Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 3-9 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

The Washington Teacher: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

The Washington Teacher: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!: Mayor Gray Plans to Close More Schools!byCandi PetersonMAYOR GRAY PLANSTO CLOSE MORE SCHOOLS!YOUR SCHOOL MAY BE AT RISK!DC commissioned a study of our public schools by a Chicago organization called IFF, that was funded by private money from the Walton Foundation (Walmart).The study ranks all schools into 4 Tiers by Test scores (Tier 1 being the highest performing and Tier 4 being the lowest performing). The study recommends that all ... more »

Teach for America's rocky first year | Seattle Times Newspaper

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

Local News | Teach for America's rocky first year | Seattle Times Newspaper: Teach for America's rocky first yearIt's been a rocky first year for the Puget Sound branch of Teach for America, but principals say the first TFA teachers are performing well.ByBrian M. RosenthalSeattle Times education reporterPREV1of2NEXTELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMESJordan Keller, a Teach for America (TFA) teacher, assists fourth-grader Nomin Barsbold and second-grader Laila Abdalla at Silver Lake Elementary in Federal Way in an English Language ... more »

No Child Left Behind’s effect on literacy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

No Child Left Behind’s effect on literacy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: No Child Left Behind’s effect on literacybyValerie StraussThiswas written by P. David Pearson, preeminent literacy researcher and chair of the newly formed International Reading Association Literacy Research Panel.By P. David PearsonWhile it is customary to give three cheers to something that we want to celebrate or commemorate, when I think about the legacy of the last decadeof literacy instruction in America’s schools, I can only ... more »

El estado de Nueva Jersey es el destino de los más altos funcionarios del gobierno ecuatoriano « Spanish Readers' Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

El estado de Nueva Jersey es el destino de los más altos funcionarios del gobierno ecuatoriano « Spanish Readers' Blog: El estado de Nueva Jersey es el destino de los más altos funcionarios del gobierno ecuatorianobyMr. RConsul Jessica Escala junto al Abogado Ginarte durante el informe de labores a finales del 2011No es Miami, tampoco Washington. Ni siquiera Nueva York. Es Nueva Jersey donde se están generando las más importantes discusiones y proyectos en beneficio de los ecuatorianos residentes no ... more »

NYC Educator: Big Fat Zero

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Big Fat Zero: Big Fat ZerobyNYC EducatorI've never really understood why teachers give zeroes. What's a zero? Is it a test grade? A quiz grade? Is it something to stay up all night and worry about? I don't know, so I've never actually threatened anyone with a zero, let alone given one.But last year, every once in a while, I'd draw a big zero on a piece of paper, and deposit it on the desk of a student ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Jeb Bush attacks SOS, League of Women Voters, over "Parent Trigger"

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Jeb Bush attacks SOS, League of Women Voters, over "Parent Trigger": Jeb Bush attacks SOS, League of Women Voters, over "Parent Trigger"byMike KlonskyFormer Florida governor and Bush family scion Jeb, has for some reason found it necessary to launch an attack on Save Our Schools (SOS) as part of his campaign to import theParent Triggerinto his state.Patricia Levesque, executive director of Bush’s Foundation, sent out a blast e-mail to supporters this week, asking them to contact ... more »

Louisiana Educator: Jindal Plan Moving Now! March 14-15

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

Louisiana Educator: Jindal Plan Moving Now! March 14-15: Jindal Plan Moving Now! March 14-15byMichael DeshotelsLegislators are telling the LAE lobbyists that the Jindal public school destruction bills will be heard first in the House Education Committee on Wednesday March 14, then in the Senate Education Committee on Thursday March 15. I also got a personal call from Republican Senatorfriend who told me the same thing.They are telling us that if we as educators care about public education we had better ... more »

Whole Child Around the World: A Good School Is a Good School — Whole Child Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

Whole Child Around the World: A Good School Is a Good School — Whole Child Education: Whole Child Around the World: A Good School Is a Good SchoolMarch 8, 2012 byASCD Whole Child BloggersDownload Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save]March is a special month at ASCD as we hold ourannual conferenceand celebrate excellence in education. In the coming weeks, we will honor our2012 Outstanding Young Educator, ourASCD Affiliate Overall Excellence Award recipient, and our2012 Vision in Action: the ASCD Whole Child ... more »

Fatal Flaws of Millionaire’s Tax Will Make Matters Worse for Public Education - California Teachers Association

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

Fatal Flaws of Millionaire’s Tax Will Make Matters Worse for Public Education - California Teachers Association: Fatal Flaws of Millionaire’s Tax Will Make Matters Worse for Public EducationContact: Mike Myslinski, communications consultant, 408-921-5769 (cell)BURLINGAME – Dean E. Vogel, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association, released this statement regarding support for the governor’s tax initiative and the unintended consequences of the proposed Millionaire’s Tax initiative.“Despite a catchy title that certainly has some appeal, the Millionaire’s Tax init...more »

Sen. Tom Harkin: Fixing Economy Starts With Early Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 59 minutes ago

Sen. Tom Harkin: Fixing Economy Starts With Early Education: Joy ResmovitsJoy.resmovits@huffingtonpost.comBecome a fan of this reporterGET UPDATES FROM JOYLike832Saki Knafosaki.knafo@huffingtonpost.comBecome a fan of this reporterGET UPDATES FROM SAKILike469Sen. Tom Harkin: Fixing Economy Starts With Early EducationFirst Posted: 03/ 8/2012 8:58 pmUpdated: 03/ 8/2012 9:33 pmWhen Sen. Tom Harkin asked a panel of education experts at a Thursday Senate committee hearing how they would improve the country's public schools, he was surprised by what they didn't say.A Harvard University pro... more »

San Leandro High students enter second day of hunger strike to protest budget cuts - Inside Bay Area

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

San Leandro High students enter second day of hunger strike to protest budget cuts - Inside Bay Area: San Leandro High students enter second day of hunger strike to protest budget cutsThe Daily ReviewPosted: 03/08/2012 02:30:52 PM PSTUpdated: 03/08/2012 03:21:17 PM PSTThree San Leandro High School students began the second day of a hunger strike Thursday to protest the fifth year of budget cuts by the school district.Kayla Ely and Anai Rosales, 17-year-old seniors, and Veronica Mandujano, an 18-year-old senior, ... more »

Democratic Party Women’s Institute: Room for Progressives Working to Defeat Privatization of Public Ed?

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

The Democratic Party Women’s Institute: Room for Progressives Working to Defeat Privatization of Public Education?: The Democratic Party Launches the Women’s Institute — Will Progressive Women Fighting to Protect Public Education From Privatization Be Able to Engage The Party There?bycynthiaOn International Women’s Day, today, Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (and Congresswoman) Debbie Wasserman-Schultz announced the creation of aWomen’s Instituteas an official project of the Democratic Party. The Institute will reach out to and engage women who identify as Democrats ... more »

Council members unite to defend city teachers against criticism | GothamSchools

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

Council members unite to defend city teachers against criticism | GothamSchools: Council members unite to defend city teachers against criticismbyPhilissa CramerCity Councilman Fernando Cabrera speaks at a press conference defending teachers outside City Hall today.The best antidote to teacher-bashing, according to City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, is being a teacher.At a press conference today to criticize the release of teachers’ ratings and the tone Mayor Bloomberg has set recently when talking about city teachers, Cabrera suggested that Bloomberg take over a ... more »

Modern School: Citizen’s United Leads to Bumper Crop of Lobbying by Corporations and Unions

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

Modern School: Citizen’s United Leads to Bumper Crop of Lobbying by Corporations and Unions: Citizen’s United Leads to Bumper Crop of Lobbying by Corporations and UnionsbyMichael DunnWashington Lobbyist (Image from Flickr, byDonkeyHotey)Over the past year, corporations and unions spent a record $286.6 million to influence politics in California, according to theL.A. Times—a 6.8% increase over the previous year. (You can see theTop 10 spenders on state lobbyinghere).The Times, like other media and pundits, has tried to equate union lobbying with ... more »

Striving for Success in a Time of Crisis: Strategies for Schools, Families and Communities - EdSource

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

EdSource | 2012 EdSource Symposium: Striving for Success in a Time of Crisis: Strategies for Schools, Families and CommunitiesProgramRegistrationHotel DirectionsThis path-breaking EdSource symposium in collaboration with the California State PTA will look at the impact of the state's budget deficit and the continuing impact of the Great Recession on schools, and on the ability of children living in economically distressed households to succeed academically.California's highly regarded Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor will lead off the discussion with the latest developments on ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 3-8 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

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

Improvements to Testing Agreement - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-37 minutes agoImprovements to Testing Agreement - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Torlakson and School Board PresidentKirst Applaud Improvements to Testing AgreementCSTs and CMA Results Available in 10-12 Days Rather than Three MonthsSACRAMENTO—Following approval of changes to the state's agreement with Educational Testing Service regarding the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Any Color You Want, So Long as it is Black

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

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Any Color You Want, So Long as it is Black: Any Color You Want, So Long as it is BlackbyCharlie MasHenry Ford famously claimed that people could get their Model T Ford in any color they wanted, so long as the color they wanted was black. Why black? It didn't reflect heat or light and therefore dried faster than other paint colors. That's how much he looked for ways to speed production; he wanted the paint ... more »

Trans-Girls and Gun Hill Road: Marking International Women’s Day For All Girls « Feminist Teacher

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

Trans-Girls and Gun Hill Road: Marking International Women’s Day For All Girls « Feminist Teacher: Trans-Girls and Gun Hill Road: Marking International Women’s Day For All GirlsbyfeministteacherThe following post is part ofBlog for International Women’s Dayhosted byGender Across Borders. This year’s theme is “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures.”Trans-girls of color need to be a part of how we mark International Women’s Day, especially in a year when the theme is “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures.” Often absent from our discussions about girls’ ... more »

Sacramento Press / Strategies for Tough Times: Serve Free Meals to Kids in your Community this Summer Webinar

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

Sacramento Press / Strategies for Tough Times: Serve Free Meals to Kids in your Community this Summer Webinar: Strategies for Tough Times: Serve Free Meals to Kids in your Community this Summer WebinarbyIsaac GonzalezWhen school lets out for the summer, what happens to the growing number of children that rely on a free/reduced-price school lunch?Roughly 80% of kids in California receiving a subsidized lunch during the school year did not participate in a subsidized food program during the summer. This ... more »

Teachbad Survey Results and Contest | Mr. Teachbad

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

Teachbad Survey Results and Contest | Mr. Teachbad: Teachbad Survey Results and ContestbyteachbadWow…it’s been quite a week. I’ve been deal­ing with some weird fam­ily stuff that has taken a sur­pris­ing amount of my atten­tion. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that every­body isn’t notcrazy.Any­way, we have busi­ness, you andI.First Item:The Inau­gural Mr. Teachbad’s Offi­cial Teach­bad Book Club Even­tac­u­lar Dis­cus­sion Series (MTOTBCEDS) will kick off next Wednes­day, March 14, 2012. The plan is for every­body in Amer­ica to ... more »

Schools Matter: North Carolina Teachers Smothered in Tests

Schools Matter: North Carolina Teachers Smothered in Tests:

North Carolina Teachers Smothered in Tests

by Jim Horn

From the Advancement Project (ht to Monty Neill)

Taking Back Our Classrooms: The United Struggle of Teachers, Students, and Parents in North Carolina Against High-Stakes Testing

March 5, 2012

North Carolina students, parents and teachers say the state’s use of high-stakes testing as its primary means of evaluating students and schools is ineffective, counterproductive, and denies young people the quality education they deserve, according to a new report.

Released today by Advancement Project, Advocates for Children’s Services and the North Carolina 

School Tech Connect: File This Under "D"....

School Tech Connect: File This Under "D"....:

File This Under "D"....

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

...for duhhhhhhhh.

Florida's senate just defeated-by-tie a vulture parent-trigger bill. These trigger laws are so fundamentally dangerous that only far-right Republicans and the Rahm Emanuel-wing of the Democratic party favor them.

But get a load of this person who's apparently a state senator:

I'm sure that re-explaining it to someone dumb enough to ask the question after a marathon debate would be like 

Education forum sponsored by PAA Charleston affiliate « Parents Across America

Education forum sponsored by PAA Charleston affiliate « Parents Across America:

Education forum sponsored by PAA Charleston affiliate

by leoniehaimson

Education forum sponsored by PAA Charleston affiliate

iCal Import

Start:

March 12, 2012 7:00 pm

End:

March 12, 2012 8:15 pm

Venue:

Seacoast Church

Address:
Google Map

750 Longpoint Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC, United States

Sponsored by our newest affiliate, Charleston Area Community Voice for Education:

Beyond CCSD’s Vision 2016:
A Community Conversation about Testing and Accountability

Do Performance and Achievement = Learning?

Charleston Area Community Voice for Education presents

Ceresta Smith

-Free to the public-

Monday, March 12th  at 7:00 p.m.
Seacoast Church
750 Longpoint Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Charleston Area Community Voice for Education is an independent group of local parents and educators striving to give the community a voice in public education

for more information contact: CVedu20@gmail.com

Ceresta Smith is a veteran educator, teacher leader,and mentorin the Miami-Dade County school district in Florida.  She is thefounder of the Concerned Teacher Coalition,and a co-founder of
United Opt Out National.

Ceresta was one of the original Event Planning Committee members of Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action, and she continues to champion for equity and quality teaching in America’s public schools.

Special Education Agenda March 21, 2012 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education)

Agenda March 21, 2012 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education):

Agenda March 21, 2012

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) Standing Committees meeting agenda.

---

Legislation Committee Members

Janice Brown
Maureen Burness
Morena de Grimaldi
Betty Karnette
James Woodhead

Policy Review and Development Committee Members

Janice Brown
Maureen Burness
Ken Denman

Agenda Times Are Approximate and Are Provided for Convenience Only

All items may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting. The order of business may be changed without notice.

Reasonable Accommodation for Any Individual With a Disability

Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE), may request assistance by contacting the Special Education Division, 1430 N Street, Suite 2401, Sacramento, CA, 95814; by telephone at 916-327-3698; or by e-mail at kasmith@cde.ca.gov.

---

Advisory Commission on Special Education
Standing Committees
Agenda, Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1801
Sacramento, California

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Special education policy review and development.

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Strategies for organizational and departmental input on the ACSE’s legislative agenda.

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Development of plan to encourage full federal funding for special education.

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Visits with Senator Carol Liu and Assemblymember Joan Buchanan.

Agenda March 22 and 23, 2012

Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda.

---

Advisory Commission on Special Education Members

Kristin Wright, Chair

Feda Almaliti
Janice Brown
Maureen Burness
Kenneth Denman
Diane Fazzi
Ronald Gonzales-Lawrence
Morena de Grimaldi
Betty Karnette
Susan Martinez
Laurie Newton
Tomislav Peraic
Naomi Rainey
Laureen Sills
James Woodhead

Student Members

Alexa McBride
Matthew Stacy

Legislative Members

Carol Liu, Senate
Joan Buchanan, Assembly

State Board of Education

Carl Cohn, Liaison

State Special Schools

Scott Kerby, Director, State Special Schools & Services Division
California Department of Education

Executive Secretary

Fred Balcom, Director, Special Education Division
California Department of Education

Agenda Times Are Approximate and Are Provided for Convenience Only

All items may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting. The order of business may be changed without notice.

Advisory Commission on Special Education

Schedule of Meeting	Location
Thursday, March 22, 2012 10:00 a.m. ± Pacific Time	California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 Sacramento, California 916-445-4602
Friday, March 23, 2012 9:00 a.m. ± Pacific Time	California Department of Education 1430 N Street, Room 1101 Sacramento, California 916-445-4602

Please see the detailed agenda for more information about the items to be considered and acted upon. The public is welcome.

Guidelines for Public Input Sessions

The Commission welcomes public involvement. Opportunities for public comment are provided at every Commission meeting.

Reasonable Accommodation for Any Individual With a Disability

Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE), may request assistance by contacting the Special Education Division, 1430 N Street, Suite 2401, Sacramento, CA, 95814; telephone, 916-445-4602; fax, 916-327-3706.

---

Advisory Commission on Special Education
Agenda, Thursday, March 22, 2012, 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California

10:00 – 10:10 a.m.

Call to Order – Roll Call
Salute to the Flag
Communications & Announcements
Review of Agenda

10:10 – 10:50 a.m.

Item 1: Update on the California special education local plan area (SELPA) regionalization models serving students with disabilities in charter schools including, but not limited to, presentation from the El Dorado Charter SELPA.

Type of Action: Information

10:50 – 11:15 a.m.

Item 2: Update on serving students with disabilities in California charter schools; collaboration partnerships and current state of affairs including, but not limited to comments from the California Charter Schools Association.

Type of Action: Information

11:15 – 11:30 a.m.

Item 3: Public Comment
Public comment is invited on any matter not included on the printed agenda. The Commission in precluded from discussing matters not included on the meeting agenda; however, questions may be asked for clarification. Issues raised by the public may be referred to a future meeting agenda for Commission discussion.
A five minute time limit is allocated for each individual.

Type of Action: Information

11:30 a.m. – Noon

Item 4: Standing Committee Reports
Report on Legislation (Jan Brown, Maureen Burness, Morena de Grimaldi, Betty Karnette, Jim Woodhead) and Policy Review and Development (Jan Brown, Maureen Burness, Ken Denman)

Type of Action: Action, Information

Noon – 1:15 p.m. Lunch

1:15 – 1:30 p.m.

Item 5: Organizational Input
Representatives of the following organization are invited to address the commission on issues of concern: CARS+, CTA, CSEA, PTA, SEACO, SELPA, FECs, PTIs, CCSA, etc.

Type of Action: Action, Information

1:30 – 1:45 p.m.

Item 6: State Special Schools Report by Scott Kerby, Director, State Special Schools and Services Division, California Department of Education.

Type of Action: Action, Information

1:45 – 2:30 p.m.

Item 7: Consider and discuss alternative means to the California High School exit examination (CAHSEE) including but not limited to:

• Proposed streamlined waiver policy for waiving the CAHSEE requirement to provide interim relief to some students with disabilities; and
• Alternate scale scores on the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program’s California Standards Test (CST) or California Modified Assessment (CMA) in English-language arts (ELA) and/or Algebra I that could approximate a passing score on the CAHSEE for the portion or portions of the CAHSEE not previously passed. 

Type of Action: Action, Information

2:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Item 8: Review/recap the February 2012 presentation to the ACSE by the California Community of Practice leadership team, and consider and discuss next steps.

Type of Action: Action, Information

3:00 – 3:10 p.m. Break

3:10 – 4:00 p.m.

Item 9: Commissioner reports (limited to three minutes each) on matters of interest pertaining to the memberships’ appointing bodies and stakeholders.

Type of Action: Action, Information

Adjournment of day's session.

---

Advisory Commission on Special Education
Agenda, Friday, March 23, 2012, 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, California

9:00 – 9:10 a.m.

Call to Order – Roll Call
Salute to the Flag
Communications & Announcements
Review of Agenda

9:10 – 10:00 a.m.

Item 10: Consider and discuss 2011 student proficiency, achievement, and graduation data relative to students with disabilities including but not limited to California’s performance data.

Type of Action: Action, Information

10:00 – 10:45 a.m.

Item 11: Report of the Director, Fred Balcom, Ph.D, Special Education Division, California Department of Education.

Type of Action: Action, Information

10:45 – 11:00 a.m.

Item 12: Consider and discuss proposal to “Seek relief from burdensome state special education mandates” that calls for Budget trailer bill language to remove the requirement that SELPAs submit separate Budget and Service
Delivery Plans to the California Department of Education and to hold public hearings.

Type of Action: Action, Information

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. Break

11:15 – 11:30 a.m.

Item 13: Public Comment
Public comment is invited on any matter not included on the printed agenda. The Commission in precluded from discussing matters not included on the meeting agenda; however, questions may be asked for clarification. Issues raised by the public may be referred to a future meeting agenda for Commission discussion.
A five minute time limit is allocated for each individual.

Type of Action: Information

11:30 – 11:55 a.m.

Item 14: Operations and Planning

• Next steps in selecting the recipient(s) of the Grazer Outstanding Achievement in Learning (GOAL) Award
• Review of 2012 −13 ACSE calendar and revise as appropriate
• Next steps in reviewing applications for student commissioner position and making appointments
• Nomination process for 2012−13 Chair and Vice-chair of the Advisory Commission on Special Education

Type of Action: Action, Information

11:55 − 12:20 p.m.

Item 15: Agenda building and goal setting for the May 2012 meeting, including honoring outgoing members of the Commission. Consider and discuss strategic priorities previously identified as it relates to the ACSE’s mission and vision.

Type of Action: Action, Information

Adjournment of day's session.
Adjournment of meeting.

Why Florida’s parent trigger bill failed in state Senate - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Why Florida’s parent trigger bill failed in state Senate - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Why Florida’s parent trigger bill failed in state Senate

by Valerie Strauss

“If we’ve got a bill called the parent empowerment bill, then why is the PTA against the bill?” Florida state Sen. Nancy Detert (R-Venice) asked.
The answer is that Florida parents didn’t want it, because they didn’t see it as a parent empowerment bill. Instead, they thought that the bill, known as the “parent trigger,” would lead to the takeover of public schools by for-profit charter management companies and other corporate interests.
Read full article >>

Des Moines Education Association: Des Moines Register Gets It Wrong On Compensation

Des Moines Education Association: Des Moines Register Gets It Wrong On Compensation:

Des Moines Register Gets It Wrong On Compensation

Written by DMEA President Melissa Spencer...

Like many of you, I groaned when I saw the title of the editorial in yesterday's Des Moines Register, "Ask school staff to share in sacrifice". My mood didn't improve as I read it. The Register gets several important facts wrong in their editorial, and we want to make sure our members are informed about the truth regarding our compensation.

The truth is we have sacrificed - especially the 44% of you who are on longevity and 

VAM gets Slammed: Teacher Evaluation Not A Game of Chance - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

VAM gets Slammed: Teacher Evaluation Not A Game of Chance - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

VAM gets Slammed: Teacher Evaluation Not A Game of Chance

By Anthony Cody on March 9, 2012 1:00 PM

Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody

Teachers in New York City have been slammed by the publication of VAM ratings for 18,000 of them. But something new is happening this time, and it was not what proponents of the use of these ratings for evaluative purposes intended or wanted. People are actually delving into the data to see what it shows.

This week Teach For America founder CEO Wendy Kopp became the latest advocate of VAM to denounce the publication of scores in the press, and the associated public scorning of the "bad teachers" they supposedly revealed.

In taking this stand, she joined one of her chief sponsors, Bill Gates. His foundation has spent 

Mother Crusader: Trenton Insider And Princeton Charter School Trustee Not In Favor Of Local Control. What A Surprise!!

Mother Crusader: Trenton Insider And Princeton Charter School Trustee Not In Favor Of Local Control. What A Surprise!!:

Trenton Insider And Princeton Charter School Trustee Not In Favor Of Local Control. What A Surprise!!

by darciecima

An op-ed in todays Asbury Park Press is a pretty typical piece of reformy writing.  Paul Josephson comes out of the gate swinging with reformy talking points.  Heck, "status quo" is in the title of the piece!


It drones on in much the same fashion, finger wagging at typical reformy targets, teacher's unions and school boards.


Opponents of public charter schools are wasting obscene amounts of our taxpayer funds on lobbyists, lawyers and political advisers to fight public charter schools. Their mission: to preserve the current education establishment and ways 

RheeFirst! » Rhee’s former DC cheating investigator now a sacrificial lamb

RheeFirst! » Rhee’s former DC cheating investigator now a sacrificial lamb:

Rhee’s former DC cheating investigator now a sacrificial lamb

Written by Lisa Gartner for The Washington Examiner.  Read the entire article here.
“Local political analyst Chuck Thies said the city was replacing Caveon because the public still believes cheating in D.C. schools hasn’t been investigated thoroughly enough.

‘This is politics and this is public relations, and sacrificial lambs are a part of the business,’ Thies said. ‘If [Caveon is] getting thrown under the bus and losing business from the District, well, they’re a casualty of this war.’“

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Here comes the push to nationalize education

Blog: Here comes the push to nationalize education:

Here comes the push to nationalize education

Ann Kane

Education reformer Michelle Rhee appeared on Fox News to denigrate Republican candidates running for president. She doesn't "understand why they're not talking about merit pay...tenure, and last-in-first-out" in their debates and campaign stops. Instead some have talked about dismantling the entire Department of Education. To which the social entrepreneur responds:

The notion that the answer is to get rid of the Department of Education and go back to local control is actually pretty ludicrous. What they're saying is that we should allow thousands of local school boards most of which are controlled by teachers' unions to dictate what's happening instead of setting a national standard for what is happening in our country which will make our kids competitive with kids internationally. I just think it's absolutely out of touch and it's the wrong focus.

Wow. Media-hyped, Republican governor backed Michelle Rhee wants the public schools in

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/03/here_comes_the_push_to_nationalize_education.html#ixzz1oduIYnP4

Debate over Louisiana education reform should be grounded in facts: Jarvis DeBerry | NOLA.com

Debate over Louisiana education reform should be grounded in facts: Jarvis DeBerry | NOLA.com:

Debate over Louisiana education reform should be grounded in facts: Jarvis DeBerry

"If more money was the answer, Louisiana would already have the best schools in America, but year after year we fall further behind. Our future is being squandered. Good teachers are leaving. It's like banging your head against the wall."

BRETT DUKE / THE TIMES-PICAYUNELouisiana Governor Bobby Jindal addresses the combined House and Senate Monday, March 29, 2010, in Baton Rouge.

A political organization called Believe in Louisiana is running television ads in support of Gov. Bobby Jindal's plan to reshape public education, but it's hard to believe or believe in any group that begins with the baloney that Louisianians ought to be upset at not having the best schools based on all the money we've spent.

It's become an article of faith in conservative circles, the idea that increasing the money spent on public schools doesn't buy improvement. In some places and in some cases, that claim has merit. For example, according to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Census, Washington, D.C., spends the second-most money in the nation per pupil on elementary-secondary education, and yet its students' scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress are below the national average.

But then one takes a look at New Jersey, a state that seems to have taken seriously a quote