Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 11-1-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


Jersey Jazzman: NJEA Cancels Convention

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: NJEA Cancels Convention: NJEA Cancels Convention by Duke [image: Good News About New Jersey's Public Schools] This really is unprecedented: *For the first time in its 158-year history, the NJEA Convention has been cancelled.* NJEA President Barbara Keshishian announced the decision today, “in light of the natural disaster that has struck New Jersey and Atlantic City in particular. It was a difficult decision, but we believe it was the correct one, considering the statewide impact of this unprecedented storm.” Keshishian also announced that the leadership of NJEA is...more »

Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago
Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology. « Fred Klonsky: Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology. by Fred Klonsky I’ve written about the wealthy Park Ridge foot doctor Anthony Borrelli before. He is one of two Park Ridge, Illinois school board members who voted no on a 2% raise when the negotiated contract came up for board approval a month ago. The contract was approved and teachers now receive an average $43 a week raise. Although the district is running a 40% budget surplus, the wealthy foot doctor told the press that he thought it was more important to ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers: Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers by Duke El Bloombito* is going to send 1,800 Absent Teacher Reserve members (ATRs) out into the crowded, dangerous, chaotic streets of post-Sandy New York on Friday for no apparent reason other than to torture them: Well my feeling of pointlessness just reached a new high when I heard that schools will remain closed for the remainder of this week for children, but teachers must report to work on Friday. All week I've had an assignment in an unnamed high school, but due t... more »

Ed group discloses donors, including Bloomberg - SFGate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago
Ed group discloses donors, including Bloomberg - SFGate: Ed group discloses donors, including BloombergJOHN MILLER, Associated Press, TODD DVORAK, Associated PressPublished 4:45 p.m., Wednesday, October 31, 2012 0 inShare Comments (0)Larger | SmallerPrintable VersionEmail This Font BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho nonprofit group forced to disclose the identity of its donors on Wednesday reported collecting more than $640,000 from a short list of contributors that includes New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Albertson's supermarket heir Joe Scott, according to documents filed w...more »

Trust and Its Misuses - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago
Trust and Its Misuses - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Trust and Its Misuses by Deborah Meier 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 Pedro, Thanks for reminding me that of something I haven't mentioned—why I'm voting for Barack Obama. In part, it's a no-brainer. No matter what issue one addresses. Just consider Ann Romney's recent blithe comments about getting rid... more »

President Obama Talks Child Poverty | First Focus

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
President Obama Talks Child Poverty | First Focus: President Obama Talks Child PovertyBy Bruce Lesley October 19, 2012 *Bruce Lesley is President of First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization committed to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget * One-in-five U.S. kids live in poverty today. Yet candidates for office rarely mention the word "poverty," let alone offer real solutions for our children. That's why I joined a coalition of leading children's advocates in sending President Obama and Governor Romney a letter last month asking how each wou... more »

Schools Matter: Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Schools Matter: Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants: Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants by Jim Horn Late in 2010 near the end of his second term, Gov. Phil Bredesen of TN worked up the courage to suggest shutting down one of Tennessee's unnecessary private prisons run by CCA. When the new governor, Bill Haslam, swept into office with the backing of CCA and ALEC, the plan to shut down the CCA facility in West Tennessee was quickly cancelled, even though Haslam ad... more »

Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation | Islam in America Right Side News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation | Islam in America Right Side News: Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation THURSDAY, 01 NOVEMBER 2012 05:41 ARNOLD AHLERT [image: E-mail][image: Print] 210 readings The charter school movement associated with Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen is under federal investigation. If one believes that the battle for the nation’s soul is occurring, not just in Washington, D.C., but in schools across the nation, the steady advance of Turkish-Gulen Charter Schools may be cause for alarm. Fethullah Gulen is a Turkish Islam... more »

Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate | NOLA.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate | NOLA.com: Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate It would be hard to find a more obscure election, overshadowed as it is by city council races, not to mention a multi-billion dollar presidential contest. Yet some of the country's biggest names in education are cutting checks to influence the outcome in the 3rd District of the Orleans Parish School Board. [image: diane-ravitch.jpg]Education historian Diane Ravitch. The latest celebrity contributor: New York University historian Diane Ravitch, the leading cr... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-1-12 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] The Strange Disappearance of “Won’t Back Down” by dianerav I decided that I had to see “Won’t Back Down.” I had read so many reviews that I felt I knew every line. But I still wanted to see it. Morbid curiosity. But it is not showing anywhere in the New York City metropolitan area. The producer of the movies owns a 12-plex only a few blocks from my home America’s Largest Charter Chain Is…? by dianerav No, it is not KIPP. It is the Gulen charters, a group of nearly 150 charters located in many states and loosel... more »

Daily Kos: Liberty to Lie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Liberty to Lie: Liberty to Lie by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) This election may go down in history as the moment when truth and lies lost their honor and stigma, respectively. That is the opening line of Liberty to Lie, this morning's *New York Times column* by Charles Blow. As is usually the case, it is something you should read and pass on.Blow goes on to point out what those paying attention should already know, which is Mitt Romney's " willingness to say anything and everything to win this election." Then after noting his performance in the national polls, run... more »

Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law | EdSource Today: Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law - by Seth Rosenblatt by Seth Rosenblatt [image: Seth Rosenblatt] Seth Rosenblatt Administrators and parents alike have long waited for clarity on what fees schools could and could not charge students. With Governor Brown signing legislation that settles a lawsuit over public schools charging students for educational activities and materials, that day has come, right? Think again. Intended to clarify the law around what fees school districts can charg... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm is the master of division

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm is the master of division: Rahm is the master of division by Mike Klonsky *There is no surer way of corrupting the citizens, and to divide the city against itself, than to foment the spirit of faction that may prevail there; for each party will strive by every means of corruption to secure friends and supporters.* -- Niccoló Machiavelli, The Discourses. 1517. Rahm is the master of division. No, I don't mean he could ever teach an elementary level math class. He wouldn't last a day. I mean that everything he does in a school system that he person... more »

Ad concerning schools teaching about gay marriage only half true | Local News | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ad concerning schools teaching about gay marriage only half true | Local News | The Seattle Times: Ad concerning schools teaching about gay marriage only half true A new television ad by the campaign opposed to same-sex marriage warns Washington voters that if same-sex marriage is legalized in Washington state, schools could teach kids about such unions. *The Claim:* A television ad by opponents of same-sex marriage claims that if Referendum 74 is approved, "same-sex marriage could be taught" in Washington schools. The spot features parents in Massachusetts who say their son's sc... more »

Another big donation to Great Oakland Public Schools PAC - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Another big donation to Great Oakland Public Schools PAC - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Another big donation to Great Oakland Public Schools PAC Tuesday, October 30th, 2012 at 6:45 pm in 41 Comments » This week’s campaign filings show another major donation to the Great Oakland Public Schools PAC – $49,995 from the California Charter Schools Association. That brings the group’s fundraising total to $184,980 — a staggering amount for local school board races. I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago, when the total was about $123,000. The GO PAC is ... more »

The value of a college degree vs. the debt it takes to earn it

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The value of a college degree vs. the debt it takes to earn it: The value of a college degree vs. the debt it takes to earn it Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 1, 2012 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » - Facebook - Twitter - StumbleUpon - Digg - Delicious The cost of a college education and the debt that many students are saddled with when they get out of school are the biggest issues in higher education. Here is a... more »

Save Our Schools; Rebuild the American Dream Through EducationSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Save Our Schools; Rebuild the American Dream Through EducationSave Our Schools: Save Our Schools; Rebuild the American Dream Through Education by Server Save Our Schools; Rebuilds the American Dream Through Education*By Betsy L. Angert* Save Our Schools [SOS] is an organization devoted to fair and equitable education for all. We work to preserve and transform public education. We are a venue for active, people-powered, grassroots education innovation. In cyberspace and in communities throughout this country we advance solutions that bring learning back to our children, education ... more »

NYC Educator: An ATR Reports Friday to Help 80,000 Union Brothers and Sisters Accomplish Diddly Squat

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: An ATR Reports Friday to Help 80,000 Union Brothers and Sisters Accomplish Diddly Squat: An ATR Reports Friday to Help 80,000 Union Brothers and Sisters Accomplish Diddly Squat by NYC Educator *by fabulous and wonderful new ed. blogger Suddenly ATR* One of the hardest parts of being an ATR is the fact that I have to travel to a different place every week. Since I don't have a car, this often means standing at 6 in the morning waiting for my first of three bus transfers. Now, if I had a permanent position the long commute would be worth it, because I'd have my own grou... more »

Thinking about School Reform, Teaching, and “Great” Teachers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Thinking about School Reform, Teaching, and “Great” Teachers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Thinking about School Reform, Teaching, and “Great” Teachers by larrycuban *Writing about school reform from a historical perspective can be, well, depressing. So many examples of hype-on-steroids, past and present, of school reform solving community and national problems. So much policy talk, past and present, that overestimates success while underestimating the difficulties of converting words into classroom deeds. But melancholia and teaching a seminar twice a we... more »

Mayor Bloomberg Is a Spiteful Little Man.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Mayor Bloomberg Is a Spiteful Little Man by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The Crack Team got the phone call today at around 3 PM. We had been monitoring Uncle Mike's news conference yet briefly called away when the Chinese food had arrived. On the other end of the phone was one of SBSB's news stringers. He called to share that the mayor had made a proclamation in concern to the remainder of the week about the schools. The mayor, our stringer reported, had declared that not only were students not to report to school on Thursday and Friday of th... more »

If You Build The Relationship, The Network Will Come [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
If You Build The Relationship, The Network Will Come [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson: If You Build The Relationship, The Network Will Come [Future of Teaching] by Jose An excerpt from my latest at the Future of Teaching: Nowadays, people have little qualms about making friends online and meeting them in person. To wit, the Teaching 2030 team still has strong ties, even though we rarely get to see each other collectively. Part of that came from having a common goal and vision, but another part of it is building the right conditions to assure that everyone *can* come togethe... more »

Portland Public Schools gives up on Race to the Top efforts | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Portland Public Schools gives up on Race to the Top efforts | OregonLive.com: Portland Public Schools gives up on Race to the Top efforts by Nicole Dungca, The Oregonian *Not ONE Drop!* The district in August filed an intent to apply for a Race to the Top grant but has dropped its efforts after officials failed to obtain the union's approval to proceed, an important factor in obtaining the grant. Portland Public Schools has given up its chance to compete for up to $30 million in federal funds after failing to reach an agreement with its union about using test scores in teacher... more »

LAUSD bracing for severe cuts if Prop. 30 loses - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
LAUSD bracing for severe cuts if Prop. 30 loses - LA Daily News: LAUSD bracing for severe cuts if Prop. 30 loses By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Posted: 10/31/2012 07:00:14 PM PDT Updated: 10/31/2012 07:17:45 PM PDT If voters reject Prop. 30 on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, when they head to the polls, Los Angeles Unified will face severe budget cuts. The district is bracing for the worst. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer) *POSSIBLE FALLOUT* The defeat of Proposition 30 would trigger budget cuts that could force Los Angeles Unified and other school districts to shorten this year's ... more »

Ohio high school students disciplined for pro-LGBT shirts | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Ohio high school students disciplined for pro-LGBT shirts | The Raw Story: Ohio high school students disciplined for pro-LGBT shirts [image: LGBT flag via AFP] Topics: Celina High School ♦ Celina High School Superintendent Jesse Steiner ♦ Ohio high school Students at an Ohio high school were threatened with suspensions for refusing to remove shirts that contained messages supportive of LGBT individuals, according to HyperVocal. About twenty students wore the shirts to Celina High School after two other students were told to remove shirts that read “Lesbian 1″ and “Lesbian 2.” C... more »

NYCoRE; El Pueblo Unido — A People UnitedSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
NYCoRE; El Pueblo Unido — A People UnitedSave Our Schools: NYCoRE; El Pueblo Unido — A People United by Server NYCORE’S 4TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE;*EL PUEBLO UNIDO. THE PEOPLE UNITED* *Location:* Vanguard High School 317 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065 *Date:* Saturday, March 16, 2013 Conference Overview*Keynote Address* *Karen Lewis*, President of the Chicago’s Teachers Union accompanied by *DJ ULTRAMAN*, Benji Chang, Post-Doctoral Fellow with IUME Teachers College A school should be the center of a community — a place that feeds the minds and hearts of its young people, a place tha... more »

Washington state charter schools advocates raise $10.8 million | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Washington state charter schools advocates raise $10.8 million | OregonLive.com: Washington state charter schools advocates raise $10.8 million [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] The campaign to bring charter schools to Washington has now raised $10.8 million in cash contributions. According to filings posted with the Public Disclosure Commission on Tuesday, those donations to Yes on 1240 includes another $1.5 million from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, which was reported as a pledge in the campaign's previous report. The biggest donor to the campaign is Allen's friend and M... more »

Video: Romney Locks Up 1980s Lying Car Salesman Vote | Mother Jones

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Video: Romney Locks Up 1980s Lying Car Salesman Vote | Mother Jones: Video: Romney Locks Up 1980s Lying Car Salesman Vote —By Adam Weinstein | Wed Oct. 31, 2012 10:36 AM PDT 2 - - Screenshot courtesy of YouTube It's an October surprise—October 1988, maybe: Reagan-era TV pitchman "Joe Isuzu" has endorsed Mitt Romney! In a series of iconic commercials, Joe Isuzuwas the Japanese car company's ballyhooed on-air spokesman through the late '80s, as well-known and zeitgeisty as later ad stars like "the most interesting man in the world" and the "Can you hear me now?" guy. Playe... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Will My Teacher Rating Have a Sandy Variable?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Will My Teacher Rating Have a Sandy Variable?: Will My Teacher Rating Have a Sandy Variable? by Duke So we're looking at missing at least a week of school where I am. That's a solid five days of test prep learning my students won't have compared to other students who are their "academic peers." Well, if I'm going to be missing out on a merit pay bonus because my score doesn't take this into account, I think I'll have no choice but to sue! So let's find a place in here somewhere: To put in a "Sandy variable." It's Insane Ideas I Have! by Duke Just had a crazy thou... more »

Pass / Fail : Beyond Props 30 & 38: Education ballot measures you need to know about before voting | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Pass / Fail : Beyond Props 30 & 38: Education ballot measures you need to know about before voting | 89.3 KPCC: Beyond Props 30 & 38: Education ballot measures you need to know about before voting by By Vanessa Romo [image: Pennsylvania Voters Take Part In The State's GOP Primary]*Credit: Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images* This week Gov. Jerry Brown launched a media blitz supporting Proposition 30. If we can glean anything from the commercial breaks between the wall-to-wall coverage of Hurricane Sandy, Molly Munger has also stepped up her TV ad campaign for Prop 38. But a lot of ot... more »

Education Week: Outside Cash Floods New Orleans Board Race

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Education Week: Outside Cash Floods New Orleans Board Race: Outside Cash Floods New Orleans Board Race By Lesli A. Maxwell [image: Karran Harper Royal kickoffs school board campaign (click picture)] “We need volunteers, we need your donations and we need you to tell everyone you know in District 3 to vote for Karran Harper Royal,” she said to rounds of applause during her speech. Harper Royal’s campaign web site can be found at www.karran4kids.com. In New Orleans, where 80 percent of students attend charter schools that are not overseen by an elected board, the race for a local sc... more »

Best Questions: School Culture — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Best Questions: School Culture — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Molly McCloskey]Best Questions: School Culture October 26, 2012 by Molly McCloskey We live in a parallel universe. Here at ASCD, we are committed to ensuring that each child, in each school and in each community, is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. And one of the things we know for sure is that for that to happen for kids, the adults around them must also be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. That parallel need is particularly striking this month as we consider the ... more »

UPDATE: Daily Kos: FEMA and "morality"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Daily Kos: FEMA and "morality": FEMA and "morality" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) [image: Photo: "We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids". I guess letting them all sink or swim on their own today is O.K. though. http://www.salon.com/2012/10/29/romney_in_2011_shut_down_fema_let_the_states_handle_it/] Mitt Romney is now trying to walk away from his statement to John King that to add additional funds to FEMA was "immoral" because it increased the deficit. 1. Most states and local government CANNOT run a deficit - while they can sell bonds,... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-31-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: *Happy Halloween * Vouchers in Chile: Greater Inequality by dianerav Valerie Strauss has a good post by Michael Pons about vouchers in Chile. The main effect seems to have widened the divide between rich and poor. One correction I would offer to Pons. The testing and accountability framework for federal policy (No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top) is no better than the voucher approach (Romney). In fact, the testing and accountability framework sets the stage for vouchers by the following scenario: 1) set an impossible goal of 100% proficiency or every... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Why Shouldn't Teachers Fight For Their Interests?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Why Shouldn't Teachers Fight For Their Interests?: Why Shouldn't Teachers Fight For Their Interests? by Duke Michael Petrilli, head frat boy at the Fordham Institute's blog, Flypaper, decided that this headline for a recent post was in good taste: What’s more powerful than Hurricane Sandy? Hurricane Randi! Randi being, of course, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten. Yeah, I'm finding that so super funny, especially after waiting two hours in line for a can of gas... The post goes on to take a gratuitous swipe at Diane Ravitch for daring to ... more »

Great news! State says deceased students can opt out of testing! Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Great news! State says deceased students can opt out of testing!: Great news! State says deceased students can opt out of testing! by admin I have been doing some research on testing in Illinois and Chicago in preparation for the strategy session and forum on Friday, and came across this chart from the Illinois State Board of Education which lists “reasons for not testing.” And you’ll be glad to know that among the reasons is the following: *Deceased:* Student was deceased prior to the start of the time of testing or died dur... more »

School Funding Part I: State Policies and Structural Inequities | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
School Funding Part I: State Policies and Structural Inequities | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: School Funding Part I: State Policies and Structural Inequities by Tarsi Dunlop Election Day is just around the corner, and as voters go to the polls to cast their ballots, in many states, they vote on more than just candidates. Most voters will have several ballot referendums to vote ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ on, and the consequences of those decisions influence policy. Take as one example the recent vote on gay marriage in the state of North Carolina. It is no different wit... more »

Sacramento Superintendent to Thomas Friedman: You Are Wrong « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Sacramento Superintendent to Thomas Friedman: You Are Wrong « Diane Ravitch's blog: Sacramento Superintendent to Thomas Friedman: You Are Wrong by dianerav Jonathan Raymond, superintendent of the Sacramento City school district, has some lessons for New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. Friedman recently raved about the success of Race to the Top, claiming that it was preparing students for the high-skill jobs of the new economy. Raymond says this is wrong. Race to the Top is divisive and subjects schools to derision. It is top-down, heavy-handed and undermines the collaboratio... more »

John Thompson: Will School Reform Degenerate Into Privatization?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
John Thompson: Will School Reform Degenerate Into Privatization?: Will School Reform Degenerate Into Privatization? [image: John Thompson] John Thompson Award-winning historian and inner-city teacher http://openforwardthinking.blogspot.com After linking to a chart by Paul Thomas which illustrates the "insanity" of school "reform," Diane Ravitch explains her conclusion that the goal of today's attempts to restructure education is not school improvement, but privatization. So, Ravitch no longer uses the word "reformer," and instead uses the word "privatizer." My initial reaction w... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Why we made the film AUGUST TO JUNE; to be shown on Nov. 13 at BNS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Why we made the film AUGUST TO JUNE; to be shown on Nov. 13 at BNS: Why we made the film AUGUST TO JUNE; to be shown on Nov. 13 at BNS [image: august to june] *The documentary AUGUST TO JUNE will have a screening at the Brooklyn New School**, 610 Henry St, Brooklyn, on November 13, at 6:30pm; $5 admission. There will also be free childcare and pizza. RSVP for childcare: l feather@panix.com The film will also screen in Manhattan on November 19, at 7pm at the 14th Street Y, **344 East 14th St **(between 1st and 2nd Avenues), adults $10, children $5. Below ... more »

UPDATE: TRS Executive Director Ingram was taken to task at the October board meeting.Ten minute drawing. Thriller. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Ten minute drawing. Thriller. « Fred Klonsky: TRS Executive Director Ingram was taken to task at the October board meeting. by Fred Klonsky On two occasions in the past year Richard Ingram, the Executive Director of the Illinois Retirement System, has spoken out on issues that did not fall within his pay grade. Ingram’s job is essentially to run the system in a way that serves the interests of people like me, members of the retirement system who depend of the promises made when I was first hired 30 years ago. Most recently Ingram seemed to call on the legislature to cut COLA benef... more »

Hurricane Sandy, Climate Change and Presidential Politics: 2016 Starts Now « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Hurricane Sandy, Climate Change and Presidential Politics: 2016 Starts Now « Student Activism: Hurricane Sandy, Climate Change and Presidential Politics: 2016 Starts Now by Angus Johnston When Barack Obama ran for president in 2008, same-sex marriage was a loser. Whatever his own views, he knew supporting marriage equality would hurt him in the general election, and wouldn’t help him in the primaries. And so he — like Hillary Clinton, and like every previous serious contender for either party’s presidential nomination — declined to do so. With Obama’s victory in 2008 the Democratic...more »

What makes #Edcamp popular with teachers? « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
What makes Edcamp popular with teachers? « My Island View: What makes Edcamp popular with teachers? by tomwhitby During the weekend, I attended my fourth #EdcampNYC. I have attended or participated in about a dozen Edcamps nationwide. I think that puts me in a solid position to make a few considered observations on the subject. In the interest of full disclosure, SmartBrief and SmartBlog on Education have supported the Edcamp Foundation during the past year. The Edcamp movement has been around for a few years. It is a widely known professional-development format that was spawned fr... more »

Wis. judge overturns gov's education powers - CBS News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Wis. judge overturns gov's education powers - CBS News: Wis. judge overturns gov's education powers - Comment / - Shares/ - 2 Tweets/ - Stumble/ - Email - More + *Ooh No!* MADISON, Wis. — A portion of state law that gives the governor the power to approve or block new education rules and policies is unconstitutional, a Madison judge ruled Tuesday. Dane County Circuit Judge Amy Smith said the statutes give the governor more power over schools than the superintendent of public instruction, a violation of the Wisconsin Constitution. The ruling restores Superint... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Sandy Blew Away Christie's Sense of Irony

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Sandy Blew Away Christie's Sense of Irony: Sandy Blew Away Christie's Sense of Irony by Duke Governor Chris Christie tweeted the following during Sandy, with no apparent sense of irony: *Governor Christie* ‏@*GovChristie* Commissioner Cerf is strongly encouraging all superintendents and charter schools across the state to cancel school tomorrow. *Governor Christie* ‏@*GovChristie* *We respect that decisions need to be made at local level*, but it's most important

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, October 31, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Wednesday, October 31, 2012* Fate of ex-school site awaits board's guidanceThe future of the former Peralta Junior High site is still unknown as the Orange Unified School District's Board of Education decides what to do amid uproar from neighbors who don't want the campus converted into apartments. Sweetwater defendant fronts homecoming paradeNational School District Superintendent Chris Oram was invited to grand marshal Sweetwater High School’s homecoming parade, but it was instead a criminal defendant scho... more »

“HAPPY HAPPY SCHOOL” CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
“HAPPY HAPPY SCHOOL” CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM « Teachers Fight Back: “HAPPY HAPPY SCHOOL” CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM by alkleen Those of you who have been following this blog understand what I describe as the modern “Happy Happy School”, where the only thing more important than a student’s test scores is the student’s happiness. A Chicago suburban school district has banned costumes, parties, candy and any and all forms of Halloween celebrations in the schools. The school superintendent was quoted as saying, “Our staff and administration feel very strongly that we never want students to f... more »

New What for New Who? | The G Bitch Spot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
New What for New Who? | The G Bitch Spot: New What for New Who? by G Bitch [image: Karran Harper Royal kickoffs school board campaign (click picture)] The only way the documents below make sense is if my [or our] suspicions are true—that this “education” “Reform” is more about the bottom line of interested businesses and individuals who get outsized salaries, compared to salaries before “Reform,” regardless of success, experience, education or knowledge of anything, including and especially education. New schools? Really? I see “new” but not what I’ve been told is, and even what’s... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Conversion Charter Ambiguities

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Conversion Charter Ambiguities Conversion Charter Ambiguities by Charlie Mas [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] Initiative 1240's rules for conversion charters has some clarity, some flexibility, and some elements that make no sense at all. To follow along you'll want quick access to the text of the initiative. A few things are clear: 1. The District retains ownership of the building - the charter school can't sell it, they are only leasing it. 2. Per Section 223(5) The District retains the "major repairs and safety upgrades that may... more »

UPDATE: Proco, the Hipster Alderman, endorses Obama but voices his disappointment. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Proco, the Hipster Alderman, endorses Obama but voices his disappointment. « Fred Klonsky Proco, the Hipster Alderman, endorses Obama but voices his disappointment. by Fred Klonsky For you out-of-towners, “Proco” Joe Moreno is the Alderman of the first ward. I don’t live in the first ward. I’m in the 35th. Our alderman is Rey “the invisible” Colon. Colon is considered an independent, That is because he is independent of taking any position on any issue facing the citizens of this city. The first ward is just a few blocks away from my house. In fact, as a result of the last redistri... more »

UPDATE: Daily Kos: Observation(s) about Q poll & Detroit News Poll & UPDATE on PPP

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Daily Kos: Observation(s) about Q poll & Detroit News Poll & UPDATE on PPP Signs of desperation from the Romney campaign by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) using an easily debunked ad on auto industry that brings out denials from auto execs bringing back the previously debunked welfare work requirement ad using John McCain as a surrogate in states that rejected him four years ago having Donald Trump for robocalls into swing states Yes - perhaps they hope to energize xenophobes and birthers and racists, but how does that win competitive states? All they may be doing is increasing the Presi... more »








Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-31-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-30-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-29-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-28-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-27-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-25-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-23-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-21-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 10-15-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


 

Jersey Jazzman: NJEA Cancels Convention

Jersey Jazzman: NJEA Cancels Convention:


NJEA Cancels Convention

This really is unprecedented:
For the first time in its 158-year history, the NJEA Convention has been cancelled.
NJEA President Barbara Keshishian announced the decision today, “in light of the natural disaster that has struck New Jersey and Atlantic City in particular. It was a difficult decision, but we believe it was the correct one, considering the statewide impact of this unprecedented storm.”
Keshishian also announced that the leadership of NJEA is exploring ways for NJEA members, leaders, and staff to contribute to and assist in the city’s cleanup and recovery.
The two-day event, the largest educational gathering of its kind in the world, was scheduled for Nov. 8-9 in Atlantic City.
 “Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of everyone in Atlantic City, and everyone planning to attend our convention this year,” Keshishian said.  “Because we are a statewide organization, and public 

Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology. « Fred Klonsky

Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology. « Fred Klonsky:


Anthony Borrelli owes Carpenter teachers an apology.

I’ve written about the wealthy Park Ridge foot doctor Anthony Borrelli before.
He is one of two Park Ridge, Illinois school board members who voted no on a 2% raise when the negotiated contract came up for board approval a month ago.
The contract was approved and teachers now receive an average $43 a week raise.
Although the district is running a 40% budget surplus, the wealthy foot doctor told the press that he thought it was more important to spend money on capital improvements than on teacher salary. Of course, the district can 

Jersey Jazzman: Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers

Jersey Jazzman: Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers:


Bloomberg Ties Up NYC Just To Torture Teachers

El Bloombito* is going to send 1,800 Absent Teacher Reserve members (ATRs) out into the crowded, dangerous, chaotic streets of post-Sandy New York on Friday for no apparent reason other than to torture them:
Well my feeling of pointlessness just reached a new high when I heard that schools will remain closed for the remainder of this week for children, but teachers must report to work on Friday. All week I've had an assignment in an unnamed high school, but due to inclement weather, I haven't had the opportunity to report to this high school. But now, on Friday, I guess I will make my way through several bus transfers to go there to ... sub for non-existent classes? It's going to be all sorts of meaningful.

Next week I'm supposed to be shuttled off to yet another school, but I haven't gotten my assignment yet. Again, because of the inclement weather they're a bit 

Ed group discloses donors, including Bloomberg - SFGate

Ed group discloses donors, including Bloomberg - SFGate:


Ed group discloses donors, including Bloomberg

Published 4:45 p.m., Wednesday, October 31, 2012


BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho nonprofit group forced to disclose the identity of its donors on Wednesday reported collecting more than $640,000 from a short list of contributors that includes New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Albertson's supermarket heir Joe Scott, according to documents filed with the state.
Bloomberg and Scott are easily the two biggest contributors spelled out in disclosure forms filed by Education Voters of Idaho. Bloomberg gave $200,000 and Scott ponied up $250,000.
EVI had fought to keep its financial supporters secret after the group gave more than $200,000 to pay for campaign ads promoting Propositions 1,2 and 3 — the new education laws that are subject to a voter referendum on Nov. 6.
But Secretary of State Ben Ysursa bristled at the group's activities, and filed a lawsuit in state court seeking to have the donors disclosed in keeping with Idaho's 1974 Sunshine


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/education/article/Ed-group-discloses-donors-including-Bloomberg-3998258.php#ixzz2AyrEuXZz

Trust and Its Misuses - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Trust and Its Misuses - Bridging Differences - Education Week:


Trust and Its Misuses

Dear Pedro,
Thanks for reminding me that of something I haven't mentioned—why I'm voting for Barack Obama. In part, it's a no-brainer. No matter what issue one addresses. Just consider Ann Romney's recent blithe comments about getting rid of the whole education system. Charters (or private schools, I assume) are the answer. But I also fear a war on Iran and the end of Medicare and Obamacare and support for national infrastructure. I worry about any future for the young and the jobless and the underpaid part-timers, and the existence of trade unions, and the end of legal abortion and maybe even birth control, and on and on. This is a "gotta" election. But even a sweeping Obama victory won't answer the serious questions you and I are discussing, and a lot else that relates to the same mindset that has led his administration astray on education.
It all comes down to "seeing like a state" (author James Scott). Which, in turn, rests on distrust as a matter of policy, especially and perhaps only (?) in dealing with the non-rich. We don't even punish the very rich for willful 

President Obama Talks Child Poverty | First Focus

President Obama Talks Child Poverty | First Focus:


President Obama Talks Child Poverty

By Bruce Lesley
October 19, 2012
Bruce Lesley is President of First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization

committed to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget 
One-in-five U.S. kids live in poverty today. Yet candidates for office rarely mention the word "poverty," let alone offer real solutions for our children. That's why I joined a coalition of leading children's advocates in sending President Obama and Governor Romney a letter last month asking how each would address child poverty if elected President in November. The questions included:
  1. What are your plans to ensure that (a) comprehensive health care, (b) quality educational opportunity beginning with appropriate pre-school programs, and (c) food security are available for all at-risk, vulnerable children?
  2. What will you pledge to do in your first 100 days to address childhood poverty?
  3. What is your long-term vision for how to permanently ensure that future generations of children will not have to face the specter of crushing poverty?
This week the coalition received a response from President Obama. His response cited successful investments in kids under his Administration including the expansion of the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, the expansion of the successful bipartisan Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act that expanded preventive care for 14 million children and keeps insurance companies from denying coverage to kids with pre-existing conditions like asthma or cancer. And he promised that if reelected he would invest in high-quality early childhood education, fix the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and prevent tax raises on families.
Governor Romney's campaign declined to respond in writing to our letter.
First Focus will be listening for more from the candidates on child poverty, especially solutions to this American problem. And, according to a poll from our partners at First Focus Campaign for Children, voters are waiting too: nearly two-thirds of likely voters want the presidential candidates to focus more on kids.
You can join conversation about child poverty on Twitter by following @First_Focus and using the hashtags #Kids2012 and #talkpoverty.

Schools Matter: Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants

Schools Matter: Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants:


Finding 1: OII Did Not Conduct Effective Oversight of Grantees Receiving Charter School Grants

Late in 2010 near the end of his second term, Gov. Phil Bredesen of TN worked up the courage to suggest shutting down one of Tennessee's unnecessary private prisons run by CCA.  When the new governor, Bill Haslam, swept into office with the backing of CCA and ALEC, the plan to shut down the CCA facility in West Tennessee was quickly cancelled, even though Haslam admitted to reporters that the the prison was not needed, and even though Haslam cut $20 million from public colleges and $40 million from Medicaid patients to come up with the $31 million to pay for it.  When asked to respond, Bredesen quipped, "business wants government to act like a business except when they act like a business."

As we now contemplate the significance of Mitt Romney's Gatorade and canned yams relief supplies that he is sending to the Jersey shore to curb the economic pain of starting over from scratch, Bredesen's response to Haslam's public largesse for Corrections Corporation of America is worth keeping in mind.  This kind of dopey 

Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation | Islam in America Right Side News

Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation | Islam in America Right Side News:


Stealth Islamist Charter Schools Under Investigation

E-mailPrint
210 readings
The charter school movement associated with Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen is under federal investigation.

If one believes that the battle for the nation’s soul is occurring, not just in Washington, D.C., but in schools across the nation, the steady advance of Turkish-Gulen Charter Schools may be cause for alarm. Fethullah Gulen is a Turkish Islamic cleric who fled his native country in 1998, after being charged with seeking to overthrow the secular Turkish government. He currently lives in exile at a 28-acre mountain complex in the Pocono Mountains, with more than $25 billion of assets at his command.
» If you like this article, please donate to Right Side News Daily
rns_school_01The 135 charter schools associated with the Gulen Movement (GM) enroll more than 45,000 students andcomprise the largest charter school network in the United States — all of which are fully funded by American taxpayers. Fethullah Gulen has been underinvestigation by the government since 2011.
That investigation, carried out by FBI and the Departments of Labor and Education, is centere

Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate | NOLA.com

Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate | NOLA.com:

Diane Ravitch cuts check for local school board candidate

 It would be hard to find a more obscure election, overshadowed as it is by city council races, not to mention a multi-billion dollar presidential contest. Yet some of the country's biggest names in education are cutting checks to influence the outcome in the 3rd District of the Orleans Parish School Board.
diane-ravitch.jpgEducation historian Diane Ravitch.
The latest celebrity contributor: New York University historian Diane Ravitch, the leading critic of a national education movement centered on school choice and autonomous charter schools.
Ravitch cut a $100 check for the local education activist and parent advocate Karran Harper Royal, according to the latest campaign filings, a small but symbolic counterpoint to the avalanche of donations pouring in for challenger Sarah Newell Usdin, whose haul includes checks from national reform figures like Joel Klein, the former New York City schools chief, and Reed 

Karran Harper Royal kickoffs school board campaign (click picture) 
“We need volunteers, we need your donations and we need you to tell everyone you know in District 3 to vote for Karran Harper Royal,” she said to rounds of applause during her speech. Harper Royal’s campaign web site can be found at www.karran4kids.com.

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch



The Strange Disappearance of “Won’t Back Down”

I decided that I had to see “Won’t Back Down.”
I had read so many reviews that I felt I knew every line.
But I still wanted to see it.
Morbid curiosity.
But it is not showing anywhere in the New York City metropolitan area.
The producer of the movies owns a 12-plex only a few blocks from my home

America’s Largest Charter Chain Is…?

No, it is not KIPP. It is the Gulen charters, a group of nearly 150 charters located in many states and loosely affiliated or “inspired by” a reclusive Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen. Mr. Gulen lives in seclusion in the Poconos but leads a major political movement in Turkey.
The Gulen charters often specialize in math and science. They have a board of directors composed of Turkish men. Some though not all of their teachers are Turkish. They have names like Harmony, Magnolia, Horizon, and Sonoran. Check here for a full list.
To find out more about the Gulen schools, check this website.
To learn about the Gulen movement, read this.
To read about Gulen schools in Texas and lucrative deals for Turkish construction firms, read here
To read about Gulen schools that were audited in Georgia, read here
To read about a Gulen school and its treatment of autistic students in Minneapolis, read here..



Ohio Legislature Finds New Way to Meddle in Education

Just when you think that state legislatures have run out of bad ideas, some state takes teacher abuse to the next level.
The Ohio Legislature wants to make sure that every third grade student is a proficient reader. They think they know how to do that: They passed a new law.
It’s called the “Third Grade Reading Guarantee.”
That should do the trick. Just like No Child Left Behind left no child behind.
More testing. And better yet, the law requires every teacher of students in the early grades to take additional 



The Future of Teaching?

TeachPlus is one of those Gates-funded teacher organizations that is supposed to provide a different perspective on teaching than the teachers’ unions. It can be counted on to advocate for the interests of new teachers who allegedly want merit pay, don’t care about job protections, and want to be judged by the test scores of their students. The teachers for whom it seems to speak are part of the New American Economy, where jobs are short-term, not seen as part of a career.
TeachPlus has just conducted a survey of teachers. Its first startling discovery is that “For the first time in almost 



Why Teachers Are Angry and Confused

An article in the Connecticut Post says that “Teachers Are Confused for Good Reason.”
The bottom line:
“If Democrats continue with their right-wing conservative educational policies, they will alienate the teachers and teacher unions that have traditionally been the party’s staunchest supporters. More importantly, these misguided policies and initiatives will deal a severe blow to public education and to the quality of the teaching profession as well as to the morale of our teachers. You cannot on one hand preach about the importance of teachers while implementing educational policies that are destroying public education in this country.”
It is indeed confusing and demoralizing to realize that Democrats have adopted Republican education policies of 



Me Vs. Goliath

I sent a check for $100 to Karran Royal Harper, the parent activist who is running for a seat on the New Orleans school board.
Her opponent has raised more than $110,000 from out-of-state funders.
Karran, who is a champion for children, has raised about $5,500. In other words, she is being outspent about 20-1.
My contribution was so huge that it was enough to produce a story in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I admit right now that I also sent an equally whopping contribution of $100 to “No on 1240,” the Washington State charter referendum.
That should strike fear into the hearts of the billionaires on the other side of the issue.
It’s not too late to help Karran in her race against the big boys.
Here is her website, where you can learn more about her. She takes credit cards.
She is strong and fearless.
New Orleans should have a home-grown parent on its school board.




“We need volunteers, we need your donations and we need you to tell everyone you know in District 3 to vote for Karran Harper Royal,” she said to rounds of applause during her speech. Harper Royal’s campaign web site can be found at www.karran4kids.com.

Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law | EdSource Today

Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law | EdSource Today:


Student fees will remain a conundrum, even with a new law - by Seth Rosenblatt