Schooling in the Ownership Society: False Choices

Schooling in the Ownership Society: False Choices:

False Choices

by Mike Klonsky

By Michael Diedrich, Minnesota 2020

January 19, 2012

After experimenting with market-based, competitive education initiatives for 20 years with little statewide education improvement, it’s time Minnesota returns to what works best: proper education investment and supporting our students and teachers...

The main problem, among many, is that school systems cannot function as free markets if we

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts 1-21 #edreform #ows

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts 1-20 #edreform #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Hansel Gretel In Teach For AmericaBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-3 hours agoMissouri Education Watchdog: Hansel Gretel In Teach For America:Hansel Gretel In Teach For Americaby AnngieWe all remember the story of Hansel and Gretel. They got lost in the woods and came across a house made of gingerbread. Facing a candy smorgasbord in the midst of their incredible hunger was too much for them. That was all it took for the evil witch to trap ... more »

Report From Diane Ravitch’s Speech Tonight In Sacramento | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Report From Diane Ravitch’s Speech Tonight In Sacramento | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:Diane Ravitch Speaks In Sacramento!likeShareEmailEmbedHere are some tweets that Alice Mercer, David B. Cohen, and I sent out during Diane Ravitch's speech at the Sacramento Convention Center tonight, January 20th, 2012. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, Linda Darling-Hammond, and others also spoke....Testing critic Diane Ravitch to address teachers, public - sacbee.comEducation historian Diane Ravitch, an outspoken critic of the movement to reward or penalize teachers ... more »

Modern School: Is U.S. Planning Military Force to Suppress Unions and #OWS?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Modern School: Is U.S. Planning Military Force to Suppress Unions and OWS?:Is U.S. Planning Military Force to Suppress Unions and OWS?by Michael DunnImage from Flickr, by World Can't WaitAs I reported on Modern School recently, the U.S. government has committed Coast Guard ships and helicopters to defending the interests of private capital in Washington State against striking ILWU members. The Coast Guard will supposedly be protecting empty ships as they arrive in the port of Longview, Washington to pick up ... more »

Mother Crusader: Of Course

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Mother Crusader: Of Course:Of Courseby darciecimaI got all of 6 hours to enjoy the fourth denial of Tikun Olam. I went out to dinner with my closest co-conspirators, our kids and our husbands to celebrate. And then I came home and read Jessica Calefati's piece in the Ledger:Noticeably absent from today’s list were proposed charter schools in high performing suburban districts like Highland Park, South Orange-Maplewood and Montclair.Good so far, keep going...In recent months, parents, teachers and elected officials in ... more »

How Do You Assess Understanding and Learning? « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

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How Do You Assess Understanding and Learning? « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:How Do You Assess Understanding and Learning?January 20th, 2012 by Klea ScharbergIn this video, two educators discuss informal assessments in the social studies classroom. What are the ways you deal with assessments in the classroom?

Jersey Jazzman: Charter Schools: Spreading the Hate?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Charter Schools: Spreading the Hate?:Charter Schools: Spreading the Hate?by DukeSometimes it all comes together, and we are allowed a clear, unfiltered look at the truth. Case in point:My favorite new blogger, Darcie Cimarusti, made a great catch today:An Asbury Park Press reporter detailed a heated exchange between Governor Christie and one of those four vocal residents, Alan Erlich of Cherry Hill about the Governor’s relationship to Kahn:But after Erlich charged the charter school’s approval was a favor for ... more »

Schools Matter: Tapping Out: The Underwhelming TAP Achievement of the Milken-McIntyre Schools

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 3 hours ago

Schools Matter: Tapping Out: The Underwhelming TAP Achievement of the Milken-McIntyre Schools:Tapping Out: The Underwhelming TAP Achievement of the Milken-McIntyre Schoolsby Jim HornA significant piece of the Broad corporate education plan in Knoxville, Tennessee involves turning over control of curriculum, professional development, and instruction in Knoxville's poorest schools to the phony-baloney corporate ed scam run by the corrupt Milken Brothers. Four schools have been TAP schools since 2006, and another 13 schools are in transition to TAP with the help ... more »

Universal Public Education Is Dead (Expanded) | Dailycensored.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Universal Public Education Is Dead (Expanded) | Dailycensored.com:Universal Public Education Is Dead (Expanded)Written by Paul ThomasEducation, PoliticsJan 20, 20120diggShareThe National Education Association (NEA) received criticism forpublishing an Op-Ed with Teach for America (TFA). Ken Bernstein found the piece to be “unbelievable,” while raising the possibility that union members felt betrayed. Anthony Cody first responded with “I just don’t get it,” and then raised this question:“I wonder how it is possible to fight vigorously for a minimum one-year residency program and ... more »

Review Finds Studies of Charter Schools Flawed, Problematic - State EdWatch - Education Week

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Review Finds Studies of Charter Schools Flawed, Problematic - State EdWatch - Education Week:Review Finds Studies of Charter Schools Flawed, ProblematicBy Sean Cavanagh on January 12, 2012 5:19 PMMost studies of charter schools use unsophisticated methods and are flawed in ways that prevent researchers from accurately gauging those institutions' impact on student achievement, a new review concludes.And while researchers have options for collecting more accurate information about charter school performance, they also face obstacles along the way—some of them related ... more »

New York Teacher | Edwize

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New York Teacher | Edwize:New York Teacherby W.J. LevayHighlights from the Jan. 19 issue of New York Teacher:Mulgrew: Mayor lost in fantasy world“The mayor seems to be lost in his own fantasy world of education, the one where reality doesn’t apply,” declared UFT President Michael Mulgrew in response to the mayor’s State of the City speech on Jan. 12, in which, among other proposals, he threatened to fire half the staffs in 33 schools receiving federal School Improvement Grant support.UFT ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts 1-20 #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

RheeFirst! » Federal Department of Education is looking for information on NCLB cheatingBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-2 minutes agoRheeFirst! » Federal Department of Education is looking for information on NCLB cheating:Government seeks help to stop teacher-led cheatingfromRheeFirst!byadminWritten by Greg Toppo for The Washington Post. Read theentire article here.“The Obama administration is creating a manual showing how schools can fight teacher-led cheating on standardized tests, asking educators to help stomp out “testing irregularities.”Bob Schaffer of the Nationa... more »

School voucher program gets fresh look in Louisiana | NOLA.com

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School voucher program gets fresh look in Louisiana | NOLA.com:School voucher program gets fresh look in LouisianaPublished: Sunday, January 15, 2012, 7:00 AM By Sarah Carr, The Times-Picayune When Gov. Bobby Jindal pushed through New Orleans' school voucher program four years ago, political interest in using taxpayer money to send students to private schools had waned across the country. School choice advocates had suffered several stinging defeats, causing some to throw their weight behind charter schools, which generally receive more ... more »

All Things Education: Opportunity to Listen

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All Things Education: Opportunity to Listen:Opportunity to Listenby Rachel LevyEach day this week I have presented a response to different parts of Governor McDonnell's "Opportunity to Learn" education agenda. On Monday, I gave an introduction and talked about the goal of advancing literacy in the early grades. On Tuesday, I wrote about implications for repealing the unpopular Kings Dominion Law. OnWednesday, I talked about proceeding thoughtfully and carefully with expanding choice in the Commonwealth. On Thursday, I discussed evaluating principals ... more »

ASCD Inservice: Countering the Negative Spin on Education

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ASCD Inservice: Countering the Negative Spin on Education:Countering the Negative Spin on EducationDoes it feel like educators are constantly under attack? From sensational media stories about failing schools to public opinion polls that blame teachers for the downfall of modern society . . . where is all this negative energy coming from? Can we attribute it to the media's endless hunger for controversy, or do real problems arise from within the profession itself?And why is it that people think teaching ... more »

Blue Ribbon Schools Named - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

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Blue Ribbon Schools Named - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Nominates 35 California Schools for National Blue Ribbon HonorSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the selection of 35 public schools as California's nominees to the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools Program (BRSP), which recognizes some of the highest-performing and most improved schools in the nation. The list of schools is attached."These schools all share a deep commitment to the education and well-being ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Hansel & Gretel In Teach For America

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Hansel Gretel In Teach For America:Hansel Gretel In Teach For Americaby AnngieWe all remember the story of Hansel and Gretel. They got lost in the woods and came across a house made of gingerbread. Facing a candy smorgasbord in the midst of their incredible hunger was too much for them. That was all it took for the evil witch to trap them. Only through their own cunning were they finally able to escape.Today's Gretel is a recent ... more »

hctiB G: Chocolate City | The G Bitch Spot

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

hctiB G: Chocolate City | The G Bitch Spot:hctiB G: Chocolate Cityby G Bitchoriginally posted Jan. 20, 2006Part of the flak over Nagin’s chocolate city comment (he said it when he testified in front of Congress and no one seemed to notice though that time he did smile as he said it) is that no one has a sense of humor when they are looking for a fight. No one seems to know about the Funkadelic song or that other ... more »

Roundtable Highlights Importance of Fathers’ Involvement in Education | ED.gov Blog

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Roundtable Highlights Importance of Fathers’ Involvement in Education | ED.gov Blog:Roundtable Highlights Importance of Fathers’ Involvement in EducationPosted on January 20, 2012 by Guest BloggerCross-posted from Fatherhood.gov.Fathers, uncles, male mentors, grandfathers, brothers, and community leaders recently gathered at the Café at Chicago Vocational Career Academy in Chicago, IL to share what men can do to increase their involvement and support in the lives of their children—especially their education.The Department of Education (ED) was honored to sponsor the event alongside ... more »

House Bill 2428: The charter school bill | Seattle Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

House Bill 2428: The charter school bill | Seattle Education:House Bill 2428: The charter school billby seattleducation2011House Bill 2428, “An act relating to establishing alternative forms of governance for certain public schools”.That’s a very long way of saying “publicly funded, privately operated charter schools” or the privatization of our public school system.Before I go through this bill line by line, I would recommend listening to a radio show that was on KPFK a while back titled Deception 101: Charter Schools. ... more »

Geaux Teacher!: REFORM OR BUST - JINDAL STYLE!!!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 12 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: REFORM OR BUST - JINDAL STYLE!!!:REFORM OR BUST - JINDAL'S VOUCHERSby noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)A St. Tammany Parish School Board member asked a question last night after hearing presentations on the Common Core Standards and the new high stakes tests that will be rolled out in 2014 that will be aligned with those standards and will replace our current iLEAP/LEAP tests - and will be the new basis for the Teacher Evaluation System 50% student progress component.Q: ... more »

Schools Matter: Behind the "No Excuses" Mask: "Evidence Is Not Policy"

Schools Matter: Behind the "No Excuses" Mask: "Evidence Is Not Policy":

Behind the "No Excuses" Mask: "Evidence Is Not Policy"

by P. L. Thomas

The "No Excuses" Reformers have two refrains that drive their claims about schools and teachers as well as their arguments for reform policy: "Poverty is not an excuse" and "Poverty is not destiny." But behind these mantras is the real message from these self-appointed reformers: "Evidence is not policy."

The "No Excuses" Reformers have remained committed to several alternatives to what they call the status quo: Teach for America (TFA), charter schools, and school choice. What do all three have in common?

A lack of evidence for pursuing any of them as policy.

• The evidence against TFA.

Joanne Barkan on How Billionaires Rule Our Schools

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

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Diane Ravitch: Embattled teachers need support, not more testing - California Teachers Association

Diane Ravitch: Embattled teachers need support, not more testing - California Teachers Association:

Diane Ravitch: Embattled teachers need support, not more testing

Lodi News-Sentinel -

Diane Ravitch believes public school teachers are getting bashed for problems beyond their control. She's strongly critical of standardized testing, which she says is corroding public education, not building it.

She is an author, professor, and former Assistant Secretary of Education who is speaking in Sacramento Friday to the Coalition to Save Public Education. Many local teachers plan to attend her presentation.
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Diane Ravitch shares her views on education reform - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Diane Ravitch shares her views on education reform - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee:

Diane Ravitch shares her views on education reform

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By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com

Published: Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 3B

With a sharp tongue and unapologetic gaze, Diane Ravitch has spent the past two years touring the country with a message of support for teachers and criticism for the high-stakes testing culture she helped create.

Ravitch, a research professor of education at New York University in New York City, wrote the best-seller "The Death and Life of the Great American School System," in which she describes why federal mandates like No Child Left Behind are hurting schools.

A former assistant U.S. secretary of education in the George H.W. Bush administration, Ravitch