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Friday, July 20, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 7-20 AM Posts #soschat #edreform



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Jersey Jazzman: Reformyists Lose the Shanker Wars

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Reformyists Lose the Shanker Wars: Reformyists Lose the Shanker Wars by Duke ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf recently invoked Albert Shanker, the legendary teachers union leader, in supporting Cerf's expansion of charter schools: First, it is often forgotten that one of the first advocates for public charter schools was Albert Shanker, the former New York City teachers' union leader, who supported charter schools as a way to empower public school educators to innovate. While certainly charter schools are not the only schools that innovate, because of ... more »

Will Governor Quinn be able to get a pension deal in August? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
Will Governor Quinn be able to get a pension deal in August? « Fred Klonsky: Will Governor Quinn be able to get a pension deal in August? by Fred Klonsky H/T Roger Sanders. Capitol Fax reported that Governor Quinn still has dreams of getting the General Assembly back in session before the November election. The members of the General Assembly may have other ideas. But in Springfield two things can always be counted on. Either nothing happens. Or it happens before you can do

Cyber excess: Taxpayers should not over-fund charter schools - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
Cyber excess: Taxpayers should not over-fund charter schools - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: *Cyber excess: Taxpayers should not over-fund charter schools* Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... There is something very wrong with an education funding system that has public school districts chopping staff and ending programs while a publicly funded charter school is making so much money that it can pay millions to its spinoff companies. The operators of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, the state's first and largest online charter with more ... more »

The famous international scholar and the N.J. Education Commissioner — NewsWorks

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
The famous international scholar and the N.J. Education Commissioner — NewsWorks: The famous international scholar and the N.J. Education Commissioner July 19, 2012 By Laura Waters, of NJ Left BEhind .. Rate This: - - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (6 votes) Ask a question In this January photo, Christopher D. Cerf, center, acting New Jersey Commissioner of Education, applauds as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers the annual State of the State address in Trenton. (Mel Evans/AP Photo) More Info: - NJ SPOTLIGHT Op-Ed: Charter schools -- a single strand in N... more »

Op-ed by President Obama: Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
Op-ed by President Obama: Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously | The White House: Op-ed by President Obama: Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously The full text of the op-ed by President Barack Obama is printed below. The piece will be published tomorrow in The Wall Street Journal and can be found HERE. *Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously By President Obama* Last month I convened an emergency meeting of my cabinet and top homeland security, intelligence and defense officials. Across the country trains had derailed, including one carrying industrial chemicals that exploded ... more »

Bingo! Pattern-on-the-Rug Time « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Bingo! Pattern-on-the-Rug Time « Diane Ravitch's blog: Bingo! Pattern-on-the-Rug Time by dianerav One of the brilliant readers of this blog sent in a comment that made me understand what has been happening to American public education for the past 15-20 years. It is the conscious, purposeful application of a marketing strategy called FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Wikipedia says that FUD is used in sales, marketing, public relations, politics, and propaganda. I sensed that this was happening but I didn’t realize that it was a tried and true strategy that has a name and a docu... more »

Teacher voice. CTU teachers get to tell their story on my favorite TV show, Chicago Newsroom. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Teacher voice. CTU teachers get to tell their story on my favorite TV show, Chicago Newsroom. « Fred Klonsky: Teacher voice. CTU teachers get to tell their story on my favorite TV show, Chicago Newsroom. by Fred Klonsky PopoutChicago Newsroom host Ken Davis couldn’t believe a hundred percent of teachers agree on anything. I had to laugh at that. And then cry a little. Team Englewood High School teacher and four-year member of the CTU House of Delegates David Stieber says Bill Gates’ dreams. by Fred Klonsky Rahm’s CPS budget puts a dagger into the heart of neighborhood schools. by ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-20 - Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Charter Takeover of Public School District? by dianerav There is a rapidly expanding charter chain in Pennsylvania called Propel. It has charter schools in several districts in the state with a total enrollment of 2,000. They are “no excuses” schools, and they reportedly get high test scores. The Propel charter chain wants to open a K-12 charter school in the small district of Sto-Rox, which has 1,400 students. The charter school would enroll 800 students. Last November, the school board unanimously reject... more »

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Proud to be a teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Proud to be a teacher: Proud to be a teacher by noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Davis) [image: English: teacher and its importance]English: teacher and its importance (Photo credit:Wikipedia) "In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have." :Lee Iacocca See, Iacocca agreed that teaching is noble. Let's look at people who know th... more »

Redefining the F-Bomb: Who Needs Feminism? - Technology - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Redefining the F-Bomb: Who Needs Feminism? - Technology - GOOD: Redefining the F-Bomb: Who Needs Feminism? by Julie Ma For the 16 women behind Who Needs Feminism?, the GOOD Goes Viral challenge winner on GOOD Maker, the topic alone was taboo enough to toss Duke University and the internet into a frenzy. The organizers (and classmates) dropped what they jokingly refer to as “the F-bomb” on campus in the name of a social media campaign. Armed with a camera, whiteboard, and dry-erase marker, these women were determined to bring awareness to a matter they believe is central to everyo...more »

News from The Associated Press

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
News from The Associated Press: Study: Private student loans parallel subprime By DANIEL WAGNER AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Risky lending caused private student loan debt to balloon in the past decade, leaving many Americans struggling to pay off loans that they can't afford, a government study says. Private lenders gave out money without considering whether borrowers would repay, then bundled and resold the loans to investors to avoid losing money when students defaulted, according to the study, which is being released Friday. Those practices are closely associated wi... more »

The Depth of a Simple Solution (Guest Post by Bryant Muldrew) « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The Depth of a Simple Solution (Guest Post by Bryant Muldrew) « Cooperative Catalyst: The Depth of a Simple Solution (Guest Post by Bryant Muldrew) by dloitz In my work with the Baltimore Algebra Project (BAP), I and my peers waged a dramatic struggle against the State of Maryland, Baltimore City, and the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS). The state of Maryland was (and still is) systematically underfunding the BCPSS. I discuss this in detail in the Case for the National Student Bill of Rights . Baltimore City and BCPSS believed that the solution to the school funding iss... more »

A mind is still a terrible thing to waste | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
A mind is still a terrible thing to waste | EdSource Today: A mind is still a terrible thing to waste ** July 20th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Michele Siqueiros and Arun Ramanathan Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: Michele Siquieros] Michele Siquieros What if we told you that no matter how hard you tried, you only had a 5 percent chance of succeeding? What if it was your first day of kindergarten and we told youthose were your odds of getting a college degree at a California university? We don’t tell our kindergartener... more »

Another reason for summer school: national security? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Another reason for summer school: national security? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Another reason for summer school: national security? Thursday, July 19th, 2012 at 5:51 pm in 1 Comment Retired military officers think so. The nonprofit Mission: Readiness (affiliated with the public safety-related group Fight Crime: Invest in Kids) put out a report this week arguing that summer inactivity was contributing to the obesity crisis and high dropout rate — which, in turn, poses a threat to the economy and the military’s ability to recruit. What do you make... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Here's What the Charter Initiative Should Be

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Here's What the Charter Initiative Should Be: Here's What the Charter Initiative Should Be by Melissa Westbrook [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] So there was a bit of a kerfuffle between Diane Ravitch, the noted educator and Chris Cerf, New Jersey's Education Commissioner, over what he said about Albert Shanker, who is thought to be the father of the charter school movement. Now, I outlined Mr. Shanker's role in charter schools in my multi-part series on charters, saying that he approved of lab classrooms within schools... more »

Navin Johnson Gets Excited About PS 154x Test Scores.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Navin Johnson Gets Excited About PS 154x Test Scores by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Remember when Navin Johnson was so excited that the new phone books arrived? We here at SBSB are just as excited as he that the test scores have arrived. Yes, with PS 154 sliding down its slippery slope, due to upper echelon *(NOT AT ALL THE FAULT OF THE TEACHERS!!!!)* incompetence, the test scores are out and like Navin Johnson PS 154 is going places. Down to be exact. (click below to enlarge) If it wasn't for PS 154, there would be no need for summer school... more »

WHAT "BUSINESS" OTHER THAN LAUSD WOULD FORCE OUT ITS MOST EXPERIENCED? - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
WHAT "BUSINESS" OTHER THAN LAUSD WOULD FORCE OUT ITS MOST EXPERIENCED? - Perdaily.com: WHAT "BUSINESS" OTHER THAN LAUSD WOULD FORCE OUT ITS MOST EXPERIENCED? by Leonard Isenberg [image: The Music Man.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) Given a choice between having a first year intern operate on you or having a skilled surgeon with 20 years of experience perform the operation, which would you choose? So why is it different when it comes to teachers and the art of teaching? Because what goes unchalleng... more »

NYC Educator: Are You Afraid of Tech?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
NYC Educator: Are You Afraid of Tech?: Are You Afraid of Tech? by NYC Educator I can't say as I blame you. Principals can't wait to install another Smartboard, put out another iPad, hook up WiFi to the boiler room, and incorporate computers into everything and everyone. Now, don't get me wrong. I love computers. I love the internet. It's like the public library right here on my laptop. Why deprive anyone of that? On the other hand, there are some things we still need to do ourselves--like writing. How many times have you received a paper with the internet address still on top of i... more »

School Tech Connect: Popping Out The Rivets In Chicago

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Popping Out The Rivets In Chicago: Popping Out The Rivets In Chicago by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Rahm is destroying the schools. That's all there is to it. The new *de facto * ed policy in Chicago is set parents against teachers and against each other, and to fan the fire kindled by segregation. The whole message is *get your kids away from those other kids who are so problematic.* They don't do these things in the suburbs or downstate. People have neighborhood schools. Everyone attends them. There's this quaint idea that we're all in this together. In... more »

Reflections on “How To Break Free from Our 19th Century Factory-Model Education”” | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Reflections on “How To Break Free from Our 19th Century Factory-Model Education”” | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Reflections on “How To Break Free from Our 19th Century Factory-Model Education”" by larrycuban Two comments from readers got me thinking about the guest post by Joel Rose that I just published The first is from Joe Nutt, former teacher and consultant in the UK: *There is a very real and very serious error underneath what so often passes for the enthusiasm of the reformers. It’s evident in this piece where the author refers to the “factory-model ... more »

Hang on to Your Job(s): Bain Capital Ventures Introduces StartUp Academy -- PALO ALTO, Calif., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Bain Capital Ventures Introduces StartUp Academy -- PALO ALTO, Calif., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --: Bain Capital Ventures Introduces StartUp Academy New initiative to identify top talent and provide college students with unique opportunity to gain entrepreneurial experience at Bain Capital Ventures' portfolio companies PALO ALTO, Calif., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bain Capital Ventures, a leading venture capital and growth equity firm with over $2 billion in committed capital, today announced the launch of StartUp Academy, a newly created initiative to provide students wit... more »

Being driven out of teaching. « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Being driven out of teaching. « Deborah Meier on Education: Being driven out of teaching. by debmeier From Caitlin Casement, *“I worked in urban schools for 25 years. On Wednesday, June 13, 2012, I received my final send-off from the school district I worked for for all of those years…—among the retirees who left with me, more than 200 had served at least 25 years, and one woman had taught for 50 years…….* *Some, like me, are being driven out through harassment campaigns conducted by vindictive and insecure administrators threatened by our vigilant advocacy for our students—and t... more »

What is a Highly Qualified Teacher? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
What is a Highly Qualified Teacher? « Diane Ravitch's blog: What is a Highly Qualified Teacher? by dianerav Highly Qualified Teacher? A reader gives her view of what it means to be a “highly qualified teacher,” if not by the elastic definition in NCLB, then by her own knowledge of teaching: As many have pointed out, no new teachers are “highly qualified.” While some new teachers may be more prepared than others, many years of teaching experience is necessary to become a truly effective (and therefore highly qualified) teacher. So not only are TFA teachers certainly not highly qu... more »

Why do the Waltons care about education?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Education: Education *Introduction* “*Before considering the specific goals and activities of these foundations, it is worth reflecting on the wisdom of allowing education policy to be directed or, one might say, captured by private foundations. There is something fundamentally antidemocratic about relinquishing control of the public education policy agenda to private foundations run by society’s wealthiest people.”[1]* *- Diane Ravitch, education historian and Assistant Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush* When the richest family in the country inserts itself ... more »

Mother Crusader: Edith Shanker Puts Laura Waters, Chris Cerf, & Joel Klein In Their Place.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Edith Shanker Puts Laura Waters, Chris Cerf, & Joel Klein In Their Place.: Edith Shanker Puts Laura Waters, Chris Cerf, & Joel Klein In Their Place. by darciecima I am floored by the utter arrogance of this statement from Laura Waters. Here's a fact. If Albert Shanker was alive today he'd still be an education reformer and would support NJ's efforts to expand school choice for poor urban students. Jersey Jazzman already did a great job of telling Laura Waters how preposterous it is for her to state as "fact" what Albert Shanker would or wouldn't think, feel, o... more »

Bush Financier K12 Inc Under Fire for Ineffectiveness; Contracts With 39 Florida Districts | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Bush Financier K12 Inc Under Fire for Ineffectiveness; Contracts With 39 Florida Districts | Scathing Purple Musings: Bush Financier K12 Inc Under Fire for Ineffectiveness; Contracts With 39 Florida Districts by Bob Sikes With an FBI investigation underway of an affiliated virtual charter school network in Pennsylvania affiliated with K12 Inc a National Education Policy Center report urged states to “curb the growth of virtual charters until they demonstrate dramatically improved academic results.” From reporter Ian Quillen in *Education Week*: The National Education Policy Cent... more »

The States’ Budget Crisis « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
The States’ Budget Crisis « Diane Ravitch's blog The States’ Budget Crisis by dianerav My ex-husband Richard Ravitch is a brilliant man who has spent most of his life in public service. He was born during the Great Depression, and he grew up idolizing Franklin Delano Roosevelt and believing that the highest ideal was to improve the well-being of the public. We have an informal agreement that he doesn’t do education and I don’t do housing, transportation or public finance. But now he has stepped into my territory and I must step into his. Yesterday he and Paul Volcker released a tas... more »

Former Principal and Current U.S. Representative: “No Other State Deceives” Like Florida Does With FCAT | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Former Principal and Current U.S. Representative: “No Other State Deceives” Like Florida Does With FCAT | Scathing Purple Musings: Former Principal and Current U.S. Representative: “No Other State Deceives” Like Florida Does With FCAT by Bob Sikes The vigorous debate over Florida’s test-based accountability systems added a figure of national status and significant credibility. U.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Florida #17) was a school principal before entering politics. Also a former Dade County School Board member, Wilson penned a condemnation of FCAT and the suffocating utility ... more »

An Abundance of Genius | Lefty Parent

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
An Abundance of Genius | Lefty Parent: An Abundance of Genius by Cooper Zale John Taylor Gatto was a teacher for nearly 30 years, including working with disadvantaged youth in urban New York City public schools. He was named New York City Teacher of the Year in 1989, 1990, and 1991, and New York State Teacher of the Year in 1991. That was the same year he wrote a letter announcing his retirement, titled “I Quit, I Think”, published in the op-ed pages of the Wall Street Journal. In the letter he wrote that he no longer wished to “hurt kids to make a living”. He has since gone to a s... more »

Parents and students working to save a school in Portland, Oregon | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Parents and students working to save a school in Portland, Oregon | Seattle Education: Parents and students working to save a school in Portland, Oregon by seattleducation2011 *This post is on behalf of the girls at Harriet Tubman Leadership Academy for Young Women, a pubic school in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Public School Board closed their school in the most egregious manner and the girls and parents are fighting to keep their school open.* *As the author of this post explains:* When Tubman was closed, the superintendent offered to let it survive as a charter school — giving ... more »

Mother Crusader: United States DOE Awards Over $2M to Four Charters That Will Never Serve A Single Student!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Mother Crusader: United States DOE Awards Over $2M to Four Charters That Will Never Serve A Single Student!: United States DOE Awards Over $2M to Four Charters That Will Never Serve A Single Student! by darciecima Just a quick post today to point out something rather striking. Last October, my battle against Tikun Olam hit the national stage when the United States Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement awarded "Friends of Tikun Olam", a non-profit started by the lead founder, a $600,000 federal grant. They were not the only New Jersey charter awarded fund... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Fainting Couch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Fainting Couch: The Reformy Fainting Couch by Duke *Mercy!* Laura Waters is so anxious to defend charter schools against the criticisms of Diane Ravitch that she actually attempts to claim expertise on teacher unions over America's best-known education historian: Here's a fact. If Albert Shanker was alive today he'd still be an education reformer and would support NJ's efforts to expand school choice for poor urban students.. Here's another fact: he wouldn't have given this answer to a parent's query, which appears in the comment section of Dr. Ravitch... more »

Democracy Prep and the “Same Kids” Myth | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Democracy Prep and the “Same Kids” Myth | Edwize: Democracy Prep and the “Same Kids” Myth by Christina Collins In general, charter advocates have become somewhat more responsible about acknowledging the impact of demographic differences in charter and district school enrollments on charters’ academic performance. The recent release of the New York City Charter School Center’s “State of the Sector” report is one example, and we had hoped that the existence of its database (which offers straightforward comparisons between enrollments at each New York City charter school compared to... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: It's Not Teachers - It's Poverty (and when will that get the attention?)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: It's Not Teachers - It's Poverty (and when will that get the attention?): It's Not Teachers - It's Poverty (and when will that get the attention?) by Melissa Westbrook A heartfelt guest post from The Washington Post's Answer Sheet written by Brock Cohen about the REAL issue that holds back schools in closing the achievement gap. *This was written by Brock Cohen, a teacher and student advocate in the Los Angeles Unified School District who contends that we can no longer afford to trivialize the critical role that poverty plays in a child’s learning... more »

Sandra Day O’Connor champions civics education – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Sandra Day O’Connor champions civics education – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs: Sandra Day O’Connor champions civics education by *Donna Krache*, CNN [image: Sandra Day O’Connor champions civics education]Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor meets with students at an iCivics event in Washington, D.C. *(CNN)* - The retired Supreme Court justice is all business as she walks into our meeting room. But inside, she’s got the heart of an educator. Of course, Sandra Day O’Connor will always be associated with her historic “first,” as the first woman justice to sit ... more »

RheeFirst! » StudentsFirst still referring to Change.org petition signers as their “members”

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
RheeFirst! » StudentsFirst still referring to Change.org petition signers as their “members”: StudentsFirst still referring to Change.org petition signers as their “members” by admin Written by Dave Lindorff. Read the entire article here. “*In an email blast sent out to progressives on Tuesday, Rhee’s organization StudentsFirst.org, says:* Thank you for joining StudentsFirst by signing a petition on Change.org. … *Recipients of this letter may not have ever signed a StudentsFirst.org-sponsored petition on the petition site Change.org. Nor will they likely know that Rhee’s organi... more »

ARBITRATOR SHOWS NAIVETE, SO DO EMANUEL AND BRIZARD « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
ARBITRATOR SHOWS NAIVETE, SO DO EMANUEL AND BRIZARD « Teachers Fight Back: ARBITRATOR SHOWS NAIVETE, SO DO EMANUEL AND BRIZARD by alkleen [image: Jean-Claude Brizard - Arne Duncan Hosts Forum On Big Cities And Education Reform] The arbitrator who recently issued a ruling in the ongoing battle between the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago School District must be extremely naive. He sided with the teachers on most issues, especially the salary demands that the teachers want in exchange for working a much longer day that the District is insisting on. The arbitrator is naive b... more »

Save Our Schools (SOS) March and Rally: DC trip to bring education reform - NorthJersey.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Verona-Cedar Grove Letter: DC trip to bring education reform - NorthJersey.com: Verona-Cedar Grove Letter: DC trip to bring education reform THURSDAY JULY 19, 2012, 12:10 PM VERONA-CEDAR GROVE TIMES PRINT | E-MAIL Editor, The Times I am a retired public school teacher and retired or not, I am appalled by the demonizing attacks on public education in the name of school "reform." My fellow retirees and current school employees have suffered scapegoating by pundits and politicians, lost precious money from our paychecks and pensions only to be reallocated to balance a budget. That ... more »

Democurmudgeon: The Illusion of Highly Qualified Teachers to continue.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Democurmudgeon: The Illusion of Highly Qualified Teachers to continue.: The Illusion of Highly Qualified Teachers to continue. by Democurmudgeon Parents won’t know it, but that “highly qualified teacher” in their kid’s classroom, may be a teacher in training. Don’t get me wrong, this isn't a criticism of those dedicated new graduates learning the profession, it’s the idea that they would be considered “highly qualified” already. But for years, parents weren’t told how loose that qualification had become. It essentially helps private training colleges like the controversial teache... more »

Shanker Blog » What Florida's School Grades Measure, And What They Don't

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Shanker Blog » What Florida's School Grades Measure, And What They Don't: What Florida’s School Grades Measure, And What They Don’t by Matthew Di Carlo A while back, I argued that Florida’s school grading system, due mostly to its choice of measures, does a poor job of gauging school performance *per se*. The short version is that the ratings are, to a degree unsurpassed by most other states’ systems, driven by absolute performance measures (how highly students score), rather than growth (whether students make progress). Since more advantaged students tend to score more highly on ... more »

The in box. Stephen Colbert on Texas GOP’s opposition to teaching critical thinking skills. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The in box. Stephen Colbert on Texas GOP’s opposition to teaching critical thinking skills. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Stephen Colbert on Texas GOP’s opposition to teaching critical thinking skills. by Fred Klonsky *“I blame Galileo.”* Stephen Colbert: *..The minds of our young people are being poisoned by knowledge… I have long praised the Texas Board of Education for their valiant work rewriting our nation’s**history textbooks. But now I believe they’ve got some stiff competition from the Texas GOP, who recently put a plank in their 2012 party platformn regarding children’s ed... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: SOS Press Release: A Call to Action

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: SOS Press Release: A Call to Action: SOS Press Release: A Call to Action by Mike Klonsky [image: SOS Save Our Schools] *Save Our Schools: A National Call to Action* www.saveourschoolsmarch.org for immediate release *SAVE OUR SCHOOLS ANNOUNCES KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, PANEL LEADERS* *FOR AUGUST 3 -5 WASHINGTON, DC PEOPLES EDUCATION CONVENTION* Organizers of the upcoming Save Our Schools (SOS) “Peoples Education Convention” today unveiled the list of featured speakers for their *August 3 – 5, 2012 *event at *the Marriott Wardman Park* hotel in * Washington,... more »





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Jersey Jazzman: Reformyists Lose the Shanker Wars

Jersey Jazzman: Reformyists Lose the Shanker Wars:


Reformyists Lose the Shanker Wars

ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf recently invoked Albert Shanker, the legendary teachers union leader, in supporting Cerf's expansion of charter schools:
First, it is often forgotten that one of the first advocates for public charter schools was Albert Shanker, the former New York City teachers' union leader, who supported charter schools as a way to empower public school educators to innovate. While certainly charter schools are not the only schools that innovate, because of freedoms offered by the charter model a number of them have found new solutions ranging from new ways to use time, to incorporate technology, and to address the “summer learning loss” that affects all students. We as educators should be learning from these best practices, regardless of whether they come from charter or district schools, to help improve outcomes for every child.
Diane Ravitch called the ACTING Commissioner out on his nonsense:

Will Governor Quinn be able to get a pension deal in August? « Fred Klonsky

Will Governor Quinn be able to get a pension deal in August? « Fred Klonsky:


Will Governor Quinn be able to get a pension deal in August?

H/T Roger Sanders.
Capitol Fax reported that Governor Quinn still has dreams of getting the General Assembly back in session before the November election.
The members of the General Assembly may have other ideas.
But in Springfield two things can always be counted on. Either nothing happens. Or it happens before you can do



The in box. That Governor Quinn – what a swell guy.

Fred,
That Gov. Quinn – what a swell guy. He wants grandma to choose between having to sell her house or getting her blood pressure medicine. He wants grandpa to choose between hiring someone to fix his roof or having that dark mole on his forehead looked at by a dermatologist. He wants your elderly neighbor to choose between getting her car repaired or keeping her annual 

Cyber excess: Taxpayers should not over-fund charter schools - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cyber excess: Taxpayers should not over-fund charter schools - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Cyber excess: Taxpayers should not over-fund charter schools




 There is something very wrong with an education funding system that has public school districts chopping staff and ending programs while a publicly funded charter school is making so much money that it can pay millions to its spinoff companies.
The operators of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, the state's first and largest online charter with more than 11,300 students, channeled their innovation into two offshoot management entities, one a nonprofit and the other a for-profit firm.
Part of the reason that's been possible is the amount of taxpayer money the online school receives far exceeds what it costs to educate cyber students. Payments to all charters are based on school districts' costs of teaching their students but, while bricks-and-mortar charters spend an average of $13,411 per student per year, cyber charters spend an average of $10,145, according to a state auditor general's report.
The online schools get to keep that average $3,266 per student, and those dollars add up for a


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/editorials/cyber-excess-taxpayers-should-not-over-fund-charter-schools-645439/#ixzz21AlNUqSp

The famous international scholar and the N.J. Education Commissioner — NewsWorks

The famous international scholar and the N.J. Education Commissioner — NewsWorks:


The famous international scholar and the N.J. Education Commissioner

July 19, 2012
By Laura Waters, of NJ Left BEhind
 ..
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This is commentary from education blogger Laura Waters of NJ Left Behind.
On Tuesday morning, NJ Spotlight published an editorial by Education Commissioner Chris Cerf's on charter schools. That afternoon, the renowned education historian, Dr. Diane Ravitch, posted anangry rebuttal (currently going viral). Why all the fuss? What could incite a famous international scholar to respond to a simple and factual description of a tiny subset of New Jersey's public school system?
Let's unpack this a bit.
Comm. Cerf tells us that he wants to "go beyond the frequent misrepresentations to have an honest conversation about what charter schools are and why they are important to New Jersey." While not part of the local district, they "are public schools, with public school students and public school teachers, funded with public dollars. Like district-run public schools, they are open to all students and, unlike many magnet and vocational schools, they are legally 

Op-ed by President Obama: Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously | The White House

Op-ed by President Obama: Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously | The White House:


Op-ed by President Obama: Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously

The full text of the op-ed by President Barack Obama is printed below. The piece will be published tomorrow in The Wall Street Journal and can be found HERE
Taking the Cyberattack Threat Seriously
By President Obama
Last month I convened an emergency meeting of my cabinet and top homeland security, intelligence and defense officials. Across the country trains had derailed, including one carrying industrial chemicals that exploded into a toxic cloud. Water treatment plants in several states had shut down, contaminating drinking water and causing Americans to fall ill.
Our nation, it appeared, was under cyber attack. Unknown hackers, perhaps a world away, had inserted malicious software into the computer networks of private-sector companies that operate most of our transportation, water and other critical infrastructure systems.
Fortunately, last month's scenario was just a simulation—an exercise to test how well federal, state and local governments and the private sector can work together in a crisis. But it was a sobering reminder that the cyber threat to our nation is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face.
So far, no one has managed to seriously damage or disrupt our critical infrastructure networks. But foreign governments, criminal syndicates and lone individuals are probing our financial, energy and public safety systems every day. Last year, a water plant in Texas disconnected its control system from the Internet after a hacker posted pictures of the facility's internal controls. More recently, hackers penetrated the networks of companies that operate our natural-gas pipelines. Computer systems in critical sectors of our economy—including the nuclear and chemical industries—are being increasingly targeted.
It doesn't take much to imagine the consequences of a successful cyber attack. In a future conflict, an adversary unable to match our military supremacy on the battlefield might seek to exploit our computer vulnerabilities here at home. Taking down vital banking systems could trigger a financial crisis. The lack of clean water or functioning hospitals could spark a public health emergency. And as we've seen in past blackouts, the loss of electricity can bring businesses, cities and entire regions to a standstill.
This is the future we have to avoid. That's why my administration has made cybersecurity a priority, including proposing legislation to strengthen our nation's digital defenses. It's why Congress must pass comprehensive cybersecurity legislation.
We all know what needs to happen. We need to make it easier for the government to share threat information so critical-infrastructure companies are better prepared. We need to make it easier for these companies—with reasonable liability protection—to share data and information with government when they're attacked. And we need to make it easier for government, if asked, to help these companies prevent and recover from attacks.
Yet simply sharing more information is not enough. Ultimately, this is about security gaps that have to be filled. To their credit, many of these companies have boosted their cyber defenses. But many others have not, with some lacking even the most basic protection: a good password. That puts public safety and our national security at risk.
The American people deserve to know that companies running our critical infrastructure meet basic, commonsense cybersecurity standards, just as they already meet other security requirements. Nuclear power plants must have fences and defenses to thwart a terrorist attack. Water treatment plants must test their water regularly for contaminants. Airplanes must have secure cockpit doors. We all understand the need for these kinds of physical security measures. It would be the height of irresponsibility to leave a digital backdoor wide open to our cyber adversaries.
This approach stays true to our values as a society that cherishes free enterprise and the rights of the individual. Cybersecurity standards would be developed in partnership between government and industry. For the majority of critical infrastructure companies already meeting these standards, nothing more would be expected. Companies needing to upgrade their security would have the flexibility to decide how best to do so using the wide range of innovative products and services available in the marketplace. Moreover, our approach protects the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. Indeed, I will veto any bill that lacks strong privacy and civil-liberties protections.
This is exactly the kind of responsible, collaborative approach to an urgent national-security challenge that Americans expect but that Washington too rarely provides. It reflects the insights and ideas of industry and civil libertarians. It is sponsored by a bipartisan group of senators. It is supported by current and former homeland security, intelligence and defense leaders from both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Today we can see the cyber threat to the networks upon which so much of our modern American lives depend. We have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to take action now and stay a step ahead of our adversaries. For the sake of our national and economic security, I urge the Senate to pass the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 and Congress to send me comprehensive legislation so I can sign it into law.
It's time to strengthen our defenses against this growing danger.
Mr. Obama is president of the United States.

Statement by President Barack Obama on the Shooting in Colorado

Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.

Bingo! Pattern-on-the-Rug Time « Diane Ravitch's blog

Bingo! Pattern-on-the-Rug Time « Diane Ravitch's blog:


Bingo! Pattern-on-the-Rug Time

One of the brilliant readers of this blog sent in a comment that made me understand what has been happening to American public education for the past 15-20 years.
It is the conscious, purposeful application of a marketing strategy called FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.
Wikipedia says that FUD is used in sales, marketing, public relations, politics, and propaganda. I sensed that this was happening but I didn’t realize that it was a tried and true strategy that has a name and a documented history.
It’s a strategy in which one competitor undermines the other by spreading FUD. Read the Wikipedia entry to


What Publishers Are Doing About Common Core

As this article shows, publishers are not debating the Common Core Standards, they are trying to figure out how to align their catalogue with the CCSSI as soon as possible. They don’t want to be left out of the national market for materials aligned to the new standards.
At the same time, they are more than a little concerned about the political waters. They listen, and they know there is pushback from both the left and the right, where the idea of national standards remains anathema.


In What Other Profession?

Is it possible to be a classic if the thing is only two years old?
Well, this post is a classic. It’s by a teacher who sometimes calls himself a “union thug.”
I met him last year, and he is one smart guy.
He asks a simple question, “In what other profession?”
And his response is a classic.

Teacher voice. CTU teachers get to tell their story on my favorite TV show, Chicago Newsroom. « Fred Klonsky

Teacher voice. CTU teachers get to tell their story on my favorite TV show, Chicago Newsroom. « Fred Klonsky:


Teacher voice. CTU teachers get to tell their story on my favorite TV show, Chicago Newsroom.

PopoutChicago Newsroom host Ken Davis couldn’t believe a hundred percent of teachers agree on anything.
I had to laugh at that. And then cry a little.
Team Englewood High School teacher and four-year member of the CTU House of Delegates David Stieber says


Bill Gates’ dreams.


Rahm’s CPS budget puts a dagger into the heart of neighborhood schools.

Public Radio station WBEZ and Catalyst analyzed the CPS budget and found:
  • The proposed $5 billion dollar CPS operating budget directs funding to magnet, specialty, selective and charter schools and away from neighborhood schools
  • Nearly 90% of the city’s 100 charter schools will get more money from CPS. 70% of  the system’s