Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 3-5 #edreform #soschat

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:WEEKEND QUOTABLESby Mike Klonsky31 were arrested at Virginia protest against law requiring women to have an ultrasound before getting an abortion.Rep. Delores McQuinn"The men and women who marched on Capitol Square have a right to peacefully protest without the threat that they will be arrested for exercising that right. At several recent women’s rights events, there has been an overabundance of police presence. In fact, the Capitol Police tactical team has been at all of ... more »

Teachers, students rally against standardized testing

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Teachers, students rally against standardized testing:Teachers, students rally against standardized testing Calling for fewer standardized tests, about 65 teachers, students and activists marched Friday from the Capitol to the building that houses the Texas Education Agency."More teaching, fewer tests: education at its best," they chanted, building off comments made by the state's education commissioner in January that questioned whether testing in Texas public schools has gone too far.Students begin taking the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness this ... more »

Get Ready For The Edu-Debt Crisis | California Progress Report

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Get Ready For The Edu-Debt Crisis | California Progress Report:Get Ready For The Edu-Debt Crisisby meganBy Jeff BryantLast week the US House of Representatives, with bipartisan support, passed a bill, H.R. 2117, with the misleading title of The Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act.The title is misleading because the bill has absolutely nothing to do with "protecting academic freedom" and everything to do with making our country more vulnerable to a rapacious campaign to turn America's entire system of ... more »

Occupy the Capitol for Education! | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Occupy the Capitol for Education! | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education:Occupy the Capitol for Education!by adminMonday, March 5, 2012 - 10:00amOCCUPY THE CAPITOL!Monday, March 5, 201210 AM: Mass March * Southside Park (6th T Sts)11 AM: Rally at the Capitol Building12:30 PM: Lunch at the Capitol Building3:30 PM: General Assembly and Nonviolent Direct Action Training to Occupy the Capitol!5:30 PM: RALLY NORTH STEPS in Solidarity with Occupy the CapitolThousands of students, parents, teachers, and workers will flood into ... more »

Editorial: Refreshingly, school board is mending fences - Editorials - The Sacramento Bee

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Editorial: Refreshingly, school board is mending fences - Editorials - The Sacramento Bee:Editorial: Refreshingly, school board is mending fencesSharePublished: Monday, Mar. 5, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 9ALast Modified: Monday, Mar. 5, 2012 - 12:17 amThursday night's cordial meeting of the Sacramento City Unified School District board of trustees stands in stark and welcome contrast to several contentious recent board sessions.The main agenda item of the night was a school closure, always a hotly debated subject, but not last ... more »

Seventy-five percent of the students left Milwaukee’s voucher program. Journal says that’s a success? « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Seventy-five percent of the students left Milwaukee’s voucher program. Journal says that’s a success? « Fred Klonsky:Seventy-five percent of the students left Milwaukee’s voucher program. Journal says that’s a success?by Fred KlonskyThe Milwaukee Journal, editorializing about a longitudinal study of the city’s voucher program, says:A multiyear study tracking students in both Milwaukee’s private voucher schools and Milwaukee Public Schools found that the voucher schools were exceeding the public schools in several key areas. The report’s findings may be significant, especially ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Now in the Florida Senate. Coming Soon to a Legislature in Your State?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 minutes ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Now in the Florida Senate. Coming Soon to a Legislature in Your State?:Now in the Florida Senate. Coming Soon to a Legislature in Your State?by stlgretchenEducation reform looks more and more like health care reform but with one important caveat. This reform, unlike the Health Care Reform pushed through the US Senate and House, is bi-partisan. Keep an eye out on your state legislature and its stance on school reform. Florida is perhaps the one of the ... more »

Charters choose Brown’s tax plan | Thoughts on Public Education

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Charters choose Brown’s tax plan | Thoughts on Public Education:Charters choose Brown’s tax planShareLoyal to governor whose support they can count onPosted on 3/05/12 • Categorized as 2012 election, Charters, Initiatives, Jerry Brown, State Budget, Student spending, TaxesBy John Fensterwald - Educated GuessCharter schools and the state’s largest teachers union rarely find anything to agree about. But the California Charter Schools Assn. is now the second major education group, next to the California Teachers Assn., to endorse Gov. Jerry Brown’s ... more »

NYC Educator: To Know or Not to Know?

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NYC Educator: To Know or Not to Know?:To Know or Not to Know?by NYC EducatorMayor Bloomberg is a stalwart supporter of "value-added" scores being released to the public. After all parents need to have this information. The fact that it is thoroughly unreliable, with margins of error so wide you could drive tanks through them is of no importance whatsoever. They need to know!However, there are also things they don't need to know. For example, they don't need to know ... more »

To train and control or to teach and learn: is there a choice? « Cooperative Catalyst

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

To train and control or to teach and learn: is there a choice? « Cooperative Catalyst:To train and control or to teach and learn: is there a choice?by educatedtodeathOriginally posted at educatedtodeath.comIt seems that the goal of institutions is dominion over mankind. Organizations function to tame wild spirits and make them act civilly. This is not a terrible thing— people acting civilly. But, do the rulers act civilly? Not just the grand rulers, the government, corporations, etc., but the smaller ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Write to Your Legislator NOW

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Write to Your Legislator NOW:Write to Your Legislator NOWby Melissa WestbrookFrom afar I have been following the machinations of the State Senator Republicans (and the 3 Roadkill Dems including Rodney Tom) and the state budget.I can only say that, like Nick Hanauer, this is no way to show loyalty to your party. I think if Senator Tom wants to be a Republican, he should go back to being one (he acts like one anyway). I also ...more »

School Tech Connect: In Which I Admit I'm Squatting....

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

School Tech Connect: In Which I Admit I'm Squatting....:In Which I Admit I'm Squatting....by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Scout In PursuitHere's an image from the day, mashed up in Fotoflexer. So here's a conundrum. I have a number of different URL's that I pay for--- none of them have anything to do with these topics--- and I keep up the payments for those URL's through my web hosting service, A Small Orange, a company I can't say enough good things about. If you ... more »

NYC DOE "Chancellor" Dennis Walcott Says That "Just Cause" in 3020-a Arbitration is Harmful To His Agenda - ParentAdvocates.org

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org:NYC DOE "Chancellor" Dennis Walcott Says That "Just Cause" in 3020-a Arbitration is Harmful To His AgendaGovernment Lies, Corruption and Mismanagement | Posted 3/4/2012 at 4:28 PMWalcott gets my award for the most despicable member of any education administration currently in office. Cant we get rid of him? The reason for my saying this is that I know how school administrators push good people out of their jobs, just read my post on this blog and on ... more »

The Future of the Florida Senate: Will the Anti-Privatization Coalition Extend to Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

The Future of the Florida Senate: Will the Anti-Privatization Coalition Extend to Schools | Scathing Purple Musings:The Future of the Florida Senate: Will the Anti-Privatization Coalition Extend to Schoolsby Bob SikesWhat follows is an analysis by a long time observer of Florida politics. The writer desires to be recognized by a pseudonym, Lois Pace.Will the emerging center coalition in the Florida Senate flex its muscle as we enter the last two weeks of the legislative session? Will those Senators who ... more »

One Teacher's Perspective: A Public Challenge to Privatizing Schools

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

One Teacher's Perspective: A Public Challenge to Privatizing Schools:A Public Challenge to Privatizing Schoolsby Imagine WisconsinThis week’s guestperspective comes from Bill Conway—Wisconsin’s 2009-2010 PTA Teacher of the Year.Conway is a veteran social studies teacher at Parker High Schoolin Janesville, WI.I read recently, with greatconcern, a JanesvilleGazette article about a private organization from Florida offering to keeptwo rural Wisconsin elementary schools open at a fraction of the currentoperating costs.It sent chills down my spine to read how this privateorganization cam... more »

Schools Matter: Confessions of a "Bad Teacher"

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Schools Matter: Confessions of a "Bad Teacher":Confessions of a "Bad Teacher"by Judy RabinFrom the New York TimesMarch 3, 2012Confessions of a ‘Bad’ TeacherBy WILLIAM JOHNSONI AM a special education teacher. My students have learning disabilities ranging from autism and attention-deficit disorder to cerebral palsy and emotional disturbances. I love these kids, but they can be a handful. Almost without exception, they struggle on standardized tests, frustrate their teachers and find it hard to connect with their peers. What’s more, these ... more »

Schools Matter: Teacher, Julie Cavanagh, on Test Scores

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Schools Matter: Teacher, Julie Cavanagh, on Test Scores:Teacher, Julie Cavanagh, on Test Scoresby Jim HornFrom the NYDaily NewsAccording to the numbers, I am a highly effective New York City public school teacher. But you won’t see me jumping for joy over the news.My teacher data report, along with those of 18,000 other teachers, was released last week by the Education Department after a lengthy legal battle. That report says I have a career rating that falls at or above the ...more »

Breitbart gone. Kyle Olson picks up his banner. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Breitbart gone. Kyle Olson picks up his banner. « Fred Klonsky:Breitbart gone. Kyle Olson picks up his banner.by Fred KlonskyGlen Yarbrough left the Limelighters.To those who thought the passing of Andrew Breitbart last week at the age of 43 meant the end of an era of mindless right-wing yahoo bloggers (and I’m pretty sure that most of you did not), I present Kyle Olson.Olson’s resume has mainly consisted of heading a tiny group of teacher haters in Western Michigan called ... more »

Tampa Bay Times: Charter School Dangers on Display in Scientology Case | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Tampa Bay Times: Charter School Dangers on Display in Scientology Case | Scathing Purple Musings:Tampa Bay Times: Charter School Dangers on Display in Scientology Caseby Bob SikesThe editors of the Tampa Bay Times have weighed in one week after Drew Harwell’s investigative pieceappeared on its pages last Sunday. They focus their ire on the shady dealings of Life Force Arts and Technology Academy director Hanan Islam while pointing out the dangers that current charter school policies place upon children and ... more »

We need more teachers like this « Cooperative Catalyst

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We need more teachers like this « Cooperative Catalyst:We need more teachers like thisby joebowerIf you are proud of your high testsandgrades or ashamed of your low ones, you are a part of the problem.But if those who get low testsandgrades speak up against them they are easily labelled as ‘sour grapes’.That’s why those who get high testsandgrades have a responsibility to speak up and reject any accolades. Because they know that standardized tests measure what matters least. They also ... more »

Four Warriors, Their Teacher and directions to the White House - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard

Four Warriors, Their Teacher and directions to the White House - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard:

Four Warriors, Their Teacher and directions to the White House

by Lily

There are four children who just left my office in DC. They are actual warriors and so they would probably hate being called children, but teachers and parents can call their children “children” until they graduate and then get jobs and then have children of their own – and even then they will be our children because no matter how young we were when they knew us, they will always think of us as the old guys and no matter how old they get, we will always see them with the eyes that saw them as children.

These four warrior children have been telling me how they are in DC to save lives. Maybe their grandparents’ lives. Maybe the lives of the children they hope to have someday. Maybe their own.

They are American Indian students who attend tribal schools in Idaho. They

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Now Taking Private Student Loan Complaints | U.S. Department of Education

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Now Taking Private Student Loan Complaints | U.S. Department of Education:

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Now Taking Private Student Loan Complaints

MARCH 5, 2012

Contact:

Office of Public Affairs, (202) 435-7170

Washington, D.C. — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is now accepting complaints from borrowers having difficulties with their private student loans. The CFPB will assist all borrowers experiencing problems taking out a private student loan, repaying their private student loan, or managing a student loan that has gone into default and may have been referred to a debt collector.

"The ability to work hard and better yourself through education is part of what makes this country so great," said Richard Cordray, Director of the CFPB. "But getting a higher education can mean taking on significant debt—a big decision with a lot of consequences. The CFPB is now the one-stop federal agency where all private student loan borrowers can ask questions, get information, and file a complaint about this important market."

Student loans have now surpassed credit cards as the largest source of unsecured consumer debt. Millions of students turn to private loans to pay for college when scholarships and federal student loans do not cover the full costs. But unlike federal student loans, private student loans do not generally have the same borrower protections such as military deferments, discharges upon death, or income-based repayment plans.

Until recently, private student lenders have only been regulated by a patchwork of state and federal authorities. Prior to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, there was no federal supervisory program over nonbanks that issued student loans. That authority has now been given to the CFPB. Among its reforms, the law created a private student loan ombudsman to assist borrowers and review complaints. The ombudsman, Rohit Chopra, is also responsible for examining the complaints in order to develop recommendations to Congress and other federal government agencies.

Consumers can get help from the CFPB on student loans in a variety of ways including by the Bureau website, telephone, mail, and fax. Consumers can file complaints about any kind of student loan. While the CFPB will alone manage the private student loan complaints, the CFPB will work closely with the Department of Education to route complaints that fall under their purview as the overseer of federal student loans. The agencies executed a memorandum of understanding to ensure close coordination. Examples of federal loans include Direct loans, Stafford loans, Perkins loans, and PLUS loans.

Among the complaints that the Bureau anticipates receiving:

• Difficulties making full payment;
• Confusing advertising or marketing terms;
• Billing disputes;
• Deferment and forbearance issues; and
• Debt collection and credit reporting problems.

Working with the Department of Education, the CFPB released a Know Before You Owe "Financial Aid Shopping Sheet," which is a draft of important financial aid information that colleges could provide to students and their families, including information about monthly debt payment levels after graduation. The CFPB also launched a Student Debt Repayment Assistant, an interactive tool which tens of thousands of Americans have already used to help navigate their repayment options on student loans.

In November, the Bureau published a Notice in the Federal Register to ask students, lenders, servicers, schools, and other members of the public to share their experiences with the private student loan market. The Bureau received thousands of comments from consumers, industry, and the higher education community, which will be analyzed as part of a report to Congress on the private student loan market, to be released later this year.

The CFPB has been taking complaints in categories of consumer financial products and services since launching on July 21, 2011. The Bureau started by taking credit card complaints. In December, the Bureau expanded and began taking complaints on mortgages and other home loans. And, on March 1, the Bureau began taking complaints on checking accounts.

The Bureau expects financial institutions to respond to complaints within 15 days with the steps they have or plan to take, and expects complaints to be closed in 60 days. Consumers are given a tracking number after submitting a complaint and can check the status of their complaint by logging on to the CFPB website. Each complaint will be processed individually and consumers will have the option to dispute the lender's resolution.

The Bureau sent a letter this week to more than 6,000 university officials across the country notifying them of the new complaint system, so they can direct students and alumni to get help with their student loans.

To find out more information about the Bureau's new private student loan consumer response function and to file a private student loan complaint, borrowers can:

• Call the toll-free phone number at 1-855-411-CFPB (2372)
• Visit online at www.consumerfinance.gov
• Fax the CFPB at 1-855-237-2392
• Mail a letter to P.O. Box 4503, Iowa City, Iowa 52244

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that helps consumer finance markets work by making rules more effective, by consistently and fairly enforcing those rules, and by empowering consumers to take more control over their economic lives. For more information, visitwww.ConsumerFinance.gov.