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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 10-16-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


Public Schools: Fostering the Dreams of the First Generation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 minutes ago
Public Schools: Fostering the Dreams of the First Generation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Public Schools: Fostering the Dreams of the First Generation by Tarsi Dunlop While a college education is acknowledged to be the pathway into the middle class, getting into the higher education system requires an understanding of the application process. For many first generation college students, especially those who are from low-income families, the process is daunting with an overwhelming amount of information and countless choices. My own experience, with signific... more »

Shanker Blog » College Attainment In The U.S. And Around The World

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago
Shanker Blog » College Attainment In The U.S. And Around The World: College Attainment In The U.S. And Around The World by Matthew Di Carlo A common talking point in circles in that college attainment in the U.S. used to be among the highest in the world, but is now ranked middling-to-low (the ranking cited is typically around 15th) among OECD nations. As is the case when people cite rankings on the PISA assessment, this is often meant to imply that the U.S. education system is failing and getting worse.* The latter arguments are of course oversimplifications, given that college at... more »

Daily Kos: Reflections on American power and policy in the world

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago
Daily Kos: Reflections on American power and policy in the world: Reflections on American power and policy in the world by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Shortly before the election we will be upon the 50th anniversary of the worst of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. For those of us who lived through it, it was a terrifying time. I can remember going to sleep on some nights not sure if I would awaken, for living within a 25 miles radius of Times Square, even were we not obliterated instantaneously by the multiple nuclear blasts to be expected in the case of nuclear exchange, we mig... more »

Mother Crusader: New Jersey Parent Letter To Obama For The Campaign For Our Public Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago
Mother Crusader: New Jersey Parent Letter To Obama For The Campaign For Our Public Schools: New Jersey Parent Letter To Obama For The Campaign For Our Public Schools by darciecima Deborah Cornavaca and I have written a joint letter for Diane Ravitch's Campaign for Our Public Schools. Deborah is another tireless parent advocate who has dedicated herself to defending public education in our state. Diane's campaign provided the perfect opportunity for Deborah and me to let the President know how his administration's policies are effecting public schools in New Jersey. We invit... more »

Modern School: Vaccine Doesn’t Cause Sex

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 28 minutes ago
Modern School: Vaccine Doesn’t Cause Sex: Vaccine Doesn’t Cause Sex by Michael Dunn Human Papilloma Virus, NIH A new study indicates that the vaccine against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) does not causes girls to become more promiscuous. The researchers looked at "markers" of sexual activity after vaccination including records on whether girls had sought birth control advice; tests for sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy; or had become pregnant. Hardly any of the girls who got the shots at age 11 or 12 had done any of these things over the next three... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: RFID Chipping: When Students are Determined to be Human Capital, then it's Necessary to Track them as Inventory.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 37 minutes ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: RFID Chipping: When Students are Determined to be Human Capital, then it's Necessary to Track them as Inventory.: RFID Chipping: When Students are Determined to be Human Capital, then it's Necessary to Track them as Inventory. by stlgretchen Human inventory needs to be tracked and monitored, just like eggs. One of the schools in my district is looking to implement fingerprint scans to hurry up the lunch line. Some parents express concern on this practice while others view it as an efficient method to solve a problem of impatient waiting children and ... more »

Louisiana Educator: The Children Can't Wait!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Louisiana Educator: The Children Can't Wait!: The Children Can't Wait! by Michael Deshotels The children can't wait. That was the refrain used over and over by the Jindal reformers to pass huge revamps of education law privatizing and chartering education and forcing the implementation of a new evaluation system for public school teachers before it was proven. Today the Baton Rouge Advocate carries two stories that demonstrate that Louisiana should have waited before these attacks on public education and teachers were launched. Maybe the public and the business community would hav... more »

Thanks to The Philadelphia School Partnership « City School Stories

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Thanks to The Philadelphia School Partnership « City School Stories: Thanks to The Philadelphia School Partnership by fmurphy *Notes from the Field* *Submitted by Frank Murphy: October 16, 2012* The Philadelphia School Partnership has gone live with a new website that ranks schools in the city of Philadelphia according to five categories: • *Academics* (based on standardized test results in Reading and Math: * PSSA *{public and charter schools}*Terra Nova* {parochial schools}) • *Safety* (based on fewest number of *self reported* serious incidents) • *Student Attendance* (*self reported... more »

The Politics of Reform in the Presidential Election - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The Politics of Reform in the Presidential Election - Bridging Differences - Education Week: The Politics of Reform in the Presidential Election by Pedro Noguera Dear Deborah, I agree with you about the dangerous nature of the attacks on public education. I think the most troubling thing about these attacks is that they are coming from Democrats and Republicans alike. Given that we are in the middle of a critical presidential campaign I think it is important for us to place the attacks against unions, teachers, and public education generally within a political context so that we c... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-16-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A MODEL LETTER FOR OCTOBER 17 by dianerav The deadline to send emails to the President to support the Campaign for Our Public Schools is October 17. Here are instructions about where to send them. Send them either to this blog or to Anthony Cody at Anthony_Cody@hotmail.com. Below is a model letter for teachers. It can be revised to make it appropriate for parents or anyone else. Write your own letter, in your own words. If You Have Friends in Washington State… by dianerav [image: No on 1240 (click on pictur... more »

Homosexuality will lead to race of super-ducks! | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Homosexuality will lead to race of super-ducks! | toteachornototeach: Homosexuality will lead to race of super-ducks! by aristotlethewise Homosexuality will lead to race of super-ducks, claims homeschooler in local newspaper The title of today’s post refers to the astonishing letter to the editor reproduced below, which I promise you is genuine (published in the October 3 edition of the Northern Outlook in Canterbury, New Zealand). I strongly encourage you to read the letter before continuing to read today’s article.

What did the New York Times say about the Chicago teachers? « JD2718

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
What did the New York Times say about the Chicago teachers? « JD2718: What did the New York Times say about the Chicago teachers? by jd2718 *Back a month ago, Chicago teachers stood up, struck, and backed their mayor down, at least a little.* *That’s important. And big. There are lots of important stories. And important details. Other people have written about them, and will write about them. One day, maybe I will, too. But today a small detail, really a footnote, is on my mind.* Chicago Teachers’ Follywrote the New York Times, in its own name. “Teachers’ strikes, because they hurt... more »

Register to Vote - October 22: Deadline to register to vote in California - California Secretary of State

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Register to Vote - Elections - California Secretary of State: [image: Secretary of State banner] Welcome to the California Online Voter Registration Website ------------------------------ español (Spanish) Important Technical Information Please read the information below before you apply to register to vote using the online application. Web Browser The California Secretary of State website is best viewed using Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 7.0 or higher, Firefox 12.0 or higher, Opera 10 or higher, or the latest version of Safari. If you are using an older version of any of these ... more »

Educycle website helps Bay Area teachers buy, sell and give away surplus classroom supplies - ContraCostaTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Educycle website helps Bay Area teachers buy, sell and give away surplus classroom supplies - ContraCostaTimes.com: Educycle website helps Bay Area teachers buy, sell and give away surplus classroom supplies By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 10/15/2012 06:37:12 PM PDT Updated: 10/15/2012 09:23:51 PM PDT *PHOTO GALLERY* > View more images in this slideshow | Mercury News Media Center For a profession that can be obsessive about reusing, recycling and rescuing random items for the classroom, Mary Loung's brainchild seems like such a natural fit, you'd wonder why ... more »

Romney Ed. Adviser Casts Doubt on Future of NCLB Waivers - Politics K-12 - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Romney Ed. Adviser Casts Doubt on Future of NCLB Waivers - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Romney Ed. Adviser Casts Doubt on Future of NCLB Waivers by Michele McNeil In the first substantive remarks from the Mitt Romney campaign on No Child Left Behind waivers, adviser Phil Handy indicated that the flexibility granted this year to 33 states and the District of Columbia would be in serious jeopardy if the former Massachusetts governor wins the presidency. In a substantive 90-minute debate at Teachers College, Columbia University that featured some pointed arguments and sparring, Han... more »

NYC Educator: Another Bloomberg Innovation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: Another Bloomberg Innovation: Another Bloomberg Innovation by NYC Educator Mayor Bloomberg has finally solved the problems of overcrowding and class size that have plagued his administration from the start. Critics have relentlessly attacked him as he failed to replace departing teachers, causing sharp rises in class sizes. Others bellyache about how, with all or most classes at maximum, students can even get the courses they need. Principals are perplexed. Where can they put classes when there isn't any space in the building, and with all the budget cuts, they can't af... more »

LAUSD'S EX-SUPERINTENDENT CORTINES: ICON OF WHAT NOT TO BE - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
LAUSD'S EX-SUPERINTENDENT CORTINES: ICON OF WHAT NOT TO BE - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S EX-SUPERINTENDENT CORTINES: ICON OF WHAT NOT TO BE by Leonard Isenberg [image: Ramon Cortines4.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) In what can only be described as a highly publicized, bizarre, and rather suspicious decision, the Equality Forum that seeks to advance LGBT issues has chosen ex- Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Ramon Cortines as an "icon" of the LGBT community. Dumbfounded by this ... more »

No on Initiative 1240 Fundraiser | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
No on Initiative 1240 Fundraiser | Seattle Education: No on Initiative 1240 Fundraiser by seattleducation2011 The one and only fundraiser the METROPOLITAN DEMOCRATIC CLUB of SEATTLE is having before Super Tuesday will be for People for Our Public Schools, the campaign to defeat the flawed charter school initiative I-1240. *Friday, October 19th, 5:30-7:30 p.m.* *At the home of Sue and James Tupper* *5736 NE 56th Street, Seattle, WA 98105* Join Host Committee* Members Matt Loschen, Lucinda Young, Rep. Marcie Maxwell, Catherine Ahl, Louis Watanabe and the NO ON 1240 campaign in suppo... more »

The Power of We: In The Memory of Malala Yousafzai [On Thinking Globally] #BAD12 | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Power of We: In The Memory of Malala Yousafzai [On Thinking Globally] #BAD12 | The Jose Vilson: The Power of We: In The Memory of Malala Yousafzai [On Thinking Globally] #BAD12 by Jose Malala Yousafzai Have you ever felt like the things you do in the classroom connect to some other, higher purpose? Sometimes. When I read about stories like Malala Yousafzai’s, it puts everything I do in the classroom in its proper perspective. For those of you who are unaware, Malala’s shown up in the news recently after Taliban rebels tried to assassinate her by shooting her in the head and ne... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Newsflash: Students May Be Responsible For Themselves!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Newsflash: Students May Be Responsible For Themselves!: Newsflash: Students May Be Responsible For Themselves! by Duke This is going to come as something of a shock to my reformy readers. After all, you all believe "great" teachers can overcome all obstacles to learning, including poverty, racism, and inadequate funding of schools. But it just may be that students themselves are responsible for their learning gains! While boredom is a perennial student complaint, emerging research shows it is more than students' not feeling entertained, but rather a "flavor of st... more »

Students Last: Boris and Natasha Charter A Course To America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Students Last: Boris and Natasha Charter A Course To America: Boris and Natasha Charter A Course To America by Students Last Reality Alert: Interested in how we came to write this? Read Charter School Financing Gets You A Green Card? The New U.S. Visa Rush

Pass / Fail : Education and the 2012 election: A strategist's analysis | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Pass / Fail : Education and the 2012 election: A strategist's analysis | 89.3 KPCC: Education and the 2012 election: A strategist's analysis by By Tami Abdollah *"The governor [has] got to get out there and say 'Look, this is the California that I envisioned, and in that California, schools play a critical role. It's about the future of our kids. It's about the future of the state and the country. And this is how [Prop.] 30 fits into that," said Darry Sragow, a longtime political strategist. Credit: Julie Small/KPCC* Over the weekend, I spoke with Darry Sragow, an attorney and longt... more »

School Tech Connect: Rogers Park Is Getting Organized

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Rogers Park Is Getting Organized: Rogers Park Is Getting Organized by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Blogging from the porch tonight. With darkness falling earlier, the dogs want to lie in wait for the raccoons at a pretty early hour. I don't have much news. it appears that Diane's in town tonight, giving Rahm hell for his terrible education policy. For my part I can only report that Rogers Park is ready for the message. I attended a local meeting on Sunday of a core group that's ready to stand up to the charter invasion up here. It's always encouraging to ... more »

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Boost STEM Learning - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Boost STEM Learning - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Basketball Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Serve as California's After School STEM Ambassador SACRAMENTO—Basketball legend and *New York Times* best-selling author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will help lead efforts to boost after school STEM learning opportunities for California's kids, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today at the California STEM Summit in San Diego. Education in STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math—is widely considered to be one of the keys to Califo...more »

Fla. Public Schools Looking to Set Education Goals Based on Race - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Fla. Public Schools Looking to Set Education Goals Based on Race - Hispanically Speaking News: Florida Public Schools Looking to Set Proficiency Goals Based on Race [image: Florida Public Schools Looking to Set Proficiency Goals Based on Race]A Florida school plan which takes students’ race into account when setting proficiency goals is receiving a lot of criticism from both educators and civil rights groups. The plan, which looks to close the state’s immense achievement gap by the 2022-2023 school year, would take into account students’ race and socioeconomic status when setting g... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Munoz warns Byrd-Bennett on school closings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Munoz warns Byrd-Bennett on school closings: Munoz warns Byrd-Bennett on school closings by Mike Klonsky The Tribune reports Brizard had trouble connecting with aldermen almost since he took the job. His avowed support of charter schools made some residents skeptical of his motives, a situation *Ald. Ricardo Munoz *said Byrd-Bennett can avoid by seeking true collaboration on the politically sensitive question of which schools to close. *“As I’m sure (Byrd-Bennett) realizes, she has to have buy-in. With well over 30 members of the City Council signin... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Who's behind Washington state charter initiative? Who do you think?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Who's behind Washington state charter initiative? Who do you think?: Who's behind Washington state charter initiative? Who do you think? by Mike Klonsky Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton gave $1.7M. (Mug Shot)Washington voters have rejected the opening of public charter schools three times — in 1996, 2000 and 2004 — but this time around, big money is pouring in on the side of privately-run charter schools. Valerie Strauss at the Answer Sheet posts: To get an understanding of how America’s wealthiest people are using some of their fortunes to drive s... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-15-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Testing Madness Is Sick by dianerav The Wall Street Journal reports that New York City has adopted a new test for its gifted and talented classes. It is said to be “harder” than the previous test. The Bloomberg administration uses a test as the sole means of getting into these highly coveted classes. Critics say it will reduce the proportion of black and Hispanic students in these classes even lower than it is now, but the test-maker disagrees. Parents who have invested thousands in test prep for the old test are worried. Now they must invest thousands in ... more »

National Health Education Week Kicks Off Today — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
National Health Education Week Kicks Off Today — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kristen Pekarek]National Health Education Week Kicks Off Today October 15, 2012 by Kristen Pekarek [image: National Health Education Week 2012] National Health Education Week 2012 kicks off today! This year's celebration looks to promote and establish healthy behaviors among U.S. youth through the theme, "Adolescent Health: Planting Seeds for a Healthier Generation." As part of the awareness week, whole child partner the Society for Public Health Education will be offering free resour... more »

RheeFirst! » “Juking the Stats”* in El Paso and DC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
RheeFirst! » “Juking the Stats”* in El Paso and DC: “Juking the Stats”* in El Paso and DC by admin The New York Times reported this weekend about fraudulent student test scores in El Paso and the scandal that led to the superintendent’s jail sentence : “It sounded at first like a familiar story: school administrators, seeking to meet state and federal standards, fraudulently raised students’ scores on crucial exams. “But in the cheating scandal that has shaken the 64,000-student school district in this border city, administrators manipulated more than numbers. They are accused of... more »

News Conference: Clear Channel Comes under Fire for Biased Advertisements Intended to Intimidate Voters « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
News Conference: Clear Channel Comes under Fire for Biased Advertisements Intended to Intimidate Voters « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: News Conference: Clear Channel Comes under Fire for Biased Advertisements Intended to Intimidate Voters by millerlf * Community Leaders Respond to Voter Suppression Billboards-* * Demand Clear Channel Remove Billboards Aimed at Intimidating Voters* Billboard at Corner of Holton and Nash *Today membe... more »

Impact of NCLB waiver on poor schools challenged

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Impact of NCLB waiver on poor schools challenged: Impact of NCLB waiver on poor schools challenged Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 15, 2012 at 2:33 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » President Obama and Arne Duncan talk about NCLB waivers last Feb. 9. (YURI GRIPAS/Reuters) Below is a letter sent today to Education Secretary Arne Duncan from a coalition of organizations, researchers, activists and government officials who are questioning the racial and economic impacts of the No Child Left ... more »

AP Classes Are a Scam - John Tierney - The Atlantic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
AP Classes Are a Scam - John Tierney - The Atlantic: AP Classes Are a Scam inShare33OCT 13 2012, 8:15 AM ET 132 *The College Board earns over half of all its revenues from the courses -- and, in an uncertain environment, students keep being suckered.* [image: APLogoban.jpg]Fraudulent schemes come in all shapes and sizes. To work, they typically wear a patina of respectability. That's the case with Advanced Placement courses, one of the great frauds currently perpetrated on American high-school students. That's a pretty strong claim, right? You bet. But why not be straightforward whe... more »

Allan Elementary shows solid academic progress in year before charter takeover « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Allan Elementary shows solid academic progress in year before charter takeover « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues: Allan Elementary shows solid academic progress in year before charter takeover by Dr. Ed Fuller [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] As Austin-area readers know, the Austin school board decided to hand over Allan elementary school to IDEA Charter Schools based in the Rio Grande Valley. This decision was based partially on the relatively poor performance on the state mandated Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills at Allan (although other Ea... more »

Proposition 32 Divides California's Education Reformers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Proposition 32 Divides California's Education Reformers: Proposition 32 Divides California's Education Reformers by Joy Resmovits When Californians enter voting booths this November, they will face a slew of ballot propositions. Among them will be Proposition 32, a "paycheck protection" measure that the state's labor groups liken to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting bills. Prop 32 would prevent unions from using dues automatically pulled from employees' paychecks to sponsor political activity. The measure is backed by $4 million from the Koch brothers and the contributio... more »

Debate Watch: Obama, Romney Education Advisers to Square Off Tonight - Politics K-12 - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Debate Watch: Obama, Romney Education Advisers to Square Off Tonight - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Debate Watch: Obama, Romney Education Advisers to Square Off Tonight by Michele McNeil This is the debate before the debate. Two key education advisers are facing off tonight in a debate at Teachers College, Columbia University, which is being co-sponsored by *Education Week *. You can watch it online at 7 p.m. by signing up here. In President Barack Obama's corner is *Jon Schnur*, an education adviser to President Obama who co-founded New Leaders for New Schools and has more recen... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: ADVICE FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE PARTNERS IN THEIR KID’S EDUCATION

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: ADVICE FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE PARTNERS IN THEIR KID’S EDUCATION: ADVICE FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE PARTNERS IN THEIR KID’S EDUCATION BY *SAM MACER*, SPECIAL TO CNN | HTTP://BIT.LY/TN7BF6*[image: Courtesy Lisa Macer]CNN Editor’s Note: Sam Macer** is a PTA dad and foster parent. As the immediate past president of the Maryland PTA and the current president of the Maryland Foster Parent Association, he uses his 30 years of PTA experience to support Maryland’s foster parents as they strive to provide the youth in their care with safety, p... more »

Ed Roundup for 10-12-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Ed Roundup for 10-12-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Education Roundup for the Week Ending October 12, 2012 SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest. CDE to Participate in Green Ribbon Schools Award Program The CDE will participate once again this year in the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools award program. The award recognizes schools that are taking a comprehensive approach to greening their campuses. This includes environmental learning and posi... more »

A letter to Arne Duncan about the No Child Left Behind Waiver: New Jersey doesn’t want it | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
A letter to Arne Duncan about the No Child Left Behind Waiver: New Jersey doesn’t want it | Seattle Education: A letter to Arne Duncan about the No Child Left Behind Waiver: New Jersey doesn’t want it by seattleducation2011 *Washington State is applying for this No Child Left Behind Waiver.* *Let’s learn from the mistakes of others as we have done with the Race to the Top bribe to privatize our public schools and the beleaguerment of our public school systems across the country by way of charter schools.* *Let us also be concerned with how much this would cost the state in terms of ... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Undermining higher order thinking in the pursuit of the mundane…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Undermining higher order thinking in the pursuit of the mundane…: Undermining higher order thinking in the pursuit of the mundane… by alicemercer [image: What is going on ?] My district has made a strong commitment to starting to switch over to Common Core standards *before* the 2014 deadline. How committed? Folks have been sent to trainings, in the face of a $28M budget shortfall. Hearing what was being brought back, second-hand, was not giving me a good idea of what the district has in mind, so I made the leap of volunteering to go as a re... more »

CULTURE: Parent Attention Gap Behind Class Divide | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
CULTURE: Parent Attention Gap Behind Class Divide | NewsTaco: CULTURE: Parent Attention Gap Behind Class Divide by NewsTaco By Sam Quiñones, A Reporter’s Blog Fascinating piece in *The Atlantic* online this morning about what’s behind the class chasm in America. The magazine holds that a major reason for* the class divide in this country is the number of kids born into single-parent families*. Or put another way, single-parent families and less parental time spent with kids are both cause and effect of the class divide. More-educated people are more likely to get married later, and ... more »

This post is not about explaining the Illinois Constitutional Amendment on pensions. It is just explaining why it is important for you to vote and get everyone you know to do the same. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
This post is not about explaining the Illinois Constitutional Amendment on pensions. It is just explaining why it is important for you to vote and get everyone you know to do the same. « Fred Klonsky: This post is not about explaining the Illinois Constitutional Amendment on pensions. It is just explaining why it is important for you to vote and get everyone you know to do the same. by Fred Klonsky We have done a good number of blog posts on why the Constitutional Amendment on the November 6th ballot is a bad idea. Not today. This is just about why you need to be sure to vote and ge... more »

Shanker Blog » Looking Backwards Into The Future

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Looking Backwards Into The Future: Looking Backwards Into The Future by Eugenia Kemble *This is an adaptation of a recent message to AFT staff and leadership from Eugenia Kemble, on the occasion of her departure as the Albert Shanker Institute’s founding executive director, a position she held from March 1998 through September 2012.* I hope you will accept a few reflections from an old-timer as I leave the Albert Shanker Institute, which was launched with the support of the American Federation of Teachers in 1998, a year after Al’s death. I started in 1967 as a cub r... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, October 15, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, October 15, 2012* Proposition to create school district left off some ballotsA proposition on the Nov. 6 ballot that would create a new Bonsall Unified School District was mistakenly left off the ballots of voters in two areas it would affect. Oxford Prep's Orange County branch suspected of inflating test scoresThe Orange County branch of a well-respected Chino charter school is being investigated by school officials there, who suspect the school's sky-high test scores may have been inflated. How to ... more »

Amendment would let religious groups get public funds | www.palmbeachpost.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Amendment would let religious groups get public funds | www.palmbeachpost.com: Amendment would let religious groups get public fundsSome say its passage may bring a revival of school vouchers. - COMMENT (11) - SHARE - FAVORITE - VOTE (0) By John Kennedy Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] TALLAHASSEE — Florida voters must weigh far-ranging claims from both sides in deciding a proposed constitutional amendment lifting a 127-year-old ban on public money going to religious institutions. Opponents say Amendmen... more »

C. M. Rubin: The Global Search for Education: The Education Debate 2012 -- Diane Ravitch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
C. M. Rubin: The Global Search for Education: The Education Debate 2012 -- Diane Ravitch: The Global Search for Education: The Education Debate 2012 -- Diane Ravitch [image: 2012-10-14-cmrubinworlddianeravitchnationaleducation500.jpg]*"I believe that it is a public duty to provide a good public school with adequate resources and a rich curriculum in every neighborhood." -- Diane Ravitch* Making education a focus during the 2012 election debates is our ongoing goal in The Global Search for Education series. Today I am honored to share the perspectives of Diane Ravitch as we contin... more »








 

Public Schools: Fostering the Dreams of the First Generation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Public Schools: Fostering the Dreams of the First Generation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:


Public Schools: Fostering the Dreams of the First Generation

While a college education is acknowledged to be the pathway into the middle class, getting into the higher education system requires an understanding of the application process. For many first generation college students, especially those who are from low-income families, the process is daunting with an overwhelming amount of information and countless choices. My own experience, with significant support from my high-school guidance counselor and an involved parent who did the financial aid forms, was stressful and at times confusing, and not everyone has the type of support I had.
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Shanker Blog » College Attainment In The U.S. And Around The World

Shanker Blog » College Attainment In The U.S. And Around The World:


College Attainment In The U.S. And Around The World

A common talking point in circles in that college attainment in the U.S. used to be among the highest in the world, but is now ranked middling-to-low (the ranking cited is typically around 15th) among OECD nations. As is the case when people cite rankings on the PISA assessment, this is often meant to imply that the U.S. education system is failing and getting worse.*
The latter arguments are of course oversimplifications, given that college attendance and completion are complex phenomena that entail many factors, school and non-school. A full discussion of these issues is beyond the scope of this post – obviously, the causes and “value” of a postsecondary education vary within and between nations, and are subject to all the usual limitations inherent in international comparisons.
That said, let’s just take a very quick. surface-level look at the latest OECD figures for college attainment (“tertiary education,” meaning associate-level, bachelor’s or advanced degree), which have recently been released for 2010.
The graph below presents the nation-by-nation rates for the measure that is most commonly cited – the proportion of 25-34 year olds who have attained tertiary education. This younger age group is usually used for obvious reasons – because most people attend postsecondary schools when they’re younger, the 25-34 estimate best approximates the “current situation.”
Among the 34 OECD nations included in the data, you can see that the U.S. is indeed ranked toward the middle 

Daily Kos: Reflections on American power and policy in the world

Daily Kos: Reflections on American power and policy in the world:


Reflections on American power and policy in the world

Shortly before the election we will be upon the 50th anniversary of the worst of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.  For those of us who lived through it, it was a terrifying time.  I can remember going to sleep on some nights not sure if I would awaken, for living within a 25 miles radius of Times Square, even were we not obliterated instantaneously by the multiple nuclear blasts to be expected in the case of nuclear exchange, we might well face overwhelming radiation.
I have been thinking about that anniversary for some time, wondering what if any impact it might have upon the outcome of the election.  Surely there will be specials, but will they accurately portray what those times were like, even as the American people lacked full information about how dangerous they really were, or the context in which Krushchev had ordered nuclear-capable missiles into Cuba?
I am not always a fan of Noam Chomsky, but this morning when I read the long article he penned for TomDispatch that is featured at Alternet, many of my reflections began to fall into place.  I am going to suggest that Chomsky: Humanity Once Came to the Cliff's Edge of Total Self-Annihilation -- Let's Make Sure It Never Happens Again is more than well-worth your time to read.  It should in fact be mandatory reading, not so much because of Chomsky's opinions, although I do believe the remarks he makes about the context in which those events occurred and their relevance to today are not merely striking, they carry a heavy moral weight for us to consider.  It is also because he points at a large number of resources that when considered very much undermine a lot of what the American people who lived through that time or who have been instructed about it in school or college think they know and understand.
There are also important moral and political lessons that are very applicable in our time, even as we consider this election.
This is not going to be a well-organized set of reflections, nor will it be an analysis or review of Chomsky's article.  It is a personal statement.  It is something to which I think I have been coming for  5 decades, since my own service in the military, which ended on 5 October 1966.


politics with teacherken

is the title of this new internet radio show.   Or at least, a trial at a new internet radio show based in London.
That's London, England.
I was contacted by a started called  BeeVocal.  The man who established it, Vik Pratap, grew up in the US and attended college in New York City.  He reached out to me because first he found me on twitter, then read some of what I post here.
Our first show will be this forthcoming Wednesday, October 17, at 7 PM EDT for one hour.  Obviously the primary focus will be the Town Hall Presidential Debate the night before, but the conversation is open to other topics as well.
That's conversation, as in the audience participating as well, by computer.
For now that will only be via audio.    Over the intertubes.
I hope you will be curious enough to sign on and see what happens, perhaps even to join the conversation.
Please continue below the fold for instructions of how you can get connected and join up.

Mother Crusader: New Jersey Parent Letter To Obama For The Campaign For Our Public Schools

Mother Crusader: New Jersey Parent Letter To Obama For The Campaign For Our Public Schools:


New Jersey Parent Letter To Obama For The Campaign For Our Public Schools

Deborah Cornavaca and I have written a joint letter for Diane Ravitch's Campaign for Our Public Schools.   Deborah is another tireless parent advocate who has dedicated herself to defending public education in our state.  

Diane's campaign provided the perfect opportunity for Deborah and me to let the President know how his administration's policies are effecting public schools in New Jersey. 


We invite you to join us in this campaign.  If our letter resonates with you, comment below and I will be happy to add your name to the letter, or feel free to download it below and send it as your own. 

If you are feeling inspired, you can write a letter too!  If you do, please share it in the comments below, or email it to me, (darciecimarusti@gmail.com) I would love to read it!  I would also be happy to send it on for you, just let 

Modern School: Vaccine Doesn’t Cause Sex

Modern School: Vaccine Doesn’t Cause Sex:


Vaccine Doesn’t Cause Sex



Human Papilloma Virus, NIH

A new study indicates that the vaccine against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) does not causes girls to become more promiscuous.

The researchers looked at "markers" of sexual activity after vaccination including records on whether girls had sought birth control advice; tests for sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy; or had become pregnant. Hardly any of the girls who got the shots at age 11 or 12 had done any of these things over the next three years and the study found no difference in these markers compared with unvaccinated girls.

The study followed almost 1,400 girls enrolled in a






Failing Schools? Over 50% of California Schools Meet Testing Targets

Collage based on images by Gilberto Filho and albertopg123

More than half of California's schools met their statewide testing goals in 2012, the highest number ever, according to the education department. State Superintendent Tom Torlakson said 53% of schools met or surpassed the Academic Performance Index target score of 800 this year, a 4% increase from last year, according to KTVU. The scores can range from 200 to 1,000, so a target score of 800 is pretty good.

Ten years ago, only 20% of schools met their target score. Over the past decade, schools 

Missouri Education Watchdog: RFID Chipping: When Students are Determined to be Human Capital, then it's Necessary to Track them as Inventory.

Missouri Education Watchdog: RFID Chipping: When Students are Determined to be Human Capital, then it's Necessary to Track them as Inventory.:


RFID Chipping: When Students are Determined to be Human Capital, then it's Necessary to Track them as Inventory.

Human inventory needs to be tracked and monitored, just like eggs. 



One of the schools in my district is looking to implement fingerprint scans to hurry up the lunch line.  Some parents express concern on this practice while others view it as an efficient method to solve a problem of impatient waiting children and decreased times to eat lunch.

I read education articles from progressive to libertarian to conservative sites.  Regardless of political affiliation, writers from all sides are concerned about data mining of students and the future implications 

Louisiana Educator: The Children Can't Wait!

Louisiana Educator: The Children Can't Wait!:


The Children Can't Wait!

The children can't wait. That was the refrain used over and over by the Jindal reformers to pass huge revamps of education law privatizing and chartering education and forcing the implementation of a new evaluation system for public school teachers before it was proven. Today the Baton Rouge Advocate carries two stories that demonstrate that Louisiana should have waited before these attacks on public education and teachers were launched. Maybe the public and the business community would have realized that charter schools were not a panacea and that school takeover and mass firing of teachers and administrators only creates chaos.

Please read over both of these articles and the comments below them that show that most people are no longer willing to be fed miracle solutions that cause more damage than good. The Advocate stories are about the teacher evaluation system and about the drop in enrollment of takeover/charter schools in the Baton Rouge area.

I am also including a link to a story about the damage being done by vouchers to one of Louisiana's best large school systems.

The following are the reader comments so far on the evaluation article:

1) Comment by Concerned_Parent - 10/16/2012
Mr. White keeps saying "isolated cases" yet you keep hearing from more and more schools across the state 

Thanks to The Philadelphia School Partnership « City School Stories

Thanks to The Philadelphia School Partnership « City School Stories:


Thanks to The Philadelphia School Partnership

Notes from the Field
Submitted by Frank Murphy: October 16, 2012
The Philadelphia School Partnership has gone live with a new website that ranks schools in the city of Philadelphia according to five categories:
• Academics (based on standardized test results in Reading and Math: PSSA {public and charter schools}Terra Nova {parochial schools})
• Safety (based on fewest number of self reported serious incidents)
• Student Attendance (self reported)
Achievement Gap (“an indicator of a school’s record in helping students of limited financial means learn”) It is not clear what this indicator means or how the gap is determined.
 College Bound (how many high school graduates enroll in 2 or 4- year college in the year after high school) It is not clear if this is also self-reported.
This site lists nearly all of the public, charter and parochial 

The Politics of Reform in the Presidential Election - Bridging Differences - Education Week

The Politics of Reform in the Presidential Election - Bridging Differences - Education Week:


The Politics of Reform in the Presidential Election

Dear Deborah,
I agree with you about the dangerous nature of the attacks on public education. I think the most troubling thing about these attacks is that they are coming from Democrats and Republicans alike. Given that we are in the middle of a critical presidential campaign I think it is important for us to place the attacks against unions, teachers, and public education generally within a political context so that we can respond in a manner that is thoughtful and strategic.
For me, there's no question that Barack Obama and the Democrats are allies of public education. Even though I have opposed many of the administration's education policies, and some prominent Democrats like Rahm Emanuel in Chicago and Michael Nutter in Philadelphia have embraced positions that undermine public schools, I believe the Obama administration has done some things that are noteworthy and important, and for that reason it deserves our continued support. Providing states with stimulus funds to prevent even further cuts to schools