Big Education Ape: Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-30-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-30-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

NYC Educator: Who's Afraid of Julie Cavanagh?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Who's Afraid of Julie Cavanagh?: Who's Afraid of Julie Cavanagh? by NYC Educator These are very tough times for teachers. We're facing an evaluation system that I am personally convinced to be based on nonsense. Mayor Bloomberg openly discusses his desire to hold teachers' feet to the fire, and when he says fire, that's certainly what he wishes to do to us. Governor Cuomo is now buying Bloomberg's argument that junk science agreements ought not to sunset, and stating they ought to remain in effect until and unless they are renegotiated. Unity/ New Action's Mike Mulgr... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] G.F. Brandenburg: Atlanta Details Remind Him of D.C. Details by dianerav Count on G.F. Brandenburg to read the fine print, have a long memory, and share what he has learned with his readers. The excerpts from the Atlanta indictments may remind you of the PBS Frontline special about Michelle Rhee. Remember how she interviewed each principal and asked, “How many points will your scores go up?” “What can What Do Katrina, Camden, and Chicago Have in Common? by dian... more »

What Problem Will Mark Zuckerberg Solve Next??? | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago

What Problem Will Mark Zuckerberg Solve Next??? | EduShyster: What Problem Will Mark Zuckerberg Solve Next??? by edushyster2012 Our topic today is the skillz gap, a problem so fiercely urgent that only the nation’s preeminent techno-wonder kid can even begin to have the smarts to address it. I am talking about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and in the time that it took me to type his names our failed and failing public schools failed to produce yet more workers skilled enough to work at what is indisputably the mostamazing company in human history. So what a relief to learn this week... more »

Come Saturday Morning: Another Charter School Exponent Falls from Grace | Firedoglake

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago

Come Saturday Morning: Another Charter School Exponent Falls from Grace | Firedoglake: Come Saturday Morning: Another Charter School Exponent Falls from Grace by Phoenix Woman Popout Well, well, what have we here? A grand jury on Friday indicted Beverly L. Hall, the former superintendent powerhouse of the Atlanta School District, on racketeering and other charges, bringing a dramatic new chapter to one of the largest cheating scandals in the country. The grand jury also indicted 34 teachers and administrators in addition to Dr. Hall, who resigned in 2011 just before results of an i... more »

Disappearing Act | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago

Disappearing Act | toteachornototeach: Disappearing Act by aristotlethewise *Disappearing Act* ** * * * * by Virginia Myers *End the testing fixation before it erases more meaningful education.* WHEN IT COMES TO TESTING, teachers, parents and even some students agree on one thing: They have had about all they can take. And for good reason. The fixation on testing is putting undue stress on educators as well as students, and, in many instances, punishing teachers and schools. It’s also shortchanging vital parts of the curriculum, including arts, music and physical education. Bonnie ... more »

Schools Matter: With "LiveSchool," Total Surveillance and Compliance Are Just a Swipe and Click Away

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago

Schools Matter: With "LiveSchool," Total Surveillance and Compliance Are Just a Swipe and Click Away: With "LiveSchool," Total Surveillance and Compliance Are Just a Swipe and Click Away by Jim Horn *"The best practice is to record data in the moment. Why? Because it will be immediately available to your colleagues, and it ensures that no behaviors-good or bad-go unrecognized." --LiveSchool promotional material* * **How does a KIPP or other corporate reform school teacher, with a 60-80 hour work week, keep track of every word spoken, every snort or snicker, every fake fart, every... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Reform Right: "Democracy Is a Myth!"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 49 minutes ago

Jersey Jazzman: Reform Right: "Democracy Is a Myth!": Reform Right: "Democracy Is a Myth!" by Duke Meanwhile, in Newark: In an unprecedented move, the *Newark Schools Advisory Board tonight voted against approval of a budget submitted by state-appointed Superintendent Cami Anderson.* *The board voiced its dissatisfaction with the way the budget was submitted, bereft of details, according to at least one member.* "We were all in agreement that there was a lack of transparency," said Board Member Eliana Pintor Marin. "*I asked the question tonight 'where are the programs being cut,... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Proponent & Foundation for Excellence Member Mitchell Chester: Let Them Eat Cake?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 49 minutes ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Proponent & Foundation for Excellence Member Mitchell Chester: Let Them Eat Cake?: Common Core Proponent & Foundation for Excellence Member Mitchell Chester: Let Them Eat Cake? by stlgretchen A nonprofit group released thousands of e-mails today and said they show how a foundation begun by Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and national education reform leader, is working with public officials in states to write education laws that could benefit some of its corporate funders. from washingtonpost.com Neal McCluskey writes a most revealin... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-30-13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* Opinion: HOW I BEAT THE POWERBROKERS IN A SCHOOL BOARD RACE smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 14 hours ago By Bennett Kayser, Op-Ed in the LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/173VB2q 3/28/2013 12:17:23 PM PDT :: In my 2011 school board race, I beat the big money. My campaign coffers never topped $35,000. My opponent Luis Sanchez raised more than five times as much. Sanchez also benefited from the generous support of "independent" interests willing to spend millions to promote t... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 3-30-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * TEACHERS’ GESTURES BOOST MATH LEARNING Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 hours ago Students perform better when their instructors use hand gestures – a simple teaching tool that could yield benefits in higher-level math such as algebra. A study published in *Child Development*, the top-ranked educational psychology journal, provides some of the strongest evidence yet that gesturing may have a unique effect on learning. Teachers in the United States tend to use gestures less than teachers in oth...more »

The Battle for Public Schools – last minute details United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

United Opt Out National: Please read here for all details regarding the occupation. The event will take place at the Dept. of Education, 400 Maryland Ave, SW , Washington, DC 20202. We will be outside, in the plaza on the north side of the building. If possible, bring your own camping chair and be prepared for any kind of weather. Official schedule for our second occupation of the Dept. of Ed. in D.C. from April 4-7, 2013, is available *HERE.* Official press release is *HERE*. Donations are accepted *HERE.* Official poster* HERE*. Livestream is *HERE*. RSVP* HERE.* Rules and parameter... more »

All Things Education: 180 Days: Inspiration, Desperation, and Deselection

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago

All Things Education: 180 Days: Inspiration, Desperation, and Deselection: 180 Days: Inspiration, Desperation, and Deselection by Rachel Levy This spring break, I didn't read the three education books I was planning to. Instead, I spent a good chunk of time watching *180 Days: A Year Inside an American High School.* It's a documentary about DC Metropolitan High School, an alternative or "last chance" school that's part of DCPS. It was well-done and compelling. I highly recommend it. On a personal level, it reminded me a lot of the DCPS high school where I taught in terms of the p... more »

UPDATE: The culture that created the Atlanta cheating + Glen Brown hits a quarter of a million site visits with a great how-to-talk-to-your-legislator post. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Glen Brown hits a quarter of a million site visits with a great how-to-talk-to-your-legislator post. | Fred Klonsky: The culture that created the Atlanta cheating scandal. by Fred Klonsky Today’s big education story is the indictment of former Atlanta school superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall. Dr. Hall was one of 35 Atlanta educators indicted Friday by a Fulton County grand jury. Dr. Hall, who retired in 2011, was charged with racketeering, theft, influencing witnesses, conspiracy and making false statements. Prosecutors recommended a $7.5 million bond for her; she could face up to... more »

New Orleans seen as school choice national model, but is it working? - The Denver Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

New Orleans seen as school choice national model, but is it working? - The Denver Post: New Orleans seen as school choice national model, but is it working? POSTED: 03/29/2013 05:40:10 AM MDT UPDATED: 03/29/2013 08:45:46 AM MDT ByHeather Miller, The Lens Anika Watson and her son Kaleb and daughter Kaliyah outside McDonogh City Park Academy where the children attend school on Thursday, March 14, 2013. Watson learned days after the start of the school year that her kids' new school was an F. The district offered her children a list of schools to which they could transfer, but even... more »

Biggest legal challenge in history to Colorado's state's system of funding public schools is finally being played out before Colorado Supreme Court justices

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Biggest legal challenge in history to Colorado's state's system of funding public schools is finally being played out before Colorado Supreme Court justices: Biggest legal challenge in history to Colorado’s state’s system of funding public schools is finally being played out before Colorado Supreme Court justices by Danny Weil [image: images] The Denver Post has reported that after eight years after it was first filed, the biggest legal challenge in history to the state’s system of funding public schools is finally being played out before Colorado Supreme Court justices. Hearing... more »

Glenn Beck Takes on the Common Core: Is Big Data Big Brother? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Glenn Beck Takes on the Common Core: Is Big Data Big Brother? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Glenn Beck Takes on the Common Core: Is Big Data Big Brother? by Anthony Cody It is safe to say that Glenn Beck has millions of politically conservative followers, even now, on his less visible cable TV and radio program, TheBlaze. In recent weeks, Beck has turned his attention to the dangers posed by the Common Core. I do not usually pay close attention to Glenn Beck's work. On his Fox channel show, he took on a professorial air, and often led viewers down a rabbit hole i... more »

University of Oregon students' anti-rape video goes viral | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

University of Oregon students' anti-rape video goes viral | OregonLive.com: University of Oregon students' anti-rape video goes viral by Yuxing Zheng, The Oregonian An anti-rape video posted by two University of Oregon undergraduates has garnered more than 1.8 million hits the past week and landed them in international media. Cinema studies undergraduates Samantha Stendal and Aaron Blanton posted the video in response to the rape case in Steubenville, Ohio, where two teenage footballers were convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl who was drunk and unconscious. In Stendal and Blanto...more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Opinion: HOW I BEAT THE POWERBROKERS IN A SCHOOL BOARD RACE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Opinion: HOW I BEAT THE POWERBROKERS IN A SCHOOL BOARD RACE: Opinion: HOW I BEAT THE POWERBROKERS IN A SCHOOL BOARD RACE by smf BY BENNETT KAYSER, OP-ED IN THE LA DAILY NEWS | HTTP://BIT.LY/173VB2Q 3/28/2013 12:17:23 PM PDT :: In my 2011 school board race, I beat the big money. My campaign coffers never topped $35,000. My opponent Luis Sanchez raised more than five times as much. Sanchez also benefited from the generous support of "independent" interests willing to spend millions to promote their agendas. He also had the backing of wel... more »

Daily Kos: Could paying a living wage help retail make better profits?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Daily Kos: Could paying a living wage help retail make better profits?: Could paying a living wage help retail make better profits? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) That seems to be the conclusion to be drawn from reading The Trader Joe's Lesson: How to Pay a Living Wage and Still Make Money in Retail, Sophie Quinton's story in *the Atlantic* which is subtitled "Companies that invest in higher salaries for low-level employees find success in a competitive market." It focuses on three chains that pay their employees far more than most competitors, and treats employees as an asset, ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: It's Duncan's Race To The Top that should have been indicted

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: It's Duncan's Race To The Top that should have been indicted: It's Duncan's Race To The Top that should have been indicted by Mike Klonsky Indicted!When the Atlanta test cheating scandal broke two years ago, *Arne Duncan* pooh-poohed it. He started out saying how "stunned" he was and then called it an "isolated" problem. *"I think this is very isolated," Duncan said. "In Baltimore, there's two schools and they dealt with it. This (Atlanta) is an easy one to fix, with better test security.* Isolated? An easy one to fix? Today AJC reports: * Former ... more »

Too much to read… | Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Too much to read… | Deborah Meier on Education: Too much to read… by debmeier I get sent books, I buy them and I borrow them. I’m a sucker for a good title. But if they are in “my field” I think they deserve passing along. So here are some comments about ones I found I was glad t have read this past month or two. 1. Letters of Recommendation, by Maxine McClintock is a surprisingly engaging fictional dialogue between a high school teacher and a very sensitive student about the value of what they’ve has been engaged in. I kept turing down page corners (tsk tsk) and over time I shal... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Astonishing Details of Atlanta Indictments for Cheating by dianerav The New York Times has an extended story on the indictments of educators for their alleged participation in cheating on tests. Ex-superintendent Beverly Hall was one of 35 Atlanta educators indicted in the biggest cheating scandal in public school history. A third-grade teacher agreed to wear a wire for the investigators: She “admitted to Mr. Hyde [the investigator] that she was one of seven teachers — nicknamed “the chosen” — who sat in a locked ... more »

Thinking about sick days. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Thinking about sick days. | Fred Klonsky: Thinking about sick days. by Fred Klonsky [image: jp-sick-articleLarge] One of the things about being retired is that I never have to worry about taking a paid sick day again. *“Who worries about taking a sick day?” you may ask.* Most teachers I know do. They worry about who the sub will be. They worry about leaving plans. They worry that their students will miss a day of their invaluable presence. I’m thinking about sick days because the city of New York is about to pass a law that requires companies which employ five people or more to prov... more »

State investigating $98 million grant for UNO charter schools - Chicago Sun-Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

State investigating $98 million grant for UNO charter schools - Chicago Sun-Times: State investigating $98 million grant for UNO charter schools BY DAN MIHALOPOULOS Staff Reporter dmihalopoulos@suntimes.com March 29, 2013 4:28PM 0 0 Share 26 1 [image: Juan Rangel CEO United Neighborhood Organization. | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times file photo] Juan Rangel, CEO of the United Neighborhood Organization. | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times file photo RELATED DOCUMENTS Inspector general's letter ARTICLE EXTRAS [image: Story Image] View Gallery RELATED STORIES - For insiders, community group UNO’s... more »

Michelle Rhee, a private school parent?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Michelle Rhee, a private school parent?: Michelle Rhee, a private school parent? Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 29, 2013 at 5:13 pm The outspoken Michelle Rhee appears to be uncomfortable talking about where her children go to school in Nashville. Public or private? And why does it matter? Her reluctance is detailed in this Los Angeles Times piece by Michael Mishak headlined, “Michelle Rhee, ‘a public school parent?’ ” Mishak reports that Erin Shaw, a spokesman for Rhee’s StudentsFirst anti-union organization, told the Times, “She is a public school parent.” Based on ... more »

Read Dallas ISD school board candidates’ responses to Dallas Kids First questionnaire | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Read Dallas ISD school board candidates’ responses to Dallas Kids First questionnaire | Education Blog: Read Dallas ISD school board candidates’ responses to Dallas Kids First questionnaire By Matthew Haag mhaag@dallasnews.com 3:57 pm on March 29, 2013 | Permalink 0 11 0 Dallas Kids First released its Dallas ISD candidate scorecards this week and then endorsed the board’s three incumbents in the May election. Dallas Kids First’s roughly 1,000 members used the candidates’ responses to help pick the group’s endorsements. (The group’s members who contributed more than $200 to the polit... more »

Educators set to march on Washington for DREAMer students | NewsTacoNewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Educators set to march on Washington for DREAMer students | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Educators set to march on Washington for DREAMer students by NewsTaco [image: DREAM march California] [image: education votes]By Félix Pérez, EducationVotes It has been more than 15 years since he was in her classroom, but choral music teacher Jill Denny still lights up when describing Jose. “I just think Jose is a fantastic role model for our students. He is the ideal kid. He comes in and says, ‘I’m dying to learn things. Let me learn,’ ” reminisced Denny, who teaches at California’s Mountain View High S... more »

UPDATE: list of people indicted today + Former Atlanta school chief Beverly Hall and 34 others indicted in APS cheating case | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Former Atlanta school chief Beverly Hall and 34 others indicted in APS cheating case | Get Schooled: Former Atlanta school chief Beverly Hall indicted in APS cheating case by Maureen Downey [image: Former Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall was among 35 people indicted today in APS cheating scandal. (AJC photo)]Former Atlanta Superintendent Beverly Hall was among 35 people indicted today in APS cheating scandal. (AJC photo) Among those named in the indictment just handed down by a Fulton County grand jury looking into the APS cheating case is former school chief Beverly Hall. Acc... more »

California Public School News Updates | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

California Public School News Updates | K-12 News Network: California Public School News Updates by admin School Wellness Recognition Program deadline extended to April 5. Click here to learn more. (pdf) Thu, Mar 28, 2013 6:14:00 PM, Continue reading at the source Fabian Nunez To Work With Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst [image: moore_1731.jpg] Former Assembly Speaker hopes to mediate with California Teachers by Brian Leubitz If you are planning to come to the CDP convention in Sacramento in a couple of weeks, it will be no secret that the teachers are an important constituency withi... more »

Youth Science Camp Delegates Selected - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Youth Science Camp Delegates Selected - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces California's National Youth Science Camp Delegates SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that Arashpreet Kaur Gill, a senior at Tracy High School in Tracy (San Joaquin County), and Veronica Alissa Rivera, a senior at Claremont High School in Claremont (Los Angeles County) have been selected as California's 2013 National Youth Science Camp delegates. "As a science teacher, it's a thrill to be able to send these two young ... more »

Want to teach better? New study says use your hands | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Want to teach better? New study says use your hands | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Want to teach better? New study says use your hands by Mary Plummer [image: Dual Language API - 2]*Sixth grade dual language teacher Luz Valasquez leads a math class on polyhedrons. A new study out this week finds that students who receive instruction with hand gestures perform better on tests. Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC* One key to more effective teaching could be as simple as talking with your hands, according to a new study from the University of Iowa and Michigan State University. The study released ... more »

Mike Klonsky...: From pineapples to small schools, alum Mike Klonsky's work is no small talk

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Mike Klonsky...: From pineapples to small schools, alum Mike Klonsky's work is no small talk: From pineapples to small schools, alum Mike Klonsky's work is no small talk by Mike Klonsky From UIC Alumni Magazine, UIC College of Education April 30, 2012 [image: From pineapples to small schools, alum Mike Klonsky's work is no small talk] *Professor Michael Klonsky teaches in the College of Education at DePaul University in Chicago. He also serves as the national director of the Small Schools Workshop, and on the national steering committee of Save Our Schools, a national movement ded... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Perth Amboy Follies Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Perth Amboy Follies Update: Perth Amboy Follies Update by Duke Let's check back in on the Reformiest District In New Jersey™: City schools Superintendent Janine Walker Caffrey insists her district is out of ideas.Time and again, she said, administrators have tried — and failed — to attract bilingual math and science teachers to Perth Amboy’s public schools. “We’ve posted positions a total of 26 times,” Caffrey said. “We’ve had face-to-face meetings with students at five universities over the last few months. We’ve posted jobs on 13 national websites, had numerous... more »

Paying attention to 9th graders | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Paying attention to 9th graders | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Paying attention to 9th graders by thenotebook Sub Title: Graduation rates keep climbing, but many students still founder in the first year of high school. Author: by Dale Mezzacappa Philadelphia’s graduation rate continues to improve, yet only about two-thirds of students who start 9th grade in public schools get a diploma four years later. As the *Notebook* does its eighth annual edition focusing on the city’s dropout crisis, this is both encouraging and sobering news. Encouraging because the gains are slow an... more »

Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools – last minute details | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools – last minute details | United Opt Out National: Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools – last minute details by admin Please read here for all details regarding the occupation. The event will take place at the Dept. of Education, 400 Maryland Ave, SW , Washington, DC 20202. We will be outside, in the plaza on the north side of the building. If possible, bring your own camping chair and be prepared for any kind of weather. Official schedule for our second occupation of the Dept. of Ed. in D.C. from April 4-7, 2013, is available ... more »

Activists file lawsuit to stop D.C. school closures - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Activists file lawsuit to stop D.C. school closures - The Washington Post: Activists file lawsuit to stop D.C. school closures Katherine Frey/THE WASHINGTON POST - FILE: DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson speaks before the DC Council and the public about her reasons for proposing to closeschools at the Wilson Building Thrsday, November 15, 2012 in Washington, DC By Emma Brown, Friday, March 29, 11:08 AM Opponents of the District’s plan to close 15 under-enrolled public schools filed a lawsuit Friday in an effort to force Chancellor Kaya Henderson to keep them open. The ... more »

Letter to Civil Rights and school “choice” advocate (p.s. neoliberals skip this) | Cloaking Inequity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Letter to Civil Rights and school “choice” advocate (p.s. neoliberals skip this) | Cloaking Inequity: Letter to Civil Rights and school “choice” advocate (p.s. neoliberals skip this) [image: washingtondc_201006A32_07] Dear Civil Rights and choice advocate, I have noticed that some Civil Rights advocates are supporting and leading the school “choice” movement. They are searching for alternatives as our nation has *consistently* and* purposely* underserved students of color. As one reformer from Los Angeles told me, Latina/os and African Americans have been forced to attend “f_cked u... more »

A Part of Us Is Dying in Chicago - Of, By, For: In Search of the Civic Mission of K-12 Schools - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

A Part of Us Is Dying in Chicago - Of, By, For: In Search of the Civic Mission of K-12 Schools - Education Week: [image: Of, By, For: In Search of the Civic Mission of K-12 Schools] A Part of Us Is Dying in Chicago By Sam Chaltain on March 28, 2013 4:46 PM | No comments I can't reconcile the deep sense of community that filmmakers Amy and Tom Valens have captured in their 10-part video series about a year in the life of a public school in Boston, with the painful public clashes we're witnessing in Chicago - where 54 of the city's schools will soon be shuttered. Indeed, although t... more »

Michelle Rhee, 'a public school parent'? - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Michelle Rhee, 'a public school parent'? - latimes.com: Michelle Rhee, 'a public school parent'? By Michael J. Mishak March 29, 2013, 7:05 a.m. SACRAMENTO -- In the course of reporting a story about Michelle Rhee, the controversial former District of Columbia chancellor seeking to take her brand of education reform to statehouses across the country, the Los Angeles Times asked her spokeswoman a simple question: Do Rhee’s children attend public or private school? The response from Erin Shaw seemed clear. “She is a public school parent,” Shaw told the paper in an email. So The Tim... more »

Quantifying Teacher Effectiveness — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Quantifying Teacher Effectiveness — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Melissa Mellor]Quantifying Teacher Effectiveness March 29, 2013 by Melissa Mellor [image: ASCD Policy Priorities - Spring 2013] Can you quantify the effectiveness of a good teacher? How much of that can be determined from student test scores? And how can teachers of untested subjects like the arts, physical education, and social studies be fairly evaluated? These are some of the questions raised in the newest edition of *Policy Priorities*, ASCD's quarterly policy newsletter, which examines U.S. ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Public Private Partnership in Nationalized Education. Local Control is Non-Existent.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Public Private Partnership in Nationalized Education. Local Control is Non-Existent.: Public Private Partnership in Nationalized Education. Local Control is Non-Existent. by stlgretchen From ed.gov and *Education Department Launches 2013 Investing in Innovation Competition:* The U.S. Department of Education announced the start of the $150 million 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition today with the release of the program's invitation for pre-applications for the i3 "Development" grant category and the notice of final priorities for the ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Buyers Remorse

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Reformy Buyers Remorse: Reformy Buyers Remorse by Duke *AchieveNJ: Operation Hindenburg* Ruh-roh: As the Christie administration’s new regulations for teacher evaluation near a critical juncture, *the prime author of the landmark tenure reform law behind the proposed rules said the administration may be moving too aggressively in some places.** * State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), the legislator most credited for the new tenure law, said yesterday in some of her first public comments on the regulations that the administration’s plans to base 35 percent of certain ... more »

The District’s budget: Key facts and figures | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

The District’s budget: Key facts and figures | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: The District’s budget: Key facts and figures by Paul Socolar The School Reform Commission adopted a $2.66 billion “lump-sum budget” Thursday evening. The lump-sum budget provides overall projections for revenue, expenses, and any surplus or deficit, but does not include a detailed breakdown. The detailed budget typically comes in late April and must be adopted by May 31. From the budget and Thursday's presentation by District staff, here are some key numbers on this year and how officials propose to... more »

UPDATE: Friday Open Thread Seattle Schools Community Forum: No Surprise-Burgess Would Consider Taking Over Seattle Schools as Mayor

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: No Surprise-Burgess Would Consider Taking Over Seattle Schools as Mayor: Friday Open Thread by Melissa Westbrook Update: Free Admission to Washington State Parks this Saturday! Beautiful weather, beautiful parks - get out there! West Seattle HS culinary students place 5th in state competition with two students winning scholarships. Our own Top Chefs in SPS. Congrats kids! From the "what do you want him to call it" category, comes this story about an Idaho science teacher who was called out by parents for using the word "vagina" during a unit ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sound and fury over crowd estimate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sound and fury over crowd estimate: Sound and fury over crowd estimate by Mike Klonsky The current dust-up about the various estimates of the crowd size at Wednesday's school closing protest qualifies as *sound and fury, signifying nothing*, to quote Will Shakespeare. What difference does it make whether the size of this particular march and rally was 2,000 or 10,000? The point is, it was big, loud and militant enough to be heard all the way up to the fifth floor of City Hall and in BBB's offices at CPS. The message was loud and clear and was picked... more »

Communication and Engagement Pave the Way to School Success | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Communication and Engagement Pave the Way to School Success | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Communication and Engagement Pave the Way to School Success by National School Public Relations Association *By Rich Bagin, APR, Executive Director of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA)* Years ago the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) offered a guidebook entitled *Making and Marketing Your School as a School of Choice *. This was even before the charter movement, open enrollment, vouchers, and the home schooling surge began nibbli...more »

Indictments may come today in APS cheating scandal. Grand jury looking at suppressed report on “culture of wrongdoing” at one school | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Indictments may come today in APS cheating scandal. Grand jury looking at suppressed report on “culture of wrongdoing” at one school | Get Schooled: Indictments may come today in APS cheating scandal. Grand jury looking at suppressed report on “culture of wrongdoing” at one school by Maureen Downey The AJC is expecting indictments possibly later today related to the APS cheating scandal first brought to light by the newspaper. When those indictments come down, please be sure to come back to the blog as there will be a lot to discuss about who was indicted and who was not. The AJC ... more »

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Not very smart or balanced. – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Not very smart or balanced. – @ the chalk face: Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Not very smart or balanced. by Timothy D. Slekar My turn to say it. “The common core is nothing more than a new *product* designed to suck tax dollars from public schools. The tax dollars will be spent on *assessment* systems that do nothing for children, teachers and schools.” How do I know? I received an invitation from the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities to review the *Achievement Level Descriptors and College Content... more »

Florida’s New High School Requirements and Alternatives Show Legislators Were Listening | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Florida’s New High School Requirements and Alternatives Show Legislators Were Listening | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida’s New High School Requirements and Alternatives Show Legislators Were Listening by Bob Sikes Some could say that they even offered a mea culpa. From Travis Pillow in the *Tallahassee Democrat:* The expansion of career education has been tied to broader changes to high school graduation requirements in competing proposals advanced by both House and Senate. Right now, students must pass the geometry exam to graduate under a law passed in 2010, which took full ... more »