Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts 2-7 #ows #edreform

Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive Reform | News | The Harvard Crimson

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive Reform | News | The Harvard Crimson:Secretary of Education Calls for Comprehensive ReformBy ELIZABETH S. AURITT, CRIMSON STAFF WRITERPublished: Tuesday, February 07, 2012COMMENTEMAILPRINT During a speech at the Graduate School of Education on Monday, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne S. Duncan ’86 said that schools should not limit the scope of their focus and support to a child’s life within the classroom.“Educators should be attacking both in-school and out-of-school problems,” said Duncan to an ... more »

Who's in charge here? A look at the companies behind charter schools | MLive.com #edchat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

Who's in charge here? A look at the companies behind charter schools | MLive.com:Who's in charge here? A look at the companies behind charter schoolsPublished: Tuesday, February 07, 2012, 5:00 AM By Blake Thorne | bthorne1@mlive.com GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan — Your local charter school is most likely not really locally operated.Most are for-profit companies based in far-off locales, operating behind-the-scenes and calling the shots on everything from teacher pay to school policy to pencil purchases.View full sizeHere's a look at ... more »

Budget overshadows push for local control over schools | UTSanDiego.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

Budget overshadows push for local control over schools | UTSanDiego.com:Budget overshadows push for local control over schoolsEducators like Brown's focus, but worry about the money Gov. Jerry Brown’s education agenda is framed by an underlying commitment to hand off more control to local school officials, whether it’s over budgets or tests.“To me, we should set broad goals and have a good accountability system, leaving the real work to those closest to the students,” Brown told Californians in his State of ... more »

Schools Matter: Nobody objects to teachers being evaluated on their effectiveness. Using gains on standardized tests is a bad way to do it.

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

Schools Matter: Nobody objects to teachers being evaluated on their effectiveness. Using gains on standardized tests is a bad way to do it.:Nobody objects to teachers being evaluated on their effectiveness. Using gains on standardized tests is a bad way to do it.by skrashenNeed for better evaluation systemPublished in USA Today, Feb. 7, 2012The article "States weaken tenure rights for teachers" emphasizes the importance of evaluating teacher effectiveness. A major problem is that these evaluations are often based on students' ... more »

Tuesday is Virtual Lobby Day. The Illinois General Assembly is back. The Civic Committee is back. So are we. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

Tuesday is Virtual Lobby Day. The Illinois General Assembly is back. The Civic Committee is back. So are we. « Fred Klonsky:Tuesday is Virtual Lobby Day. The Illinois General Assembly is back. The Civic Committee is back. So are we.by Fred KlonskyTRS Trustee Bob Lyons’ report, published here yesterday, pretty much lays out what is going to happen this year.Another assault on teacher pensions in Illinois.The IEA leadership has decided not to have teachers go to Springfield this May for ... more »

The Lives and Dreams of Our Children « City School Stories

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

The Lives and Dreams of Our Children « City School Stories:The Lives and Dreams of Our Childrenby fmurphyTeacher StoriesSubmitted by Angela Chan on February 7, 2012As a classroom teacher, my position would likely not be among those eliminated within the next weeks to close the $61 million budget gap by June. Still, it was painful to read the list of items on the SRC’s “Options Menu” during that Thursday, January 19th meeting. How many more colleagues’ lives will be affected ... more »

Will the real Transitional Kindergarten stand up | Thoughts on Public Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

Will the real Transitional Kindergarten stand up | Thoughts on Public Education:Will the real Transitional Kindergarten stand up - by Kathryn Baronby Kathryn BaronIt’s getting so that understanding the budgetary machinations of Transitional Kindergarten requires a master’s degree, or maybe a Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Pin. In the month since Gov. Brown released his 2012-13 budget plan and recommended canceling Transitional Kindergarten (TK), supporters have found it hard to keep track of what the administration is proposing and [...]LAO ... more »

How New Technologies Can End Age-Graded Schools (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

How New Technologies Can End Age-Graded Schools (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:How New Technologies Can End Age-Graded Schools (Part 3)by larrycubanUsing high-tech devices smartly can customize the age-graded school out of existence. But it won’t happen.Nowhere in Parts 1 and 2 on age-graded schools did I mention the uses of technology. I have claimed in those two posts that, first, as a mid-19th century reform the K-12 organization has been a resounding success. It ... more »

School Tech Connect: Books Before Bytes

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 4 minutes ago

School Tech Connect: Books Before Bytes:Books Before Bytesby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I don't disagree with this, and I'm a huge tech fan. There's no reason why we can't have both. This blog is written on a $300 netbook running open source software; if anything in the world were ever scalable, it's this kind of thing.I hate that word, by the way. Scalable. You know you're talking to someone who isn't actually working with kids when you hear the word scalable. Except when ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: NO more school closings: IT'S TIME TO OCCUPY THE PEP!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: NO more school closings: IT'S TIME TO OCCUPY THE PEP!:NO more school closings: IT'S TIME TO OCCUPY THE PEP!by Leonie HaimsonIT'S TIME TO OCCUPY THE PEP THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH, 5:30PMBrooklyn Technical High School, 29 Fort Greene Pl (between Fulton and Dekalb) in BrooklynNear the Nevins 2/3/4/5 or the Dekalb B/D/N/Q/R BackgroundOn Thursday, February 9th, the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) will hold an open meeting and then a vote to close down dozens more schools. The ... more »

Background on the Exhibits, Students and Competitions at the White House Science Fair | The White House

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Background on the Exhibits, Students and Competitions at the White House Science Fair | The White House:Background on the Exhibits, Students and Competitions at the White House Science Fairby The White House Background on the Exhibits, Students and Competitions at the White House Science FairThe second White House Science Fair celebrates over 100 students from over 45 states, representing over 40 different competitions and organizations that work with students and inspire them to excel in STEM. A subset of the ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-6 #edreform #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

California Honors Teachers of the Year « InterACTBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-6 minutes agoCalifornia Honors Teachers of the Year « InterACT:California Honors Teachers of the YearFEBRUARY 6, 2012tags: CATOY, CDE, teacher of the yearby David B. CohenIn my work with Accomplished California Teachers, it has been my good fortune to collaborate with some true leaders in our field, who found their way to the spotlight by being named California Teachers of the Year. Alex Kajitani was the first: ... more »

Write On! My Kids WANT to Write! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Write On! My Kids WANT to Write! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!:Write On! My Kids WANT to Write!Posted February 6, 2012 by Oldschoolteach in Integrating Technology in the Classroom, Student Issues, Teacher Resources. Tagged: Daily Writing prompts, how to get kids to write, writing daily, writing in the classroom, writing that kids enjoy. Leave a CommentI have to admit, as much as I love to write, trying to squeeze it into my school day for my kids, was ... more »

School Tech Connect: Cussing at the Key

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Cussing at the Key:Cussing at the Keyby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I have some wonderful writers on my blogroll. Did you see The Dayton Street Shuffle over at Science Teacher? She's writing about the shut-er-down mentality that's taken hold there in Newark, as it has everywhere poor people are congregated.I don't know enough about the specifics today to comment cogently, so I won't. We'd all be better off if others would abide the same advice.I do know enough that some ... more »

Texas Ed Chief Calls Testing “a Perversion of its Original Intent” and Testing Corporations a “Military Industrial Complex” | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Texas Ed Chief Calls Testing “a Perversion of its Original Intent” and Testing Corporations a “Military Industrial Complex” | Scathing Purple Musings:Texas Ed Chief Calls Testing “a Perversion of its Original Intent” and Testing Corporations a “Military Industrial Complex”by Bob SikesTexas Education Commissioner Robert Scott sure wandered off the ed reform reservation. A link this morning from Gradebook’s Jeff Solocheck pointed to a NY Times article which attributed this to Scott:“In a high-level turnaround, Robert Scott, the commissioner of the ... more »

California Honors Teachers of the Year « InterACT

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

California Honors Teachers of the Year « InterACT:California Honors Teachers of the YearFEBRUARY 6, 2012tags: CATOY, CDE, teacher of the yearby David B. CohenIn my work with Accomplished California Teachers, it has been my good fortune to collaborate with some true leaders in our field, who found their way to the spotlight by being named California Teachers of the Year. Alex Kajitani was the first: a rappin’ mathematician from San Diego, Alex represented our state in the national Teacher of ... more »

Jack Hassard: We Have Low Expectations for American Students in Math & Science - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

Jack Hassard: We Have Low Expectations for American Students in Math Science - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:Jack Hassard: We Have Low Expectations for American Students in Math Scienceby Anthony CodyGuest post by Jack HassardWho the #@!% would make such a statement? Why would such a statement be made about America's youth?If you go the Broad Foundation Education page you will find the answer to the first question. This is the first of four statements about American youth, ... more »

Model Continuation High Schools for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

Model Continuation High Schools for 2012 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Selects 25 CaliforniaContinuation High Schools for Model StatusSACRAMENTO—Twenty-five outstanding California schools were named today by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson as 2012 Model Continuation High Schools for their programs designed to help struggling students stay in school."Every student comes to school with a different set of needs, and our job is to provide them with the best chance to succeed," said ... more »

Parents: make your voice heard on your state’s NCLB waiver! « Parents Across America

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

Parents: make your voice heard on your state’s NCLB waiver! « Parents Across America:Parents: make your voice heard on your state’s NCLB waiver!by leoniehaimsonDear all:As you know, the U.S. Department of Education is offering a “waiver” of NCLB requirements (ESEA flexibility) to those states that agree to specific requirements.Unfortunately, these new requirements may be as onerous and expensive, if not more so, than NCLB itself. States must adopt new curricula, new tests, new sanctions/supports for the 15 percent lowest scoring ... more »

New legislation seeks to lessen FHSAA's power, allow charter schools to operate like private schools

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 19 hours ago

Florida high school sports | New legislation seeks to lessen FHSAA's power, allow charter schools to operate like private schools:New legislation seeks to lessen FHSAA's power, allow charter schools to operate like private schoolsTALLAHASSEE — Lawmakers last week battled over a pair of proposals that would make sweeping changes to the Florida High School Athletic Association, which has governed public and private school sports for nearly a century.The most dramatic — allowing private and charter schools to have their own ... more »

Detroit To Parents: Time To Get Involved in Education : NPR

Detroit To Parents: Time To Get Involved in Education : NPR:

Detroit To Parents: Time To Get Involved in Education

by LARRY ABRAMSON

In Detroit, officials say they are trying everything they can to revive the city's public school system, from replacing dilapidated buildings to hiring new school leaders. Detroit Public Schools is also focusing on a neglected piece of the education equation: parents.

The effort to involve parents in public education in Detroit focuses on a lot of little things, like "the homework corner" in Myesha Williams' house on Doris Street. "The homework corner is awesome!" Williams says, beaming.

With eight children — five still in school — Williams' home is packed tight. But unlike many families in this city, Williams has set aside a special corner to help her kids focus.

The Detroit Parent Network, a local non-profit working with the school system, has outfitted Williams' homework space to look like a classroom, complete with a neat bookshelf, a whiteboard

An essay on what our children need | Seattle Education

An essay on what our children need | Seattle Education:

An essay on what our children need

by seattleducation2011

“When will the conversation shift away from non-issues like choice, competition, bad teachers, and test scores, to finally focus on the kinds of reform that would actually make a difference in these kids’ lives?”

I am re-posting an excerpt of an essay written by Katie Osgood who is a special education teacher working in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago. The original post is on Anthony Cody’s blog, Living in Dialogue, and titled The Reform My Students Need:

I have a pretty unique job. I work as a teacher on a child/adolescent inpatient unit at a psychiatric hospital in Chicago. My students come from all over Chicagoland and attend all types of schools: neighborhood, charter, turnaround, private, suburban, alternative, and sometimes no school at all. The vast majority of my students, however, come from low-income minority neighborhoods. My job allows me a rare birds-eye view of the

SCHOOL FUNDING – WHEN WILL WE GET CREATIVE ? « Teachers Fight Back

SCHOOL FUNDING – WHEN WILL WE GET CREATIVE ? « Teachers Fight Back:

SCHOOL FUNDING – WHEN WILL WE GET CREATIVE ?

by alkleen

Shame on our politicians, parents, community leaders, business leaders, teacher unions, school administrators and everyone else for being so brain-dead when it comes to public school funding. We clearly must find an alternative to the way schools are funded today and have been since the children of cavemen started going to school. There must be alternative streams of revenue in addition to property taxes, and federal and state aid.

Here are ways I have suggested in the past and may be controversial, but we need to think outside the box and do it quickly.

Parents must be asked to pay some sort of tuition when their children attend a public elementary school or high school. They must pay fees for all extracurricular activities that their children engage in.

Corporate advertising must begin now! The schools could sell “naming rights” to their school. Northlake Middle School could become Motorola Middle School. The school buses could have advertisements all over them, as

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOW

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOW:

Charter Back-and-Forth on KUOW

by Melissa Westbrook

The last couple of days have seen interviews with Senator Rodney Tom (one of the sponsors of the charter bill) and Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (who chairs the House Education committee). I note that the Tom interview was longer than the Tomiko Santos interview and it would have been nice to allow the Representative equal time.

Senator Tom certainly had a lot to say including:

• "It's another option" - again, not a pilot program but a law.
• He stated that the bill was written "tightly" - It's not so tight if the word used most in the oversight sections is "may"
• He spoke of charters doing well that "operate in the projects".
• He also that the Legislature heard from voters that they don't want more money going into the system without change. I would love to see some numbers on that statement. Not that I don't think that may be

Four charters schools in the Wilmington area can bring profits - WECT TV6 - WECT.com - Wilmington, NC news and weather -

Four charters schools in the Wilmington area can bring profits - WECT TV6 - WECT.com - Wilmington, NC news and weather -:

Charter schools can bring big profits

Posted: Feb 06, 2012 11:13 AM PSTUpdated: Feb 06, 2012 7:55 PM PST

By: Ann McAdams - email

Now that the cap has been lifted, dozens of applications to start new charter schools have been submitted.

While there is still a profit to be made, charter schools operate on a significantly smaller budget than their traditional public school counterparts, largely because they have to pay to rent school buildings and classroom space.

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The state legislature lifted the cap on public charter schools last year, which used to limit the number of charter schools to 100.

Charter schools are essentially privately run schools - funded by public dollars. In our area there are four - Cape Fear Center for Inquiry and the Wilmington Preparatory Academy in Wilmington, Charter Day School in Leland, and Columbus Charter School in Whiteville.

Now that the cap has been lifted, dozens of applications to start new charter schools have been submitted. A regulatory board in Raleigh reviews the applications, and then decides which ones get to proceed for final approval by the state board of education.

As this is happening, we are learning some interesting things about how