Friday, February 22, 2013

An open letter from a Centennial parent | DeFENSE

An open letter from a Centennial parent | DeFENSE:


An open letter from a Centennial parent

Last night’s Board of Education meeting was a wild ride,and there’s so much to tell you.  First, this open invitation from one of the dads of Centennial, the school in which we stand in firm solidarity:
Dear NW Denver Parents, Teachers, Business Owners, Citizens, Press, DPS board;
This message is intended for anyone who wants to protect the NW Denver community & have great schools for our children.
I don’t want to choose the education of my child like I choose my socks at 6am. Things don’t always end up well for me when I am quietly trying to match socks up in the dark. I do a little better when I plan ahead and know what I am putting on.
So, I am holding an open meeting at Zooks Coffee Tomorrow Morning, Saturday 2/23/13 at 8:30am (MST).
You are welcome to come. I would like to talk about overall unity among our community to discuss the one thing we can unite on.
We all want what is best for our kids & what is best for our community.
Let me get to the point.
On this email, there are people for and against every issue that is rolling thru the NW Denver community. Included are Centennial K-8 parents and community members who want the principal to go and those who want her to stay. I have copied parents and community members who are very excited about innovation and those who are against the change. And many who were a little heart broken when we didn’t see the name(s) of a special teacher on the lists of returning teachers.
I am excited that NW Denver has the attention of the school district to improve our Schools in NW Denver.
I am fearful that the process and recent series of events, may seriously harm our neighborhood as it proceeds unless we unite.
Some of the ripple effects of change are AWESOME. These issues have caused community involvement in Centennial (and North High) to grow exponentially and we now have a very invigorated parent community who is involved and will fight for what is best for our children.
BUT, some of those ripples are driving a fracture in our neighborhood. And with a larger, caring community population, we now have a community that is divided.
We will never all agree on politics and religion, but I am sure that we can all agree that we want what is best for the place we call home. The handling of this matter has caused us to fracture, and divide. Even if DPS’s goal is to provide the most efficient, fulfilling and effective education to every child in our neighborhood, their methodology has caused a fracture in our home.
As admitted by a DPS board member last night at the board meeting; fractured and wounded neighborhoods are in the wake of changes DPS has made in the past. But the fracture that it has caused in our community cannot be repaired unless we unite on one thing and one thing only; We will defend our community.
Denver Public Schools will continue press change and improvement. We demand that of the School Board. However, in this case, they expect us to choose our children’s future like I choose my socks at 6am….in the dark, trying not to wake anyone.
So, the community has come together, even if it is on opposite sides of an issue. We can unite in support of our community. I owe my children the duty of ensuring I fully understand what kind of school I am putting them in.
This invite will be sent to SOS Colorado, Defense Denver, North Siders of Denver, Centennial School, Occupy Denver Public Schools, Our DPS, HUNI, Lohi and 32nt avenue merchants associations.
The worst thing that will happen is that I will have one of the best cups of coffee in the neighborhood. Or, some people will come together and discuss the things we have in common.
Location: Zooks Coffee (tied to the Denver Puppet Theatre in NW Denver) 3156 W 38th Avenue, Denver Colorado, 80211 in the Highlands.
Time: 8:30am (MST) Saturday 2/23/13.
Open to: EVERYONE
I know this time may conflict with other events in your calendar and I do apologize. The media has been invited.
If this is news to you, I have summarized my experience below

NORTHWEST Denver School removes 75% of the teachers the day AFTER parents can choose to send their kids to another school.

If your school would have told you that 75% of the existing teachers at your school would be released from their position at the end of the school year, would you choose that school for your child? Parents of Centennial K-8 in NW Denver were not given that choice. Denver Public Schools, and the current principal of Centennial K-8 in NW Denver decided to remove 75% THE DAY AFTER PARENTS COULD CHOOSE to send children elsewhere.
I am not going to passively sit back and watch this continued, calculated, deception effect my son’s education.
The process was outlined to the parents in the CEC meeting at the end of November 2012. Was this the process followed when they decided to gut our school and remove 75% of the teachers the day AFTER we were able to make our choice of schools?
This was a very strategic, and calculated move. I really worry about the true underlying motives for the timing.
Dear DPS,
Not only was that move underhanded, it was dishonest. If you say that the choice out date had nothing to do with your decision, then you are oblivious to what is important to parents. That makes me not trust you. If you did this with the date in mind, and thought of it as little important, then you are again oblivious. And I still don’t trust you.
Finally, a Majority Vote was cast last night in support of slowing the wheels that are in motion to ensure all variables have been addressed. That vote, although a majority in favor, is in question as the board is a member shy, and the Superintendent stepped out of the meeting before the vote was cast.
–Dustin Tidwell, Centennial parent
Can you come and join the meeting in solidarity too?

More about the majority vote situation last night

After last night’s public comment, Board Member Andrea Merida introduced a motion to stop the progress on the Centennial school redesign until a full community process had been had and other variables had been considered.  She pointed out that the board may have been deceived in their vote on December 20 to phase out the middle-school grades, because though the resolution does give the principal the power to make changes to staff, it was requested in the context of phasing out those three grades.  She called it another “bait and switch” from the administration.
The vote was taken, with the result of 3-2.  Board president Mary Seawell was not present.  The district’s legal counsel declared the motion failed, citing board policy BEDA, which says that “voting shall be by roll call with each member present voting “Aye” or “no” alphabetically. To pass, any motion must be approved by a majority of full membership of the Board.”
So what exactly does “a majority of full membership of the Board” actually mean?  A majority of the current existing board was present, 5 out of the 6.  The district’s legal counsel said that the motion failed because they needed 4 votes to pass.  But the board isn’t currently a 7 member board because of the vacancy created by the resignation of Nate Easley.  It’s currently a 6 member board.
So what now?  Community members are filing complaints with the Colorado Attorney General’s office, as well as with the Colorado Department of Education.  You can call too.  720-508-6000.


Edy the Warrior – @ the chalk face

Edy the Warrior – @ the chalk face:


Edy the Warrior

I have never been to Austin, Texas, so I have no idea how clean it is.  I know that the slogan, “Don’t mess with Texas,” is very well known in the U.S. (and that littering fines can be hefty), but corporate reform fighters like Edy Chamness are giving that slogan a new meaning.
20130202-Michels-Edy-Chamness-OptOut1-712x475
The Texas Observer gave us a great article about my good [Facebook] friend, Edy, as she showed her strength and resolve in sticking up for her son against the storm of standardized testing and budget cuts threatening Austin’s public schools.  She also got props for her Facebook page, Texas Parents Opt Out of State Tests.
The only thing that really chaps my hide (they say that in Texas, right?) is that apparently opt-outers are “fringe” 

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: "I Apologize" An Open Letter to My Students!

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: "I Apologize" An Open Letter to My Students!:


"I Apologize" An Open Letter to My Students!

More bad news for Texas teachers | K-12 Zone | a Chron.com blog

More bad news for Texas teachers | K-12 Zone | a Chron.com blog:


More bad news for Texas teachers

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-22-13 #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



School Tech Connect: A Little Bit of Everything

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
School Tech Connect: A Little Bit of Everything: A Little Bit of Everything by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Still slammed with school stuff. They're working me like Seabiscut! No blog post for you! I'm off (at 4AM tomorrow) to a tech conference with some great kids. We've got a number of presentations ready and we're going to rock the house, I'm pretty sure. Since I'm a tech writer (*cough! hack!*) I'm going to tell you the five hallmarks of a successful school technology program. 1. Your students can name the books they're reading and give several recommendations. 2. The... more »

Daily Kos: Well, if you want to know how I responded

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago
Daily Kos: Well, if you want to know how I responded: Well, if you want to know how I responded by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I can point you at what I wrote. If you do not understand what this is about, several days ago I posted So tell me how you might respond. Something I had written originally at * Academe* had been posted by Valerie Strauss at her blog at the*Washington Post*, where it proceeded to go viral. I had mentioned Jay Mathews in the piece, and he responded with a piece in which he somewhat disagreed with me. Jay and I will have our own direct back and forth, but ... more »

#edreformers: War Pigs! – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago
#edreformers: War Pigs! – @ the chalk face: #edreformers: War Pigs! by Timothy D. Slekar In this latest installment of “someone has to say it” I again reveal my attempt to engage EDweek and *Teacher Beat* author Stephen Sawchuk in a legitimate discussion concerning education reform. Last week EDweek published Stephen’s story on the “proposed” changes to teacher accreditation unveiled by the new Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). In case you’ve forgotten NCATE and TEAC merged (CAEP) to further destroy professional teacher preparation and turn teaching into... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Long Live The Queen of Tenure!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Long Live The Queen of Tenure!: Long Live The Queen of Tenure! by Duke *Accountability begins at home.* The Queen of Tenure has survived her attempted usurpation: *The Perth Amboy Board of Education has voted to end its lengthy fight with Superintendent Janine Caffrey by rescinding her suspension*. On Thursday, the nine-member board — with three new members elected in November and two re-elected — rescinded a resolution it adopted Sept. 23 that placed Caffrey on administrative leave with pay, and notified her she would not be reappointed at the end of her term in... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Why Families Need a Progressive Middle School in District 4

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Why Families Need a Progressive Middle School in District 4: Why Families Need a Progressive Middle School in District 4 by Leonie Haimson *The following is by Raven Snook, a parent in District 4. WhileDOE often claims to be responding to "parent choice" they are really responding to the choice of privatizers, in their effort to expand charters as quickly as possible, and give them space inside public school buildings, even when they already have leased alternatives, as in the example below.* My 7-year-old attends Central Park East II, one of two progr... more »

Florida 5th grade teache Megan Allen speaks out against budget cuts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Megan Allen of Tampa Florida speaks out against budget cuts that hurt students and families. She is in Washington, DC to testify to Congress today. [image: Allen 2] Florida 5th grade teacher Megan Allen testifies before the House Democratic Steering Committee on the potential impact of sequestration/fiscal cliff on her school and her students. Allen is also the 2010 Teacher of the Year and is a member of the Florida Education Association. PHOTOS: NEA/Bill Clark

Massachusetts professors protest high-stakes standardized tests

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Massachusetts professors protest high-stakes standardized tests: Massachusetts professors protest high-stakes standardized tests Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 22, 2013 at 3:55 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: teset1]A coalition of more than 130 Massachusetts professors and researchers from some 20 schools — including Harvard, Tufts, Boston and Brandeis universities — signed a new public statement that urges officials to stop overusing high-stakes standardized tests to assess s... more »

Schools Matter: Feds cut funding, but the tests will survive

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Schools Matter: Feds cut funding, but the tests will survive: Feds cut funding, but the tests will survive by skrashen Sent to the Washington Post, Feb. 22, 2013 “U.S. schools brace for federal funding cuts,” Feb. 21, did not mention that despite anticipated cuts of $1.3 billion in federal funding of education, there are no plans to cut back on the common core standards, accurately described by Susan Ohanian as “a radical untried curriculum overhaul and … nonstop national testing.” The common core requires that all students be connected to the internet in order to take the tests ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: LEAP Update

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: LEAP Update: LEAP Update by Duke *Accountability begins at home. * Here's an update to the LEAP charter school scandal; to my mind, Claudia Vargas of the *Philadelphia Inquirer*buries the lede: LEAP has resolved another issue. regaining its status as a tax-exempt organization last week. The IRS revoked that status after LEAP failed to file the required Form 990 for three consecutive years. That's big news, because this might save the $8.5 million in bonds that LEAP used to finance its expansion, guaranteed by Rutgers-Camden, from going into default. I'll assume t... more »

The Fight to Save Our Schools Begins Today | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
The Fight to Save Our Schools Begins Today | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: The Fight to Save Our Schools Begins Today by Kate_Lenox [image: Home] It's not just a school, it's a community that will be lost. Parents trust that teachers and staff will act in the best interests of their children to look after them and to teach them for 6 hours a day. It's a stressful and scary situation for a parent to lose the school that is your child's safe haven. Programs that serve the students can be moved to others schools, but that's pointless if the kids can't participa... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Massachusetts Professors Oppose High-Stakes Testing by dianerav Nearly 150 professors at universities in Massachusetts issued a statement in opposition to high-stakes testing. As the national movement against the misuse and abuse of standardized tests grows, the mainstream media is starting to take note and report on it. More than 800 school boards in Texas; prominent superintendents like Joshua Starr and Heath Morrison; teachers at Garfield High in Seattle; students in Portland, Oregon, and Providence, RI. Every day, the reaction against high-stakes testin... more »

A drop in a half empty bucket? In defense of deprivation in NY | School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
A drop in a half empty bucket? In defense of deprivation in NY | School Finance 101: A drop in a half empty bucket? In defense of deprivation in NY by schoolfinance101 [image: Slide1] First, here’s a primer and reading list on the Empire State of School Finance: 1. New York State maintains one of the least equitable state school finance systems in the nation 2. New York State actually allocates a ton of state aid to districts that need it least, exacerbating the disparities 3. Reformy types in New York State thought, under these circumstances, it would be really... more »

Schools Matter: Common Core State Standards Primer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Schools Matter: Common Core State Standards Primer: Common Core State Standards Primer Disclaimer: The publishers of this document, Truth in American Education, have some very disconcerting right-wing membership and advisors. I mean really right wing, like Heritage, Koret, the Teabaggers, and other assorted birthers and Birchers. However, this Common Core State Standards Primer document appears on the Hoosiers Against Common Core site that Professor Ravitch mentions in her recent Two Determined Moms in Indiana Take On Common Core post. Like the old adage: "even a broken clock is ri... more »

Noble charter school student’s story in Education Week Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Noble charter school student’s story in Education Week: Noble charter school student’s story in Education Week by admin [image: Joshua Moore]Joshua Moore The story about Noble Charter Schools’ “secret sauce” – their ridiculous and costly discipline policies — that PURE first brought to light has made it into Education Week. Called “Charter Discipline: A Tale of Two Students,” the story details the way Joshua Moore, son of PURE member Donna Moore, was systematically harassed and ultimately pushed out of the school by the dis... more »

WHY DO TEACHERS PERSIST IN TRYING TO CONVINCE LAUSD OF THINGS THAT NOT EVEN LAUSD BELIEVES ARE TRUE? - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
WHY DO TEACHERS PERSIST IN TRYING TO CONVINCE LAUSD OF THINGS THAT NOT EVEN LAUSD BELIEVES ARE TRUE? - Perdaily.com: WHY DO TEACHERS PERSIST IN TRYING TO CONVINCE LAUSD OF THINGS THAT NOT EVEN LAUSD BELIEVES ARE TRUE? by Leonard Isenberg [image: Virginia Mc Martin.jpg] (Mensaje se repite en Español) *Educated teachers, parents, and even most students knows that 2 + 2 = 4 and yet the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) keep insisting that it equals 5...or sometimes even 3. Then why do teachers continue arguing with them, since to do so ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Mayor 2% and the freedom riders

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Mayor 2% and the freedom riders: Mayor 2% and the freedom riders by Mike Klonsky All the corporate reformers, from Duncan to Rhee, have been claiming that education is a civil rights issue. Turns out, they were right. Only they are the violators. Here's the real freedom riders: *“We are here today to declare that school closings and displacing children primarily black and brown children is a civil rights issue,” said the Rev. Krista Alston, whose son attended Price until it closed. “It is a civil rights issue when children are denied the right to a ... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Districts as the Engine of School Reform: Past and Present (Part 2) Best of the Ed Blogs Larry Cuban February 22, 2013 Through the Sunshine State’s Accountability S... more »

Twitter vs. Education or Women vs. Men | My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Twitter vs. Education or Women vs. Men | My Island View: Twitter vs. Education or Women vs. Men by tomwhitby Every Friday on Twitter, Tweeters will make recommendations based on their personal experience of exceptional people to follow on Twitter. As an educator, if I follow those recommendations I will almost certainly improve the quality and quantity of tweets I get on education since educators are the people who I follow for my own Personal Learning Network. Each of these tweets of recommendation will be tagged with the telltale hashtag #FF. This identifies them as such a reco... more »

Schools Matter: Voucher Gospels in Indiana Government

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schools Matter: Voucher Gospels in Indiana Government: Voucher Gospels in Indiana Government by Storm **Guest Post by Doug Martin *SCHOOL VOUCHER BULLYING, PURE POLITICS, AND THE INDIANA OFFICE OF MANAGEMENTAND BUDGET* When it comes to the corporate-religious-political bullying for the Amway/Walmart/ALEC/Overstock.com/Koch Brothers assault on Indiana school children, the Republicans will stop short of nothing. House Bill 1342 was a perfect example. Having moved out of committee but finally killed off yesterday by GOP House Speaker Brian Bosma, this bill sought to strip India... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, February 22, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Sacramento City district trustees vote to close seven schools* Education Headlines *Friday, February 22, 2013* Measure K funds spent accordin to plan, Lodi Unified School District officials sayThe Lodi Unified School District is congratulating itself on a job well done after disbanding the Measure K oversight committee on Tuesday. Most Marin schools to see big jump in state fundingThe majority of Marin school districts would receive big funding increases under a new state formula, but the amounts vary widely and some districts wou... more »

Hackery McHackerson on testing and the #commoncore @educationweek – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Hackery McHackerson on testing and the #commoncore @educationweek – @ the chalk face: Hackery McHackerson on testing and the #commoncore @educationweek by Chalk Face, PhD [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Marilyn Rhames is Charting Her Own Course at Education Week, this time in a sort of interesting and not so interesting defense of the common core and testing. This article is weak, man, very weak. Let me go through some particulars. Actually, all I need to do is underscore this early paragraph: As annoying as it is to cut into my curriculum for two weeks of test prep and another ... more »

Parents saddened by vote to close Sacramento elementary schools - Education - The Sacramento Bee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Parents saddened by vote to close Sacramento elementary schools - Education - The Sacramento Bee: Parents saddened by vote to close Sacramento elementary schools By Anne Gonzalez agonzalez@sacbee.com Published: Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 - 8:27 am Some parents reacted this morning with shock and sadness that schools their children attend in the Sacramento Unified School District are to be closed. The closures, scheduled for seven elementary schools at the end of the current academic year, were ordered by Sacramento City Unified district trustees after a 4-3 vote Thursday night. Three sc... more »

UPDATE: Downtown School Update Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why I Can't Support Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee 's Efforts: Downtown School Update by Melissa Westbrook Councilman (and mayoral candidate) Tim Burgess has a regular newsletter that he sends out. Here's what he has to say about the South Lake Union development and a "public school." *3. Support our public school system. Two weeks ago, Seattle voters once again demonstrated generous support for public education by renewing two vital levies at a time when more parents are enrolling their children in public school. City government can do more ... more »

Four reasons why teachers should not teach creationism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Four reasons why teachers should not teach creationism: Four reasons why teachers should not teach creationism Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 22, 2013 at 11:30 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: dino]Evolution is the animating principle of modern biology, uniting all biological fields. It’s a theory in the sense that everything in science is considered a theory but biologists have no doubt of its essential truth. Creationist theory is not a scientific alternative view to evolutio...more »

Superintendent & School Board Overrules Community Voice to Close Schools in Sacramento’s Poorest Communities

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
(69) Superintendent & School Board Overrules Community Voice to Close Schools in Sacramento’s Poorest Communities: *Superintendent & School Board Overrules Community Voice to Close Schools in Sacramento’s Poor Communities* * * * * * * SACRAMENTO, CA – Amidst hundreds of disenfranchised parents, four Board Members (Cueno, Woo, Hansen, Kennedy) and Superintendent Raymond arbitrarily and inconsistently applied standards to close seven schools in Sacramento Unified City School District (SCUSD). Moments before the School Board was prepared to vote on the “wrong-sizing” proposal, Superi... more »

Louisiana Educator: Two Flaws in Accountability

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Two Flaws in Accountability: Two Flaws in Accountability by Michael Deshotels I served on a panel in Lafayette Thursday for a discussion of the status of education in Louisiana sponsored by the Louisiana Association of Educators. As part of the panel presentation I pointed out two serious flaws in the Louisiana school accountability system. After the forum, a couple of teachers asked me to write a post on those two issues so that the teachers and other educators who were not able to attend the forum could also utilize this information in discussions with their... more »

State Auditors determine Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the Malloy Administration dodged bidding requirements - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
State Auditors determine Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the Malloy Administration dodged bidding requirements - Wait, What?: State Auditors determine Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the Malloy Administration dodged bidding requirements by jonpelto Wait, What? readers know the long, ugly story behind yesterday’s news that Commissioner Stefan Pryor did, in fact, use a quasi-state agency, the State Education Resource Center (SERC), to get around state bidding laws so that he could hire companies and individuals that he had worked with in the past. State Auditors have... more »

ASCD Releases 2013 Legislative Agenda — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
ASCD Releases 2013 Legislative Agenda — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Melissa Mellor]ASCD Releases 2013 Legislative Agenda February 22, 2013 by Melissa Mellor ASCD's 2013 Legislative Agenda (PDF) urges Congress to immediately reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and replace it with a comprehensive rewrite that fixes the current law's flaws; aligns with and supports state and local initiatives; and guides revisions to other federal programs, such as special education and career and technical education. Now 11 years old and five years ove... more »

Addressing the Achievement Gap: Opportunities for Young Men of Color | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Addressing the Achievement Gap: Opportunities for Young Men of Color | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Addressing the Achievement Gap: Opportunities for Young Men of Color by Tarsi Dunlop The Commission on Equity and Excellence had a Congressional mandate to provide advice to Secretary Duncan on the disparities in meaningful educational opportunities and to recommend ways in which federal policies can address such disparities. They just released a report titled “For Each and Every Child,” after a two year work period. The distinguished members of the panel, wit... more »

Teacher questions value of AP program

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Teacher questions value of AP program: Teacher questions value of AP program Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 22, 2013 at 8:30 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: princeton-review-ap-government]Earlier this month I published what turned out to be a very popular post by veteran educator Kenneth Bernstein — known online as teacherken — that was a warning to college professors about the level of preparation for higher education that high school students were receiving. My colleague Jay... more »

Daily Kos: thoughts on writing and political participation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Daily Kos: thoughts on writing and political participation: thoughts on writing and political participation by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Like many in the blogosphere, I often opine on issues on which I lack formal expertise. Once I get beyond education, I would be hard put to justify my opinions on the basis of either formal education or job experience. In that sense I am no different than many who are paid great sums to offer their bloviations, the pundit class. I may agree with them - as I usually do with the likes of Paul Krugman, Charles M. Blow, and Eugene Robinson - ... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A “Push Poll” by University of Chicago and Tribune to Support Rahm Agenda by dianerav Have you ever gotten one of those seemingly innocuous phone calls where the caller asks if you will participate in a survey? You know, market research or social science. Here is a fascinating account of a “push poll” that starts off innocuous and then turns into advocacy for Mayor Rahm Emanel’s agenda of privatization and teacher-bashing. Was the caller really working for the University of Chicago? Who knows? They called ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Weasel Migration: USDOE to Murdoch Inc.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Weasel Migration: USDOE to Murdoch Inc.: Weasel Migration: USDOE to Murdoch Inc. by Duke *@EdPressSec* Just in case you were worried that the Washington public-private revolving door was restricted to Capitol Hill: Cozy. *Justin Hamilton, who recently left the U.S. Department of Education, where he served as press secretary for Secretary Arne Duncan, has gone to work for Amplify, the online education company owned by Rupert Murdoch and run by Joel Klein.* Hamilton is senior vice president for corporate communications. Klein, the former chancellor of New York City ... more »

Commander Data, The Borg, and the NYC DOE southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Commander Data, The Borg, and the NYC DOE by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Isn't it amazing how art sometimes imitates life? I swear, I have watched Star Trek: First Contact a thousand times. Never before have I been able to put two and two together and see the striking similarities between the movie and the DOE. Most striking though is the scene in which Commander Data first encounters the Borg Queen. In the scene Data is in the engineering section when the Borg Queen comes upon him. Like the Blue Angel promises to make Pinocchio a real boy, ... more »

solidaridad: MBC Korean News Features LAUSD Board Candidate Robert D. Skeels and Adult Ed Students

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
solidaridad: MBC Korean News Features LAUSD Board Candidate Robert D. Skeels and Adult Ed Students: MBC Korean News Features LAUSD Board Candidate Robert D. Skeels and Adult Ed Students by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene Popout MBC Korean News segment on our press conference in front of the Korean American Education Foundation, one of the several sites that the incumbent callously shut down. We were honored to be interviewed by MBC News' Reporter Shirley Aeree Kim 김애리 and Director of Photography Simon Park

Mother Crusader: Paterson Board of Education Will Act On Charter Approvals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Paterson Board of Education Will Act On Charter Approvals: Paterson Board of Education Will Act On Charter Approvals by darciecima While suburban districts in New Jersey have had their share of victories stopping the charter onslaught, so far urban district's haven't found their voice. That may be changing, and Paterson may be poised to turn the tide. I have written four posts (here, here, here and here) about the Paterson Collegiate Charter School application which was approved last week. As I was writing the story, I reached out to Paterson board member Dr. Jo... more »

Study compliments and questions Brown’s funding formula | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Study compliments and questions Brown’s funding formula | EdSource Today: Study compliments and questions Brown’s funding formula ** February 22nd, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services [image: This graph shows the strong relationship between results on California Standards Tests and poverty, with highest scoring API scores in the upper left going to children not in poverty. Source: CA Dept; of Education (click to enlarge).] This graph shows the strong relationship between results on California ... more »

Sacramento City Unified Votes to Close Seven Elementary Schools | KTXL FOX40

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Sacramento City Unified Votes to Close Seven Elementary Schools | KTXL FOX40: Sacramento City Unified Votes to Close Seven Elementary Schools - [image: See bio, contact info, and more articles from Ian McDonald] 4 hours ago by Ian McDonald Web Producer - *Sacramento Unified Considers Closing 11 Elementary Schools* Comments - - Share This Update - ** ** ** [image: SCUSD meeting]SACRAMENTO- After a long and intense meeting that started Thursday evening and stretched into early Friday morning, the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of... more »

Sacramento City district trustees vote to close seven schools - Education - The Sacramento Bee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Sacramento City district trustees vote to close seven schools - Education - The Sacramento Bee: ' Sacramento City district trustees vote to close seven schools by mgutierrez@sacbee.com (Melody Gutierrez) Trustees in the Sacramento City Unified School District voted 4-3 to close seven schools at the end of this school year after a lengthy school board meeting Thursday night. Natalyn Yang, 11, a student at Susan B. Anthony Elementary, asks Sacramento City Unified School District trustees Thursday not to close her school. Tracie Green, center, raises her arms in support of speakers w... more »

UPDATE: The In box. Jersey Jazzman: Chicago teachers have CORE and Lewis. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
The In box. Jersey Jazzman: Chicago teachers have CORE and Lewis. « Fred Klonsky: The In box. Jersey Jazzman: Chicago teachers have CORE and Lewis. by Fred Klonsky [image: ravitchlewis] *This world needs more women willing to speak truth to power. Diane Ravitch and Karen Lewis.* From the Jersey Jazzman’s blog: *Chicago Teachers, Be Thankful for Karen Lewis* * **I have made a point of staying out of local union politics. While I have shared my disagreements at times with labor leaders, I am ultimately on their team. I made a point of not telling members of the Newark Teachers Union ... more »

On Leadership Through Teaching Others To Lead | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
On Leadership Through Teaching Others To Lead | The Jose Vilson: On Leadership Through Teaching Others To Lead by Jose Vilson Denzel Washington as Malcolm X [image: Denzel Washington as Malcolm X]Every year, the memory of this day usually sucks. The night before I went to Raleigh, North Carolina (for a Center for Teaching Quality board meeting), I went to my barbershop, where the guys played *Malcolm X* (the Spike Lee joint). I watch this movie almost annually, just to remind myself of the way this country still throws around the idea of an American dream, but always conveniently b... more »

Copyright Infringement or good Marketing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
United Opt Out National: *Dan's Fresh Produce's photo.**United Opt Out National:* OCCUPY DOE 2.0: THE BATTLE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS READ ALL DETAILS HERE « Back to Events Event:Occupy DOE 2.0: The Battle for Public Schools READ ALL DETAILS HERE Start:April 4, 2013End:April 7, 2013Organizer:United Opt Out National Updated:December 16, 2012Venue:U.S. Department of EducationAddress: Google Map 400 Maryland Ave, SW ,Washington, DC, DC,20202, United States Official schedule for our second occupation of the Dept. of Ed. in D.C. from April 4-7, 2013, is available *HERE.* Official press relea... more »

March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian: March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian by admin [image: March 19 flyer] More Than a Score and the Chicago Teachers Union are co-sponsoring a forum featuring Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian, a leader of the Garfield High School test boycott, along with CTU president Karen Lewis. It will be held on Tuesday, March 19, at 7 pm at the Mt. Carmel MB Church. 2976 S Wabash. The Garfield teachers made national headlines earlier this month when they ... more »

PAA’s new weekly “Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax” to Congress | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
PAA’s new weekly “Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax” to Congress | Parents Across America: PAA’s new weekly “Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax” to Congress by pureparents Yesterday PAA launched our new weekly education update for legislators and anyone else who should be hearing more about education issues from the parents’ point of view. Our fax went to all the members of the U. S. House and Senate education committees. We will post them every week on our blog and link to that in our newsletter. We hope that you will also send these as faxes, e-mails, or snail mails to your Co... more »

Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance by Michael Dunn What makes a “top” school, top? According to the San Francisco Chronicle (and most other media) it is test scores. Thanks to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Obama’s Race to the Top (RttT), test scores are all that matter these days. This has led to numerous cheating scandals, as well as a reduction in science, arts, physical education and other curricula to make room for more test preparation. It has also ... more »

Sacramento Press / Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Sacramento Press / Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schools: Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schoolsby Karen Wilkinson, published on *February 21, 2013* at *1:38 PM* * * * Jerry Tambarino of Tahoe Park holds up a flyer while addressing the crowd at last week's meeting at Washington School. Tonight the future of 10 Sacramento schools will be decided by a board of seven. We'll be live blogging the meeting of the Sacramento City Unified School District's board of education, and will pay particular attention to the fate of Washington Elementar... more »

Define fiscally and morally irresponsible? Malloy’s plan for older, retired teachers. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Define fiscally and morally irresponsible? Malloy’s plan for older, retired teachers. - Wait, What?: Define fiscally and morally irresponsible? Malloy’s plan for older, retired teachers. by jonpelto There are a lot of crazy, irresponsible and down-right mean things in Governor Malloy’s budget proposal, but his plan to totally eliminate Connecticut’s contribution to the retired teachers’ health insurance fund may very well take the cake. For nearly sixty years, the State of Connecticut has been helping retired teachers acquire health insurance. Prior to 1986, active teachers did ... more »









Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-21-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-20-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-19-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-18-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-17-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-16-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-14-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-13-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-12-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-11-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-10-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-9-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-8-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-7-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-6-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-5-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-4-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-3-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-2-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-1-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2