidate changes his story depending on his audience. Despite what he said during debates, in Massachusetts, Romney made cuts that led to teacher layoffs and higher college costs but gave tax breaks to the wealthiest. He'll do that again if he's elected President. The Romney-Ryan budget plan would cut education funding by 20 percent. Get the facts at www.edvotes.org.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: How to talk to parents in Dallas: Use "power words"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: How to talk to parents in Dallas: Use "power words": How to talk to parents in Dallas: Use "power words" by Mike Klonsky How did I let Ravitch beat me to this one? It seems that Dallas ISD Superintendent *Mike Miles* wants the district to undergo a makeover — including how it communicates with the public.The first thing he asked his communications chief Jennifer Sprague to do was, distribute flyers to all his principals and A.P.s advising them on how to best communicate with parents and community members. The multipage brochure recommends “power word... more »

The Seattle Public School Board says “NO!” on charter school Initiative 1240 and so does our superintendent | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Seattle Public School Board says “NO!” on charter school Initiative 1240 and so does our superintendent | Seattle Education: The Seattle Public School Board says “NO!” on charter school Initiative 1240 and so does our superintendent by seattleducation2011 [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] Last night the Seattle Public School board voted unanimously to pass a resolution opposing charter school Initiative 1240. Here is the resolution: *A RESOLUTION of the Board of Directors of Seattle School District No. 1, King County, Seattle, Washington in opposition of Initiative 1240, w... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: We don't need no stinking approval -- we've got Gates $$

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: We don't need no stinking approval -- we've got Gates $$: We don't need no stinking approval -- we've got Gates $$ by Mike Klonsky The Sun-Times reports that two private charter school operators are planning to open schools in Chicago even though they have yet to be vetted by CPS. Why are the owners of Foundations College Prep and Intrinsic Schools they so sure that board approval is coming -- even while CPS is supposed to be downsizing? Simple. They have Gates money behind them and in Rahm's world, money can buy you as many charters as you wa... more »

DIANE in the Afternoon 10-18-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: TONIGHT ON PBS by dianerav When I visited Austin recently, I taped an interview with Evan Smith for his PBS program “Overheard.” It will air tonight on PBS stations in Texas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Tampa, New Orleans, and other places. If you miss it, this is the link that will go live after the show airs. There was a live and very enthusiastic audience, which made it a lively setting. Just what you would expect in Texas. PBS Is Now Online by dianerav My interview ith Evan Smith will air tonight in Texas and other locales but it is now online her... more »

THE REVISIONARIES- "SOMEBODY'S GOT TO STAND UP TO THESE EXPERTS!" (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
THE REVISIONARIES- "SOMEBODY'S GOT TO STAND UP TO THESE EXPERTS!" (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com: THE REVISIONARIES- "SOMEBODY'S GOT TO STAND UP TO THESE EXPERTS!" (VIDEO) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Copernicus.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) If you are a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) teacher who is presently being targeted for extinction on consciously fabricated charges brought by LAUSD administration, you are in good company. Galileo Galileiwas charged with heresy and sentence to incarcera... more »

A Teacher Writes: President Obama, Please Change Now - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
A Teacher Writes: President Obama, Please Change Now - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: A Teacher Writes: President Obama, Please Change Now by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody Today I am working to assemble the close to 400 letters the Campaign for Our Public Schools, spearheaded by Diane Ravitch, has collected in the past twelve days. They will be sent to the White House, the Department of Education, and made available for download. Today I am sharing one more, written by a math teacher from Southern California, Lori Walton. * Dear President Obama,* ... more »

President Obama Goes on Record on Child Poverty | Children's Health Fund

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
President Obama Goes on Record on Child Poverty | Children's Health Fund: President Obama Goes on Record on Child Poverty [image: Missing From This Election] Irwin Redlener, MD, Co-founder and President With 22% of children in America living in poverty, millions regularly go hungry and struggle for access to medical care and early education programs. And these adversities may interfere with optimal brain growth in early childhood and learning impediments during school years. That’s why I have been helping organize an effort involving six of the nation’s leading child advocates to g... more »

The War on Teachers | Dissident Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The War on Teachers | Dissident Voice: The War on Teachers by David Macaray No matter how disillusioned we are with Barack Obama—no matter how disgruntled or disappointed we are with the job he’s done as president—none of us would be silly enough to suggest that if only we had paid the man, say, $1,000,000 a year instead of that measly $400,000, he would have done a better job, because, as everyone knows, the more you pay a person, the harder they work. As absurd as that suggestion would be, a version of it is being used by anti-union propagandists and free-market fanatics to att... more »

Student produced video questions push for charter schools amendment | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Student produced video questions push for charter schools amendment | Get Schooled: Student produced video questions push for charter schools amendment 10:45 am October 18, 2012, by Maureen Downey Now students are getting into the charter amendment debate. Here is a video by two Grady High School students. I am not allowing comments on this post because I am on deadline today and can’t monitor comments. I recognize that many of you will disagree with the students, but I applaud student involvement in public policy debates. - ShareThis - Print

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Here they go again: L.A. TIMES SUES LAUSD FOR INFO ON TEACHERS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Here they go again: L.A. TIMES SUES LAUSD FOR INFO ON TEACHERS: Here they go again: L.A. TIMES SUES LAUSD FOR INFO ON TEACHERS smf’s 2¢: The Times’ previous “*Value Addled”* efforts have been as close to *Abuse-of-Freedom-of-the-Press* as it gets![image: Courthouse News Service]BY MATT REYNOLDS , COURTHOUSE NEWS SERVICE | HTTP://BIT.LY/T1YIC4 Thursday, October 18, 2012L | ast Update: 9:04 AM PT | LOS ANGELES (CN) :: The Los Angeles Times claims Los Angeles Unified School District is violating public records law by refusing to release r...more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, October 18, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: 'Drop, cover and hold on' for national quake drill Education Headlines *Thursday, October 18, 2012* Cypress schools drop lawsuit against cityAbout a year ago, to clear their path, Cypress School District officials sued the city of Cypress, which had made overtures that it would disrupt the district's plans to lease or sell vacant properties in the city. Now both parties have publicly ended the spat, with the district dropping the lawsuit and city officials promising to work with the district on future plans. Retiree catches glitch... more »

Perceptions of Public Schools…Fiction Trumps the Truth | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Perceptions of Public Schools…Fiction Trumps the Truth | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Perceptions of Public Schools…Fiction Trumps the Truth by Cheryl S. Williams The October 10, 2012, edition of *Education Week* features a commentary titled “Public Schools: Glass Half Full or Half Empty?” with both disturbing and hopeful statistics on public education in the United States. The most disturbing part of the article describes the results of a recent Gallup poll showing that public confidence in public K-12 education has fallen to 29 percent – a drop of 29 perce... more »

Modern School: LAUSD Wins Large Merit Pay Grant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Modern School: LAUSD Wins Large Merit Pay Grant: LAUSD Wins Large Merit Pay Grant by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons What could be more appealing than the idea that if you work hard, play by the rules, and generally excel at what you do, you will be rewarded with higher pay, status and power? This, of course, is known as meritocracy and it is something that most Americans believe prevails in this country. And why not, it seems perfectly fair and reasonable? People shouldn’t get ahead by cheating or because they know the right people or because they have the money and pow... more »

Interest in Online Courses Could Be Peaking - US News and World Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Interest in Online Courses Could Be Peaking - US News and World Report: Interest in Online Courses Could Be PeakingA study shows that interest in online courses has remained flat in recent years. By RYAN LYTLE October 18, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: While participation in online courses is up, adult students still prefer the in-class experience.] While participation in online courses is up, adult students still prefer the in-class experience. When Cedrick Alexander was reviewing the courses he needed in order to complete his journalism degree at theUniversity of Alabama, he found tha... more »

Blaming Your Own Team - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Blaming Your Own Team - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Blaming Your Own Team by Deborah Meier *Editor's note: Deborah Meier is traveling in Belgium this week. She filed this essay before leaving.* * * * * * * * * Dear Pedro and friends, It's hardly something new in American political life. The foxes have been guarding the hen house for many years. But what we're seeing in education of late involves more chutzpa than I've ever seen in education circles. The foxes? Our city mayors and their appointed superintendents. The hens are the schools for which they are presumably acco... more »

Let Me Re-Introduce Responsible Citizen [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Let Me Re-Introduce Responsible Citizen [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson: Let Me Re-Introduce Responsible Citizen [Future of Teaching] by Jose An excerpt from my latest at The Future of Teaching: I propose that, those of us who’ve seen what’s happened with character education instead use the term “responsible citizenship.” I recently Googled the term “responsible citizenship” and found a plethora of definitions, but they all coalesce around the idea that we must teach children to actively participate in their environments and contribute positively to them. Some might take ... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-18-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Tonight on PBS by dianerav When I visited Austin recently, I taped an interview with Evan Smith for his PBS program “Overheard.” It will air tonight on PBS stations in Texas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Tampa, New Orleans, and other places. If you miss it, this is the link that will go live after the show airs. There was a live and very enthusiastic audience, which made it a lively setting. Just what you would expect in Texas. Who Needs Higher Education? by dianerav The New York City Department o... more »

‘Rubber Rooms’ In NY Schools Cost City $22 Million A Year For Teachers Awaiting Hearings | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
‘Rubber Rooms’ In NY Schools Cost City $22 Million A Year For Teachers Awaiting Hearings | toteachornototeach: ‘Rubber Rooms’ In NY Schools Cost City $22 Million A Year For Teachers Awaiting Hearings by aristotlethewise *‘Rubber Rooms’ In New York Schools Cost City* *$22 Million A Year For Teachers Awaiting Hearings* The city and teachers’ union may have agreed to shut down the usage of “rubber rooms” — reassignment centers for educators awaiting discipline hearings in 2010 — but according to a new report, the city is still shelling out to idle teachers. The Daily News reports tra... more »

Preschool math curriculum faces significant challenges | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Preschool math curriculum faces significant challenges | EdSource Today: Preschool math curriculum faces significant challenges - by Louis Freedberg by Louis Freedberg Despite research showing the crucial importance of math at a preschool level for future academic success, preschool programs face significant obstacles in implementing an effective math program, according to interviews with early childhood instructors and preschool administrators. The greatest obstacle cited in the interviews conducted by EdSource over the past month is the lack of math content and training in how to ... more »

Daily Kos: Nick Kristof tells us more about Scott and Obamacare

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Daily Kos: Nick Kristof tells us more about Scott and Obamacare: Nick Kristof tells us more about Scott and Obamacare by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) in a piece titled Scott’s Story and the Election. He wrote this in part because of the response he got from readers after they read his first piece on Scott, about which I previously wrote in Nick Kristof offers a personal story of why we need Obamacare. We saw the selfishness that has become too endemic, in part because of conservative rhetoric, in responses Kristof received. For example: “Your friend made a foolish choice, and ac... more »

Atlanta explains how it calculates value-added scores. Using scores for “improvement, not accountability.” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Atlanta explains how it calculates value-added scores. Using scores for “improvement, not accountability.” | Get Schooled: Atlanta explains how it calculates value-added scores. Using scores for “improvement, not accountability.” by Maureen Downey *I ran a letter a few days ago from the principal of an Atlanta charter school expressing concerns* about the value-added scores assigned to his school. *A**tlanta is looking at both teacher and school-level value-added as part of its Effective Teacher in Every Classroom initiativ*e. Using test scores, researchers are calculating how mu... more »

Across the United States, a backlash against school closures - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Across the United States, a backlash against school closures - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: ' Across the United States, a backlash against school closures Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 at 5:44 pm in No Comments *photo by Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group* Oakland, you’re not alone. I found this story in Education Week about school closures in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. to be incredibly relevant to what I’ve observed here. It raises many of the points and questions that Oakland residents and school officials have been grappling ... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle School Board - NO on 1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle School Board - NO on 1240: On-Line Debate on 1240 Today at Noon by Melissa Westbrook *The Seattle Times is having a live chat at noon today, Thursday, Oct. 17th, * with Professor Wayne Au, from UW Bothell, opposing I-1240 and Shannon Campion, from some organization supporting 1240. About Professor Au: *He is an assistant professor in the education program at the University of Washington, Bothell. He is an editor for the progressive education magazine, Rethinking Schools. He is the author of numerous books, chapters, and articles, and his re... more »

NYC Educator: City Employees Working Together in Mayor Bloomberg's New York

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
NYC Educator: City Employees Working Together in Mayor Bloomberg's New York: City Employees Working Together in Mayor Bloomberg's New York by NYC Educator We have a very good relationship with our local precinct. They send a guy to our school who faithfully tickets absolutely everyone the day their registrations or inspections expire, and he comes to meetings and lectures us on all the things we can possibly do wrong, like parking more than 12 inches from the curb on days the streets are hopelessly covered with snow. Naturally, everyone adores this great work. However, when studen... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Pre-reading strategies get banished to the detention room of bad practices…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Pre-reading strategies get banished to the detention room of bad practices…: Pre-reading strategies get banished to the detention room of bad practices… by alicemercer Last spring, a number of pieces appeared about David Coleman (Common Core’s co-author), telling us to stop teaching pre-reading strategies. When I asked folks attending Common Core trainings at my district, they had no idea what I was talking about. Clearly, the message has gotten out to the consultant/trainer class over the summer. Here were a couple slide from a recent meet... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 10-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Merit Pay Fairy Sighting in Newark? by Duke Oh, my: Newark and its teachers union on Thursday are expected to sign a tentative contract deal blessed by Gov. Chris Christie that would overhaul teacher pay, introducing lucrative merit bonuses and giving teachers a role in grading each other. The contract, fueled by about $50 million from the foundation started by Facebook Inc. founder Mark Zuckerberg, covers the next three years and would offer a compensation system that removes lifetime pay increases for those who earn advanced degree... more »

The Clappety-Clap Bullshit [On Character Education] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
The Clappety-Clap Bullshit [On Character Education] | The Jose Vilson: The Clappety-Clap Bullshit [On Character Education] by Jose The Joker in *The Dark Knight* In different spheres, educators of all stripes have had conversations about this idea of “character education.” Before this year, I too used to equate character education with all the positive things about schools that concentrate on the socio-emotional as well as the academic sides of students. Especially during my time at Nativity Mission School and Xavier High School, I found myself immersed in lots of reflective activi... more »

Florida Officials Defend Racial and Ethnic Learning Goals - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Florida Officials Defend Racial and Ethnic Learning Goals - NYTimes.com: Florida Officials Defend Racial and Ethnic Learning Goals By LIZETTE ALVAREZ Published: October 17, 2012 [image: From the Florida Board of Education's Strategic Plan for 2012 - 2018.] - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - MIAMI — When the Florida Board of Education voted this month to set different goals for student achievement in reading and math by race and ethnicity, among other guidelines, the move was widely criticized as discriminatory and harmful t... more »

Unions: Teachers pact in Newark includes merit pay | nj.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Unions: Teachers pact in Newark includes merit pay | nj.com: Unions: Teachers pact in Newark includes merit pay Oct. 17, 2012, 6:21 p.m. EDT AP Governor’s OfficeGovernor Chris Christie looks on while Cami Anderson speaks after being announced as Superintendent of Newark Public Schools in 2011. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A tentative contract has been reached for teachers in the Newark Public School system, allowing for merit pay bonuses that will be funded mainly through a $100 million grant from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a union official said. The contract allows for up to $12,... more »

GOOD NEWS FOR ILLINOIS RETIRED TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
GOOD NEWS FOR ILLINOIS RETIRED TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back: GOOD NEWS FOR ILLINOIS RETIRED TEACHERS by alkleen A Chicago Tribune-WGN-TV poll of voters found that 51 percent blamed the state’s politicians alone for Illinois’ pension problems while only 2 percent said it was just the fault of public workers. Another 32 percent said they believed it was a combination of state workers and politicians who created the problem. Let’s hope that translates into a defeat for the proposed Constitutional amendment that would take away some of the rights of pensioners. We must keep working... more »

Pass / Fail : LA schools to 'shake it up' with the rest of California | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Pass / Fail : LA schools to 'shake it up' with the rest of California | 89.3 KPCC: LA schools to 'shake it up' with the rest of California by By Tami Abdollah [image: Bottled water to be sent to Haiti on Jan]*Each L.A. Unified school has designated search and rescue and triage team members, as well as medical supplies, water, sanitation supplies, and extra food stored away for emergencies, said Jill Barnes, the district's emergency services coordinator. Credit: ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images* As millions of Californians participate in the "Great California ShakeOut" Thursday, so... more »

LAUSD & UTLA: Headed To Mediation - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
LAUSD & UTLA: Headed To Mediation - LA School Report: LAUSD & UTLA: Headed To Mediation Posted on October 17, 2012 by Hillel Aron *LA School Report* has learned that LAUSD has filed a “declaration of impasse” in their negotiations with UTLA over teacher evaluations, and as a result the negotiations have gone to mediation with the Public Employee Relations Board. The “impasse” declaration was filed more than a couple of weeks ago, according to LAUSD Chief Labor and Employment Counsel Alex Molina, although he declined to provide a specific date or comment on how the process was going... more »

Master of Deception: California Prop 32 Author Tom Hiltachk | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Master of Deception: California Prop 32 Author Tom Hiltachk | MyFDL: Master of Deception: California Prop 32 Author Tom Hiltachk by Matthew Fleischer (image: truthout.org / flickr) Any lawyer with some experience in Sacramento politics can draft language for a statewide initiative. But crafting deceptive ballot measures that can trick people into voting against their core beliefs is nothing less than an art form. For many years, the undisputed master of the misleading initiative in California has been Thomas Hiltachk. So it’s little surprise that Hiltachk is the author of Propositio... more »

Did Atlanta superintendent overhaul North Atlanta High and upset community without reason or true data? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Did Atlanta superintendent overhaul North Atlanta High and upset community without reason or true data? | Get Schooled: Did Atlanta superintendent overhaul North Atlanta High and upset community without reason or true data? by Maureen Downey [image: North Atlanta High School] In his explanation for the administrative purge at North Atlanta High School 12 days ago, APS Superintendent Erroll B. Davis cited poor performance. A forensic accountant from Midtown decided to research that statement and found a much different picture than what Davis presented. “He seemed to imply that Nort...more »