Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 2-20-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2




BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Cooper Union «

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago
Cooper Union «: Cooper Union by Angus Johnston Cooper Union students’ fight to preserve the college’s century-plus tradition of free tuition is kicking into gear again, as administrative dithering and blackmail has thrown the new entering class into disarray. Two of the three schools that make up CU have submitted proposals for integrating tuition into their budgets going forward, but the third — the School of Art — has refused to do so, saying that they will not cooperate with “any solution to The Cooper Union’s current financial crisis that depends, even in part, on tuition com... more »

I’ve never seen a school district that volunteers to spend more money on Special Needs students « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago
I’ve never seen a school district that volunteers to spend more money on Special Needs students « Fred Klonsky: I’ve never seen a school district that volunteers to spend more money on Special Needs students by Fred Klonsky Thirty years as an Art teacher. But I spent most of those years working with large numbers of kids with Special Needs. Back in the day, the special education students weren’t even on my lists with typical students. Segregated in self-contained classrooms, they would come to Art or Music as *mainstreamed. *No para-professional came with them. Since they were no... more »

Joy Resmovits: Ron Paul's 'New School Manifesto'; Federal Equity Commission -- Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 42 minutes ago
Joy Resmovits: Ron Paul's 'New School Manifesto'; Federal Equity Commission -- Ed Today: Ron Paul's 'New School Manifesto'; Federal Equity Commission -- Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Next In Your Education Library: Ron Paul??* According to the Washington Post, former presidential candidate Ron Paul is working on an education tome called "New School Manifesto." The book will be out in September. Paul, as you might recall, campaigned on shutting down the U.S. Education Department. So it'll come as no surprise that the book will majorly boost home schooling. *'Irredeemably Blighted?'*... more »

Modern School: Testing Causes Failure

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 44 minutes ago
Modern School: Testing Causes Failure: Testing Causes Failure by Michael Dunn The high stakes tests required by No Child Left Behind are designed to increase the number of failing schools (see here and here), thus forcing them to adopt free market reforms like reconstitution, charter school conversion, or hiring private tutors and curriculum consultants. However, as Valerie Strauss points out in a recent piece in her Answer Sheet blog, the increasing emphasis on high stakes tests and the pressure to improve scores may also be increasing student anxiety and their ability to perfor... more »

Vouchers Creator: 'Vouchers are not the End, but the Means to End Public Schools' | Uppity Wisconsin

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago
Vouchers Creator: 'Vouchers are not the End, but the Means to End Public Schools' | Uppity Wisconsin: Vouchers Creator: 'Vouchers are not the End, but the Means to End Public Schools' by Jud Lounsbury Iconic economist Milton Friedman (and spiritual leader of conservatives for the last 40 years) is the one that came up with the idea of school vouchers. And the reason why he came up with vouchers was simple: He didn't think educating children was an appropriate role for government. So, he came up with vouchers, which he clearly stated were a means to ending public schools and rep... more »

Schools Matter: Haslam Sends BRT Puppet to Help McIntyre Get Funds for Disproven Bonus Pay Plan for Knoxville Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago
Schools Matter: Haslam Sends BRT Puppet to Help McIntyre Get Funds for Disproven Bonus Pay Plan for Knoxville Teachers: Haslam Sends BRT Puppet to Help McIntyre Get Funds for Disproven Bonus Pay Plan for Knoxville Teachers by Jim Horn Last year when it came budget time, Slick Jim McIntyre did his best to get an extra $35 million to fund a bonus pay plan for teachers based on test scores. Even though there are research studies that show these plans have a demonstrated track record of failure, that isn't stopping McIntyre from going back to well to try again. To help their losing... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core State (sic) Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core State (sic) Standards: Common Core State (sic) Standards by stlgretchen "Whoo Hoo!" The word that started a revolution in opting out of Common Core State (sic) Standards testing. Susan Ohanian writing in the Daily Censored *Whoo-Hoo! Occupy the Schools!* about Common Core State (sic) Standards, details how the standards are not state led, a vehicle to establish a Global Work Force, funded primarily by Bill Gates, bipartisan in nature and a quest for a national curriculum/national test: In response to a poverty rate that tops 90% in many urb... more »

Another Voice: If New York State were serious about education ... - Opinion - The Buffalo News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Another Voice: If New York State were serious about education ... - Opinion - The Buffalo News: Another Voice: If New York State were serious about education ... - - - ** - ** - ** By Kara Kane Since becoming a School Board member, I’ve had a crash course in the financial, instructional, regulatory and political aspects of New York State’s education system. This list outlines a sample of my observations. If New York State was serious about education … • New regulations for reporting, school safety, training and instruction would come in two flavors: fully f... more »

Louisiana Educator: Why the Common Core will be a Disaster for Louisiana Public Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Why the Common Core will be a Disaster for Louisiana Public Schools: Why the Common Core will be a Disaster for Louisiana Public Schools by Michael Deshotels I attended a public education forum this week sponsored by the LAE. Parents and teachers were encouraged to ask questions about current education issues to a panel representing BESE, Superintendents, and teacher leaders. One question by a young teacher really got me thinking about where Louisiana public education is headed. One of the panelists had made the point that many of our students are handicapped ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Jeb Bush Hits a New Low by dianerav I read on Twitter just now that I compared “school choice” to a Nazi invasion. “*Excellence in Ed* ‏@*ExcelinEd* . @*DianeRavitch* likens school choice to Nazi invasion. Yes. You read that correctly. http://bit.ly/Y7svLC“ To say the least, I was taken aback because I had never written or implied any such thing. But consider the source. It comes from Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (“excellence” in this case meaning the Jay Mathews: Why Did Two Inspe... more »

Sac City Unified Responds to Tough Questions on School Closures | KTXL FOX40

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Sac City Unified Responds to Tough Questions on School Closures | KTXL FOX40: Sac City Unified Responds to Tough Questions on School Closures - KTXL - [image: See bio, contact info, and more articles from Luana Munoz] 7 hours ago by Luana Munoz Reporter - *Sacramento Unified Considers Closing 11 Elementary Schools* Comments - - Share This Update - ** ** ** SACRAMENTO- Tuesday night was the last of 11 community meetings ahead of Thursday’s district vote on whether or not 11 elementary schools will close. FOX40 asked the Sacramento City Unif... more »

Ed Notes Online: Julie Cavanagh Challenges Cathie Black on Schools She Chose for Her Children, UFT's Michael Mendel Confronts Black

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Julie Cavanagh Challenges Cathie Black on Schools She Chose for Her Children, UFT's Michael Mendel Confronts Black: Julie Cavanagh Challenges Cathie Black on Schools She Chose for Her Children, UFT's Michael Mendel Confronts Black by ed notes online Watch Julie in action here. OK. I'm going to be bi-partisan here by presenting strong speeches by both Julie and Michael at a PEP event. Why? Because I like Michael who I used to sit behind at NY Ranger games and have always had a cordial relationship with, as he does with most people. I do not consider him a Unity slug...more »

Testing, Testing | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Testing, Testing | EduShyster: Testing, Testing by edushyster2012 *By anonymous* The memo came last week. The latest district directive clearly laid out the course of literacy “instruction” for the next three weeks. We will immediately put our reading series on hold and use sample items from the MCAS, the Massachusetts high-stakes test, to better prepare the students who will soon be taking them. Students will read the passages independently, annotate the text, and answer the questions. Teachers are expected to analyze the responses to identify and address areas of weakness, while... more »

Sal Kahn on his famous online academy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Sal Kahn on his famous online academy: Sal Kahn on his famous online academy Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 20, 2013 at 7:29 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: sal khan]If you listen to folks such as Bill Gates and Al Gore and Carlos Slim Helu talk about Salman Khan, it would be understandable if you thought that the founder of the online Khan Academy is an education miracle worker. Here are just a few of the quotes on Amazon.com on the page praising Khan’s latest book, “The One ... more »

Modern School: NY Mayor Buys LA School Board Race, Starts Arms Race With UTLA

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Modern School: NY Mayor Buys LA School Board Race, Starts Arms Race With UTLA: NY Mayor Buys LA School Board Race, Starts Arms Race With UTLA by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons One might well wonder why New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is spending $1 million of his own hard-(hardly)-earned cash to influence the Los Angeles school board race (the largest donation yet in this hotly contested race). Yet it is not just Bloomberg—several other billionaire outsiders have also ponied up large sums to help their favorite candidates win and it is not because they care about the ... more »

Are We Teaching Citizens or Automatons? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Are We Teaching Citizens or Automatons? | toteachornototeach: Are We Teaching Citizens or Automatons? by aristotlethewise Are We Teaching Citizens or Automatons? *by Steven Mazie*Since the standards-based model of education overtook American public schools a generation ago, the answer to this question has been simple: prepare students for college and get them ready to be productive participants in the workforce. The new Common Core Standards Initiative — already adopted by 46 states and the District of Columbia to guide curricula in their public schools — is no exception: The stand... more »

NYC Educator: Standing Up for Our Right to No Voice and No Choice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: Standing Up for Our Right to No Voice and No Choice: Standing Up for Our Right to No Voice and No Choice by NYC Educator That's what the so-called Educators for Excellence are doing. Though their most visible proponents, their leaders, are not even teachers, they're regularly cited as a teacher group. And though they're funded by Gates and his ilk, they're accepted by a sleepy press corps as representative of teachers. Now they've put out a video demanding that NY State impose an evaluation system on teachers. Perhaps it's mere coincidence that this is precisely what... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Knew About LEAP's Problems

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Knew About LEAP's Problems: NJDOE Knew About LEAP's Problems by Duke Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen a flurry of reporting about one of the biggest charter school disasters in New Jersey, if not the nation: *LEAP (Leadership, Education, and Partnership) Academy University Charter School in Camden*. LEAP and its funder, Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, are now entangled in allegations of incompetence, cronyism, and abuse. And yet, in spite of the many, many problems the charter has encountered, *Education Commissioner Chris Cerf has given LEAP his blessing*. ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Ruiz gets an F, Katten an A+ on Chicago Tonight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Ruiz gets an F, Katten an A+ on Chicago Tonight: Ruiz gets an F, Katten an A+ on Chicago Tonight by Mike Klonsky I almost felt bad for *Jesse Ruiz* last night as I watched him play the fool to *Wendy Katten* on Chicago Tonight. Armed only with an embarrassed grin, a pocket full of cliches ("it's for the kids"... "it's about teaching and learning"..."all hands on deck"...) and a bag full of half-truths and misinformation, Rahm's hand-picked board V.P Ruiz was sent out to face the Raise Your Hand's Wendy Katten and Catalyst's *Rebecca Harris* to try a... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-19-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Ohanian Nails the Common Core, and then Burns It by Jim Horn Too good to miss from our national treasure and every corporate education deformer's nightmare. At Daily Uncensored. Charter School Watch by Melissa Westbrook It's been awhile since we talked about charters. I have been stockpiling the stories because, yes, there's a lot happening. FYI, the Washington Board of Education is having a public hearing on charter rules. They seek input from citizens. It is on *Tuesday, Feb. 26th at 1:00 pm in Olympia at OSPI. * *Those wishi... more »

And now $9.2 million to design “better” standardized tests for 4 year olds! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
And now $9.2 million to design “better” standardized tests for 4 year olds! - Wait, What?: And now $9.2 million to design “better” standardized tests for 4 year olds! by jonpelto Hooray! The U.S. Department of Education is giving away $9.2 million to help states devise better tests for 4 year olds! According to a recent article in Education Week, “Some state officials say the money would be welcome as they revamp their early-childhood-assessment programs. But others suggest that if the Education Department wants to focus attention on just one part of early learning, an avenue oth... more »

Equity And Excellence Commission Report Warns Of Failure To Right Unfair U.S. Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Equity And Excellence Commission Report Warns Of Failure To Right Unfair U.S. Schools: Equity And Excellence Commission Report Warns Of Failure To Right Unfair U.S. Schools by Joy Resmovits Advocates have shouted about inequalities in the U.S. education system for decades, with issues ranging from the availability of good teachers to the amount of money spent on schools with poor students. The gaps in standardized test scores between minorities and white students, and between rich and poor children, are longstanding and well-known facts. Today, a diverse group of 27 education ex... more »

PSAT for 2-19-13: Thank your alderman Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 2-19-13: Thank your alderman: PSAT for 2-19-13: Thank your alderman by admin [image: psat_logo]We spend a lot of time criticizing our elected officials for the bad decisions they make, or for wimping out when we want them to stick up for us. But it may be even more important to thank them when they are right. The 35 Chicago aldermen who signed on in support of a moratorium on new charter schools are going up against Mayor Emanuel and his charter-cheerleader hedge fund cronies, along with all so many others in power ... more »

Whoo-Hoo! Occupy the Schools - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Whoo-Hoo! Occupy the Schools - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: Whoo-Hoo! Occupy the Schools by Susan Ohanian [image: testingregime]In response to a poverty rate that tops 90% in many urban and rural schools –and 1.6 million homeless children—many in schools with no libraries–education reformers at the White House, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National Governors Association call for a radical, untried curriculum overhaul and two versions of nonstop national testing to measure whether teachers are producing workers for ... more »

Congressional education report: 5 years and $700k to recommend "equity" | ZDNet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Congressional education report: 5 years and $700k to recommend "equity" | ZDNet: *Congressional education report: 5 years and $700k to recommend "equity"* Summary: A lengthy effort to examine the state of education in American schools released their final report today. Apparently, we need equity in our schools. [image: Christopher Dawson] By Christopher Dawson for ZDNet Education | February 19, 2013 -- 18:20 GMT (10:20 PST) I don't think the rant that's about to follow was exactly what US Congressman Mike Honda's (D-CA) office had in mind when they sent me the press release this mo... more »

Hundreds to Rally to Stop School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Hundreds to Rally to Stop School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] Hundreds to Rally to Stop School Closures by Kate_Lenox *Sacramento Community Stands United Against Closures Prior to Vote on February 21* SACRAMENTO, CA – The Putting Students First (PSF) Coalition will host a rally and press conference on*Wednesday, February 20 *to stand united against the proposed closure of 11 elementary schools. Led by Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), the PSF Coalition is a diverse community of stakeholders including parents, teachers, advocates and... more »

LA School Report Expands Campaign Coverage - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
LA School Report Expands Campaign Coverage - LA School Report: LA School Report Expands Campaign Coverage by LA School Report *A* new section of *LA School Report* launches today, devoted to the three hotly contested Los Angeles School Board races. Election 2013, features in-depth information about each of the ten candidates, including questionnaires, biographies, endorsements, and the latest news on campaign contributions and spending. The enhanced coverage provides readers with easy access to information as the March 5 primary, for District 2, 4 and 6, draws near.

New Report Urges Education Secretary To Take Inequality ‘More Seriously’ - Jeff Bryant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
New Report Urges Education Secretary To Take Inequality ‘More Seriously’ - Jeff Bryant: New Report Urges Education Secretary To Take Inequality ‘More Seriously’ By Jeff Bryant | February 19, 2013 - - Raising the alarm that “America has lost its place as a global leader in educational attainment,” a report issued today by an independent commission chartered by Congressto advise the U.S. Department of Education concludes that the “federal government must take more seriously its profoundly important responsibility” to address inequality in the nation’s K-12 public school... more »

Education Opportunity Network #2 EON #2 – Feb 12-19, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
EON #2 – Feb 12-19, 2013: [image: Education Opportunity Network -] What’s Keeping America From Doing What’s Right For Children (Jeff Bryant) “President Obama presented us with an opportunity to ‘do better’ for children when he included in his State of the Union address a call to provide education to every three- and four-year-old in America … But part of ‘getting it right’ for children is calling out and countering the forces intent on blocking this initiative and making the case to the American people in a way that clarifies minds, commits hearts and moves people to action.” Eq... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Susan Ohanian Takes Down the Common Core State (sic) Standards by dianerav Susan Ohanian hates the Common Core standards. She hates the way they were created and marketed. She thinks they are a great con job. She fears what this mad rush to standardization will do to children. She would oppose them, she says, even if all the recommended readings were her choices. Ohanian lives in Vermont, where she has taught English for many years. She has long been an outspoken opponent of standardized testing and No Child Left Behind. What About the Good Charters? by ... more »

Big Education Ape - SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 2-19-13 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* The Eduttante’s Balls by edushyster2012 *Eduttante: /ËŒedjuˈtänt/ Noun: A shill or paid spokesperson advocating strict no-excuses charters for the urban communities in which he or she does not live. Related terms: educolonialist, whiteousness.* Today we meet a new character in our fast-paced edu-drama: the eduttante. This individual is among the most enthusiastic cheerleaders for the academies of excellence and innovation that are rapidly setting up shop in our urban centers. Among his traits: the eduttante, often paid for his efforts (an... more »

Race to the Bottom: A story about the strings attached to federal funding; - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Race to the Bottom: A story about the strings attached to federal funding; - Wait, What?: Race to the Bottom: A story about the strings attached to federal funding; by jonpelto On any given day, Governor Malloy, his Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor and other “education reformers” including superintendents in Bridgeport, Hartford and elsewhere are racing around – often in circles – in pursuit of some of the money that is being handed out by the United States Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” Program. Applications and waivers are the terms of the day as more and... more »

UPDATE: Special Education News Seattle Schools Community Forum: Events Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Events Update: Special Education News by Melissa Westbrook From SPS: Do you have a child with special needs headed for kindergarten, 1st, 6th or 9th grade in Seattle Public Schools in the next academic year (2013-14)? Do you have a child with special needs in other grades within SPS, but have questions about his/her building or program placement? Wednesday, Feb. 20th, Seattle Public School representatives, in conjunction with Seattle SPED-PTSA and SEAAC, will offer the chance to ask questions about the "riser" process in general and how it relat... more »

Are Some Charter Schools Becoming Parasitic? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Are Some Charter Schools Becoming Parasitic? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Are Some Charter Schools Becoming Parasitic? by Anthony Cody Are some charter schools functioning in a parasitic way in relationship to the school systems that host them? This is the provocative analysis offered this week by Bruce Baker at his School Finance 101 blog. In nature, there is a word for organisms that live together. They are called "symbiotic." When these organisms help one another, as bees that pollinate flowers and receive nectar in return, this is called mutualism. When one is... more »

The $400 senior dues bargain at KIPP High School | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The $400 senior dues bargain at KIPP High School | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: The $400 senior dues bargain at KIPP High School by Gary Rubinstein A few months ago I visited the New York City KIPP High School and wrote a post about it. That post was called ‘fair’ and ‘balanced’ by a lot of people on Twitter, which I’m happy about because it took a lot of restraint to write it that way. As they were very gracious over there and gave me free reign to go wherever I wanted into whatever class for whatever amount of time, I didn’t want to be too rude of a guest. I never said that I wou... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, February 19, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)]*Los Angeles Unified school board election has nation's attention* Education Headlines *Tuesday, February 19, 2013* LAUSD to count student test scores as 30% of teachers' evaluationLos Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy announced Friday that student test scores will make up 30 percent of a new teacher evaluation system, sparking a dispute with union leaders who say that isn't what he promised. Tom Torlakson honors Hughes Middle School in North Long Beach f... more »

There’s Trouble Coming to Paradise – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
There’s Trouble Coming to Paradise – @ the chalk face: There’s Trouble Coming to Paradise by Kuhio Kane [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Way down here in Hawai’i a lot doesn’t happen. The firestorm of resistance to the federal and private subsidizing of the ongoing extraction of more wealth from anyone outside the ruling uberclass in America is virtually non-existent. A couple of days ago, as I entered a nearby middle school office, I witnessed two teachers wearing red T-shirts and carrying signs. Two is better than none. I went up to them and asked them if they were the only... more »

Chicago Teachers Union demands end of standardized testing | The Daily Caller

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Chicago Teachers Union demands end of standardized testing | The Daily Caller: *Chicago Teachers Union demands end of standardized testing* The Chicago Teachers Union urged school administrators nationwide to discontinue the use of standardized tests, deriding them as corporate tools. The CTU recently released a report arguing that standardized tests are a faulty measure of student achievement. They also advance a pro-corporate agenda, the report said. *“*Corporate interests continue to push towards a test‐centered public education system that is clearly harmful to students,” ac... more »

Connecticut Students Plan Walkout Today if Regents Hike Tuition «

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Connecticut Students Plan Walkout Today if Regents Hike Tuition «: Connecticut Students Plan Walkout Today if Regents Hike Tuition by Angus Johnston The Board of Regents of Connecticut’s state university system is meeting today to consider a $778 fee increase, and a group of students and activists are promising a system-wide walkout it the hike goes through. In the last two years, state funding to public higher education has been slashed by more than 15 percent. Today’s planned hikes would amount to an aggregate fee hike of 11.8 percent in the same period — bringing in-state costs... more »

Reforms Targeting Teachers, Schools, Districts, and the Nation (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Reforms Targeting Teachers, Schools, Districts, and the Nation (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Reforms Targeting Teachers, Schools, Districts, and the Nation (Part 1) by larrycuban “History doesn’t teach lessons, historians do.” Because historians interpret the past they often disagree, even revise, the meaning of events from the French Revolution to the American Civil War to school reform. What historians can do is show that in the flow of time constant change occurs. As a wise ancient Greek said: you cannot step into the same river twice. Thus, t... more »

How the Waltons could contribute to real improvements in kids’ educations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
How the Waltons could contribute to real improvements in kids’ educations: How the Waltons could contribute to real improvements in kids’ educations February 15, 2013 By Cathy In Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, President Obama proposed making universal preschool available to all American children. Implementation of early childhood education programs doesn’t come without some upfront costs, of course, but research demonstrates that it’s a great investment that leads to positive long-term outcomes in children’s lives. In particular, it benefits poor children, helping narrow achi... more »

How Trying to Get Rid of Bad Teachers Has Demoralized Our Best | California Progress Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
How Trying to Get Rid of Bad Teachers Has Demoralized Our Best | California Progress Report: How Trying to Get Rid of Bad Teachers Has Demoralized Our Best by callen *By Mark Naison* Every time I have a discussion with someone who claims to be passionately committed to improving schools, they bring up the subject of the "bad teacher." They see public schools as zones of cultural and economic stagnation in an otherwise dynamic society, saddled with a smug and incompetent teaching force that prevents schools from playing their assigned roles of creating a competitive global workforce... more »

UPDATE: My Richard Mell moment. + When it comes to screwing retirees, Illinois’ politicians are bi-partisan + Illinois SB 2404 provides for guaranteed pension funding. Plus 2%. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Illinois SB 2404 provides for guaranteed pension funding. Plus 2%. « Fred Klonsky: My Richard Mell moment. by Fred Klonsky [image: 66371026598c69296fadec08a529376a] *In the days after Harold Washngton’s death, Alderman Richard Mell rises to help the Machine stage a City Hall coup.* Chicago Reader’s Ben Joravsky writes about Alderman Richard Mell in his column today. It’s about the City Council moratorium on school closings that has been sent to Mell’s Rules Committee to die a parliamentary death at the behest of former UNO boss, now alderman Danny Solis. I may have told you about my... more »

Violence Against Teachers – An Overlooked Crisis? | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Violence Against Teachers – An Overlooked Crisis? | NEA Today: Violence Against Teachers – An Overlooked Crisis? by twalker *By Tim Walker* According to* a recent article *published by the American Psychological Association (APA), 80 percent of the teachers surveyed reported being victimized at school at least once in the current school year or prior year. Teacher victimization is a “national crisis,” says Dorothy Espelage, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who served as chair of the APA task force on Classroom Violence Directed at Teachers. And yet, the iss... more »








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