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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Big Education Ape: 9-15-11 AM Ode to The Charter School Pusher MAN EDition

Big Education Ape: Ed News Now:

Published by Coopmike48 – 6 news spotters today

Ode to The Charter School Pusher MAN

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - H.R. 2218: Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act112th Congress: 2011-201260%40%To amend the charter school program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.Sponsor:...

coopmike48

WHY CHARTERS AND TEACHERS DON’T HAVE TO BE ENEMIES

4lakidsnews.blogspot.com - Op-Ed in the L.A. Daily News by former UTLA President John Perez | http://bit.ly/nVAHeB 9/13/2011 -- There was a new twist last week in the ongoing story of education reform and United Teachers L...

leoniehaimson

Class Warfare | Edwize

edwize.org - Class Warfare: that’s the title Steven Brill gave to his recent book on the state of American education. With such a title, one might think that that Brill’s book would investigate how the deep cla...

leoniehaimson

Poverty continues to rise in U.S., now 15.1%

cbsnews.com - (CBS News) WASHINGTON — The number of people in the U.S. living in poverty in 2010 rose for the fourth year in a row, representing the largest number of Americans in poverty in the 52 years since ...

mikeklonsky

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coopmike48 For-Profit Seal of Approval - Inside Higher Ed - http://t.co/cMkT9LtYabout 1 minute ago · reply · retweet · favorite

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EducationSee all

Parent Involvement « Parents Across America

parentsacrossamerica.org - Sep 14, 2011 pagrundy This week, Parenting Magazine is sponsoring a blog-a-thon, in which parents from across the country, especially delegates to the 2010 and 2011 Mom Congresses, write open lette...

leoniehaimson

Chicago Shopping

chicagotribune.com - The two sides waging a public tug of war over the future of Chicago Public Schools playfully sparred Tuesday night in a live debate over contentious issues including a longer school day and teacher...

mikeklonsky

More Accepting Performance-Based Bonuses Than Before

huffingtonpost.com - More highly rated teachers in D.C. Public Schools are accepting performance-based bonuses than in the past, American University Radio WAMU reports.Of the 670 teachers eligible for bonuses, 70 perce...

mikeklonsky

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Schumer Blows the Whistle on FY2012 Budget Hostage-Taking

news.firedoglake.com - Chuck Schumer just escalated the simmering fight over the FY2012 budget in remarks on the Senate floor. Schumer praised the FAA and surface transportation extension sent over from the House, saying...

coopmike48

StoriesSee all

Reform In The Age of Obama

schooltechconnect.com - Who here among us does not love the legendary Susan Ohanian? Sorry, I always channel John Kerry when blog from the majestic height of my front stoop. Anyway, if you're not a subscriber to her frequ...

tbfurman

Barack Obama Beer | Dakota Meyer | Medal Of Honor

mediaite.com - President Barack Obama knows full well that there is little in this life that cannot be resolved or celebrated with a cold, preferably alcoholic beverage (See: “The Beer Summit.”) Today, in fact, O...

coopmike48

Broken Elevator | Connected Principals

connectedprincipals.com - Posted by dhatch on 9/14/11 • Categorized as Best Educational Practices,Technology Integration This is a cross post from my personal blog. Our school elevator is broken, and as a result our studen...

coopmike48

Art & EntertainmentSee all

Jackie O's antiquated views 'horrified' grandkids

northjersey.com - NEW YORK — Caroline Kennedy says her daughters were "horrified" by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' old-fashioned view of the role of women in taped interviews released this week. FILE PHOTO Jacqueline ...

coopmike48

BusinessSee all

SAT Reading Scores Fall To Lowest Level On Record

democraticunderground.com - Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS(09-14) 10:02 PDT , (AP) --SAT reading scores for the high school class of 2011 were the lowest on record, and combined reading and math scores fell to their lowest point si...

coopmike48

Blog posts on this issue

whitehouse.gov - The White House Office of the Vice President For Immediate Release September 14, 2011 New Initiatives Led by Campaign to Cut Waste Will Save Medicaid Waste & Strengthen Partnership with States to R...

coopmike48

Study Finds Government Pays More in Contracts - Really?

my.firedoglake.com - "Do Not Overpay" by Timothy Valentine on flickr In an article in the New York Times, Government Pays More in Contracts, Study Finds, the conclusions are that: Despite a widespread belief that contr...

coopmike48

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School Tech Connect: Tip For Undoing A Public Trust

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - School Tech Connect: Tip For Undoing A Public Trust:Tip For Undoing A Public Trustby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Use the word "choice."Affluent reformers and their Democratic allies have figured out t...

coopmike48

Leo finally comes around. « Fred Klonsky's blog

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Leo finally comes around. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Leo finally comes around.by Fred KlonskyI’m not sure who it was that AFT leader Leo Casey had in mind when he argues against those who say we should ...

coopmike48

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    How REAL Prep charter school spent $450,000 before problems were detected | OregonLive.com

    How REAL Prep charter school spent $450,000 before problems were detected | OregonLive.com:

    How REAL Prep charter school spent $450,000 before problems were detected

    by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian

    REALPREPCHAIR.JPGView full sizeDoug Beghtel/The OregonianDays before it was supposed to open, the campus of REAL Prep Charter Academy was still a construction zone. The school opted to leave financial oversight to its own nonprofit board, which has had changing membership. Juan McGruder, shown at the school, was named board president sometime this year.
    The founder of a proposed Portland charter school was able to spend $450,000 in federal funds with little to show for it by choosing the least-regulated route to creating such a school and papering over problems when overseers checked in.

    Erica Jayasuriya, a Portland mom withvisions of opening a recording arts-based high school that would transform education for disengaged teens, presided as the team she assembled spent the money on planning, promotion and curriculum design -- without ever mustering enough curriculum, materials, students or equipment to open a school.

    No one at Portland Public Schools,
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    Local News | Striking Tacoma teachers ordered back to classrooms | Seattle Times Newspaper

    Local News | Striking Tacoma teachers ordered back to classrooms | Seattle Times Newspaper:

    Striking Tacoma teachers ordered back to classrooms

    On Wednesday, a Pierce County Superior Court judge approved a temporary restraining order requiring Tacoma teachers to return to work Thursday. The teachers will meet as scheduled Thursday morning at five regular picket lines, where picket captains will explain the judge's order, union spokesman Rich Wood said. The teachers will decide what to do next, he said.

    By Katherine Long

    Seattle Times staff reporter

    Top comments Hide / Show comments
    quotesIt's all about the kids. (September 14, 2011, by MagBill) Read more
    Read all 1 comments >Post a comment >

    A lack of trust between teachers and administrators, pressure from community groups for reform and a declining student population that has led to school closures: Those are the elements behind the Tacoma teachers strike.

    On Wednesday, a Pierce County Superior Court judge approved a temporary restraining order requiring Tacoma teachers to return to work on Thursday.

    Tacoma teachers will meet as scheduled at five regular picket lines Thursday morning, and picket captains will explain the judge's order, said Rich Wood, a spokesman for the Washington Education Association.

    The teachers will decide what to do next, Wood said.

    In a statement, Tacoma Education Association President Andy Coons called the judge's order, which requires collective bargaining to resume, "great news." Negotiations were scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

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    Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - The School Reform Equivalent Of Playing “Mary Had A Little Lamb” With A Stradivarius

    Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - The School Reform Equivalent Of Playing “Mary Had A Little Lamb” With A Stradivarius:

    Shmoop U.S. History Photos Shmoop has a very impressive collection of U.S. History slideshowsorganized chronologically. I’m adding it to The Best Websites For Teaching & Learning About U.S. History.
    The School Reform Equivalent Of Playing “Mary Had A Little Lamb” With A Stradivarius I read something truly awful today in The New York Times Magazine article, What if the Secret to Success Is Failure? But before I share what it was, I’d like to preface it by restating my concerns about a pattern I see of some school reformers ...
    Tons Of Free Resources From My Books As regular readers know, I’ve authored three books that have been published, and two more will come out within the next year or so. There are a lot of free resources from them available without purchase, including excerpts, printable hand-outs, and ...
    The Best Resources On Our “Becoming What We Read” Some studies have been released over the past few months finding that — in our minds — we “become” the characters about whom we read. I don’t think this is a big revelation to many of us who love reading, and prior to these studies I’ve written in ...
    What Are The Most “Engaging” Education Blogs, According To PostRank? Many people are familiar with PostRank (recently acquired by Google), which ranks blogs by an engagement level. You can see their complete ranking of education blogs here, but I thought I’d share their top fifteen here: 1. Inside Higher Ed 2. ...
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    Praise for peer evaluations | Thoughts on Public Education

    Praise for peer evaluations | Thoughts on Public Education:

    Praise for peer evaluations

    San Juan, Poway use teachers to assess other teachers

    Posted on 9/15/11 • Categorized as Teacher Development, Unions

    By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

    Contrary to the common belief that teachers cannot evaluate their peers objectively – and shouldn’t try to – in San Juan Unified “consulting teachers” do just that for a teacher who received a principal’s unsatisfactory review. In Poway Unified, specially assigned teachers not only evaluate struggling tenured teachers but also new, probationary teachers.

    In both districts the teachers pass on their findings to a board composed of teachers and administrators whose recommendation whether that teacher should be retained or fired has invariably been accepted by the superintendent.

    The programs in Poway and San Juan, known as Peer Assistance and Review, not only

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    Big Education Ape - PostRank Today's 9

    Big Education Ape - PostRank Today's 9

    New Orleans Liberation Academy: Building Literacy in the Lower 9th Ward

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    New Orleans Liberation Academy: Building Literacy in the Lower 9th Ward:Building Literacy in the Lower 9th Wardby New Orleans Liberation AcademyDuring June of 2011, through the initiative of our student Anthony Johnson, New Orleans Liberation Academy engaged in partnership with ATD Fourth World Movement, the Backyard Gardeners Network and Jude's Grove to develop the Lower 9th Ward Street Library to support intergenerational literacy and offer opportunities for rigorous, thought-provoking, value-centered humanities experiences for children and their families. Our format is ... more »

    An Open Letter from Secretary Arne Duncan and Karen Duncan to Their Children | ED.gov Blog

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    An Open Letter from Secretary Arne Duncan and Karen Duncan to Their Children | ED.gov Blog:An Open Letter from Secretary Arne Duncan and Karen Duncan to Their ChildrenPosted on September 14, 2011 by Arne DuncanCross-posted from Parenting.comSeptember 2011Dear Claire and Ryan,We always enjoy the joy and excitement you show when you go back to school. It’s comforting for us to know that you love learning and go to a great public school that challenges and supports you.Now that you’ve been ... more »

    Chicago Rally to Save Troy Davis. « Fred Klonsky's blog

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    Chicago Rally to Save Troy Davis. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Chicago Rally to Save Troy Davis.by Fred KlonskyTomorrow 5:00pm at Prudential Plaza, Chicago, IL**RALLY TO SAVE TROY DAVIS** Prudential Plaza (Barack Obama’s 2012 Reelection Headquarters) 130 East Randolph Street.Troy Davis has received an execution date of September 21st. Troy has no appeals left, so his life lays in the hands of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. We don’t have much time, but the fight is far from over.Troy has ... more »

    SAT Results for 2010-11 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education)

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    SAT Results for 2010-11 - Year 2011 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Comments on 2010-11 SAT® ScoresSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today commented on the results of the SAT® for the California high school class of 2011 that were part of this morning's national release by test administrator, The College Board."I am pleased that more than half of California seniors took the SAT in 2010 and that the participation of minority students set a new ... more »

    Da Bears? Da Bulls? Go by da Jewels? Not in Arizona. « Fred Klonsky's blog

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    Da Bears? Da Bulls? Go by da Jewels? Not in Arizona. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Da Bears? Da Bulls? Go by da Jewels? Not in Arizona.by Fred KlonskyI may never see the Grand Canyon.Unless things change in Arizona, I’m not going there. The anti-immigrant stuff is just to0 crazy.The latest news is that the Feds have dropped their civil rights suit against the state of Arizona in the case where Arizona was monitoring teachers for mispronunciation of English language words in ... more »

    Class Warfare | Edwize

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    Class Warfare | Edwize:Class Warfareby Leo CaseyClass Warfare: that’s the title Stephen Brill gave to his recent book on the state of American education.With such a title, one might think that that Brill’s book would investigate how the deep class divisions between America’s wealthy class and our poor and working class, a gap that has grown immensely over the last four decades, has harmed our schools and our students. After all, educational research has shown that greatest challenge our schools ... more »

    GOP senators introduce rewrite of No Child to make it more flexible | Get Schooled

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    GOP senators introduce rewrite of No Child to make it more flexible | Get Schooled:GOP senators introduce rewrite of No Child to make it more flexible11:34 am September 14, 2011, by Maureen DowneyI am about to get on a conference call on a new Senate initiative to fix the federal No Child Left Behind Act. But here is the official statement about a series of GOP bills designed to increase the state role and decrease the federal one. Georgia Sen. ... more »

    "Where's my Title I ?"

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    Education News Comment: SACS ScholarsConnecting Spending to Student Outcomeshttp://sacs-scholars.blogspot.com/Title I goes by more than 1 name. On your Fiscal16 SACS report (you got Monday) find RESOURCE 3010. You will see that goes by the name:IASA1Low. That is your Title I money. It is the single largest "categorical" pot of money your site - and the district - get. All of your 3010 must be detailed in your SPSA.The amount showing in your site budget right not all that your site ... more »

    Teamster Nation: Guess what? Public sector does it cheaper

    Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 hours ago
    Teamster Nation: Guess what? Public sector does it cheaper:Guess what? Public sector does it cheaperThe federal government pays private contractors billions of dollars more than it costs for government workers to do the same job.It's what we've been saying all along, and a study by the Project on Government Oversight backs us up. CBS News, reporting on POGO's study, says...in 33 of the 35 occupational categories it reviewed, federal government employees were less expensive than contractors. On average, the federal ... more »
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    Modern School: Michigan Attempts to Crush Teachers Unions

    Modern School: Michigan Attempts to Crush Teachers Unions:


    Michigan Attempts to Crush Teachers Unions

    by Michael Dunn


    A House committee of the Republican Michigan Legislature approved legislation this week banning school districts from deducting union dues from teachers’ pay, according to the Detroit News. If the legislation passes, it will serious hamper union activities by making it much more difficult for the unions to collect dues and amass war chests for organizing, lobbying and attempting to purchase politicians.

    The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Joe Haveman, said "I don't believe the schools should be in the business of being the bill collectors for the unions." However, because of the automated payroll systems, it costs the districts virtually nothing to include union dues in the billing. Even Haveman himself admitted that the savings would be nominal.

    The real motivation behind the legislation is clearly to weaken the unions. David Hecker, president of the



    Washington Judge Attempts to Crush Teachers Strike

    by Michael Dunn

    A judge ordered 1,900 striking Tacoma, WA teachers back to work yesterday after a two-day walkoutReuters reported today. Teachers in Washington’s third largest district were striking over district attempts to reassign teachers based on evaluations, rather than seniority. Teachers are also opposing attempts to impose pay cuts and class size increases.

    The school district has called the strike illegal. Apparently the judge agreed, ordering teachers back to work immediately and demanding that both sides appear in court on Friday to prove that they have complied with the order.

    It is not yet clear whether the teachers will comply. Tacoma Educators Association President Andy Coons declared that the strike was officially over, according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer. However, he also said 
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