Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-22 #soschat #EDReform

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal: A Conspiracy of Silence

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 27 minutes ago

Articles: D.C. Cheating Scandal: A Conspiracy of Silence: D.C. Cheating Scandal: A Conspiracy of SilenceByM. Catharine Evans and Ann KaneIt took nine years for rumors of cheating on test scores by school personnel in Atlanta to percolate and trigger a devastating nine-month investigation by their governor. Will it take nine or more years for D.C. schoolchildren to get the same kind of justice?Investigators in Atlantareported'"a culture of fear and a conspiracy of silence" had existed during Superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall's ... more »

This video is a lie. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 27 minutes ago

This video is a lie. « Fred Klonsky: This video is a lie.byFred KlonskyPopoutThis new video from IEA’s media department is disturbing on several levels.First, the back story. At last weekend’s IEA RA the delegates doubled down on the media budget. Recognizing the coming assault on bargaining rights and pensions, the Board of Director’s proposal for a $5 per member

Jeb Bush Dodged “Blame Bush” in Parent Trigger Defeat | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 27 minutes ago

Jeb Bush Dodged “Blame Bush” in Parent Trigger Defeat | Scathing Purple Musings: Jeb Bush Dodged “Blame Bush” in Parent Trigger DefeatbyBob SikesHigh Desert Daily Pressreporter Natashia Lindstrom is likely to be the journalist who has been closest to the pitched parent trigger battle in Adelanto, California. Lindstrom has this update:ADELANTO • As the deadline nears for Adelanto School District to verify a “Parent Trigger” petition, the parent union pushing for a dramatic overhaul of Desert Trails Elementary is pitching ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: "At KIPP, I would wake up sick, every single day"

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 27 minutes ago

NYC Public School Parents: "At KIPP, I would wake up sick, every single day": "At KIPP, I would wake up sick, every single day"A few months ago, Class Size Matters met with a former KIPP student who lives in the Bronx and her mother to hear about their experiences at the celebrated charter school. What follows are excerpts from this interview.The girl’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.Mom:Students who are accepted to KIPP and who have IEP's [individualized ... more »

Media Alert: Parents to Hold Press Conference at 2 p.m. today on steps of the Capitol in Baton Rouge regarding charter schools | Seattle Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 27 minutes ago

Media Alert: Parents to Hold Press Conference at 2 p.m. today on steps of the Capitol in Baton Rouge regarding charter schools | Seattle Education: Media Alert: Parents to Hold Press Conference at 2 p.m. today on steps of the Capitol in Baton Rouge regarding charter schoolsbyseattleducation2011Baton Rouge, LA– Speaking from a parent perspective, Parents Across America NOLA and people representing several other parent organizations will hold a press conference today at2:00 p.m.on the steps of the Capitol in Baton ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Charter schools and their segregating effect

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 27 minutes ago

NYC Public School Parents: Charter schools and their segregating effect: Charter schools and their segregating effectbyLeonie HaimsonLast week, the NY Times ran a very eloquent oped by a Brooklyn parent entitledHow Charter Schools Can Hurt, pointing out how theaggressive marketingof a Success Academy charter outside her neighborhood public school could very well lead to her school to suffer even more budget cuts, and become less racially and economically diverse, as white middle class parents choose to enroll their children in ... more »

Connecticut’s Governor Malloy: My Plan to Reform Teacher Tenure

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Governor Malloy: Dannel P. Malloy: My Plan to Reform Teacher Tenure: Dannel P. Malloy: My Plan to Reform Teacher TenureJournal Inquirer, op edBy Dannel P. MalloyMarch 21, 2012This winter, I laid out my vision to revitalize Connecticut’s public schools. With our students’ overall performance stagnant and our achievement gap the widest in the nation, I called for reforms potent enough to change the trajectory of education in our state.In the weeks since, parents, educators, businesspeople, legislators, and even students have ... more »

Charter school's finances questioned - Education and Schools - fresnobee.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Charter school's finances questioned - Education and Schools - fresnobee.com: Fresno charter school's finances questionedFUSD board ill at ease with academy's $56,000 shortfall.By Heather Somerville-The Fresno BeeWednesday, Mar. 21, 2012 | 11:59 PME-MAILPRINTTEXT SIZE:2 CommentsThe financial health of one of Fresno's charter schools came into question Wednesday night at the Fresno Unified School District board meeting.The Fresno Academy for Civic and Entrepreneurial Leadership charter petition is up for renewal, and district trustees and staff expressed uneasiness about the school's... more »

Revisiting NJOSA & the Lakewood Effect « School Finance 101

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Revisiting NJOSA the Lakewood Effect « School Finance 101: Revisiting NJOSA the Lakewood Effectbyschoolfinance101The current version of the New Jersey Opportunity Scholarship Act would pilot the tuition tax credits for private schooling in the following locations:Asbury Park City School DistrictCamden City School DistrictElizabeth City School DistrictLakewood City School DistrictNewark City School DistrictCity of Orange School DistrictPassaic City School District, andCity of Perth Amboy School Districthttp://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/S2000/1779_I1.PDFhttp://www.njspotlight.com... more »

Stand for Children won big time on Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Stand for Children won big time on Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky: Stand for Children won big time on Tuesday.byFred KlonskyPro-union state house candidate Rudy Lozano was beaten by a couple hundred votes by Sylvana Tabares. She got $50,000 in money from Stand For Children.When the IEA leadership tag-teamed Stand for Children in pushing Senate Bill 7, it was clear that SFC would be back for more.They spent almost half a million dollars on General Assembly candidates in Tuesday’s election and ... more »

The in box. Guzzardi update. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

The in box. Guzzardi update. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Guzzardi update.byFred KlonskyI wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and give you an update about yesterday’s election.We’re currently down 111 votes, or just under 1%. There are some absentee and provisional ballots still outstanding. It’s going to be an uphill climb to make up that difference, but we will do everything to ensure that all votes are counted. Voters deserve to have confidence in ... more »

The in box. Blinded to the truth by hatred for unions. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

The in box. Blinded to the truth by hatred for unions. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Blinded to the truth by hatred for unions.byFred KlonskyAn anonymous reader writes periodically to scold me for being a teacher and union member. He wrote again following yesterday’s post about the 39th house district race between progressive Will Guzzardi and daughter of Democratic Machine Boss, Toni Berrios.Fred,We finally agree on something!~PaperCutNo. Actually we don’t. Guzzardi is a pro-teacher, pro-union democrat. Berrios, and her ... more »

Outraged New Yorkers Marched In Protest of the Trayvon Martin Murder

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: Thousands of Black, Latino, Asian, White Young and Not-so-Young Outraged New Yorkers Marched In Protest of the Trayvon Martin MurderPopoutThanx to Jazz Hayden and All Things Harlem...Here is a video snapshot of the Million Hoodies March for Trayvon Martin in Union Square, New York City on March 21, 2012.The speaker is Brian Jones a Teacher, Writer and Activist we interviewed during the rally/march. He connects the killing of Trayvon Martin to Michelle ... more »

This Week In Education: Campaign 2010: Too Much Credit For "Stand IL"?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

This Week In Education: Campaign 2010: Too Much Credit For "Stand IL"?: Campaign 2010: Too Much Credit For "Stand IL"?Today's Chicago news is dominated with wrapup stories about the Illinois primaries -- many of them focused on the role Stand For Children IL may have played in the races where it placed bets. The organization gave $150,000 to 14 folks -- a couple of them runing against union-approved candidates -- and when all of its candidates won Stand sent out ... more »

Only 7 Percent of Teachers Believe in Standardized Tests - Education - GOOD

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 hours ago

Only 7 Percent of Teachers Believe in Standardized Tests - Education - GOOD: Only 7 Percent of Teachers Believe in Standardized TestsbyLiz DwyerThe number of standardized tests students have to take is about to increase, but the according toa national surveyfrom Scholastic and the Gates Foundation, the nation’s teachers overwhelmingly don’t see the high-stakes exams as essential.The survey asked more than 10,000 educators about their classrooms, schools, and how student and teacher performances should be measured. A huge majority of ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Urban Education Conference at Bowling Green University

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

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Urban Education Conference at Bowling Green University: Urban Education Conference at Bowling Green UniversitybyMike KlonskyFriday and Saturday, March 23-24, in Olscamp HallThe third annual Urban Education Conference is where BGSU undergraduates will be presenting alongside University faculty, graduate students, professional teachers, and administrators to learn from each other about the complexities of the urban education experience.Keynote speaker Dr. Michael Klonsky, Small Schools Workshop, Chicago, will be presenting "Public Schools-An Endangered S... more »

Trayvon Martin Sanford commission: Sanford city commissioners will move Trayvon Martin meeting to civic center to handle crowds - Orlando Sentinel

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

Trayvon Martin Sanford commission: Sanford city commissioners will move Trayvon Martin meeting to civic center to handle crowds - Orlando Sentinel: Trayvon Martin case: Sanford commission votes 'no confidence' in police chief7:55 p.m. EST, March 21, 2012|By Martin E. Comas andSusan Jacobson, Orlando SentinelComments46ShareNewSanford city commissioners have voted "no confidence" in police Chief Bill Lee Jr., who has been publicly lambasted for his department's handling of theTrayvon Martinshooting.Commissioner Mark McCarty made the motion to fire the chief, who has been ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-21 #soschat #EDReform

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

Confessions of a Partially Proficient Parent: The Bully Project | EdNews ParentBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-4 minutes agoConfessions of a Partially Proficient Parent: The Bully Project | EdNews Parent: Editor’s blog: Why the film “Bully” should be rated PGbyJulie PoppenEvery day in third grade, a boy in class would glare at me whenever the teacher wasn’t looking. He’d punching one fist into the palm of his other hand. My stomach would clench up.He was warning me about the ... more »

Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Fight Bubbles Up In Congress

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

Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Fight Bubbles Up In Congress: Joy ResmovitsJoy.resmovits@huffingtonpost.comGET UPDATES FROM JOY:Like847Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Fight Bubbles Up In CongressPosted: 03/21/2012 7:19 pm Updated: 03/21/2012 7:22 pmSpencer Pritchard, a first-year political economics student at University of California, Berkeley, has less control over his professional career than he'd like. That's because a major decision that will affect his life is in the hands of a body that's not always known for decision-making: Congress.This July, unless Congress intervenes, ... more »

Democurmudgeon: Society No Longer Educating our Kids. Walker's Tools now Target Individual Families to Pickup Costs.

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

Democurmudgeon: Society No Longer Educating our Kids. Walker's Tools now Target Individual Families to Pickup Costs.: Society No Longer Educating our Kids. Walker's Tools now Target Individual Families to Pickup Costs.byDemocurmudgeonThere’s one thing about public education that seems to getlost in the weeds; Local communities and the nation share in the cost toeducate the next generation, so they too can raise families, start businessesand be a part of the American dream.Not anymore.It looks like the very conservative Waukesha School Districtdoesn’t ... more »

Report gives C's, D's to schools in educating poor, minority students - San Jose Mercury News

Report gives C's, D's to schools in educating poor, minority students - San Jose Mercury News:

Report gives C's, D's to schools in educating poor, minority students

By Sharon Noguchi

snoguchi@mercurynews.com

Posted:   03/22/2012 04:18:15 PM PDT

Updated:   03/22/2012 06:33:06 PM PDT

Related Stories

• Mar 22:
• Data Center: School District Grades - Low-Income Students
• Data Center: School District Grades - Minority Students

Bay Area school districts not only poorly serve their minority and low-income students, they also do worse in general than their Southern California counterparts, according to a report released by an education advocacy group Thursday.

Of the 147 unified school districts that were ranked, vaunted Palo Alto Unified scored next to last, earning a grade-point average of 1.0 -- a D. The report did not award any A's.

Palo Alto's barely passing grade was one of many startling findings in the 2011 California District Report Cards put out by the Oakland-based Education Trust-West. The report evaluated seven criteria on how well districts are educating poor, African-American and Latino students. For the sake of making accurate comparisons, the report focused only on about 15 percent of school districts in the state, those that serve kindergarten through 12th grades. Among the report's findings:

In the Bay Area, San Ramon Valley scored the highest, a C-plus.

Besides San Ramon, only Castro Valley, Gilroy and South San Francisco scored at least a C, all slightly better 

School Tech Connect: Open Rebellion Almost

School Tech Connect: Open Rebellion Almost:

Open Rebellion Almost

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

Did you see this?

Sir: The exchange between Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott and myself dealt with the heavy burden state mandated testing has on effective teaching and learning in Texas classrooms.

Because of the vigorous punitive measures taken against districts, schools and teachers when scores are below minimum expectations, most districts have created a test based local curriculum. In many school districts, mandated common assessments directly linked to the state exam are required to be given every two weeks. In a school with 1,500 students and four core subject areas, that multiplies out to 108,000 tests. 

Add to that the state required standardized tests, district benchmark tests, district mid and end of year testing, test warranted by the teacher's actual lessons and a battery of test dealing with our immigrant population, you will get a picture of how education has devolved into a mire of testing, 

State report recommends changes to school districts' pink slip process, timing - LA Daily News

State report recommends changes to school districts' pink slip process, timing - LA Daily News:

State report recommends changes to school districts' pink slip process, timing

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer

Posted:   03/22/2012 05:36:44 PM PDT

Updated:   03/22/2012 05:52:56 PM PDT

A REVIEW OF THE TEACHER LAYOFF PROCESS IN CALIFORNIA

To read the report, clickhere.

California's system for laying off public school teachers is costly and overly restrictive and could be improved by changing state law to give school districts more leeway in making personnel decisions, a report released Thursday said.
Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor surveyed school officials about the timing and cost of sending pink slips to teachers and found it to be an expensive, often unwieldy and always demoralizing process for cash-strapped districts statewide.
He also analyzed California's seniority-based system for laying off employees and suggested that districts also include student and teacher performance and other elements as a way to retain their highest-quality 

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers on the Edge of Poverty

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers on the Edge of Poverty:

Teachers on the Edge of Poverty

by Duke

Bruce Baker has an important post up about the Opportunity Scholarship Act - New Jersey's voucher bill. Basically, the way the bill is now written, it would be little more than a massive giveaway of tax funds to yeshivas in Lakewood and, to a lesser degree, Passaic; somewhere on the order of $67 million. All voucher supporters should have to answer to Bruce's arguments here.

But his post also struck me for this:

NJOSA would provide scholarships to children in families below the 250% income threshold for poverty. The text of the bill indicates that eligible children are those either attending a chronically failing school in one of the districts above or eligible to enroll in such school in the following year (which would seem to include any child within the 

We No Speak Americano [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson

We No Speak Americano [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson:

We No Speak Americano [Future of Teaching]

by Jose

Excerpt:

While we should always have a skeptical eye towards new research, here’s hoping this movement towards bilingual education doesn’t die the way the movement towards the metric system. (As a math teacher, I’m still annoyed at having to use inches instead of centimeters.) At this point in education, we’ve only had a passing fancy with other languages. Spanish, French, German, and Italian seem to dominate the foreign language category, but how many people actually learn these languages in their 45-minute classes? For instance, I have friends who took Spanish language classes in high school who can tell me what “frio” and “hola” mean, but can’t ask me what my name is in Spanish without sounding like they’re talking about llamas. (“Como se llama?” is the operative phrase here.)

Read the rest of it here. Share. Comment. Tell the world, yo. Thanks so much.
Jose, who needs Pitbull to not sample another dance hit for a little while …

Missouri Education Watchdog: Ed Reformers Don't Value Public Input nor does this Teacher's Union. What IS "Public" about "Public" Education?

Missouri Education Watchdog: Ed Reformers Don't Value Public Input nor does this Teacher's Union. What IS "Public" about "Public" Education?:

Ed Reformers Don't Value Public Input nor does this Teacher's Union. What IS "Public" about "Public" Education?

by stlgretchen

Following yesterday's posting about what ed reformers really think about parent and/or taxpayer input into the question of charters comes this story from California about a teacher's union not wanting parents to volunteer in the public schools.  From Hotair:

In Culver City, Calif., a local union wants to force unionization of — get this — parent volunteers at the local public schools. At several schools in the city, parents have banded together to form non-profit booster clubs to fundraise for and hire part-time teacher’s helpers, who also mostly come from the ranks of the parents themselves.

The local union — the Culver City Association of Classified Employees — is not OK with that kind of initiative. The union wants the parents to continue to fundraise, but to send the funds directly to the school district so the district can then hire union employees to fill the part-time positions. As the union’s scheme makes clear, the school district presently doesn’t have the money to hire anyone to fill the roles parents have voluntarily filled. The parent volunteers aren’t stealing existing jobs from union employees.

The union has taken its request to the labor-friendly Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), a “quasi-

Lauren Zuniga, To the Oklahoma Lawmakers: a poem

Lauren Zuniga performs a poem for the Oklahoma legislators that are trying so hard to take away women's reproductive rights. The bill in question will require women to receive an ultrasound and listen to the baby's heartbeat before an abortion.