Big Education Ape

Friday, March 23, 2012

John A. Payton, of NAACP Legal Defense Fund dies - The Root DC Live - The Washington Post: John A. Payton, of NAACP Legal Defense Fund diesByLynette Holloway | The RootJohn A. Payton, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, has died, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous has confirmed forThe Root.He was 65.NAACP Legal Defense Fund President and Director John Payton. (Alex Brandon - ASSOCIATED PRESS)Payton passed away suddenly on Thursday afternoon at Johns Hopkins ... more »

Frerichs to speak at DDBA brown-bag lunch | Davis Enterprise

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Frerichs to speak at DDBA brown-bag lunch | Davis Enterprise: Frerichs to speak at DDBA brown-bag lunchbySpecial to The EnterpriseThe Davis Downtown Business Association will host a brown-bag lunch discussion on Wednesday with special guest Lucas Frerichs, candidate for the Davis City Council.This lunchtime forum will give downtown business owners and community members an opportunity to meet and talk with Frerichsabout his many years of civic volunteerism in Davis, his accomplishments in supporting the community and his vision for the ... more »

“Minorities who wear hoodies just asking to be shot,” says Geraldo Rivera. #trayvonmartin« Fred Klonsky

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“Minorities who wear hoodies just asking to be shot,” says Geraldo Rivera. « Fred Klonsky: “Minorities who wear hoodies just asking to be shot,” says Geraldo Rivera.byFred Klonsky“The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali.Minorities Who Wear Hoodies Just Asking to be Shot, Says Geraldo Rivera.This morning onFox and Friends, an unusually stupid walrus named Geraldo Riveraoffered”a different take” on the case of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager gunned down in the

Support PURE! » Will Illinois outlaw Noble’s “secret sauce??

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Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Will Illinois outlaw Noble’s “secret sauce??: Will Illinois outlaw Noble’s “secret sauce??byadminFeb. 13, 2012 press conference on Noble finesAccording to thisarticle by Jim Broadway in today’s Catalyst, Senator Willie Delgado passed anamendmentout of the Senate Education Committee last Wednesday which would essentially outlaw the fines Noble Street Charter Network charges its students for disciplinary infractions. Here’s what the amendment says:"Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section527A-5.5 as follows:(105 ... more »

A World-Class Education — Whole Child Education

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A World-Class Education — Whole Child Education: A World-Class EducationMarch 23, 2012 byKlea ScharbergIn the 20th century, the United States was the world leader in education—the first country to achieve universal secondary education and the first to expand higher education beyond the elite class. Now other countries are catching up and leaping ahead—in high school graduation rates, in the quality and equity of their K–12 education systems, and in the proportion of students graduating from college. It is not that ... more »

Occupy the Department of Education | Dailycensored.com

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Occupy the Department of Education | Dailycensored.com: Occupy the Department of EducationbyDanny WeilPicture of Ceresta SmithAt the Education Week, Teacher — a blog, Ceresta Smith and Tim Slekar are interviewed by Oakland teacher,Anthony Cody. the blog can be found at:http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2012/03/teachers_and_parents_prepare_t.html?utm_source=twitterfeedutm_medium=twitterThe interview:Last summer many of us marched to protest the US Department of Education’s policies at theSave Our Schools march in Washington, DC.While there, I met two activists, Penns... more »

Students and Teachers: Cartoons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

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Students and Teachers: Cartoons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Students and Teachers: CartoonsbylarrycubanFor this month, I have chosen cartoons fromBill Watterson‘s Calvin and Hobbes and two of Matt Groening’s categorizations of teachers that a reader of an earlier post put me onto. These cartoons are caricatures, exaggerations of positive and negative traits that we see daily in schools and classrooms. They get me to laugh, see humor where I had not seen it before, and, yes, ... more »

Obama: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon" #trayvonmartin

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Obama urges serious investigation of Florida teen killing - Reuters -: "You know, if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon"Obama: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon"ByStephanie CondonTopicsIn The News,Obama AdministrationUpdated at 11:05 a.m. ET(CBS News) President Obama spoke out for the first time on Friday about the fatal shooting of an unarmed 17-year-old African-American boy in Florida named Trayvon Martin, calling it a "tragedy.""I can only imagine what these parents are going through," Mr. Obama ... more »

Can a National Student-Led Movement Catalyze Education Reform? - Education - GOOD

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Can a National Student-Led Movement Catalyze Education Reform? - Education - GOOD: Can a National Student-Led Movement Catalyze Education Reform?byLiz DwyerCan a student-led movement get young people to become vocal agitators for education reform? That’s the goal ofEdMonth, a national student-led movement and discussion that seeks to catalyze college-age students and get them to drive the discussion on improving both K-12 schools and higher education in America."We are trying to bring as much national attention to education, making it the ... more »

The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post

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The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post: Teacher: One (maddening) day working with the Common CoreValerie StraussatThe Answer Sheet-3 hours agoThis *was written by Jeremiah Chaffee, a high school English teacher in upstate New York for the last 13 years. It’s long but worth reading*. By Jeremiah Chaffee The high school English department in which I work recently spent a day looking at what is called an “exemplar” from the ... more »

Arne Duncan: Newspapers Shouldn't Publish Teacher Ratings - Teacher Beat - Education Week

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Arne Duncan: Newspapers Shouldn't Publish Teacher Ratings - Teacher Beat - Education Week: Arne Duncan: Newspapers Shouldn't Publish Teacher RatingsbyStephen SawchukPublishing teachers' ratings in the newspaper in the wayThe New York Timesand other outlets have done recently is not a good use of performance data, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in an interview yesterday."Do you need to publish every single teacher's rating in the paper? I don't think you do," he said. "There's not much of an upside ... more »

NYC Educator: A Message from Condi

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NYC Educator: A Message from Condi: A Message from CondibyNYC EducatorHi everyone. It's me, your old pal Condoleezza Rice. You remember me. I'm the one who brought you the Iraq War. You know, I was the one who kept saying we didn't want the smoking gun to become a mushroom cloud, that Sadaam had WMDs, and all that. That's why we went to Iraq. Oh, popcorn balls,wedidn't actually go, but we sent an awful lot of soldiers there and spent ... more »

Data Center: School District Grades - Low-Income Students - ContraCostaTimes.com

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Data Center: School District Grades - Low-Income Students - ContraCostaTimes.com: Data Center: School District Grades - Low-Income StudentsByDaniel WillisBay Area News GroupPosted: 03/22/2012 05:06:18 PM PDTUpdated: 03/22/2012 06:24:44 PM PDTCounty:AllAlamedaButteContra CostaFresnoImperialLos AngelesMaderaMarinMercedMontereyNapaOrangePlacerRiversideSacramentoSan BernardinoSan DiegoSan FranciscoSan JoaquinSan Luis ObispoSan MateoSanta BarbaraSanta ClaraSanta CruzSolanoSonomaStanislausSutterTulareVenturaYoloYubaDistrict:AllABC UnifiedAlameda City UnifiedAlhambra UnifiedAlvord Unified... more »

California state report makes recommendations on teacher layoff process | 89.3 KPCC

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California state report makes recommendations on teacher layoff process | 89.3 KPCC: California state report makes recommendations on teacher layoff processMarch 22, 2012 | ByAdolfo Guzman-Lopez0Damian Dovarganes/APTeachers, parents and supporters rally as the Los Angeles Unified School District board meets to consider budget cuts and layoffs.DownloadAnew report saysCalifornia school districts need to change the way they lay off teachers.The state’s Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) says the system now in place carries a high cost — in dollars, morale and teacher ... more »

California state report makes recommendations on teacher layoff process | 89.3 KPCC

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Losing experience in teacher layoffs | Thoughts on Public Education

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Losing experience in teacher layoffs | Thoughts on Public Education: Losing experience in teacher layoffs - by Kathryn BaronbyKathryn BaronCalifornia school districts should not be bound by seniority when budget cuts force them to lay off teachers, according to far-reaching report released yesterday by the state Legislative Analyst’s Office. A Review of the Teacher Layoff Process in California also recommends changing the deadline for notifying teachers they may be laid off from March 15 to [...]Weighted student formula is already ... more »

THE MEDIA AND EMBARRASSED AUTHORITY FIGURES « Teachers Fight Back

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THE MEDIA AND EMBARRASSED AUTHORITY FIGURES « Teachers Fight Back: THE MEDIA AND EMBARRASSED AUTHORITY FIGURESbyalkleenWatch out if you do something wrong and your actions are picked up by the news media and or the social media. If your actions caused your superiors to become embarrassed because millions of people saw the wrongdoing, your punishment is likely to be way more severe than it normally would be.Take the case of the five members of the Southern Mississippi pep band who ... more »

California State University Leaders Modeling The “People’s University” After The “For-Profit Education Sector” | California Progress Report

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California State University Leaders Modeling The “People’s University” After The “For-Profit Education Sector” | California Progress Report: California State University Leaders Modeling The “People’s University” After The “For-Profit Education Sector”bymeganBy Lillian TaizCalifornia Faculty AssociationWithout a public mandate and without open discussion within democratic processes, the administration of the California State University is transforming California’s great public university—“The People’s University”—into the image of a For-Profit higher education enterprise.This is the ... more »

Report: Pink-slipping costs $706 per teacher | teachers, report, districts - News - The Orange County Register

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Report: Pink-slipping costs $706 per teacher | teachers, report, districts - News - The Orange County Register: Report: Pink-slipping costs $706 per teacherThree in four California teachers who get an initial layoff warning are rehired, the Legislative Analyst’s Office saysToo many teachers in California receive preliminary layoff notices each spring as school districts plan for worst-case budget-cutting scenarios, a time-intensive process that carries a hefty $706 price tag per notified educator, according to an independent review from the state's Legislative ...more »

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

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Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Cheating Scandal: A Conspiracy of SilenceBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-27 minutes agoArticles: 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 ...more »

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

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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 studentsBy Sharon Noguchisnoguchi@mercurynews.comPosted: 03/22/2012 04:18:15 PM PDTUpdated: 03/22/2012 06:33:06 PM PDTRelated StoriesMar 22:Data Center: School District Grades - Low-Income StudentsData Center: School District Grades - Minority StudentsBay 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 rep... more »

School Tech Connect: Open Rebellion Almost

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School Tech Connect: Open Rebellion Almost: Open Rebellion Almostbynoreply@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 ... more »

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

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State report recommends changes to school districts' pink slip process, timing - LA Daily News: State report recommends changes to school districts' pink slip process, timingByBarbara Jones, Staff WriterPosted: 03/22/2012 05:36:44 PM PDTUpdated: 03/22/2012 05:52:56 PM PDTA REVIEW OF THE TEACHER LAYOFF PROCESS IN CALIFORNIATo 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 ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers on the Edge of Poverty

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Jersey Jazzman: Teachers on the Edge of Poverty: Teachers on the Edge of PovertybyDukeBruce Bakerhas 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 ...more »

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

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We No Speak Americano [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson: We No Speak Americano [Future of Teaching]byJoseExcerpt: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 ... more »

RHEE-DUCED DCPS budget: the Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Effect - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post

DCPS budget: the Rhee Effect - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post:
DCPS budget: the Rhee Effect

by Bill Turque

D.C. public and public charter schools get an additional $86 million in the FY 2013 budget proposed by Mayor Vincent C. Gray on Friday, much of it to cover projected enrollment increases. That includes a 2 percent increase in the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, raising the basic allocation from $8,945 to $9,124. There is also $40 million — savings from rollbacks in private special education tuition — to be reinvested in expanding the capacity of neighborhood schools to support disabled kids. The charter school facility allotment stays unchanged at $3,000 per student.
Read full article >>

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Just Try Them, You'll Like Them (and we'll throw in a vote to boot)

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Just Try Them, You'll Like Them (and we'll throw in a vote to boot):
Just Try Them, You'll Like Them (and we'll throw in a vote to boot)

by Melissa Westbrook

The lure to legislators, well, I'll let Lisa Macfarlane of DFER tell you:

Speaking of choice, why don't we let the voters decide this fall about whether they'd support a small pilot program for public charter schools? Lawmakers could pass a bill with a referendum clause adding the issue to the November ballot - making the Governor's opposition irrelevant.

Earlier this session, House Democrats insisted that they couldn't even let a charter school bill come to a vote, let alone pass one, because the issue was too important and had to be decided on by voters. So let's see how House Democrats feel about a referendum charter school measure that goes straight to the ballot. Any bets?

One, very clever. Tack it onto the end of what is going to be an incredibly long ballot this November, get out all

New York Teacher | Edwize

New York Teacher | Edwize:
New York Teacher

by W.J. Levay

Members, communities unite in anger against the mayor
Outraged teachers, parents, students and community and political leaders rallied in every borough on March 15 in a Day of Solidarity to protest the Bloomberg administration’s decade of mismanaging the city’s schools. Their anger was directed at the staggering number of school closings, surge of co-locations, release of the Teacher Data Reports and the mounting attacks on teachers.
Pension reduction for future city workers
Legislators give another free pass to Wall StreetState lawmakers on March 14 approved a measure to cut the retirement benefits for future public employees, including New York City public school educators, in what UFT President Michael Mulgrew denounced as a maneuver to “penalize future public workers around the state for the mistakes made by Wall Street.
Students ‘changed forever’ by opera
Metropolitan’s HD Live in Schools Program sparks love and learningDon Jose, mad with jealousy, stabs the fiery gypsy Carmen in the heart as the crowd roars for her lover in the bullring. Students in the opera class from Susan Wagner HS on Staten Island have thrilled to this and other equally striking scenes, all live on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center.
Union subpoenas Klein, DOE brass in closing schools suit
The UFT on March 5 issued a subpoena and deposition notices to compel former Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and 11 other Department of Education officials to testify about the DOE’s failure to live up to its promise to provide resources and support to the threatened schools.
31st annual Paraprofessional Festival and Awards Luncheon
‘We have a whole lot to offer’
Each year the UFT celebrates paraprofessionals, “who give each and every child what he or she needs and make a difference in kids’ lives,” Paraprofessionals Chapter Chair Shelvy Young-Abrams told the audience of 900 gathered at the New York Hilton on March 10.
Getting bang for ‘Itak Bucks’
Teacher motivates Bronx middle schoolers with fun currencyGold stars for jobs well done may thrill the little ones, but for middle school students, stars don’t cut it. That’s been the experience of Chapter Leader Jeffrey Williams of PS/MS 37 in the Bronx. But one imaginative teacher, Helena Itak, has come up with a solution that has kids so engaged that there are no serious behavior incidents in her classroom.
Labor leaders to state legislators: There ought to be a law!
Penalties needed for fraud that harms pensionsFaced with a state pension system decimated by Wall Street’s 2008 meltdown, labor leaders including UFT President Michael Mulgrew converged on the Capitol on March 12 to demand new legislation that would allow the state attorney general to recoup pension losses caused by fraud.
UFT asks state board for help on evaluation talks
The UFT asked the Public Employment Relations Board on March 6 to compel the Department of Education to negotiate in good faith after the DOE refused to return to the bargaining table to develop a teacher evaluation system for 33 restart and transformation schools.

IEA may have cancelled Lobby Day in Springfield. But Wisconsin’s Scott Walker didn’t. « Fred Klonsky

IEA may have cancelled Lobby Day in Springfield. But Wisconsin’s Scott Walker didn’t. « Fred Klonsky:

IEA may have cancelled Lobby Day in Springfield. But Wisconsin’s Scott Walker didn’t.

by Fred Klonsky

Wisconsin’s Scott Walker is facing recall. He’s coming to Springfield.
Our Park Ridge Education Association local was taken by surprise when the state leadership cancelled Lobby Day in Springfield this year. With our pensions under assault, we were looking forward to joining with thousands of other union members in demonstrating to our lawmakers what was what.
Irony of ironies.
While our union cancelled Springfield Lobby Day, Governor Scott Walker of the state to the north, is planning

Don’t miss me on Rev. Jesse Jackson show Saturday pm » Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Don’t miss me on Rev. Jesse Jackson show Saturday pm:
Don’t miss me on Rev. Jesse Jackson show Saturday pm

by admin

Front row: James Thindwa, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Julie Woestehoff; Back row: Mike Klonsky, Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.

“Upfront with Jesse Jackson” airs Saturday at 9 pm CDT on the Word Network, which is Comcast Chicago cable channel 486. I will be a guest along with Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., James Thindwa and Mike Klonsky.
We taped the show a couple of weeks ago. One of the topics we talked about was the Noble discipline code, which has just become the target of a state legislative proposal. Other topics included school closings and turnarounds and inadequate funding for schools.
Tune in!

NYC Public School Parents: The depressing idiocy of the Common Core

NYC Public School Parents: The depressing idiocy of the Common Core:
The depressing idiocy of the Common Core

by Leonie Haimson

David Coleman

As readers of this blog are already aware, the Common Corestandards for English Language Arts were designed by a man named David Coleman, a formerMcKinsey consultant who was hired by the Gates Foundation and never taught aday in his life.
Coleman has now prescribed for thenation’s schools that at least 50 percent of all assigned reading in grades K-5must be “informational text” rather than stories, plays, poetry or other typesof imaginative literature, and 75 percent "informational text" in grades 6-12.

Allbut four states have now signed onto the Common Core and Coleman’s rigidinstructions. Goodbye to novels or other sorts of reading that will fullyengage a child’s imagination!
In a recent EdWeek article about how school districts arepreparing

Party! « Fred Klonsky

Party! « Fred Klonsky:
Party!

by Fred Klonsky

There’s this odd mix of traditions when it comes to teacher retirements.
Most teachers don’t want a fuss.
I have known teachers who have asked that I and the district keep it a secret until the job must contractually be posted.
I understand.
But it’s not me.
To me it is an excuse of a party.
And any excuse for a party is good enough for me.
Years ago our district would hold a retirement reception for all the retirees, including administrators, custodians

Why Teachers Should Join the Global Movement Against Street Harassment « Feminist Teacher

Why Teachers Should Join the Global Movement Against Street Harassment « Feminist Teacher:
Why Teachers Should Join the Global Movement Against Street Harassment

by feministteacher

My student Grace testifying at the New York City Council Hearing on street harassment in October 2010. (photo by Ileana Jiménez)

Last year, my student Grace did a very brave thing. Before a packed room of reporters, politicians, activists, and fellow testifiers, she shared her personal experience with street harassment to the leaders of the New York City Council.
During her testimony, Grace described how a man publicly masturbated in front of her on the subway and the humiliation and shame she felt as a result:

The moment which I have felt most degraded, belittled, and humiliated was at 6 p.m. on a Saturday getting on to the 1 train at Chambers heading uptown . . . His eyes flashed up to meet mine and I

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Adminstration Goes For the Education Hat Trick

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Adminstration Goes For the Education Hat Trick
The Adminstration Goes For the Education Hat Trick

by Anngie

They started with RTTT for K-12 education. Their stated goal was to help states with the problems created by NCLB which specifically addressed K-12. It was the first wedge into the public school system for Common Core Standards. However, in the RTTT grant application was a requirement for developing early childhood (pre-K) education programs. They had no intention of being limited to K-12. States like Missouri, who did not receive RTTT funding, still began implementing pre-school programs because more money would be available in the future and they had to show they were really committed to what the feds wanted. Given the lightening pace of standards developments, we know have standards for pre-K. But last week the administration went for the hat

All Education Matters: Why Is The Student Lending Crisis Being Ignored?

All Education Matters: Why Is The Student Lending Crisis Being Ignored?:

Why Is The Student Lending Crisis Being Ignored?

by Cryn Johannsen

Here's is my latest article over at the Loop. It is about the band-aid solutions to the student lending crisis that politicians continue to introduce. Those who have graduated are pretty much being ignored. Read the entire story. It includes a phone interview with John Koch, and how defaulting on his federal loans affected his personal life. We need - as a country - to be offering assistance to people like Koch.

Story

Debt has reached $1 trillion but politics hamper solutions

When it is election season, it’s always best to play it safe. But that’s not the only thing holding politicians back from taking bold measures to solve problems, such as the student lending crisis. Outstanding student loan debt is now at $1 trillion and no relief is in sight. Why? The list of reasons is long – the corrupting power of money in politics, partisan bickering, the overwhelming

Trayvon Martin Shooter George Zimmerman Expelled From Seminole State #trayvonmartinllege « Student Activism

Trayvon Martin Shooter George Zimmerman Expelled From Seminole State College « Student Activism:
Trayvon Martin Shooter George Zimmerman Expelled From Seminole State College

by Angus Johnston

George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old Floridian who shot and killed teenager Trayvon Martin a month ago, has been suspended, or perhaps expelled, from Seminole State College as a result of the shooting.
The reasoning behind what university officials are calling a “withdrawal” remains unclear. In a statementyesterday, they said this:

“Due to the highly charged and high-profile controversy involving this student, Seminole State has taken the unusual but necessary step this week to withdraw Mr. Zimmerman from enrollment. This decision is based solely on our responsibility to provide for the safety of our students on campus as well as for Mr. Zimmerman.”

At least in published reports, officials did not specify the nature of this perceived threat to the ” safety of [their]

Massive Anti-Fee Protest In Montreal Yesterday

by Angus Johnston

Easing back into blogging after a bit of a break, and I have to catch a train in an hour, but I didn’t want to let this go unmentioned:

Yesterday in Montreal more than a hundred thousand students — some estimates say it was twice that many — took to the streets to oppose planned tuition hikes. This in the context of an ongoing, growing province-widestudent strike.
Big stuff, and getting bigger.