Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-25-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP




School Tech Connect: Heartland Media To The Rescue

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago
School Tech Connect: Heartland Media To The Rescue: Heartland Media To The Rescue This is video from Saturday. Distribute widely.

GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 59 minutes ago
GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform « Cooperative Catalyst: GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform by Nikhil Goyal [image: lincoln.park.high]This piece originally appeared on GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform. One week ago, the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Board of Education reached an agreement on teacher contracts. But, what most pundits still don’t realize is that the strike wasn’... more »

IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars. « Fred Klonsky: IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars. by Fred Klonsky Yesterday I posted that I had stopped giving money to IPACE. I encouraged others to do the same. I reported that former IEA President Ken Swanson promised a review of IPACE recommendation procedures. It never happened. But in a response on his website, IEA Communications Director Charlie McBarron gives a full-throated defense of

PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart! Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart!: PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart! by admin I already forgot my new strategy to call for some boycott or action against a corporate reformer on the first Tuesday of every month, but it’s my blog and I figure I can go after WalMart any time I want. I have close relatives who work at WalMart and they have been able to build a pretty nice life. I have even been known to go to WalMart once in a blue moon and (also rarely) to order from Walmert online because they usually have the cheapest item... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV Thread

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV Thread: BEX IV Thread by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] I would really love to go in-depth on this subject right now but I am running a state-wide campaign against I-1240 (so I have my hands full). However Facilities has always had a special place in my heart so I digress to put up this post. Charlie has pointed out the numerous issues of the lack of clarity in this BEX. Frankly, I'm not sure the district has a real plan. Again, instead of long-range planning and forecasting (could they please just hire Kellie L... more »

President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript By Valerie Strauss Here’s the transcript of an interview that President Obama gave to NBC News and that was aired on Tuesday during the network’s 2012 Education Nation Summit. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also gave an interview at the summit, which you can read here. During the interview Obama says something that many critics say we don’t hear nearly enough from him: “Part of the pr... more »

UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch | GothamSchools: UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch by Philissa Cramer UFT President Michael Mulgrew, flanked by NYC Museum School teachers and Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters, discussed this year's tally of oversized classes during a press conference this morning. One in four city schools have overcrowded classes, and the number of oversized special education classes more than doubled since last year, according to this year’s class size tally by the United Federation of Teachers. Unio... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious?: Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious? by Duke Seriously, Chicago: what is up with your billionaires? It's bad enough that they all want to stick their fingers into the public education pie, even though they and their children attend elite private schools. But is there something in the water that makes them extra obnoxious? The great EduShyster has a hysterical post about the most insufferable of them, Bruce Rauner: The award for best strike analysis, though, goes to venture capitalist Bruce Rauner, who summed up... more »

Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform by Helen Gym [image: Helen Gym]Last week I attended a local screening of *Won’t Back Down, *the latest flick from the producers behind the controversial documentary *Waiting for Superman.* The film stars Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal as two moms of special needs children, one also a teacher, trapped inside their failing public schools while battling an evil union leadership. They decide to take advantage of a stat... more »

NYC Public School Parents: 6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: 6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall: 6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall by Leonie Haimson This morning, at a press conference, Michael Mulgrew president of the UFT announced that over 6,100 classes at 670 NYC public schools this fall violate contractual class size limits, compared to 660 schools last year. *This means that class sizes are above these (already too-high) levels: more than 25 students per class in Kindergarten; more than 32 students in grades 1-5; more than 33 students in non-Title one middl... more »

Schools Matter: 10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Schools Matter: 10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools: 10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools by Judy Rabin [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *Thank you to Stan Karp and the Education Law Center for keeping a close watch on the liars and thieves who profit at the expense of the poorest children and communities in New Jersey. The privatizers and profiteers can no longer hide behind "no excuses" and "no child left behind" because thanks to the brave teachers in Chicago the conversation has changed and the genie is out of ... more »

No on 1240 | Don't be charter fooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
No on 1240 | Don't be charter fooled: *No On 1240 Campaign* Contact: Melissa Westbrook - 206-390-0404, 1240mel@gmail.com *PEEKING UNDER THE TENT:* *WHO SUPPORTS I-1240 AND WHO DOESN’T* *Seattle, Washington, September 25, 2012* Looking at the lists of group endorsers – for and against I-1240 – makes for a good contrast between the campaigns. *No On 1240* *Education Organizations* Association of Washington School Principals Citizens United for Responsible Education Educational Service District 113... more »

UPDATE: Hooray! Let’s hear it for more standardized testing! Go Bridgeport! - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Hooray! Let’s hear it for more standardized testing! Go Bridgeport! - Wait, What?: Hooray! Let’s hear it for more standardized testing! Go Bridgeport! by jonpelto It is hard to imagine that Team Paul Vallas could do a better job revealing their true stripes, again. Yesterday, Sandra Kase, Paul Vallas’ “Chief Administrative Officer,” sent out a memo entitled *“prime time for student learning.”* No, the memo was not about expanding instructional time, nor was it about broadening students’ horizons by bringing back some of the missing “specials,” nor was it about enhancing the school... more »

Former Superintendent Debates Union Head - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Former Superintendent Debates Union Head - LA School Report: Former Superintendent Debates Union Head by Alexander Russo Thanks to a kind reader for sending along this PBS NewsHour segment in which former LAUSD superintendent Roy Romer debates American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten: It’s a couple of weeks old but still might be worth the watch, given the ongoing debate over including student achievement in teacher evaluations and whether unions can or should be involved in reform. Or read the transcript here. The post Former Superintendent Debates Union Head ap... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's ad campaign fizzles

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's ad campaign fizzles: Rahm's ad campaign fizzles by Mike Klonsky There's two good letters about Rahm's million-dollar ad campaign in this morning's Sun-Times. The first is from Chicago long-time political analyst *Don Rose*: Expect more union-busting tactics from Emanuel *It’s obvious why Mayor Rahm Emanuel is airing boastful commercials that you correctly term “a poke in the eye” of the Chicago Teachers Union. He is trying to rehabilitate himself with the public that overwhelmingly supported the striking union — while a mere 19 percent though... more »

National Voter Registration Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
National Voter Registration Day: National Voter Registration Day Submitted by Steve Hanson on Tue, 09/25/2012 - 11:31am [image: Printer-friendly version][image: Send by email] Today is National Voter Registration Day. In the face of desperate attempts on the part of the GOP to suppress voter turnout, it is more important than ever this year that as many voters as possible of *all* persuasions register and vote. We're trying to help out with that by bringing you some resources for voter registration, and some places to go for more information. Help to spread the word. If each of y... more »

Kurtz: Common Core Could Launch New Tea Party Uprising | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Kurtz: Common Core Could Launch New Tea Party Uprising | Truth in American Education: Kurtz: Common Core Could Launch New Tea Party Uprising by Shane Vander Hart Stanley Kurtz recognized at *National Review* that school lunches is just the tip of the iceberg with federal overreach into education. He brings up the work our partner, Heather Crossin, is doing in Indiana and how Obama could spark a 2nd Tea Party Awakening. I just came back from a conference where I heard a mom from Indiana named Heather Crossin describe her battle against Obama’s Common Core. Her child happened to a... more »

Institutions Commit to Providing Millions of Students with Easy-To-Understand Information About College Costs | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Institutions Commit to Providing Millions of Students with Easy-To-Understand Information About College Costs | ED.gov Blog: Institutions Commit to Providing Millions of Students with Easy-To-Understand Information About College Costs Posted on September 25, 2012 by Arne Duncan We know that students and their families face a difficult task in deciding where to enroll for higher education, and understanding the cost of college—and how to pay for it—can be daunting. Too often, students are left without a clear explanation of what the costs mean or how they compare to other colleges ... more »

Reaction to “Won’t Back Down” in New York City by real parents | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Reaction to “Won’t Back Down” in New York City by real parents | Seattle Education: Reaction to “Won’t Back Down” in New York City by real parents by seattleducation2011 The corporate backed movie *Won’t Back Down* which is suppose to be a glowing Hollywood style version of theParent Trigger is being shown around the country and is being personally promoted by the edu reform queen of the hour, Michelle Rhee. Is this movie for real? Of course not, it’s an expensive propaganda. And from what I’ve been reading, it’s also a lousy movie. Real parents are now coming out at showings an... more »

Des Moines Education Association: DMEA Standing for Something Part 3 - Quality Evaluation and Support

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Des Moines Education Association: DMEA Standing for Something Part 3 - Quality Evaluation and Support: DMEA Standing for Something Part 3 - Quality Evaluation and Support by Andrew Rasmussen The evaluation of education professionals is in the spotlight around the country as many states and districts make changes in their systems. These changes are being made by "reformers" who state that they want to ensure a quality teacher for every child. We at DMEA agree that every child deserves a quality teacher and that how you get there is to improve an evaluation system that all too often ... more »

Obama: Romney is a teacher-basher – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Obama: Romney is a teacher-basher – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs: [image: Obama: Romney is a teacher-basher] Obama: Romney is a teacher-basher [image: killough.mugshot.4] Posted by CNN's Ashley Killough *(CNN) –* President Barack Obama, who was largely quiet on the recent teachers strike in Chicago, said in an interview that aired Tuesday he was glad the issue had been resolved and took aim at Mitt Romney's approach to the situation. "Governor Romney and a number of folks try to politicize the issue and do a lot of teacher-bashing. When I meet teachers all across the countr... more »

Education Nation -- starkly different visions from Obama, Romney - First Read #ObamaEdNat #educationnation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Education Nation -- starkly different visions from Obama, Romney - First Read: *Education Nation* -- *starkly different visions from Obama*, *Romney* By NBC’s Domenico Montanaro Education has peeked into the forefront during the 2012 campaign for the White House with *President Obama*'s push for low-interest student loans - and Republican challenger *Mitt Romney*'s contrasting views (“shop around”) on how to pay for college. Obama has also seized on comments Romney made largely dismissing the impact of class sizes, using them for a TV ad running in battleground states. Margaret ... more »

‘Double Segregation’: The Deepening Racial Divide in Schools | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
‘Double Segregation’: The Deepening Racial Divide in Schools | NEA Today: ‘Double Segregation’: The Deepening Racial Divide in Schools September 25, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Top Stories Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] *By Edward Graham* The landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision*Brown v. Board of Education* overturned state-sponsored segregation in public schools, but over the last two decades a disturbing trend of re-segregation has emerged across the United States. In their recently released report, *“E Pluribus…Separation: Deepening Double Segregatio... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, September 25, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *He's Back?* Education Headlines *Tuesday, September 25, 2012* Schools cooking up healthy, cheap ideasLodi Unified School District Food Services Director Warren Sun chopped a California-grown russet potato Monday and slid the chunks into a large pot of what would become a fresh, summer chicken stew, a dish that state leaders in nutrition education hope will become one of many new recipes for millions of children in the coming years. Coach aided in soccer team sexual hazing, attorney claimsA La Puente High School soccer coach ai... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why Don

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why Don: Why Don by Melissa Westbrook From the Times, a story about Washington State and the low rate of college attendance. More than half of Seattle adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree, making it one of the most well-schooled cities in the nation. So it may come as a surprise that only about one in four public-school students from Washington's high-school class of 2009 will finish college by 2015, according to a Seattle Times analysis of recent trends. While the percentage of high-school graduates who went to college jumped by nine po... more »

Former Americans Elect chief may head Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst - POLITICO.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Former Americans Elect chief may head Rhee's StudentsFirst - POLITICO.com: Former Americans Elect chief may head Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst - - Comments (4) By ALEXANDER BURNS | 9/24/12 9:20 PM EDT The former CEO of Americans Elect may be the next president of the national education reform group founded by onetime Washington D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Kahlil Byrd, who headed a national campaign to gain ballot access for a third-party presidential candidate, was identified as the next president of StudentsFirst in a Monday email f... more »

Palmetto Educators Network: How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Palmetto Educators Network: How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina?: How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina? *How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina?* Using the South Carolina School Report Card system and the state Poverty Index, the tables below identify charter schools within the SC Public School Charter District and 5 additional selected charter schools to identify how charter schools in SC compare with “Schools with Students Like Ours... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Feeeeed Me Seymour.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Feeeeed Me Seymour.: Feeeeed Me Seymour. by stlgretchen Hungry students face the reality and results of Federal mandates in local schools. This student produced youtube video below illustrates how *hungry* students are due to the *HealthyHunger-Free Kids Act of 2010* (isn't that a delicious contradiction?). It shows the fallacy of a "one-size fits all" calorie program for students. Think of this video as a precursor of when the horrors of a "one-size fits all" *Common* Core educational program is realized by students. "One size fits all" might work... more »

Modern School: Parasites Unite! America’s Entitlement Problem

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Modern School: Parasites Unite! America’s Entitlement Problem: Parasites Unite! America’s Entitlement Problem by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons Mitt Romney was recently embarrassed by a leaked video in which he wrote off the “47% of Americans who don’t pay taxes,” accusing them of feeling victimized and expecting the government to take care of them. NPR’s Planet Money says that it is actually just over 46% of Americans and it is primarily just the federal income tax that they do not pay and they don’t pay it because they receive tax credits or untaxed income like Social... more »

Another view on charter amendment: Goal in Georgia ought to be cooperation, not competition. | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Another view on charter amendment: Goal in Georgia ought to be cooperation, not competition. | Get Schooled: Another view on charter amendment: Goal in Georgia ought to be cooperation, not competition. by Maureen Downey Here is a piece from Jim Arnold, a frequent contributor to this space. Per my comment yesterday, I am going to start running more of the many commentaries that I’m receiving on the Nov. 6 charter school amendment vote. Yesterday’s piece urged support of the amendment. This essay argues the opposite. Arnold points out something I learned after my first year on the ... more »

UPDATE: The most important post you will read today. Constitutional Amendment 49 must be defeated. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The most important post you will read today. Constitutional Amendment 49 must be defeated. « Fred Klonsky: The most important post you will read today. Constitutional Amendment 49 must be defeated. by Fred Klonsky My friend Glen Brown wrote this post last June 11th. He was the Paul Revere of Constitutional Amendment 49 which will appear on the November ballot. This bill represents the most serious threat to the state’s public employees, both active and retired. A no vote by you is not enough. You must contact everyone you know to vote no on this amendment. Some have written me to... more »

Out and Around: The Presumption of Literacy « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Out and Around: The Presumption of Literacy « Student Activism: Out and Around: The Presumption of Literacy by Angus Johnston My sister can’t read. Her disability usually isn’t obvious when you meet her. And when she’s home visiting my parents, she spends a fair amount of time out in the city on her own. She takes the bus, she shops, she goes to restaurants. She gets her nails done. My dad gives her her walking-around money as five-dollar bills to limit how much she can lose if someone decides to cheat her when giving change. But like I say, mostly her disability is invisible. And ... more »

There goes that ad again. Every time I see it I find new things. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
There goes that ad again. Every time I see it I find new things. « Fred Klonsky: There goes that ad again. Every time I see it I find new things. by Fred Klonsky They’re still running that Rahm ad on Chicago TV a week after the teacher’s strike was settled. I wouldn’t even bring it up again. I though that I have tweeted and posted enough on how stupid it is, how I can’t imagine any Chicagoan who own a remote simply muting it or scrolling past it on their DVR. As for teachers and other city employees, the sight of that fool must pisses them off. Good luck with the police and fire con... more »

Noguera: The Origins of My Views on Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Noguera: The Origins of My Views on Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Noguera: The Origins of My Views on Education by Pedro Noguera [image: Bridging Differences] Deborah Meier Pedro Noguera Deborah Meier—visionary teacher and founder of successful small schools in New York City and Boston—and Pedro Noguera—author and director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education—debate issues relevant to schools, teachers, and students. Dear Deborah, As I join you in blogging on Bridging Differences, allow me to step back and tell readers a little bit ... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Jonathan Frozol?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Jonathan Frozol?: Jonathan Frozol? by admin OK, OK. It’s kind of silly. But I have Ben & Jerry’s on the brain because we met with them last week – no, not Ben, not Jerry – but a wonderful group of employees who actually decide where the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation money goes. They were in town to visit some of the groups they fund, and PURE is fortunate to be among them. And they brought coupons. Free pint coupons. So, here’s the deal. The next three people who register to see Jonathan Kozol this Thursday (register here) and th... more »

Bullying Prevention Gains Momentum, But We Still Have A Long Way To Go | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Bullying Prevention Gains Momentum, But We Still Have A Long Way To Go | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Bullying Prevention Gains Momentum, But We Still Have A Long Way To Go by NEA Health Information Network *By Rocío Inclán, Director of the Human and Civil Rights Department of the National Education Association* October is Bullying Prevention month, and this year we see signs of progress in the national effort to stop bullying in our schools. For example, the recently released 2011 National School Climate Survey from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Netwo... more »

Afternoon UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-25-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] President Obama Explains His Views to Education Nation by dianerav TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT OBAMA SITS DOWN WITH SAVANNAH GUTHRIE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NBC NEWS’ “EDUCATION NATION” September 25, 2012 — As part of the NBC News 2012 “Education Nation” Summit this week, President Barack Obama sat down with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to discuss his vision for the future of education in America. The exclusive interview aired Tuesday on “TODAY” and this afternoon on MSNBC. A full transcript is below. If The Power of ... more »

What do SAT, ACT scores really mean? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
What do SAT, ACT scores really mean? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: What do SAT, ACT scores really mean? By Valerie Strauss The big news in the world of college entrance exams — that would be the SAT and the ACT — is that the scores from the high school class of 2012 were disappointing. Newly released reading scores on the SAT hit a four-decade low, and (bigstock)writing scores edged down too, while math scores were essentially unchanged from last year. SAT average scores have declined by 20 points since 2006, when the test was revised to include a writing section. ACT s... more »

Schools Matter: Technagogically Yours

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schools Matter: Technagogically Yours: Technagogically Yours by Storm On the heels of a recent post here regarding a K-2 cubicle "learning" factory in Yuma, AZ, "Nineteenth Century English Schools...," I'd like to offer something on what I have called "technagogy." But briefly, I would note that the Yuma, AZ school isn't only English, it is fully American as well. This is only natural as America is the child of England. Some of you may know that Henry Thoreau was, for two weeks, a kind of "district" manager for the Concord Schools--one of the top slots earning big dollars for the ... more »

A Conservative Agenda for Federal Edu-Policy :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
A Conservative Agenda for Federal Edu-Policy :: Frederick M. Hess: A Conservative Agenda for Federal Edu-Policy *by Frederick M. Hess • Sep 25, 2012 at 6:31 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share Yesterday, in the new issue of the quarterly *National Affairs*, Andrew Kelly and I argue that it's possible to devise a coherent, principled, and limited vision of the federal role in education-- and that such a vision offers an overdue and crucial alternative to the well-intentioned overreaching that has characterized federal ed policy for over a decad... more »

Education and Democracy | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Education and Democracy | Dailycensored.com: Education and Democracy by stephenl Democracy and an educated citizenry go hand in hand. Public education is the great equalizer. America’s founders believed it was insurance against loss of liberty. Jefferson said: “Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories. And to render them safe, their minds must be improved to a certain degree.” Neil Postman perhaps is best known for saying “Americans are the most entertained and least informed peop... more »

Why this parent blames the mayor for teachers strike | catalyst-chicago.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Why this parent blames the mayor for teachers strike | catalyst-chicago.org: Why this parent blames the mayor for teachers strike - Share on windycitizenShare on facebookShare on email I think the mayor is just plain wrong and at fault for the current strike. I think he set out to demonize the teachers and imply they were overpaid and under-performing. *By: *Melissa Lindberg / September 17, 2012 - Melissa Lindberg My kid is in a Chicago public school—a really good one, with selective enrollment, great teachers, and a great new “green” school building that is LEED... more »

Jersey Jazzman: No Correlation Between Intelligence and Wealth

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: No Correlation Between Intelligence and Wealth: No Correlation Between Intelligence and Wealth by Duke It's important to understand that when I and others say there is a correlation between socio-economic status and *test scores*, we're not saying there's a correlation between socio-economic status and *intelligence *. Mitt Romney proves it: Romney’s wife, Ann, was in attendance, and the candidate spoke of the concern he had for her when her plane had to make an emergency landing Friday en route to Santa Monica because of an electrical malfunction. “I appreciate ... more »

LAUSD: TEACHER QUALITY (REMOVAL) SPECIALIST - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
LAUSD: TEACHER QUALITY (REMOVAL) SPECIALIST - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: TEACHER QUALITY (REMOVAL) SPECIALIST by Leonard Isenberg [image: Calvera.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *In the 1960 movie The Magnificent Seven, the bandit Calvera, played by Eli Wallach, tries to get the gunfighter, played by Yul Brenner, to help him rob the poor peasants in a small Mexican village by telling him, "If G-d did not want them shorn, he would not have made them sheep." As more and more teachers *

Jersey Jazzman: Howdy Commissioner Cerf!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Howdy Commissioner Cerf!: Howdy Commissioner Cerf! by Duke NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf was in Jersey City tonight. Big thanks to the invaluable stopthefreezeNJand Deb Cornavaca of SOSNJ, who reported that the event did not go well for the man who rules the JC schools: DEFEND NJ PUBLIC ED! ‏@stopthefreezeNJ Resident rips Cerf for lacking openness, fairness. Crowd erupts against Cerf. He is sharing an uncomfortable laugh. Deborah ‏@decornavaca @jerseyjazzman Newark bringing it home. 7 Newark schools made AYP but he still replaced staff. Ms. Jackson rocks. ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Devil and Daniel Biss

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
School Tech Connect: The Devil and Daniel Biss: The Devil and Daniel Biss by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I don't have time to write, but make sure you have a look at this. H/t to the Patch for letting candidates talk beyond sound bites. I can only comment that the framers of our 1970 Constitution wrote the pension clause to protect us not only from Daniel Biss's opponent, but also from Daniel Biss, to say nothing of the hapless Elaine Nekritz. We have to go after the fundamental cause of the problem, which is the state kept skipping payments for decades. We have to put a me... more »

Arizona Bars Children From Learning About Themselves (The Librotraficante) [Why We Write Series] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Arizona Bars Children From Learning About Themselves (The Librotraficante) [Why We Write Series] | The Jose Vilson: Arizona Bars Children From Learning About Themselves (The Librotraficante) [Why We Write Series] by Jose Luis Rodriguez What Luis Rodriguez makes evident in the following excerpt from the preface of *Always Running* is our responsibility to speak to the injustices of the world from the lens of a common struggle. Check: Criminality in this country is a class issue. Many of those warehoused in overcrowded prisons can be properly called “criminals of want,” those who’v... more »

Technology Readiness Tool Survey - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Technology Readiness Tool Survey - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): California Begins Gathering Data on School Technology SACRAMENTO—Forty-two percent of California schools participated in the technology survey of which there are to be six data extractions between 2012 and 2014 in a nationwide effort to gauge readiness for new online assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards, prompting State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson to urge more schools to take part in the future. "We know our schools already face enormous day-to-day challenges—but we also need to unders... more »

Jean-Claude Brizard, Chicago Schools CEO, Was Nearly Invisible During Teachers Strike

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jean-Claude Brizard, Chicago Schools CEO, Was Nearly Invisible During Teachers Strike: Jean-Claude Brizard, Chicago Schools CEO, Was Nearly Invisible During Teachers Strike by Joy Resmovits CHICAGO -- When teachers on strike took to the Chicago streets for nine days this month, news cameras followed the union president, the head of the school board and the mayor. The Chicago Teachers Union and city representatives would meet for hours, negotiating technical contract details. A throng of reporters was always waiting outside for the latest update. But the CEO of Chicago Public ... more »

Engaging the Whole Community to Support Positive Bus Behavior — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Engaging the Whole Community to Support Positive Bus Behavior — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Engaging the Whole Community to Support Positive Bus Behavior September 24, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers [image: Jessica Bohn] *Post submitted by Jessica Bohn, principal at Gibsonville Elementary School in Gibsonville, N.C. She has worked at all levels K–16, including as a university assistant director, assistant principal, district curriculum specialist, and science teacher. Bohn is a member of the ASCD Emerging Leaders Class of 2012 an... more »

Response: Teaching Science By "Becoming A Learner" - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Response: Teaching Science By "Becoming A Learner" - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher: [image: Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo] Response: Teaching Science By "Becoming A Learner" By Larry Ferlazzo on September 23, 2012 4:14 PM ** *(Note: This is the third post in a four-part series on teaching science. You can see Part One here and Part Two here)* Two weeks ago I posed this question: *What is the best advice you would give to help an educator become better at teaching science?* I've been posting various guest responses in this four-part series, and invi... more »

The price of Paul Vallas’ no-bid contracts continues to grow… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The price of Paul Vallas’ no-bid contracts continues to grow… - Wait, What?: The price of Paul Vallas’ no-bid contracts continues to grow… by jonpelto *Will anyone stand up for taxpayers of Connecticut and Bridgeport?* Now that Bridgeport’s illegal Board of Education has been removed and a democratically elected board has taken its place, perhaps someone – anyone – will begin to ask the important questions that need to be asked. At the very top of the list is the growing controversy surrounding Bridgeport Superintendent of Schools, Paul Vallas’, decision to use a “no-bid” contract... more »

Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students: Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students 1. Corinne A. Moss-Racusina,b, 2. John F. Dovidiob, 3. Victoria L. Brescollc, 4. Mark J. Grahama,d, and 5. Jo Handelsmana,1 +Author Affiliations 1. aDepartment of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, 2. bDepartment of Psychology, 3. cSchool of Management, and 4. dDepartment of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 1. Edited* by Shirley Tilghman, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved August 21, 201... more »







Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-22-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-25-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-18-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-11-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 8-4-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post





Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-22-12 #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-21-12 #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-20-12 #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-19-12 #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Ed Ape Nite Cap Chicago Delegates Vote to Suspend Strike DAY #9 9-18-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #8 9-17-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #7 9-16-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #6 9-15-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #3 9-12-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION 9-11-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-10-12 #faircontractnow #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-6-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-5-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-4-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-31-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-30-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-29-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-28-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-27-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-25-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-23-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 8-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

 

School Tech Connect: Heartland Media To The Rescue

School Tech Connect: Heartland Media To The Rescue:


Heartland Media To The Rescue

This is video from Saturday. Distribute widely.


GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform « Cooperative Catalyst

GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform « Cooperative Catalyst:


GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform

lincoln.park.highThis piece originally appeared on GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform. 
One week ago, the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Board of Education reached an agreement on teacher contracts. But, what most pundits still don’t realize is that the strike wasn’t really about the contracts or the unions. It was about stopping the assault on public education, teachers, and children.
You know what’s hurting kids in Chicago and elsewhere? Contrary to media reports, it’s not the teachers union. It’s the corporate reform takeover—mayoral, not local control, closing schools and turning them over to charter corporations, evaluation of students and teachers with test scores, and weakening teachers unions. These policies are backed by billionaires, many of whom have never stepped foot in a public school classroom in their lives and they’ve blossomed thanks to the passing of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind and President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative.
In Chicago—as in many places—Mayor Rahm Emanuel and corporate reformers have waged a war on teachers. 

IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars. « Fred Klonsky

IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars. « Fred Klonsky:


IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars.

Yesterday I posted that I had stopped giving money to IPACE. I encouraged others to do the same.
I reported that former IEA President Ken Swanson promised a review of IPACE recommendation procedures. It never happened.
But in a response on his website, IEA Communications Director Charlie McBarron gives a full-throated defense of 

PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart! Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart!:


PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart!

I already forgot my new strategy to call for some boycott or action against a corporate reformer on the first Tuesday of every month, but it’s my blog and I figure I can go after WalMart any time I want.
I have close relatives who work at WalMart and they have been able to build a pretty nice life. I have even been known to go to WalMart once in a blue moon and (also rarely) to order from Walmert online because they usually have the cheapest item of a set of choices. But I’m going to stop doing that for good.
After seeing the “Teachers Rock” infomercial for Teach for America and the “Won’t Back Down” movie, heavily 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV Thread

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV Thread:


BEX IV Thread

I would really love to go in-depth on this subject right now but I am running a state-wide campaign against I-1240 (so I have my hands full).

However Facilities has always had a special place in my heart so I digress to put up this post.

Charlie has pointed out the numerous issues of the lack of clarity in this BEX.  Frankly, I'm not sure the district has a real plan.

Again, instead of long-range planning and forecasting (could they please just hire Kellie LaRue already), it's 

President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:


Answer Sheet


President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript

Here’s the transcript of an interview that President Obama gave to NBC News and that was aired on Tuesday during the network’s 2012 Education Nation Summit.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also gave an interview at the summit, which you can read here.
During the interview Obama says something that many critics say we don’t hear nearly enough from him: “Part of the problem we've got is we've got a very diverse country. Compared to some — 
(Jin Lee/BLOOMBERG)
these smaller countries, where all the kids are coming to school pretty well prepared, they're not hungry, they're not poor — in our country, we — you know, we've got poor 



Mitt Romney at Education Nation — transcript

Here’s a transcript of Gov. Mitt Romney talking on Tuesday with NBC News anchor Brian Williams about education at the network’s “Education Nation” Summit in New York.
Highlights include a segment when an audience member points out a poll which shows that New York City parents support the teachers union, and Romney says: “I don't believe it for a minute. I don't believe it for a minute. I know something about polls.”
Read full article >>

What do SAT, ACT scores really mean?

The big news in the world of college entrance exams — that would be the SAT and the ACT — is that the scores from the high school class of 2012 were disappointing.
Newly released reading scores on the SAT hit a four-decade low, and writing scores edged down too, while math scores were essentially unchanged from last year.  SAT average scores have declined by 20 points since 2006, when the test was revised to include a writing section.
Read full article >>

Science professors biased against females — study

A new Yale University study shows that bias against women persists in the sciences — in this case, at the university level, where science professors of both sexes were found to rate males as “significantly more competent and hireable” than equally qualified female applicants.
Read full article >>

Afternoon UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-25-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch



President Obama Explains His Views to Education Nation

TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT OBAMA SITS DOWN WITH SAVANNAH GUTHRIE
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NBC NEWS’ “EDUCATION NATION”
September 25, 2012 — As part of the NBC News 2012 “Education Nation” Summit this week, President Barack Obama sat down with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to discuss his vision for the future of education in America.
The exclusive interview aired Tuesday on “TODAY” and this afternoon on MSNBC. A full transcript is below. If


The Power of Magical Thinking

No Child Left Behind is widely considered a disaster.
The law mandated that 100% of all students would be proficient, as measured by the standards in each state, by 2014. We now know that no state will meet that requirement. Schools have been closed all over the nation because of this idiotic law. Principals and teachers who were doing their best to meet unrealistic expectations,


More Union Leaders Who Are NBCT

I noted in an earlier post that Karen Lewis is a National Board Certified Teacher.
I said that she was one of the few–if not the only–union leader who is NBCT.
Happily, I was wrong. I published another post that mentioned other union leaders who are NBCT.
Here are more:
Kitty Boltnott was head of the Virginia Education Association from




Study: Charters Putting Catholic Schools Out of Business

A new study says that for every charter that opens, a Catholic school closes.
The author, Abraham Lackman, who worked for the New York state senate when it passed the first charter law in 1998, said that no one anticipated that charters–which are publicly-funded and tuition-free–would drain students from Catholic schools, which are not tuition-free.
He says the charters are not as good as Catholic schools and cost the state additional millions of dollars.
The head of the foundation that supports charters in Albany said that parents make the choice. “We’re more concerned with where they’re going, not with where they’re coming from,” he said.


Don’t Mess with Texas. The Revolution Begins Here.

Texas brought No Child Left Behind to the nation.
Remember that candidate George W. Bush said that Texas had figured out how to fix the schools. He said test every child every year, post the results, reward the schools where scores go up, humiliate those where scores go down. And, wow, a miracle: the scores go up, up, up; the achievement gap closes; graduation rates go up. Win-win-win-win.
Except it didn’t happen. And now the whole country is stuck with a testing regime that is sucking the life out of education.
This report from Texas describes a growing revolution against testing. The schools are up in arms: 77% of the



News About GERM in Australia and New Zealand

Our bad ideas about testing, bad teachers, and failing schools have infected Australia and New Zealand. NZ plans to open “independent public schools,” aka charter schools.
Never mind that Australia and New Zealand have higher scores on the international tests than most other nations, including the US.
Only one nation can be number one, and in the case of PISA, it’s Shanghai, which is not even a nation. Shanghai is not representative of China, but an unusual city whose schools have mastered test prep.
Now every nation in the world is supposed to engage in outrage and flogging a of teachers, because only one 


Another Louisiana Embarrassment

John White, the TFA Commissioner of Education in Louisiana, put out a press release celebrating the state’s increased numbers taking AP exams.
Gary Rubinstein looked at the press release and thought it was a joke. The number taking the exam went up, but the scores did not. As Gary writes:
“In this latest press release they call their AP results a ‘surge’ because the number of students ‘taking’ the AP 



Why Does Democratic Party Support Groups That Support GOP?

This is one of the most puzzling questions of our day.
Rachel Levy asks it in all sincerity.
How can the Democratic Party embrace individuals and groups that are working to elect Republicans? Why does it embrace individuals and groups that are actively working against unions, immigrant rights, gays, and public education?
Can anyone explain it? Is the tent so big that Democrats support those who support Republicans?
I don’t get it.



Conservative Think Tank Promotes Parent Trigger

It sounds so easy.
Take a vote. Get control of your school. Hire a new staff. Next year, your school is a great success.
The Heartland Institute recommends it for everyone.
This think tank in Chicago helped to write the ALEC model legislation to encourage state legislatures to pass a “parent trigger.”
This is meant to privatize public schools


How to Put an End to VAM-Mania

A reader has a suggestion:
I suggest that we create similar VAM tests for doctors, lawyers, and politicians and start ranking them according to their contributions.  Oh, and reporters and news editors too.  That will solve this problem real soon!


Union Leaders Who Are NBCT

When I wrote about the Chicago strike, I said that Karen Lewis was one of the few–if not the only–union leader who was a National Board Certified Teacher.
I have heard of two more NBCT union leaders. Let me know if you are aware of others.
Stacey Miller, the president of the Maumee Education Association in Ohio, won NBCT status in 2001. The other 


What Rahm Emanuel Imagines

This post describes an ad running in Chicago in which Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks about the new contract, while pictures of Chicago schoolrooms are on the screen.
The pictures show a teacher in a library with a class of six students. She is teaching math with an Ipad. They show an art class.
Read this post to learn the truth. Teachers fight for textbooks; they don’t have iPads. Class sizes are not 6 but 


A Great Teacher in Every Classroom?

This teacher has deciphered the absurdity of the reformer crusade to put a great teacher in every classroom. Where are they now?
Periodically, I hear the illogical idea that we need “great” teachers in classrooms, as if great teachers aren’t already in classrooms. From where are all these stealthy “great” teachers supposed to come? Are they now all sitting on their hands at home, waiting to be hired? Is there a secret supply of “great” teachers, hiding 


More about J.C. Brizard

A reader sends in a group of articles about the Chicago superintendent J.C. Brizard:
Brizard is a graduate of the Broad Superintendents Academy
http://www.broadcenter.org/academy/network/profile/featured-jean-claude-brizard
He stirred up churn in Rochester before coming to Chicago:
The Corporate Agenda for Public Schools: Is Brizard on Board?
http://dragonflyeye.net/jongreenbaum/2009/07/24/the-corporate-agenda-for-public-schools-is-brizard-on-board/


Where Was Brizard? UPDATE

Joy Resmovits reports at Huffington Post that Chicago’s Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard was “nearly invisible” during the strike. He says he was visiting schools.
She says that Brizard got a very bad performance rating and that rumors have been flying that he will soon resign or be fired.
The Chicago saga continues.


What Children Need Most

A reader writes:
We are stripping the young of their youth. Why on Earth are we shoving the technological world on kids 4 to 10 years old? Kids that age need to be learning socializing skills, study skills, teacher interaction skills, learning to take instructions from people other than their parents. They need to develop their creativity, apply their real-world experiences in their relationships with their peers, and to feel comfortable in learning in mildly competitive environments. This is all more about dollars and less about education.




Do You Trust Opinion or Research?

Tim Slekar of Penn State has been watching NBC’s Education Nation, for which we are all grateful. Someone has to do it.
Today he watched the teacher town hall and discovered that a matter that has been settled in research was turned by NBC into a matter of opinion. And whose opinion counted was, in Tim’s view, questionable.


How to Opt Out of Testing

In response to other posts, Peggy Robertson of United Opt Out offers this advice to parents and teachers:
My advice is to take action. Currently we are asking people to begin to canvas neighborhoods and share the word of opt out. WE are going to have to do this. No one will do it for us. And while we sit around and wait for some corporate politician to change policies in our favor we have kids suffering – they do not have time to wait. Imagine how many childhoods will be lost this year at the hands of corporate education reform. I am angry – most angry because we have the ability to stop this – and instead we keep hoping that someone will share our 


Why Great Hearts Appeals to Affluent Parents

A reader sent a blog post from Arizona, where the Great Hearts charter school chain is based.
This is the charter that Tennessee Commissioner Kevin Huffman wants to bring to Nashville, over the opposition of the local school board.
It is expensive to go to Great Hearts. The school asks parents for an upfront contribution (voluntary, of course), of $1200-1500. Then there are extra costs for books, supplies, physical education.
But it is still less costly than paying for private school tuition. So it is entirely understandable that white, affluent parents would want to bring Great Hearts to their neighborhood in Nashville.

UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch | GothamSchools

UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch | GothamSchools:


UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch

UFT President Michael Mulgrew, flanked by NYC Museum School teachers and Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters, discussed this year's tally of oversized classes during a press conference this morning.
One in four city schools have overcrowded classes, and the number of oversized special education classes more than doubled since last year, according to this year’s class size tally by the United Federation of Teachers.
Union members reported 270 special education classes with more than the mandated number of students in the early weeks of the year, up from 118 last year.
During a press conference outside a Chelsea school building, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said the city’s


Gains in city’s AP exam pass rate outpaced participation growth

This slide from a Department of Education presentation compares the number of students taking AP exams to the number of students passing them.
As more city students took exams meant to earn them college credit and credentials last year, more passed.

Jersey Jazzman: Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious?

Jersey Jazzman: Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious?:


Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious?

Seriously, Chicago: what is up with your billionaires? It's bad enough that they all want to stick their fingers into the public education pie, even though they and their children attend elite private schools. But is there something in the water that makes them extra obnoxious?

The great EduShyster has a hysterical post about the most insufferable of them, Bruce Rauner:
The award for best strike analysis, though, goes to venture capitalist Bruce Rauner, who summed up the lack of support for corporate education reform among minority parents this way: parents 

Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:


Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform

Helen GymLast week I attended a local screening of Won’t Back Down, the latest flick from the producers behind the controversial documentary Waiting for Superman.
The film stars Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal as two moms of special needs children, one also a teacher, trapped inside their failing public schools while battling an evil union leadership. They decide to take advantage of a state law called the FailSafe (known as the “parent trigger” in most states) in order to take over their public school, close it down, and re-open it under their personal and private management.
Image: 
Image Caption: 
In this scene from the movie "Won't Back Down," a rally pits "Public School Advocates" against the "Got School Choice?" takeover proponents.
read more

NYC Public School Parents: 6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall

NYC Public School Parents: 6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall:


6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall

This morning, at a press conference, Michael Mulgrew president of the UFT announced that over 6,100 classes at 670 NYC public schools this fall violate contractual class size limits, compared to 660 schools last year. 
This means that class sizes are above these (already too-high) levels: more than 25 students per class in Kindergarten; more than 32 students in grades 1-5; more than 33 students in non-Title one middle schools; more than 30 students in Title one MS; and more than 34 students in high school academic classes. 
In addition, there are 270 schools where self-contained special education class sizes exceed what is required on their students’ IEPs -- more than double the number last year.  The UFT estimates that nearly a quarter of all students are spending part or all their days in schools in overcrowded classes.  While many of these violations will eventually be addressed, last year the DOE took up to seven months to do so!  The first arbitration hearings are in October. 
Last week, the city released the Mayor’s Management Report, confirming the dismal long term trend in class size; up in every grade since 2007-8, as we already knew:
The number of teachers has also been cut sharply by about 8 percent since 2007-8; a trend that the DOE for 

Schools Matter: 10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools

Schools Matter: 10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools:


10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools

Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991
Thank you to Stan Karp and the Education Law Center for keeping a close watch on  the liars and thieves who profit at the expense of the poorest children and communities in New Jersey. The privatizers and profiteers can no longer hide behind "no excuses" and "no child left behind" because thanks to the brave teachers in Chicago the conversation has changed and the genie is out of the bottle. 

At a rowdy community forum in Jersey City last night, parent and community activists challenged NJ education commissioner Chris Cerf over administration policies that promote the privatization of public education. Cerf said the charge is 'palpable, absolute nonsense,' but the