BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
In leaked memo, Pearson stands behind “Pineapple” test items | GothamSchools
In leaked memo, Pearson stands behind “Pineapple” test items | GothamSchools: In leaked memo, Pearson stands behind “Pineapple” test items by Philissa Cramer Even when it seemed that everyone had something to say about“The Hare and the Pineapple,” the seemingly nonsensical story that appeared on New York’s eighth-grade reading exam, the company that created the test remained silent. Now, a leaked memo makes it clear that state officials sought an explanation from Pearson of why the story appeared on some exams — and that Pearson offered a vigorous defense of its test-construction c... more »
Report: Some charters spend more than traditional schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
Report: Some charters spend more than traditional schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Report: Some charters spend more than traditional schools by Valerie Strauss A new report concludes that charter schools operated by major charter management organizations in three states often spend more to educate children than the surrounding public schools. The study, published by the National Education Policy Center, compares per-pupil spending in charter schools run by major management organizations with local district schools in New York, Ohio, and Texas. It says that in som... more »
No Excuses! Really? Another look at our NEPC Charter Spending Figures « School Finance 101
No Excuses! Really? Another look at our NEPC Charter Spending Figures « School Finance 101: No Excuses! Really? Another look at our NEPC Charter Spending Figures by schoolfinance101 Not surprisingly, KIPPs first response to our recent NEPC study was to declare it outright flawed. KIPP then proceeded to make up every possible explanation they could – every possible “excuse” – conjure every possible out of context – or different context estimate or “fact” to make their case that they in fact spend equal or less than schools in New York City and Houston. I guess what continues to pe... more »
ED Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week with #AskFAFSA Office Hours | ED.gov Blog
ED Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week with #AskFAFSA Office Hours | ED.gov Blog: ED Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week with #AskFAFSA Office Hours by Guest Blogger Teachers, firefighters, police officers, government employees, military—day in and day out these public servants work tirelessly for citizens across the country. To celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (May 6th-12th) and the positive impact these individuals’ work has on our lives, we are dedicating this month’s #AskFAFSA Office Hours to our nation’s public servants. Were you aware of these governm... more »
Partiers Mock Trayvon Martin, Throw Bottles at Black Women from Cornell Frat Roof « Student Activism
Partiers Mock Trayvon Martin, Throw Bottles at Black Women from Cornell Frat Roof « Student Activism: Partiers Mock Trayvon Martin, Throw Bottles at Black Women from Cornell Frat Roof by Angus Johnston A group of partiers on the roof of a Cornell frat house allegedly taunted black students and threw objects — including an empty Jack Daniels bottle — at them as they passed on the street. Beverly Fonkwo, a sophomore, says she and a friend were walking home when people began throwing things at them from the Sigma Pi roof. When she confronted the crowd, she says, they threw more tras... more »
The United States of Pearson? « Diane Ravitch's blog
The United States of Pearson? « Diane Ravitch's blog: The United States of Pearson? by dianerav Ever since the debacle of Pineapplegate, it is widely recognized by everyone other than the publishing giant Pearson that its tentacles have grown too long and too aggressive. It is difficult to remember what part of American education has not been invaded by Pearson’s corporate grasp. It holds billions of dollars to test students. Its scores will be used to calculate the value of teachers. It has a deal with the Gates Foundation to store all the student-level data collected at the... more »
Finally gets one right: Arne Duncan Endorses Marriage Equality | ThinkProgress
Arne Duncan Endorses Marriage Equality | ThinkProgress: *ARNE DUNCAN ENDORSES MARRIAGE EQUALITY | *Arne Duncan, President Obama’s Secretary of Education, endorsed marriage equality during an appearance on Morning Joe on Monday following Vice President Joe Biden’s support for the issue. “Yes, I do,” Duncan said in response to a question from Mark Halperin, noting that he had never been publicly asked his opinion on marriage equality. Watch it: Duncan is the second cabinet official to support same-sex marriage. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan voiced his endorsem... more »
The Big Philanthropic Shift: Now What? :: Frederick M. Hess
The Big Philanthropic Shift: Now What? :: Frederick M. Hess: The Big Philanthropic Shift: Now What? *by Frederick M. Hess • May 7, 2012 at 8:43 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share I recently wrote a piece for *Phi Delta Kappan* exploring a couple of the key developments in edu-giving since 2005. That's the year I published *With the Best of Intentions: How Philanthropy is Reshaping K-12 Education*, in which I (in my usual mean-spirited fashion) used the dismal experience of the then-recently concluded $1.1 billion Annenberg Challenge as a ju... more »
Bringing the PTA into the 21st Century or What I learned at the Washington State PTA Convention | Seattle Education
Bringing the PTA into the 21st Century or What I learned at the Washington State PTA Convention | Seattle Education: Bringing the PTA into the 21st Century or What I learned at the Washington State PTA Convention by seattleducation2011 It was painfully apparent on Friday during the general assembly meeting what regions and districts were represented at the Washington State PTA (WSPTA) Convention and what communities, towns and cities were not. The General Assembly during the WSPTA Convention is when members vote on candidates for leadership positions and on resolutions that have be... more »
Shanker Blog » Staff Matters: Social Resilience In Schools
Shanker Blog » Staff Matters: Social Resilience In Schools: Staff Matters: Social Resilience In Schools by Esther Quintero In the world of education, particularly in the United States, educational fads, policy agendas, and funding priorities tend to change rapidly. The attention of education research fluctuates accordingly. And, as David Cohen persuasively argues in *Teaching and Its Predicaments*, the nation has little coherent educational infrastructure to fall back upon. As a result of all this, teachers’ work is almost always surrounded by important levels of uncertainty (e.g.,... more »
Ask the Teachers | ED.gov Blog
Ask the Teachers | ED.gov Blog: Ask the Teachers Posted on May 7, 2012 by Arne Duncan *Cross-posted from the Huffington Post.* ** * * When I ask teachers why they teach, they almost always say that it is because they want to make a difference in the lives of children. They talk about the joys of teaching and the singular rewards of watching children learn. Often they mention former students who get in touch years after they graduate to thank them for their success. Yet stories of lasting and life-changing teacher-student relationships contrast starkly with what teachers say when ask... more »
Guess when this warning about testing was written - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
Guess when this warning about testing was written - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Guess when this warning about testing was written By Valerie Strauss The following, published in an American newspaper, warns about the dangers of attaching high stakes to standardized test results and about the growing dependence on these assessments in public education. The piece was written by Fred Smith, who was a research analyst in testing for the New York Public Schools for many years. This sounds like it was written this year, but it wasn’t. Read it and at the end you’ll see when and ... more »
“Fighting for the children while the shrapnel seems only to be killing teacher after teacher.” | Get Schooled
“Fighting for the children while the shrapnel seems only to be killing teacher after teacher.” | Get Schooled: “Fighting for the children while the shrapnel seems only to be killing teacher after teacher.” by Maureen Downey [image: over (Medium)]I wrote a column for the print AJC on national Teacher Appreciation Week, which I will post later today. I decided to post this essay first to kick off the week. This was written by a local teacher who asked me to withhold her name. Here is her piece: It’s teacher appreciation week, again, and the fact the fact that teacher morale is at th... more »
Jersey Jazzman: King Christie
Jersey Jazzman: King Christie: King Christie by Duke Chris Christie will take as much power as he can grab: But on his education agenda at least, the governor is also finding he can move on some key issues without the legislature’s full consent, creating tensions along the way but with, so far, no one stopping him. An example came last week when Christie announced a new plan for high school testing that would effectively do away with the current High School Proficient Assessment and replace it with yearly exams in language arts and math, as well as possibly other subjects. When a... more »
Break Up UC? | California Progress Report
Break Up UC? | California Progress Report: Break Up UC? by megan *By Peter Schrag* There was no great surprise in last month’s proposal to devolve more control of the University of California’s ten campuses – and thus more autonomy -- to the campuses themselves. And it’s even less surprising that it came from Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, former Provost C. Judson King and other Berkeley officials. All ten are supposedly equal, but it’s no secret that Berkeley, possibly with UCLA and San Diego, are more equal than others. Similar proposals have come from Berkeley administrat... more »
LAUSD'S MIRAMONTE SCANDAL- HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? (VIDEO #5) - Perdaily.com
LAUSD'S MIRAMONTE SCANDAL- HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? (VIDEO #5) - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S MIRAMONTE SCANDAL- HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? (VIDEO #5) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Top-down.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) The Miramonte Child Abuse Scandal shows a disquieting picture of the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) top-down model of school administration, where the defensive mechanisms that should have been in place to protect students were sabotaged by a culture where nobody dares contradict the pr... more »
NYC Educator: The Emperor Speaks
NYC Educator: The Emperor Speaks: The Emperor Speaks by NYC Educator To kick off teacher appreciation week, Mayor Bloomberg has unilaterally declared that there will be no retroactive pay for teachers. In Mayor Bloomberg's New York, as in much of the country, putting "children first" means teachers, alone among city employees, get nothing. They should be happy they get paid at all. Billionaire Bloomberg takes a dollar a year to run his fiefdom and thinks that ought to be enough for anyone, except cops, firefighters, clerks, and everyone else but educators. This is a remarkable pos... more »
Deep Inside Whitney Tilson and His Future Issues With the SEC
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Deep Inside Whitney Tilson and His Future Issues With the SEC by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Sometimes you create your own luck, sometimes it just falls right on your lap. Today, it fell on our lap. A person deep inside Whitney Tilson's organization contacted the SBSB newsroom to share some of of what Whitney Tilson truly is. We here at SBSB wish to applaud this deep background source on his feeling the need to expose Whitney for what he truly is. We vetted this person and all checks out that he is quite familiar with Whitney and his antics.... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Protesting Pearson's latest move on teacher licensing
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Protesting Pearson's latest move on teacher licensing: Protesting Pearson's latest move on teacher licensing by Mike Klonsky Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times Barbara Madeloni, front right, who runs the high school teacher training program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with some of her students, who have refused to participate in a pilot program for a new licensing procedure being developed by the education company Pearson and Stanford University to be marketed to states nationwide. Education students are refusing to ... more »
YESTERDAY’S TEACHING METHODS WOULD BE CHILD ABUSE TODAY « Teachers Fight Back
YESTERDAY’S TEACHING METHODS WOULD BE CHILD ABUSE TODAY « Teachers Fight Back: YESTERDAY’S TEACHING METHODS WOULD BE CHILD ABUSE TODAY by alkleen The following story was taken from Dawn Turner Trice’s column in the Tribune. One day in the early 1960s, when Marilyn Johnson was a first-grader at a Chicago Catholic school, her teacher announced that she would call the “good readers” to the front of the class. One by one, students left their seats and stood proudly by the chalkboard. When the nun finished calling names, only Johnson and a little boy remained at their desks. “I ran ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Buys Herself Some Legislators
Jersey Jazzman: Rhee Buys Herself Some Legislators: Rhee Buys Herself Some Legislators by Duke Teachers, Missouri shows you the future - pay heed: Two Democratic legislators, including Minority Leader Mike Talboy, D-Kansas City, who received campaign contributions from *Michelle Rhee's Students First*helped give the organization its first legislative victory in Missouri Thursday. A watered down HB 1526 *eliminating the use of seniority in determining teacher layoffs* passed by an 83-78 margin, one vote more than necessary, with Talboy, who received a $1,000 contribution from Stude... more »
Founding Fathers Appalled At Attacks On Public Education - The Winning Words Project
Founding Fathers Appalled At Attacks On Public Education - The Winning Words Project: Founding Fathers Appalled At Attacks On Public Education POSTED BY KAROLI 73PC ON MAY 06, 2012 · FLAG *by Karoli* As I prepare to send my youngest child off to a state university, recent Congressional kerfuffles over student loan interest rates have left me wondering when our nation abandoned our core values.* *When conservative pundits like George Will actually call student loans "entitlements" and Cal Thomas of the Baltimore Sun says student debt problems are simply a failure of the students the... more »
No education reform without tackling poverty, experts say
Education Votes: No education reform without tackling poverty, experts say *by Robert McNeely* If many so-called education reformers really want to close the student achievement gap, they should direct their fire away from public school educators and take aim at the real issue—poverty. This was the consensus of a panel of policy advocates and academics that convened recently on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. to discuss the impact of poverty on student learning over the past 40 years. The panelists presented data that showed the current state of student achievement and discusse... more »
Going Down the Rabbit Hole: The Mad World of Bill Gates and Pearson Publishing « Living Behind the Gates
Going Down the Rabbit Hole: The Mad World of Bill Gates and Pearson Publishing « Living Behind the Gates: Going Down the Rabbit Hole: The Mad World of Bill Gates and Pearson Publishing By livingbehindthegates Mad World… getting madder every day… *“In that direction,” the Cat said, waving its right paw round, “lives a Hatter: and in that direction,” waving the other paw, “lives a March *
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Career + Technical Education in SPS
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Career + Technical Education in SPS: Career + Technical Education in SPS by Melissa Westbrook This is a long overdue thread but one that deserves two threads. This first one is about what SPS is doing and their great director, Shep Siegel. The other one will be about national CTE and new efforts to revive. Vocational ed? Do we all remember this from high school? The shop teacher with the missing fingers? The guys who took auto shop to learn to rev up their cars? We have come a long way and luckily Mr. Siegel is creating the SPS program to h... more »
Educator Musing: Parent Revolution's Two Petition Strategy - Confusing or Misleading?
Educator Musing: Parent Revolution's Two Petition Strategy - Confusing or Misleading?: Parent Revolution's Two Petition Strategy - Confusing or Misleading? by Educator Musing For our first strategy, and this was and remains our first choice, we knew we could achieve our goals within the district, but the district would have to formally make changes and just as important the teacher's union would have to make changes to their operations. This model became petition #1. And it calls for the district to give certain powers to Desert Trails Kids First and for the union to enter ... more »
Social Media For Administrators (Blog Posts) | Connected Principals
Social Media For Administrators (Blog Posts) | Connected Principals: Social Media For Administrators (Blog Posts) by George Couros cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo shared by Ken Whytock *I recently decided to compile some of the blog posts that I have written regarding social media and administrators on my own blog site. I have created a “page” for these articles that I will continue to update as I write posts that may be helpful, but I just wanted to share this as a blog post to those people who may subscribe to this through an RSS feed or email subscription. There are so many... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Update to Lake City Property Issue
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Update to Lake City Property Issue: Update to Lake City Property Issue by Melissa Westbrook Via Director Peaslee, new info from Ron English, legal counsel for the district about the Lake City property (and thank you to Mr. English for this detailed explanation). It's quite long and detailed and I am printing it in its entirety. I still have my three main issues with this idea: - *should the district be in the property management business at all?* It is not a core purpose of the district. - Mr. English's statement says that the district's real e... more »
tomhayden.com - Peace Exchange Bulletin - The Port Huron Statement: A manifesto reconsidered
tomhayden.com - Peace Exchange Bulletin - The Port Huron Statement: A manifesto reconsidered: THE PORT HURON STATEMENT: A MANIFESTO RECONSIDERED [image: Date]SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2012 AT 12:01PM | [image: Print Article]PRINT ARTICLE | [image: Email Article]EMAIL ARTICLE | [image: Comment]POST A COMMENT *This op-ed originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times on May 6, 2012.* *An Occupy protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask is shown in Oakland, Calif. Occupy Wall Street's insistence that 1% of the population shouldn't control such a vast portion of the country's wealth feels like a direct ...more »
Louisiana Educator: More on the 10% factor
Louisiana Educator: More on the 10% factor: More on the 10% factor by Michael Deshotels Many of my readers are still struggling to understand exactly which teachers are expected to be rated ineffective by the Act 54 teacher evaluation plan. So I submitted the following questions to Superintendent White in an email recently: Mr White: The readers of my blog at louisianaeducator.blogspot.com have asked several questions that I have not been able to answer. I would appreciate very much if you could answer the following questions. - Will the 10% of teachers deemed to be ineffect... more »
Dear Charlie. « Fred Klonsky
Dear Charlie. « Fred Klonsky: Dear Charlie. by Fred Klonsky *Sixty IEA members travel from the north suburbs of Chicago to Springfield to fight for pensions, but nobody from the IEA Communications office takes notice.* Dear Charlie McBarron, Just because you’re pissed at me, Charlie, don’t take it out on everyone in Region 36. I knew things had gotten bad when you unfriended me from Facebook. That was when you mistakenly mentioned on one of your status updates that IEA Executive Director Audrey Soglin was a member of the Advisory Board of the National Council on Teacher Quality. O... more »
“If Teachers Were Treated Like Celebrities!” 2012 Version « Diary of a Public School Teacher!
“If Teachers Were Treated Like Celebrities!” 2012 Version « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: “If Teachers Were Treated Like Celebrities!” 2012 Version by Oldschoolteach *Can you imagine what it would be like if teachers were treated like actors, athletes, singers, or even “reality tv “stars?” Wow!* *Mrs.Smith, Celebrity Teacher* “Mrs.Smith, Mrs.Smith, can I get your autograph?” She turned and smiled brightly at the young woman running towards her. “Mrs.Smith”, the young woman gasped, “I have been following your career for years! I’m about to start teaching myself, and I would ... more »
I Went Through Hell, So I’m Expecting Heaven [On Speaking Up Again] | The Jose Vilson
I Went Through Hell, So I’m Expecting Heaven [On Speaking Up Again] | The Jose Vilson: I Went Through Hell, So I’m Expecting Heaven [On Speaking Up Again] by Jose Colleague Carrie Kamm commented on my last post with this: “Something prompted this blog post from you. I am sure these thoughts and ideas have dwelled within you, but I’d love to know what you observed, heard, or felt that made you need to write this post this week. For me, reading Lisa Delpit’s latest book has brought many of these same sentiments to the surface for me in a way that feels more present and urgent.” She... more »
An Urban Teacher's Education: Whatever It Takes
An Urban Teacher's Education: Whatever It Takes: Whatever It Takes by James Boutin "Are you willing to do whatever it takes to ensure each child succeeds?" Recently, Highline School District (the district I work in, just south of Seattle) conducted something of an audit around their devotion to equity. The question above was among many considered by the "auditors" in determining the commitment of the district's staff to equity. That this question was considered by such a group strongly implies that equity is only served when school personnel answer yes. Six years ago, when I wa... more »
You Can't Be a Feminist and Have Kids (Or: Everything You Do Is Wrong) | Inside Higher Ed
You Can't Be a Feminist and Have Kids (Or: Everything You Do Is Wrong) | Inside Higher Ed: You Can't Be a Feminist and Have Kids (Or: Everything You Do Is Wrong) by Susan O'Doherty Blog: Mama PhD This week, The New York Times is running a series on the benefits and pitfalls of attachment parenting in its Room for Debate section, inspired by Elisabeth Badinter's "The Conflict." For the most part, the essays are thoughtful and measured, and some of them (Erica Jong's and Annie Urban's in particular, I think) discuss important factors in child-rearing. But the title of the seri... more »
Final push to save teacher pensions. Keep the pressure on everyone. « Fred Klonsky
Final push to save teacher pensions. Keep the pressure on everyone. « Fred Klonsky: Final push to save teacher pensions. Keep the pressure on everyone. by Fred Klonsky *The only time you will read me quoting Ronald Reagan: “Trust, but verify.”* As we head back to school tomorrow, we are heading into the final month of the Illinois General Assembly session. Crunch time on the pension issue. Active and retired teachers have to step up. A contact a day. Every day. And the pressure must be put on both the legislators and our IEA leadership. Some argue that the IEA should be at the table. ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Good, the Bad, and the Dumb
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Good, the Bad, and the Dumb: The Good, the Bad, and the Dumb by Melissa Westbrook Great article in the Times this morning about almost-*Superintendent Banda.* Makes me think the Board picked the right person at the right time for this district. I note that the Times is also trying to push this *A+Washington initiative*. LEV has a full-court press at their website. There is nothing wrong with various groups joining together to push for better education but what they are saying is nothing new: - great teachers - flexibility - m... more »
This Week In Education: Events: Weekend Thoughts On NSVF 2012
This Week In Education: Events: Weekend Thoughts On NSVF 2012: Events: Weekend Thoughts On NSVF 2012 by Alexander Russo [image: Nsvf2012 logo]We're still waiting for the Howard Fuller and Rahm Emanuel videos but, with the benefit of a couple days to reflect, here are some thoughts about last week’s NSVF summit that I haven't seen elsewhere: the newfound prominence given to the parent trigger, the honest self-criticism about public engagement, the choice of Howard ("Storm The Bastille") Fuller as opener, the general disappointment following Emanuel's speech. Plus a reward video at ... more »
Corporate #EDReform Issues New Warning Message
*Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991* CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavor... more »
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