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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 7-24 AM Posts #soschat #edreform



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

Surviving in Ones Native Land « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
Surviving in Ones Native Land « Deborah Meier on Education: Surviving in Ones Native Land from Deborah Meier Homepage by debmeier I just finished reading Diane Ravitch’s latest blog–and the response from David Berliner. If you haven’t seen it go to Diane Ravitch’s Blog. She gave me the idea of writing very short comments–i my case also as a way of getting rid of some of te clippings that pile up on my desk! Thanks for the idea, Diane. It’s also a take off from Mike Klonsky’s blog. Bu, of course all three are very different! Which is precisely part of the point behind my educationa... more »

Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses - Education - GOOD: Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses by Liz Dwyer A generation ago American college students successfully pressured their schools to divest their multimillion-dollar endowments from apartheid South Africa, which helped bring an official end to the racist policies and proved to the world that economic sanctions work. However, despite being pioneers in socially responsible investing, a new report from the Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute and the Tellus Ins... more »

Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago
Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens? by dianerav Guess who is warning that we have become too addicted to computers, cell phones, and all those other devices? Read here. I may be addicted but I don’t think it is the usual kind of screen-addiction. I love to communicate and exchange ideas. Before I started this blog, I would tweet about 50-80 times daily. It wasn’t for the joy of tweeting. I never tweeted to say “I am now at the corner of Broadway and 30th street,” or “I am sitting down to dinner.” I communicated st... more »

More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous - Perdaily.com: More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous by Leonard Isenberg ** [image: Teacher Tenure.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)**A few years ago, somebody associated with UTLA filed a PERB charge against LAUSD alleging that LAUSD's Division of Adult and Career Education was out of compliance with State law with respect to tenure.* * It alleged that there were many non-tenured / non-permanent t...more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey): The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey) by Duke In January of 2011, I published a four-part series on ACTING Education Commissioner Chris Cerf's career prior to coming to New Jersey. It may well be the most comprehensive look at the man available. Given that his long-awaited confirmation hearing is this Thursday, I'm posting the links to the story again here. You'll find links to all of the primary sources I used within the posts. The Chris Cerf Story - Part I *Cerf's tenure at Edison Schools and the sweetheart deal he made to take th... more »

“State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
“State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing” | Scathing Purple Musings: “State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing” by Bob Sikes *Tampa Bay Times *columnist John Romano takes the latest breakdown in Florida’s test-dominated accountability system and leads to where fault really lies. Florida’s education policy-makers are obsessively devoted to standardized tests. The state’s devotion to standardized testing is admirable. It is also foolish, political, expensive, dangerous, maniacal, shortsighted, suspicious, self-serving, arbitrary and unfair But, man, you got to admir... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, July 24, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: El Capitan, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California]*El Capitan, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California* Education Headlines *Tuesday, July 24, 2012* Possible student cheating incidents delay release of state test resultsPossible student cheating incidents at a dozen California schools, including Long Beach's Millikan High School, have delayed the release of the state standardized test results this year, officials said. Natomas Unified and its teachers agree on two-year contractNatomas Unified School Dis... more »

Reliable Sources say Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Is Shameless « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Michelle Rhee Is Shameless « Diane Ravitch's blog: Michelle Rhee Is Shameless by dianerav I have resisted watching the ad that Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst created and played on NBC. A reader sent it to me, and I relented. It is disgusting. It is a lie. It smears America. It smears our teachers and our students. It makes fun of obesity. A few facts: 1) the US was never first on international tests. When the first test was given in 1964 (a test of math), our students came in 11th out of 12. 2) On the latest international tests, students in American schools with low poverty (10% or l... more »

To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal. « Fred Klonsky: To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal. by Fred Klonsky In a tweet responding to criticism of his active support for the pension cutting HB1447, Park Ridge Democratic Senator Dan Kotowski goes after state employees. Referring to retirees, seniors living on a state pension and receiving health care insurance subsidies, Kotowski says, “Nobody receives a sweetheart deal like that.” For a member of the Illinois General Assembly, a group which gave massive tax breaks to corporatio... more »

Scrutiny Intensifies Around Zero Tolerance, School to Prison Pipeline | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Scrutiny Intensifies Around Zero Tolerance, School to Prison Pipeline | NEA Today: Scrutiny Intensifies Around Zero Tolerance, School to Prison Pipeline July 23, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Social Issues, Top Stories 7 Comments [image: Email][image: Share] *By Ava Wallace* As suspensions and expulsions continue at an alarming rate across the nation, lawmakers are taking another look at decade-old zero tolerance discipline policies that are doing more harm than good. Civil rights advocates have long called out harsh disciplinary measures for the disproportionate effec... more »

Teachers Are Poor Consumers of Learning « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Teachers Are Poor Consumers of Learning « My Island View: Teachers Are Poor Consumers of Learning by tomwhitby There are only a few explanations that many educators offer up as reasons not to learn and use any technology as tools for learning. One of the most popular excuses, frequently cited by educators, is that there is not enough time to learn all of the stuff that is out there. It certainly is true that there are a huge number of things to learn out there that are linked to technology. When thought about as a complete package, it most definitely can be overwhelming, and I wh... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: National School Board Association Concerned about Unfunded Federal Mandates. Common Core Unplugged?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: National School Board Association Concerned about Unfunded Federal Mandates. Common Core Unplugged?: National School Board Association Concerned about Unfunded Federal Mandates. Common Core Unplugged? by stlgretchen Common Core MANDATES: Unproven, Untested, Unconstitutional and UNDERFUNDED. Unless you live in Missouri. Missouri taxpayers are special. Our common core implementation will have no additional cost. Are the local school districts going to refuse to implement the Common Core mandate because of cost? Forget that they are unproven, unteste... more »

Shanker Blog » The Real “Trouble” With Technology, Online Education And Learning

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Shanker Blog » The Real “Trouble” With Technology, Online Education And Learning: The Real “Trouble” With Technology, Online Education And Learning by Esther Quintero *PROUDLY SPONSORED BY* Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... It’s probably too early to say whether Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a “tsunami” or a “seismic shift,” but, continuing with the natural disaster theme, the last few months have seen a massive “avalanche” of press commentary about them, especially within the last few days. Also getting lots of press attention... more »

Chris Lehmann on educational colonialism | Dangerously Irrelevant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Chris Lehmann on educational colonialism | Dangerously Irrelevant: Chris Lehmann on educational colonialism by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) I am posting Chris Lehmann’s recent post almost in its entirety because it’s that important. Some pictures are below… *there are a lot of powerful folks right now who are advocating for a pedagogy that they do not want for their own children. Some of these powerful people are running networks of schools that have a pedagogical approach that is directly counter to the educational approach they pay for for their own children. Moreov... more »

Are Parent Trigger Laws a Good Idea?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Are Parent Trigger Laws a Good Idea?: Are Parent Trigger Laws a Good Idea? by Sam It’s hard not to feel excited for the group of parents who successfully took over their California community’s school, and who now are dreaming of bigger things. “Our children will now get the education they deserve,” said Doreen Diaz, whose daughter attends Desert Trails Elementary in Adelanto. “We are on the way to making a quality school for them, and there’s no way we will back down.” It’s equally hard to feel confident that this story will have the ending Ms. Diaz and others envision. For starte... more »

Schools Matter: Paul Toner and the TURNcoats

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Schools Matter: Paul Toner and the TURNcoats: Paul Toner and the TURNcoats by Jim Horn The other day one of my colleagues here in Massachusetts asked me if I knew that out in Ohio, where they have a Republican governor and legislature, teachers are about to be evaluated based on test scores. When I responded that that was already a reality here in Massachusetts, she said flatly: When did that happen? And so now are many teachers waking up and wondering, when did that happen, especially in the bluest of states, right? This is the kind of stuff we

Right wing takes aim at public education - Ted Frier - Open Salon

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Right wing takes aim at public education - Ted Frier - Open Salon: Right wing takes aim at public education RATE: 5 Flag - Email - - - - - How sad -- and suicidal - that conservatives have decided to declare open warfare on public education. In a previous life, I played a minor role as speechwriter and special assistant to our state's Secretary of Education during the development and public roll out of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993. This landmark law, and many like it, passed during what was known as the "second wave" of education reform ... more »

Update: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH - 7-24-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] One School’s Secrets of Success by dianerav A high school in the Bronx has figured out how to be high performing. It’s not hard. It pushes out kids with low test scores. It expels them. It works! 107 students started as freshmen, A Dialogue with the Gates Foundation by dianerav Anthony Cody has emerged, in the eyes of many people, as a voice on behalf of the teaching profession. This is quite amazing in itself because he is an experienced middle school science teacher in a high-poverty district, Oakland, Ca... more »

NEWS FLASH: “It is not a conflict” says Malloy school board appointee whose family “wins” half a million dollar contract. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
NEWS FLASH: “It is not a conflict” says Malloy school board appointee whose family “wins” half a million dollar contract. - Wait, What?: NEWS FLASH: “It is not a conflict” says Malloy school board appointee whose family “wins” half a million dollar contract. by jonpelto Not a Conflict says Malloy school board appointee whose family company will get 60 of 130 new preschool slots in Bridgeport. The Connecticut Post has picked up on the news that two daycare facilities that are personally connected to one of the Malloy Administration’s seven appointees to Bridgeport’s illegal board of... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Teacher unions will be a key issue at SOS Convention

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Teacher unions will be a key issue at SOS Convention: Teacher unions will be a key issue at SOS Convention by Mike Klonsky For those readers who don't know, I have spent much of the past year as an elected National Steering Committee member of SOS. It has been a difficult but rewarding experience helping guide SOS's development and transition from an ad hoc group of last year's march organizers into a viable national organization. In the remaining 10 days leading up to the SOS Convention in D.C., I will try and post some thoughts about key issues, cha... more »

What’s missing from congressional hearing on teachers - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
What’s missing from congressional hearing on teachers - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] What’s missing from congressional hearing on teachers By Valerie Strauss Congressional hearings are supposed to provide lawmakers wth information they need to make policy and legislative decisions. But sometimes, when you look at the witness lists, it is hard to figure out why legislators bother to hold them. Take the hearing being held on Tuesday by the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, chaired by Republican Rep. Duncan ... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Burned-Out? Please Reignite the Flame Or Get Out the Kitchen!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Burned-Out? Please Reignite the Flame Or Get Out the Kitchen!: Burned-Out? Please Reignite the Flame Or Get Out the Kitchen! by Lisa M Usually what happens on Linkedin, stays on Linkedin, but this discussion topic warranted a post. A teacher started a discussion regarding 50+ educators and survival tips. Many, many 50+ educators responded with wonderful, positive, ideas and comments about what they do in order to "survive" teaching. As a matter of fact, the responses weren't even those of educators who are just "surviving". Most of the teachers w... more »

The Legacy of Sally Ride, the First American Woman in Space - Education - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
The Legacy of Sally Ride, the First American Woman in Space - Education - GOOD: The Legacy of Sally Ride, the First American Woman in Space by Liz Dwyer [image: sally.ride] In 1983 every American woman who'd ever been told that she wasn't good at science, technology, engineering, or math cheered as Sally Ride broke the astronautical glass ceiling with her journey aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Ride, who died on Monday at the age of 61 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer, will forever be known as the first American woman in space. That's more notable than what most ... more »

THE DEFECTIVE 2007 LAUSD PAYROLL SYSTEM IS STILL A THREAT TO YOUR RETIREMENT - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
THE DEFECTIVE 2007 LAUSD PAYROLL SYSTEM IS STILL A THREAT TO YOUR RETIREMENT - Perdaily.com: THE DEFECTIVE 2007 LAUSD PAYROLL SYSTEM IS STILL A THREAT TO YOUR RETIREMENT by Leonard Isenberg [image: CALSTRS.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)** * *For some time now it has been the unexpressed goal of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to curtail its operating costs by reducing teaching staff. Of course, not so for administrators but rather the opposite. But by far their preference for depart... more »

Judge: Parents can’t rescind “parent trigger” signatures « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Judge: Parents can’t rescind “parent trigger” signatures « Parents Across America: Judge: Parents can’t rescind “parent trigger” signatures by CarolineSF The parent trigger, an idea presented by the voices of corporate education “reform” as parent “empowerment,” won a round in court this week. Ironically, the court came down firmly in favor of disempowering parents, as the parent trigger’s sponsors had requested. The ruling by a California Superior Court judge decreed that parents who have signed a parent trigger petition do not have the right to change their minds and may not res... more »

NYC Educator: To Be an Activist

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
NYC Educator: To Be an Activist: To Be an Activist by NYC Educator If you wish to join Unity Caucus, and participate in leadership decisions, you have to agree to support all Unity/ UFT decisions. One of those decisions, in 2002 and again in 2009, was to support mayoral control. Many of us are painfully aware of what that entails--afake school board called the PEP that rubber stamps absolutely anything our billionaire mayor desires. In 2002 many members had reservations about giving all that power to any one person. I know I did. Giuliani had always tried to get that sort of cont... more »

Are we leaving LGBTQ and Pansexual students behind? « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Are we leaving LGBTQ and Pansexual students behind? « Cooperative Catalyst: Are we leaving LGBTQ and Pansexual students behind? by Jabreel Chisley Youth deserve the right to be educated, to educate, to be empowered, and to empower, regardless of their sexual, racial, religious, or ethnical identities. Youth deserve the right to feel safe and protected in an environment that lets them be themselves without any fear of intimidation or unchecked ignorance. While the US has come a long way in ensuring that those rights are protected, especially in the areas of racial and ethnical inc... more »

Blue Jersey:: Cerf, Fulop, & Jersey City: What Went Down?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Blue Jersey:: Cerf, Fulop, & Jersey City: What Went Down?: Cerf, Fulop, & Jersey City: What Went Down? by Jersey Jazzman The *Hudson Reporter* is publishing more details about a "confidential" meeting between Jersey City councilman and mayoral candidate Stephen Fulop, members of the JC Board of Education, and ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf.Some background: Jersey City schools are under partial state control. Two days ago, the *Reporter* published the contents of an email Fulop send titled "Cerf meeting." Among those invited to the meeting were two members of the boar... more »

A Letter About My View on the Common Core Learning Standards [Because "Shut Up" Isn't Clear Enough] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
A Letter About My View on the Common Core Learning Standards [Because "Shut Up" Isn't Clear Enough] | The Jose Vilson: A Letter About My View on the Common Core Learning Standards [Because "Shut Up" Isn't Clear Enough] by Jose Dear Reader, Frankly, this post shouldn’t matter. I’m a classroom teacher first and foremost, and am often in situations where I can readily embody what most of my colleagues believe about education and the teachers’ role in education reform. It’s a privilege at times to rub elbows with union leaders, well-known activists, and other thought leaders and sharpe... more »

A new project, on childhood asthma - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
A new project, on childhood asthma - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: A new project, on childhood asthma Monday, July 23rd, 2012 at 6:30 pm in No Comments Every so often, reporters have the luxury of stepping back from the routine of our daily beats and consider ways of doing work that is more ambitious, wider-reaching — to learn about what we’re not covering, but should be, or, maybe, a fresh take on an issue we’ve been following closely. For me, that’s happening this week. Photographer Alison Yin and I are teaming up on a project for the Oakland Tri... more »

TEACHER DECISION MAKING – PRE CRISIS VS THE PRESENT « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
TEACHER DECISION MAKING – PRE CRISIS VS THE PRESENT « Teachers Fight Back: TEACHER DECISION MAKING – PRE CRISIS VS THE PRESENT by alkleen A friend asked me what I thought was the biggest difference between teaching forty years ago and teaching today. There are many, but none more so than the fact that today’s teachers are solely responsible for the success of every child and yet have virtually no say in how to achieve that success. Years ago most teachers devised their own curriculum, (I taught for 15 years before I ever heard of a curriculum director). Teachers were responsible ... more »

Miami-Dade Superintendent: “A Flawed Accountability System….That Needs Reform” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Miami-Dade Superintendent: “A Flawed Accountability System….That Needs Reform” | Scathing Purple Musings: Miami-Dade Superintendent: “A Flawed Accountability System….That Needs Reform” by Bob Sikes Influential Miami-Dade Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho ripped into Florida’s entire accoutability system in an afternoon press conference today. *Miami Herald *reporters Laura Insensee and Michael Vasquez were there: State education administrators, who are in charge of grading schools and students, failed to follow their own formula. In fact, they forgot part of it. The err... more »

In Victory for Corporatized Education, Federal Court Strikes Down Regulation of For-Profit Colleges

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
In Victory for Corporatized Education, Federal Court Strikes Down Regulation of For-Profit Colleges: In Victory for Corporatized Education, Federal Court Strikes Down Regulation of For-Profit CollegesMonday, 23 July 2012 00:00By Danny Weil, Truthout | News Analysis - 47 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email *Do you support Truthout's reporting and analysis? Click here to help fund it this week!* [image: Arne Duncan]US Education Secretary Arne Duncan. (Photo: Luke Sharrett / The New York Times)On Saturday, June 30, 201... more »

The Army Occupying America's Public Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The Army Occupying America's Public Schools: The Army Occupying America’s Public Schools By Mark Naison [image: michelle rhee The Army Occupying Americas Public Schools]When a nation is invaded by an occupying army, there are multiple responses from those whose communities have been occupied. Some resist openly, at great risk; some decide to collaborate; others grimly go about their business in sullen compliance; still others decide to feign compliance, but take their resistance underground. Such would be a good description of the varied resistance to the corporate takeover of Amer... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: TFA update on Dr. Royal's Speech

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: TFA update on Dr. Royal's Speech: TFA update on Dr. Royal's Speech by Melissa Westbrook First, I thought Dr. Royal's speech in Philadelphia to TFAers had been taken down at YouTube but apparently not. This inspired Trish Millines Dziko, noted educator and head of Technology Access Foundation and the TAF Academy in Tacoma, to weigh in. She, like Dr. Royal, is an outspoken advocate for children and public education. She is strong and fearless. Here's what she had to say in reference to Dr. Royal's speech: Pacific NW Education Reformers Pay Att... more »

Smart Kid Hates Group Work | Mr. Teachbad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Smart Kid Hates Group Work | Mr. Teachbad: Smart Kid Hates Group Work FAKE EDUCATION NEWS –Queens, NY (The most ironic and per­verse crime in edu­ca­tion today) His­tory teacher Der­rick Barnes’ 12th grade class had just assem­bled into their work groups at Flush­ing High School in Queens, New York. After 10 min­utes of frus­tra­tion and futil­ity, Tyrell Haynes, a stu­dent in Mr. Barnes’ class, deliv­ered the fol­low­ing out­burst (recorded on a stu­dents’ phone and tran­scribed below): “I know why I’m in this group. Because I’m the only one who does any work, right? *Tyrell, cou... more »

AFT Advocates Against a One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
AFT Advocates Against a One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Education: AFT Advocates Against a One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Education [image: AFT Advocates Against a One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Education] *Kenneth J. Bernstein is a National Board Certified retired school teacher and was name a 2010 Washington Post "Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher." He is nationally recognized for writing online on education and other issues, especially as teacherken on Daily Kos. * The AFT, led by its President Randi Weingarten, advocates vigorously on behalf of what it views as best for students in th... more »

After 18 months, Klein outlines plan for NewsCorp’s ed division | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
After 18 months, Klein outlines plan for NewsCorp’s ed division | GothamSchools: After 18 months, Klein outlines plan for NewsCorp’s ed division by Philissa Cramer A screenshot from Amplify's website The day Joel Klein resigned as New York City schools chancellor in November 2010, he said he would be joining Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation “to put [the company] in the burgeoning and dynamic education marketplace.” But after quickly acquiring people and companies, Klein decamped for a year to lead NewsCorp’s internal handling of its phone-hacking scandal. Just what, if anything,... more »

Class Status and Tests « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Class Status and Tests « Deborah Meier on Education: Class Status and Tests by debmeier The Stephen Krashen dialogue in Sunday’s NY Times was good. Here is the link, though you may need to have purchased online access to the NY Times to view. If you have the paper itself the dialogue is in the Letters section of the Review section, it was on page two for me. Below is my letter–which didn’t make it in the NY Times. But never has the idea of innate meritocracy been more powerful–if you aren’t rich and famous it’s either a genetically inferior brain or perhaps laziness, poor value... more »




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Surviving in Ones Native Land « Deborah Meier on Education

Surviving in Ones Native Land « Deborah Meier on Education:


Surviving in Ones Native Land

I just finished reading Diane Ravitch’s latest blog–and the response from David Berliner. If you haven’t seen it go to Diane Ravitch’s Blog.
She gave me the idea of writing very short comments–i my case also as a way of getting rid of some of te clippings that pile up on my desk! Thanks for the idea, Diane. It’s also a take off from Mike Klonsky’s blog. Bu, of course all three are very different! Which is precisely part of the point behind my educational ideas: our differences show up in everything we touch. And that’s a blessing!~ When we try to follow someone else’s prescription we focus so much on getting it “right” that we miss making the connections that will expand our thinking and our students’.
I’ve read many books explaining to me foolproof ways to discipline minds and behaviors–and I’ve usually learned something in the process–even if sometimes it’s just what not to do. But as a teacher in a classroom there are hundreds of decisions one makes in a single class period–and most require instant responsiveness to novel 

Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses - Education - GOOD

Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses - Education - GOOD:


Your College's Endowment Is Probably Supporting Shady Businesses

A generation ago American college students successfully pressured their schools to divest their multimillion-dollar endowments from apartheid South Africa, which helped bring an official end to the racist policies and proved to the world that economic sanctions work. However, despite being pioneers in socially responsible investing, a new report from the Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute and the Tellus Institute reveals that when it comes to investing based on environmental, social, and corporate-governance goals, the nation's colleges and universities are no longer leading the way.
The study which analyzed "existing data within present limits of disclosure" found that the number of schools that say they have some socially conscious criteria for their endowment investments was just 18 percent in 2011, a drop from 21 percent in 2009. IRRCI’s executive director Jon Lukomnik says that they "find a general 

Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens? « Diane Ravitch's blog:


Are We Addicted to Our Blinking Screens?

Guess who is warning that we have become too addicted to computers, cell phones, and all those other devices?
Read here.
I may be addicted but I don’t think it is the usual kind of screen-addiction.
I love to communicate and exchange ideas.
Before I started this blog, I would tweet about 50-80 times daily.
It wasn’t for the joy of tweeting. I never tweeted to say “I am now at the corner of Broadway and 30th street,” or “I am sitting down to dinner.”
I communicated stories I had read that I wanted to share.
Other people share with me, and that’s how I am able to write about what is happening in other cities and states


ALEC in Salt Lake City This Week

I just learned that ALEC is holding a meeting this week in Salt Lake City.
One block away, ALEC critics will meet to discuss privatization, school vouchers, and other ALEC activities that undermine the public sector.
If you are in SLC, consider stopping by



More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous - Perdaily.com

More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous - Perdaily.com:


More UTLA and LAUSD Collusion? The De Facto Tenure Scandal by Anonymous

Teacher Tenure.jpg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)
(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

A few years ago, somebody associated with UTLA filed a PERB charge against LAUSD alleging that LAUSD's Division of Adult and Career Education was out of compliance with State law with respect to tenure.

It alleged that there were many non-tenured / non-permanent teachers who were given assignments over 18 hours (part-time) for a period exceeding 2 years and a day. UTLA claims that all those teachers who fell into that category deserve to be hired into the newly structured adult division as de facto tenured 

Update: Jersey Jazzman: The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey)

Jersey Jazzman: The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey):


The Chris Cerf Story (pre-Jersey)

In January of 2011, I published a four-part series on ACTING Education Commissioner Chris Cerf's career prior to coming to New Jersey. It may well be the most comprehensive look at the man available.

Given that his long-awaited confirmation hearing is this Thursday, I'm posting the links to the story again here. You'll find links to all of the primary sources I used within the posts.

The Chris Cerf Story - Part I
Cerf's tenure at Edison Schools and the sweetheart deal he made to take the company private using funds from the Florida teachers pension.

The Chris Cerf Story - Part II
Cerf's years working under Joel Klein and Rupert Murdoch at the NYC Department of Education, including a heavily redacted ethics report into his conflict-of-interest violation.

The Chris Cerf Story - Part III
Cerf champions charter schools, and leads a "Truth Squad" that monitors Klein's and Bloomberg's critics.

The Chris Cerf Story - Summary
Chris Cerf's career has been all about the confluence of private and public interests in education.

More to come soon about the tenure of Chris Cerf in New Jersey.


The Problems With Chris Cerf

ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf is finally going to have his confirmation hearing this Thursday, well over a year after Chris Christie appointed him to the job. I've followed Cerf's career closely over this time, and I have some serious reservations about his appointment.

It boils down to three things:

1) Too often, Chris Cerf plays fast and loose with standards of ethics and transparency.


2) Too often, Chris Cerf has been an autocrat, accruing power over New Jersey's schools to himself.


3) Too often, Chris Cerf has twisted research and data to justify policies that will not serve New Jersey's children well.

I will break these three down in separate posts; for now, let me give just one brief example of each:



Cerf's Problems #1: Ethics and Transparency

As I wrote earlier, I see three problems with ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Cerf:

  1. He plays fast and loose with standards of ethics and transparency.
  2. He has accrued too much power to himself.
  3. He misrepresents research, data, and facts to push his policies.
Knowing that Cerf's long-awaited confirmation hearing is this Thursday, let's delve more deeply into this first problem:

I've already told the story of the shady stock deal from back when Cerf was running Edison schools; it still amazes me he was able to enrich himself on the backs of Florida teachers through their pensions. It's worth noting reports at the time talked about how saving Edison would line up with Jeb Bush's support of privatizing education:
With its contract up for renewal and under criticism, Liberty had an interest in pleasing Jeb Bush, who had promoted privatization and school vouchers (even though his programs have encountered legal problems, criminal investigations and a state investigation finding serious "lack of accountability"). How better to do that than save the flagship of school 

“State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing” | Scathing Purple Musings

“State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing” | Scathing Purple Musings:


“State Blinded By Its Devotion to School Testing”

Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano takes the latest breakdown in Florida’s test-dominated accountability system and leads to where fault really lies. Florida’s education policy-makers are obsessively devoted to standardized tests.
The state’s devotion to standardized testing is admirable.
It is also foolish, political, expensive, dangerous, maniacal, shortsighted, suspicious, self-serving, arbitrary and unfair
But, man, you got to admire the devotion.
It allows officials to look past their flaws. It permits them to ignore your complaints.
The state’s Department of Education is on a three-month bender, and still acts as if it is everyone 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, July 24, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

El Capitan, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California

El Capitan, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California



Education Headlines

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Possible student cheating incidents delay release of state test results

Possible student cheating incidents at a dozen California schools, including Long Beach's Millikan High School, have delayed the release of the state standardized test results this year, officials said.

Natomas Unified and its teachers agree on two-year contract

Natomas Unified School District and its teachers union ended months of deadlocked negotiations this month, agreeing on a contract that could mean hiring more teachers to expand popular programs like kindergarten and International Baccalaureate.

New law increases school police powers, critics say

A new law that aims to address confusion over the authority of school district police departments has come under fire from some critics who say lawmakers have quietly increased school police powers under the guise of "cleanup language."

SD schools poised to ask voters for help

The San Diego school district is poised to ask voters to support a $2.8 billion bond measure in November, a property tax that would generate revenue for campus renovations and technology upgrades while offering relief to its strapped general fund.

Temecula school board moves forward with bond measure

The Temecula Valley Unified school board agreed Monday, July 23, to hold a special meeting to consider placing a $165 million bond measure on the November ballot.

LAUSD employee files lawsuit against former Superintendent Ramon Cortines

A 12-year employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District filed a lawsuit today against former Superintendent Ramon Cortines, accusing him of making repeated unwanted sexual advances, including shortly after the worker was hired in 2000 and again two years ago at Cortines' ranch in Kern County.

Feds say sequestration cuts to schools won’t impact 2012-13

The U.S. Department of Education provided some relief Monday to the collective anxiety building among school administrators over the sequestration cuts that might be triggered come January.

Fensterwald: Big win in court for ‘parent trigger’ organizers

A Superior Court judge has given the parents in a Mojave Desert town who pulled the state’s second “parent trigger” a milestone victory.

Ruling supports Adelanto charter school effort

In an emotional celebration, Mojave Desert parents Monday hailed a court ruling that found the school board illegally rejected their efforts under the state's "parent trigger" law to transform their failing elementary school into a charter campus.
Monday, July 23, 2012

Major changes in math, English instruction coming soon

Teachers and school administrators across the country -- including thousands in Kern County -- are gearing up for massive changes in the classroom designed to improve math and English instruction.

Wright school district reinstates laid-off teachers

The Wright School District Friday reinstated nine teaching positions it cut earlier this month, marking a dramatic turnaround in labor negotiations that had been declared at impasse.

Rowland Unified gets millions in grants for green school buses

The district recently received $2.5 million in grants to buy cleaner buses. The new buses are fueled by compressed natural gas, known as CNG, eliminating the dirty diesel that powered the old buses.

To boost test scores, schools clamor for a horseman's advice

Dennis Parker is a part-Cherokee trainer in rural Zamora, Calif., who sports a silver ponytail beneath his cowboy hat. But his recent demonstration was aimed at training a different breed grappling with far bigger tasks: educators under mounting pressure to raise students' standardized test scores.

Audit headaches come with the pennies offered in new mandate block grant

Reliable Sources say Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Is Shameless « Diane Ravitch's blog

Michelle Rhee Is Shameless « Diane Ravitch's blog:


Michelle Rhee Is Shameless

I have resisted watching the ad that Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst created and played on NBC.
A reader sent it to me, and I relented.
It is disgusting.
It is a lie.
It smears America.
It smears our teachers and our students.
It makes fun of obesity.
A few facts:
1) the US was never first on international tests. When the first test was given in 1964 (a test of math), our students came in 11th out of 12.
2) On the latest international tests, students in American schools with low poverty (10% or less) came in FIRST in the world
3) As poverty goes up in American schools, test scores go down.
4) The U.S. has the highest child poverty rate–23%– of any advanced nation in the world.
Michelle Rhee says nothing about poverty, which is the most direct correlate of low test scores.
She is shameless.


Proof that Campbell’s Law Works

A reader in Florida saw that the school grades were phony, as noted in an earlier post. But no matter how many times the grades were shown to be meaningless, everyone accepted them, organized their schools to get them, changed their instruction to raise those grades. worked to get the bonuses, worked to avoid the sanctions, on and on.
And still the grades tell us which schools enroll poor kids and which kids don’t.
There is a lesson here. Something about adjusting to absurd demands and therefore making them seem reasonable.
But if you step back, they are still absurd.
Giving a school–a complex organization with many moving parts–a single letter grade is insulting, demeaning, and stupid. It is the product of people who know how to count but don’t care what they are counting.
Having spoken out against Florida’s school grades since they were detected by my ears so many years ago, I took my concern further and created non statistician produced data about their failures and circulated it. Sadly, these failures were buried just as professor’s findings that indicated the system was a bomb. I listened to comments such as well, you 



Teachers Must Educate Their Legislators

A reader in Wisconsin has an excellent suggestion. What do teachers do best? They educate. Time to educate your legislators:
I just passed this information along to my state representative here in Wisconsin.  She’s a Republican who leans to the choice, accountability, measuring aspects of school…not to mention voted to end collective bargaining with Scott Walker’s Act 10.  Instead of writing her off as the enemy, I’ve instead developed a working relationship with her where we’ve exchanged ideas and she is working with me to try to bring about some change in Wisconsin’s education reform movement which is pretty typical of the reform movement in other parts of the country.  I would highly recommend to the readers of your blog to do the same, especially if their state 



Stop the Lies about U.S. Education

I get so tired of reading about the “decline” and “failure” of American education.
It is not true.
A reader wrote the other day to say that NAEP scores in reading have been flat since 1971. She read it somewhere.
I went to the NAEP reports, the ones produced by the federal government, and here are the facts about NAEP 

To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal. « Fred Klonsky

To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal. « Fred Klonsky:


To Senator Kotowski health care for seniors is a sweetheart deal.

In a tweet responding to criticism of his active support for the pension cutting HB1447, Park Ridge Democratic Senator Dan Kotowski goes after state employees.
Referring to retirees, seniors living on a state pension and receiving health care insurance subsidies, Kotowski says, “Nobody receives a sweetheart deal like that.”
For a member of the Illinois General Assembly, a group which gave massive tax breaks to corporations like Sears and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, being outraged at seniors getting health care coverage as part of their pension takes some balls.
This is a bunch that knows something about sweetheart deals.
Everyone in Springfield, and every Illinois public employee who is paying attention knows what is going on here.


Joe Moore caves.