Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Daily Kos: Krugman: Grand Old Planet

Daily Kos: Krugman: Grand Old Planet:


Krugman: Grand Old Planet

Yes,  that is G-O-P.  And Krugman starts with - and focuses on - a key figure in that political party, Senator Marco Rubio, whose recent remarks sidestepping a definitive statement on the age of the earth offended some, but was dismissed by others as merely positioning himself for 2016 and pandering a bit to the religious right voters who are dominant in such primaries.
But we shouldn’t let go that easily. Reading Mr. Rubio’s interview is like driving through a deeply eroded canyon; all at once, you can clearly see what lies below the superficial landscape. Like striated rock beds that speak of deep time, his inability to acknowledge scientific evidence speaks of the anti-rational mind-set that has taken over his political party.
Let's try that again:  the anti-rational mind-set that has taken over his political partyBy now you should already realize that our Nobel Laureate Economist is going to be very blunt in his Friday op ed for The New York Times (which went live Thursday evening).
Krugman points out that this is not the first time for such a pander by Rubio, who gave a big assist to 

U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com:


U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement

U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement
Photo: U.S.-Mexico relations
The United States and Mexico signed an agreement to promote student exchanges and increase educational opportunities for young people from both countries, the Mexican Education Secretariat said.
The agreement, which covers educational cooperation over the next two years, was signed Tuesday by Mexican Education Secretary Jose Angel Cordova.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan had signed the agreement on Nov. 8, the secretariat said in a statement.
Cordova said during the signing ceremony, which was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Anthony Wayne, that the agreement covered programs to support Mexicans living in the United States, as well as those returning to Mexico, since many of them speak Spanish.
The agreement simplifies the paperwork that must be filed by students, the U.S. Embassy said.

Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences | Parents Across America

Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences | Parents Across America:


Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences

The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen. « Fred Klonsky

The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen. « Fred Klonsky:


The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen.

Hello Fred!
Been real busy with Union stuff.
I think the Governor just stepped in the pile that was left by the neighbors dog. Tuesday evening I attended what can only be described as “The most angry Union meeting I have ever seen” The Correctional employees including security and non-security workers are tired, fed up, angry, and ready for out right war. If PQ does not immediately get his act together the workers across the State of Illinois will shut down the whole shooting match. I understand all the Union meetings had the same type of angry displays.
I think it is time for the Governor to understand that playing with a pit bull will get him bit! We have hopes that all other public employees unions will support our efforts. We are fighting to protect our health care, retirements, and our promised way of life. Promises do matter!!! We will hold their feet 

Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues | OccupyWallSt.org

Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues | OccupyWallSt.org:


Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues

Marchers in Montreal; banner reads "The strike is for students, the struggle is for everyone" in French
If you listen to the mainstream media in Canada and Québec (or elsewhere), you could be forgiven for believing that Québec's student movement is running on cold embers these days. After a historic and lively protest movement that saw hundreds of actions and hundreds of thousands of people in the street demanding an end to the continued neoliberalization of the education sector, a great victory was achieved when the newly-elected Parti Québécois promptly repealed the tuition hikes proposed by the former government. But this victory has proven to be far from the end of the story for Québec's students, which inspired the world with their activism, and - strangely enough - brought banging pots and pans back in vogue.
The tenacious group of students known as CLASSE have reformed their organization as the ASSÉ - roughly in English the "Association for a Solidaric Student Union." ASSÉ, not content with wasting the momentum they 

Stand With Striking Walmart Workers

Stand With Striking Walmart Workers:


Walmart Workers



Walmart has become the focus of viral, historic strikes by workers in stores and at warehouses across the country.
Time and time again, when Walmart workers have come together to call on the company to address issues with understaffing, scheduling, wages, benefits, safety, and just plain respect in the workplace, the company has attempted to silence them.
Without an end to the retaliation and mistreatment, Walmart workers around the country are prepared to strike on the biggest sales day of the year - Black Friday, November 23.
Let's show the media and the Walton family that we have these workers' backs. Join with Walmart workers in solidarity by signing our petition.
We'll make sure workers know you're standing with them to demand better working conditions and change at Walmart.
SIGN NOW >>

UFT Sues the DOE to Obtain Full Access to Joel Klein Emails - ParentAdvocates.org

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org:

UFT Sues the DOE to Obtain Full Access to Joel Klein Emails




The UFT sued the Department of Education on Nov. 15 over its failure to comply with Freedom of Information requests for copies of emails that link former Chancellor Joel Klein and senior DOE staffers with City Hall political figures and charter school proponents. The union charged that the copies of the emails that were provided after a wait of nearly two years were so heavily redacted and blacked out that the DOE’s “unlawful conduct” has violated the state law that makes government records available to the public. The UFT made its initial request on May 28, 2010; and it was only after the UFT filed suit in court nearly two years later — on April 3, 2012 — that the DOE began providing some of the data requested. The lawsuit charges that “the DOE’s reasons for redacting portions of records are arbitrary, unreasonable and irrational.”
           
UFT sues the DOE to obtain full access to Joel Klein emails
LINK

The UFT sued the Department of Education on Nov. 15 over its failure to comply with Freedom of Information requests for copies of emails that link former Chancellor Joel Klein and senior DOE staffers with City Hall political figures and charter school proponents. The union charged that the copies of the emails that were provided after a wait of nearly two years wer

Norquist's grip is loosening. Chambliss: "I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge" : blue cheddar

Norquist's grip is loosening. Chambliss: "I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge" : blue cheddar:


Norquist’s grip is loosening. Chambliss: “I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge”

[Don't miss out on the convenient links at the bottom of this post.   Wisconsin legislators who signed Norquist's pledge need to know what you think of them.]
Here’s a sign that the elected officials who’ve been helping Norquist drown government in a tub are abandoning ship.
U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia told local Gannett TV station 13WMAZ that, “I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge,” Chambliss says. “If we do it his way [Norquist's] then we’ll continue in debt, and I just have a disagreement with him about that.”
Also from 13WMAZ
“Does Chambliss think Norquist will hold the
anti-tax pledge agains

School Tech Connect: Thank You!

School Tech Connect: Thank You!:


Thank You!

I pretty much write this blog for myself; it always surprises me when anyone else drops by.

But thank you for doing so!

Also, thanks to the Illinois Policy Institute for the chuckle today.



Thank you, warriors. 

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-22-12 #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



“My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago
“My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: “My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” by Larry Ferlazzo I’ve just posted My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two) over at “Engaging Parents In School,” my other blog. You might also be interested in seeing all my parent engagement “The Best…” lists in one place here.

Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers - San Jose Mercury News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers - San Jose Mercury News: Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 11/22/2012 02:53:34 PM PST Updated: 11/22/2012 02:53:35 PM PST * "We're not opposed to education reform," CTA President Dean Vogel said. "We're opposed to stupid reform."* A nearly $6 billion infusion from Proposition 30 and a Democratic supermajority in the Legislature are a welcome pre-ho... more »

I GIVE THANKS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 50 minutes ago
I GIVE THANKS « Teachers Fight Back: I GIVE THANKS by alkleen I’m thankful that I retired several years before the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois was accused of bankrupting the State, the Country and the entire Western Hemisphere. I’m thankful I taught during a time when parents and students were considered as important as the teacher when it came to a student’s success. I’m thankful I taught before millionaires and billionaires decided they would reform education and that they knew what worked more than any teacher. I give thanks that I taught in an era before political cor... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - adventuresinlearning: A Student’s Definition of...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
OCCUPY EDUCATION - adventuresinlearning: A Student’s Definition of...: [image: adventuresinlearning: A Student’s Definition of a Successful Student written during an Imagining Learning listening session in Charleston, SC. Imagining Learning is looking for more students and communities to help organize listening sessions around the country. Email us at david@imagininglearning.us for more information.] adventuresinlearning: A Student’s Definition of a Successful Student written during an Imagining Learning listening session in Charleston, SC. Imagining Learning is looking for more stu... more »

Students Share What They’re Thankful For | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Students Share What They’re Thankful For | toteachornototeach: Students Share What They’re Thankful For by aristotlethewise *Thanksgiving In Schools: Harlem Village Academies * *Students Share What They’re Thankful For* PopoutEvery year at Thanksgiving, the Harlem Village Academies ask their students to reflect on why they are thankful. So in the spirit of the season, enjoy their adorable and at times unexpectedly astute issues of thanks. They express thanks for their school and teachers, as well as for modern conveniences that became less given during Hurricane Sandy. One girl has a... more »

I Just Want To Celebrate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
I just want to celebrate another day of livin' I just want to celebrate another day of life I put my faith in the people But the people let me down So I turned the other way And I carry on, anyhow That's why I'm telling you I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah Another day of living, yeah I just want to celebrate another day of life Had my head on the dollar bill But the dollar bill flew away But the sun is shining down on me And it's here to stay That's why I'm telling you I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah Another day of living, yeah I just want to celebrate another day of livin' I ... more »

A story of educational courage

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
A story of educational courage: A story of educational courage Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 22, 2012 at 2:00 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » This is an excerpt from a book titled “Educational Courage: Resisting the Ambush of Public Education,” which profiles people working in support of public education against a tide of school reform that has turned out to be more destructive than helpful. The book of essays by different authors is the brainchild of Nancy Schniedewind & Mara Sapon-... more »

Education finally gets serious about the undead apocalypse with this Zombie Scholarship

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Education finally gets serious about the undead apocalypse with this Zombie Scholarship: [image: Education finally gets serious about the undead apocalypse with this Zombie Scholarship] Education finally gets serious about the undead apocalypse with this Zombie Scholarship *Rob Bricken* At least *one* organization is worried about the *real* problems facing our nation's future.ScholarshipExperts.com is offering a $1000 "Zombie Scholarship" for people who want to help the living stay living once the dead walk the earth. The details: Applicants must: • Be thirteen (13) years of ag... more »

Pass / Fail : Financially troubled charter school company says finances now in order | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Pass / Fail : Financially troubled charter school company says finances now in order | 89.3 KPCC: Financially troubled charter school company says finances now in order by By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Mercer 7348]*An elementary school student does work at her desk Credit: Larry W. Smith/Getty Images* Two years after it almost closed 14 Los Angeles-area schools, ICEF Public Schools says it’s on a stable financial footing. A $700,000 donation saved the nonprofit from closing schools that serve 4,500 students. The ICEF in its name stands for Inner City Education Foundation. After th... more »

How to speak Minnesotan : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
How to speak Minnesotan : blue cheddar: How to speak Minnesotan by bluecheddar “Well, we might as well get started with our first lesson here. These 3 workhorses of Minnesota conversation will carry you through your first scary hours. In fact they should be good for a week if you only speak when spoken to which is a good idea anyway.” If you’re making a journey to Minnesota or Northern Wisconsin for Thanksgiving this season, you absolutely must watch this. I especially want to call your attention to a few pointers found in the nonverbal communication and body language portion (9 ... more »

Now on Sale at Walmart, Education Rephorm | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Now on Sale at Walmart, Education Rephorm | EduShyster: Now on Sale at Walmart, Education Rephorm by edushyster2012 Walmart is leading the effort to give low-income Americans more ¢hoi¢e in education, while insuring that they remain low income. It is a well known fact that students who attend our union-stifled public schools are ill prepared for their future careers—at Walmart. That is why Walmart is leading the effort to fix our failing schools by introducing some much needed competition into our public education monopoly. Much like shoppers at Walmart have a choice of many differe... more »

NYC Educator: Happy Turkey Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
NYC Educator: Happy Turkey Day: Happy Turkey Day by NYC Educator I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who bothers to read this little blog, all those who've contributed to it, and all those who took time out from their Thanksgiving Day to read this. We have a lot to be thankful for. We have the best job in the world. There is no greater privilege than that of influencing, guiding, and helping our young people. I'm very proud to be a teacher, and all teachers have much to be proud about. Though they trash us in the media, though we're used as a political football, and... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Have a Reformy Thanksgiving!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Have a Reformy Thanksgiving!: Have a Reformy Thanksgiving! by Duke *We have a national Thanksgiving crisis.* * * * * * * International comparisons clearly show our turkeys are drier, our mashed potatoes are waterier, and our pumpkins pies have less pumpkin per slice than every other developed country in the world (save Finland). A recent Gates Foundation project, the MET (Measures of Effective Thanksgiving) showed that surveys of students taken at "kids tables" around the country rate Thanksgiving dinners anywhere from "*sucks*" to "*really sucks*" to "*can I leave ... more »

Edmodo | Secure Social Learning Network for Teachers and Students

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Edmodo | Secure Social Learning Network for Teachers and Students: Make your Classroom a Community Edmodo In Action Edmodo is transforming the way that teachers and students connect, engage and learn both inside and outside the classroom. Check out our Edmodo In Action videos for examples of how its being used. Attend a Webinar - Introduction to Edmodo - Spotlight Webinar: Conferences Powered by Edmodo - Registration for EdmodoCon 2012 is Now Open Latest News Election 2012: Polling Students via Edmodo Wondering Coast to Coast: A Read Aloud Project Vote for Your Favorite S... more »

A time to say thanks… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
A time to say thanks… - Wait, What?: A time to say thanks… by jonpelto Jonathan Pelto I want to wish all my readers and their families a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving and to thank you for reading my blog, participating in the discussions and joining in the effort to educate our fellow citizens about the happenings in the world around us. There are some among us who have many things to be thankful for, and some whose list is less than what it should be, but I hope that everyone can find warmth and comfort on this day. A special wish for peace and comfort goes out to those who... more »

Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln: Proclamation of Thanksgiving *Washington, D.C. October 3, 1863**This is the proclamation which set the precedent for America's national day of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders similar to this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving.* *Sarah Josepha Hale, a 74-year-old magazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincoln on September 28, 1863, urging him to have the "day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festi... more »

Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving? | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving? | NewsTaco: DO AMERICAN INDIANS CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING? By Dennis W. Zotigh, New America Media/Indian Country Today In thinking about my earliest memories of elementary school, I remember being asked to bring a brown paper sack to class so that it could be decorated and worn as part of the Indian costume used to celebrate Thanksgiving. I was also instructed to make a less-than-authentic headband with Indian designs and feathers to complete this outfit. Looking back, I now know this was wrong. The Thanksgiving Indian costume that all the ot... more »

Conservatives Griping About Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation: Try a Helping of FDR | The Nation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Conservatives Griping About Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation: Try a Helping of FDR | The Nation: Conservatives Griping About Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation: Try a Helping of FDR John Nichols on November 21, 2012 - 9:51 PM ET * * ** ** To his credit, Barack Obama puts a modestly enlightened spin on his Thanksgiving proclamations. This year’s proclamation recalls that “the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony…enjoyed the fruits of their labor with the Wampanoag tribe—a people who had shared vital knowledge of the land in the difficult months before” and notes “the contributions that ge... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-22-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] I Give Thanks to You by dianerav On this day, I pause to thank you, the readers of this blog. I thank you because you care about children and the future of education. I thank you because you understand that the way we educate our children today shapes the society we will live in for decades to come. I thank you because you teach me, you encourage me, you give me strength. I thank those of you who are parents, doing what is best for your child or children. I thank those of you who are educators, who have dedicat... more »

Final grades, exit interviews - Bites - Opinions - November 22, 2012 - Sacramento News & Review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Final grades, exit interviews - Bites - Opinions - November 22, 2012 - Sacramento News & Review: Final grades, exit interviews Local Reep fails Mother Earth, K.J.'s opposition says goodbye, school-board member bails By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.com This article was published on 11.22.12. *Related stories:* Losing it K.J.'s rent problem, Blue Diamond roughs up union.SN&R, 11.27.08. [image: spacer] *The Sierra Club’s annual legislative report card is always* good for a couple of head-scratchers. For example, Republican*Assemblywoman Beth Gaines * was our only local rep to vot... more »

Test your Thanksgiving smarts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Test your Thanksgiving smarts: Test your Thanksgiving smarts Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 22, 2012 at 9:37 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - Sash and Malia Obama with Courage, the turkey President Obama “pardoned” in 2009. (By Marvin Joseph – THE WASHINGTON POST) Here are 10 questions that will test just how much you know about the history of Thanksgiving. Answers, with explanations, are below. *1) True or False. The Pilgrims who sailed to the New World in 1620 on the Mayflower had a smooth Atlant... more »

Happy Thanksgiving, Football Fans | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Happy Thanksgiving, Football Fans | Taking Note: Happy Thanksgiving, Football Fans by John Merrow It's a day we often turn to football, but is America's No. 1 sport doing more harm than good in classrooms? For a lot of Americans, Thanksgiving is a time for reflection. But since Thanksgiving now means football games, maybe it’s worth reflecting on the damage that America’s new national pastime is doing. I don’t mean the concussions, dementia and early deaths the sport is causing, because that’s already well-documented. Instead, I have more subtle issues in mind, issues that reveal ... more »

On Assignment -Deadline is Nov. 30 for teachers to post projects for DonorsChoose.Org support

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
On Assignment -: Deadline is Nov. 30 for teachers to post projects for DonorsChoose.Org support [image: DonorsChoose.org] By Theresa Harrington Monday, November 19th, 2012 at 6:55 pm in Education No Comments DonorsChoose.org is a cool website that allows members of the community to support projects in local schools that are posted by teachers who can’t afford to buy all the supplies necessary to implement them. But time is running out for teachers to post their projects. The deadline is Nov. 30. Here is more information about how the website began, from founder Charles Best: “Fueli... more »

Daily Kos: A Failed Experiment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Daily Kos: A Failed Experiment: A Failed Experiment by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) In upper-middle-class suburbs on the East Coast, the newest must-have isn’t a $7,500 Sub-Zero refrigerator. It’s a standby generator that automatically flips on backup power to an entire house when the electrical grid goes out. . So begin this *New York Times* op ed by Nicholas Kristof. He starts with this imagery, explaining why increasingly those well-off are turning to such generators after a series of failures of our aging electric grid. Such systems can cost over $10,000, but he is a bit ... more »

Modern School: Data Driven Nonsense from Harvard and the Gates Foundation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Modern School: Data Driven Nonsense from Harvard and the Gates Foundation: Data Driven Nonsense from Harvard and the Gates Foundation by Michael Dunn A new Gates-funded Harvard study has found that Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) teachers vary substantially in quality (more than in other districts) and that it disproportionately places inexperienced teachers in lower performing classrooms (as in other districts). The study, Human Capital Diagnostic, was done by the Strategic Data Project (SDP), which is connected with Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Res...more »

Weekly Address: Wishing the American People a Happy Thanksgiving | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Weekly Address: Wishing the American People a Happy Thanksgiving | The White House: Weekly Address: Wishing the American People a Happy Thanksgiving WASHINGTON, DC—During this holiday season, President Obama gave thanks in his weekly address for all of the blessings we share as Americans, and expressed his gratitude to the brave men and women who are defending our freedom around the world. As we come together to spend time with those we love, we also stand with those who are less fortunate this year, including our fellow Americans in the northeast who lost so much during the recen... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: In L.A. the least experienced teachers are being placed with the neediest kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: In L.A. the least experienced teachers are being placed with the neediest kids: In L.A. the least experienced teachers are being placed with the neediest kids by Mike Klonsky A new Harvard study shows the so-called "achievement gap" growing wider in L.A. as the neediest of the district's students are taught by the least experienced teachers. Under Supt. *John Deasy's* control, LAUSD has increased its reliance on extended substitutes and TFA f*ive-week wonders *as an austerity measure and a way of undermining the union contract. First-year teachers a... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Fr. Simeon Daly: A Song of Thanks to Teacher Sister Mary

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Fr. Simeon Daly: A Song of Thanks to Teacher Sister Mary: Fr. Simeon Daly: A Song of Thanks to Teacher Sister Mary by stlgretchen Blessings to everyone this Thanksgiving. Below is a beautiful song of thanks to a special teacher/friend sung by a monk from St. Meinrad Archabbey....a song never to be sung to a computer or data system by a grateful student. This song represents everything teaching is all about. It's not about data driven results as much as it is as the giving of knowledge to another person and igniting the light of understanding. ... more »

IEA Prez tells Quinn to stop the attack on AFSCME. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
IEA Prez tells Quinn to stop the attack on AFSCME. « Fred Klonsky: IEA Prez tells Quinn to stop the attack on AFSCME. by Fred Klonsky From the IEA President Cinda Klickna: “Governor Quinn’s decision to terminate the state’s contract with its largest employee union, AFSCME, is an attack on both the collective bargaining process and on all unionized public employees in Illinois.The AFSCME employees provide health services to the sick, the elderly and to children. These hard-working men and women help ensure public safety and enhance the quality of life for all Illinoisans and dese... more »

Watch: The disenfranchisment of Native Americans continues today | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Watch: The disenfranchisment of Native Americans continues today | The Raw Story: Watch: The disenfranchisment of Native Americans continues today By Megan Carpentier Thursday, November 22, 2012 1:00 EST [image: Print] Share on facebookShare on redditShare on diggShare on twitterShare on farkShare on stumbleupon6 [image: PopĂ©, the leader of the Pueblo Revolt] Topics: Native Americans Though the story of the first American Thanksgiving in which the Pilgrims host a great banquet to thank Native Americans who helped them survive the first winter, there is a darker history to the enc... more »

The in box. Letter to the Southtown Star. What is missing from the pension reform dialogue? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The in box. Letter to the Southtown Star. What is missing from the pension reform dialogue? « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Letter to the Southtown Star. What is missing from the pension reform dialogue? by Fred Klonsky *My letter to the SouthtownStar:* *How tied to Illinois’ Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan, are local south-suburban Democratic legislators? Residents throughout Southland are about to find out. In the coming days, Illinois Legislators will be headed to Springfield to yet again attempt to fix the State’s spiraling budget deficit. Central to the Legislature’s focus... more »

Common Core Math Standards Making the Simple Complicated | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Common Core Math Standards Making the Simple Complicated | Truth in American Education: Common Core Math Standards Making the Simple Complicated by Shane Vander Hart [image: math]Barry Garelick wrote at The Atlantic about the Common Core Math Standards. Basically he says that kids are required not to just learn how to make a calculations, but also how to explain why they are doing so. The standards actually elevate this above learning how to solve math problems. Garelick points out a couple of emails he has received as anecdotal evidence that the implementation of the standards ... more »

Is this what students in Louisiana are learning about evolution? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Is this what students in Louisiana are learning about evolution? | toteachornototeach: Is this what students in Louisiana are learning about evolution? by aristotlethewise *Is this what students in Louisiana are learning about evolution?* by George Dvorsky Earlier this week, The New Star published an article questioning the way Louisiana goes about its funding of nonpublic schools. According to the state’s constitution, all nonpublic schools must certify that it has “curriculum or specialized course of study of quality at least equal to that prescribed for similar public schools.” T... more »

Jersey Jazzman: A Courageous Teacher Needs Your Help

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: A Courageous Teacher Needs Your Help: A Courageous Teacher Needs Your Help by Duke This is Marie Corfield. Marie is an art teacher, a mother, and a fighter for teachers and parents here in New Jersey. Marie became a minor national celebrity when she stood up to a bullying Chris Christie at one of his phony town hall meetings and told him to stop attacking New Jersey's great public school teachers. She was drafted to run for a seat in the NJ State Assembly; that meant putting the rest of her life on hold while waging a tough campaign. There are powerful people in t... more »

Illinois Democrats are digging a deep hole. Didn’t they learn anything from the Republican debacle? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Illinois Democrats are digging a deep hole. Didn’t they learn anything from the Republican debacle? « Fred Klonsky: Illinois Democrats are digging a deep hole. Didn’t they learn anything from the Republican debacle? by Fred Klonsky \ *Nekritz went back to eating her salad.* On November 6th things looked pretty sweet for Democrats. In Illinois too. After all, there were several high-profile congressional races that the Democrats won. A couple were really unexpected – like in the 10th CD where Republican Robert Dold had a huge money advantage, but lost to centrist Democrat Brad Schnei... more »

Acting In Solidarity On Black Friday | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Acting In Solidarity On Black Friday | OccupyWallSt.org: Acting In Solidarity On Black Friday by OccupyWallSt [image: Walkout on Walmart!] *via Sarah Jaffe:* To make a mess that another person will have to deal with—the dropped socks, the toothpaste sprayed on the bathroom mirror, the dirty dishes left from a late-night snack—is to exert domination in one of its more silent and intimate forms. -Barbara Ehrenreich, in “Made to Order,” an essay from the anthology Global Woman: Nannies, Maids and Sex Workers in the New Economy, co-edited with Arlie Russell Hochschild [This quote is] ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: ALEC Bails on Opposing Common Core

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: ALEC Bails on Opposing Common Core: ALEC Bails on Opposing Common Core by Anngie Ed Week reported that ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) has voted not to adopt the resolution opposing the Common Core State Standards. The latest news is that on Nov. 19, after several discussions over the past year and at least onepostponed vote, ALEC's legislative board of directors has voted not to adopt the resolution opposing the Common Core, the group announced in an email. ALEC stated that it will remain "neutral" on the common cor e, "but will cont... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » RYH forum Nov. 29th – Assessing the Assessments

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » RYH forum Nov. 29th – Assessing the Assessments: RYH forum Nov. 29th – Assessing the Assessments by admin [image: Home] *A forum for community members to discuss the* *CULTURE OF TESTING in our schools* What are all these tests? How do we best measure achievement? ACCESS… Dibels … REACH… NWEA–Map. CCQ… ISAT… Explore… PLAN… mCLass… Compass *When:* Thursday, November 29, 2012 *Where: *Holstein Park, 2nd floor Auditorium (elevator available) 2200 N. Oakley, Chicago *Time: *7pm – 9 pm Forum panelists include: *teachers *who cur... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-21-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: When Gary Rubinstein Visited KIPP by dianerav Gary Rubinstein was among the nation’s earliest Teach for Merica teachers. Unlike most TFA, however, he became a career teacher. He now teaches at Stuyvesant High School in New York City. This is a veryinteresting report on a visit he paid to a KIPP school. Be sure to read te comments. When Happy Talk Is Mandated by dianerav A reader in Texas responds to a post about the Dallas superintendent, who has sent out directions to schools to express themselves only in positive terms: This blog reminds me: we got a ne... more »








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