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Friday, November 2, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 11-2-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 minutes ago
An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment: An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 2, 2012 at 10:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » (Scholastic.com) Standardized tests have dominated the school reform discussion for years, with students scores used – often unfairly – to judge the kids as well as their schools, teachers, principals, districts and even states. Here, Monty Neill, executive director of the non-prof... more »

Peg with Pen: A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 minutes ago
Peg with Pen: A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C.: A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C. by Peggy Popout April 4th - 7th: The Battle for Public Schools - OCCUPY DOE 2.0 *www.unitedoptout.com*

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Accreditation Game

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: The Accreditation Game: The Accreditation Game by Anngie If you live in or around St. Louis you are very familiar with the crisis created when St. Louis Public Schools lost their accreditation from the Missouri State Board of Education. Loss of accreditation is meant to send a message to the school district, "You really need to do better." For the individual student the consequences are less dramatic. They still receive a diploma. They are still eligible for all scholarships they would otherwise be eligible for. While they might, in theory, have a harde... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-2-12 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] Should NYC Marathon Proceed? by dianerav Mayor Bloomberg told President Obama not to visit NYC because he would be a distraction. But he has given approval to the annual NYC marathon, which attracts thousands of runners from around the world and requires hundreds of police to supervise. The borough president of Manhattan Scott Stringer has called for the cancellation of the marathon. Justin Wedes of Occupy Wall Street has an even better idea. How about directing the energy of he runners to bring relief sup... more »

Student-centered teacher evaluations focus on learning goals | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Student-centered teacher evaluations focus on learning goals | EdSource Today: Student-centered teacher evaluations focus on learning goals ** November 2nd, 2012 | Add a Comment | By William Slotnik and Joan McRobbie Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services [image: William Slotnik] William Slotnik By now the consensus is clear: California needs a better, more systematic way of supporting and ensuring teacher effectiveness. Though the teacher evaluation bill, AB 5, collapsed again in August, there is wide agreement on the state’s re... more »

Daily Kos: Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW: Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) It is called The Blackmail Caucus. He begins by laying out the start policy differences between the two candidates: If President Obama is re-elected, health care coverage will expand dramatically, taxes on the wealthy will go up and Wall Street will face tougher regulation. If Mitt Romney wins instead, health coverage will shrink substantially, taxes on the wealthy will fall to levels not seen in 80 years and financial regulation will be rolled back. He suggests is it... more »

Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at 1:32 pm in 5 Comments » *photo by Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group* On the 20th day of school, Oakland’s district schools counted about 36,260 students. That’s 1,750 fewer kids than there were a year ago, a drop of 4.6 percent, according to 2012-13 enrollment figures recently released by OUSD. Multiply that loss by $5,000, a rough estimate of general-purpose, per-student state funding (otherwise known as the revenu... more »

Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers” | Get Schooled: Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers” by Maureen Downey In the final stretch of the charter school amendment battle, I am going to run a few more pro and con pieces. Here is the con from high school educator Ian Altman of Athens. Stay tuned for a pro piece shortly. By Ian Altman Georgia voters will decide next week on Amendment 1 and whether to allow a politically appointed commission in Atlanta to override elected boards of education. Hence, they wi... more »

How should schools be funded?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
How should schools be funded?: How should schools be funded? Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 2, 2012 at 4:00 am With school systems struggling to deal with slashed budgets and fears rising of more cuts next year, the question of how public schools are funded has never been more relevant. Here’s a look at the subject by Tarsi Dunlop, program and operations manager of the Learning First Alliance, a partnership of 16 education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America’s public schools. By Tarsi Dunlop Election Day is just... more »

NYC Educator: Good Morning World

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: Good Morning World: Good Morning World by NYC Educator I just woke up in a friend's apartment. Even though there is power, I haven't got an alarm clock. I have no idea exactly what time Mayor Bloomberg wants me to report to my school to not teach. It's good I'm not teaching because the only clothes I have are jeans, t-shirts and hoodies. Our town is supposed to get power tomorrow so I may be able to do better by Monday. But we can't turn the power on until we change the circuit breakers, which got wet. Apparently there's a risk of the house blowing up if you do that.... more »

The Problem With America’s History Books | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Problem With America’s History Books | toteachornototeach: The Problem With America’s History Books by aristotlethewise *Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick are co-authors of* *The Untold History of the United States (Gallery Books, $30)* by Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick It has become commonplace to deplore U.S. students’ dismal performance in math and science when their test results are compared to those of students in other advanced and not-so-advanced industrial countries. But, it turns out, according to the Nation’s Report Card, or National Assessment of Educational Progress, the...more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm: 'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm by Mike Klonsky Rahm takes the low road once more. This time on so-called "parent involvement". He cuts a deal with Walgreen Co. CEO *Greg Wasson* to offer CPS parents gift cards loaded with 25,000 ”customer loyalty” points (worth $25) for attending report card pick up yesterday. Rahm claims he got the gift card idea during one of his morning workouts: *'That’s what happens when I start swimming. I start coming up with ideas.' * On previous swims,... more »

Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday | The Jose Vilson: Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday by Jose NYC schools are officially closed on Friday … for students. For teachers, Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Walcott sent out a memo to all teachers and administrators to go back to school on Friday. The cynical me remembers the few days in the school year when I tell my students they don’t have school but I do and they giggle and point, to which I reply, “It’s OK. We don’t want you here, either.” Gasps from them. “Just ki... more »

Educación Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award - Hispanically Speaking News: [image: Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award]* Educación * Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award Educacion - 11 minutes ago The American Immigration Council is now accepting nominations for their 2013 Immigrant Youth Achievement Award. Each year the Council receives hundreds of nominations from around the country lifting up exceptional young people whose accomplishments and dreams inspire others. The Immigrant Youth Achievement Awar... more »

Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools | Education | The Seattle Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools | Education | The Seattle Times: Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] School leaders, educators and parents from 260 of Washington's 295 school districts have signed a letter opposing I-1240, warning that charter schools would siphon off millions of dollars from other publicly funded schools with no guarantee they'd be any better. MOST POPULAR COMMENTS HIDE / SHOW COMMENTS No comments have been posted to t... more »

Modern School: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Modern School: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike by Michael Dunn [image: A resident on Kaneville Road shows support for Geneva teachers in their contract negotiations with the school district. The Geneva Education Association Friday said negotiations were at an impasse.] Last week, teachers from Geneva School District 304, in Illinois, gave formal notice that they intend to strike, after a 12-hour bargaining session failed to reach an accord, the Chicago Tribune. Because state law requires a 14-day waiting period, the earliest the s... more »

California's Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country | MyFDL

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
California's Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country | MyFDL: California’s Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country by Leighton Woodhouse Popout If you live in California, thanks to the Electoral College system, the box you check next Tuesday in the section of your ballot for the two presidential candidates won’t make an iota of difference to the outcome of the election. But further down the ballot is the second (if not first) most important vote in the country: Proposition 32. That’s no exaggeration. If Prop 32 passes, it will warp the landscape o... more »

BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT « Teachers Fight Back: BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT by alkleen Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and Walgreen company have announced a plan to increase parental involvement in Chicago Public schools. Parents who pick up their children’s report cards and participate in teacher conferences will receive one of the drugstore chain’s “Balance Rewards” cards worth $25 in free merchandise at stores. The plan is to be implemented at 70 schools with low parental involvement. The city will track data on parental involvement to measure ... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
An Urban Teacher's Education: Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content: Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content by James Boutin Earlier in my career teaching writing, I often found myself focusing on structure and style. It's important to have appropriate conventions, to make your writing move logically throughout its delivery, to consider the way you communicate your ideas. But in considering the quality of a piece of writing, there is another factor that affects the outcome more: content. Perhaps I found it easier to focus on structure and style because they s... more »

Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions | OregonLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions | OregonLive.com: Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions by The Associated Press [image: luna.office.JPG]In this Sept. 7, 2011, file photo, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna poses for a photo in his office in Boise.AP Photo/Jessie L. Bonner, File On Tuesday, voters head to the polls in Idaho to weigh in on public schools chiefTom Luna's education overhaul. A "Yes" vote for the three propositions keeps Luna's 2011 "Students Come First" laws in place; a "No" vote repeals them. Here's a... more »

Call me NaNo… « Teaching Between the Lines

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Call me NaNo… « Teaching Between the Lines: Call me NaNo… by Laura It’s Day One of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and my 8th graders wrote for a full hour in class, tap-tap-tapping away on the first chapters of their novels. They wrote in a Google Doc, which they shared with me, so when I should have been working on my own novel, I was taking peeks at theirs. Wow! Some great stuff. Here are just a handful of opening lines that caught my attention: *My favorite sound in the world is the click of a camera shutter, not the crack of a gunshot. (AG)* *School sucks. Yet ... more »

THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT The Whole Child Newsletter - November 1, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
The Whole Child Newsletter - November 1, 2012: THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTEvery school has a culture. Some are positive, while others are toxic; many are somewhere in between. A school's culture affects the lives of everyone in the building. Educators working in a positive school culture(PDF) experience collegiality, trust, and tangible support as leaders and peers, creating an environment where there are high expectations, involvement in decision making, and open communication. Students entering a positive school culture feel safe, engaged, and connected and see school as a p... more »

Jane Watson Writes Charters Not NeededSave Our Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Jane Watson Writes Charters Not NeededSave Our Schools: Jane Watson Writes Charters Not Needed by Server Jane Watson, Save Our Schools Information Coordinator Writes*Charters Are Not Needed.* *As published in the Yakima Herald-Republic Charters not needed* November 1, 2012 To the editor — Thank you for the Oct. 24 article and editorial concerning charter schools. Parents and older students do have a variety of school choices, including private schools, public school, home schooling, computer school, EPIC Headstart, Oakridge Montessori, etc. There is a Migrant Education Center in S... more »

Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Must See Video: Romney Walking Out of an Interview in Iowa Filed under: Mitt — millerlf @ 5:21 pm *Observe Romney walking out of a radio interview in Iowa in 2007 because of questions about Mormonism, the Second Coming and abortion.* He apparently did not know he was being videotaped.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240: Fairly Unified on the Education Front Against I-1240 by Melissa Westbrook [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] The No On I-1240 campaign has released an open letter rejecting I-1240. The people listed represent those from 260 school districts across Washington State. That's nearly 90% of the school districts in the state. “The open letter shows that opposition to I-1240 is not bound by geography or income,” said Michael DeBell, Seattle School Board President. “It’s a bad plan for every stu... more »

Preen for America | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Preen for America | EduShyster: Preen for America by edushyster2012 I dedicate this post to my Premium Club readers who simply aren’t excellent enough to Teach for America. Let’s face it: you and I are never going to be Teach for America material. But while we may not have the goods to join Wendy Kopp’s Kidz we can still experience their freshness and innovation vicariously: by watching the Real Housewives of Miami host a benefit for TFA on Bravo this week. No doubt you are wondering how in the world EduShyster could know such a thing…Reader: I fear that mine is a wasted life of de... more »

IEA offers a deal on right-wing pizza. I wouldn’t order it in a million years. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
IEA offers a deal on right-wing pizza. I wouldn’t order it in a million years. « Fred Klonsky: IEA offers a deal on right-wing pizza. I wouldn’t order it in a million years. by Fred Klonsky *Papa John’s John Schnatter. * I have some friends coming over tonight. It’s a book club. Don’t laugh. All my friends at work predicted I would join a book club when I retired and I swore not. But I did. We get together every couple of months. It’s my pick this time. We were supposed to read Anthony Shadid’s*House of Stone.* Shadid was the New York Times correspondent in the middle east. His re... more »

StudentsFirst PAC donates $500,000 to campaign against union-backed Proposal 2 | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
StudentsFirst PAC donates $500,000 to campaign against union-backed Proposal 2 | MLive.com: *StudentsFirst PAC donates $500,000 to campaign against union-backed Proposal 2* * * GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – StudentsFirst.org’s political action committee has donated $500,000 to the campaign against the union-backed Proposal 2, with the organization’s leaders saying they want to preserve school reforms. The proposal, also calledProtect Our Jobs and Protect Working Families, would enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution, invalidating existing or future state or local laws tha... more »

L.A. Unified applies for grant without teachers union - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
L.A. Unified applies for grant without teachers union - latimes.com: L.A. Unified applies for grant without teachers union [image: LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy during a meeting of the Los Angeles School Board in February. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times] The Los Angeles Unified School District has decided to submit an application for a high-profile federal grant without the participation of the teachers union. Current federal rules for “Race to the Top” grants require a written commitment to the terms by the local teachers union. But United Teachers Los Angeles officials have... more »

UPDATE: Diane in the Evening 11-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Who Is Thriving in the New World of New Orleans? by dianerav Into my mailbox came this link, which suggests there are some mighty big winners in the new education world of New Orleans. Read it and gasp. Advocates say that New Orleans is a national model. The documents here raise questions about who benefits from the avalanche of money poured into the city’s new way of doing business. A Chinese Educator Shares His Wisdom about the Goals of Education by dianerav Yong Zhao is an amazing educator who knows why our current obsession with testing is bad for Ame... more »

School Funding Part II: More Money Doesn’t Mean More Equity | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
School Funding Part II: More Money Doesn’t Mean More Equity | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: School Funding Part II: More Money Doesn’t Mean More Equity by Tarsi Dunlop There are few things as complicated as funding when it comes to our nation’s public schools. But a basic understanding on the part of policy-makers and voters can be a significant contributor to the vitality of public schools and our democratic society. This week, as much of mainstream media zeros in on the Presidential race and key competitive Congressional races, it’s worth remembering that o... more »

Washington State charter school Initiative 1240 and the lack of accountability | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Washington State charter school Initiative 1240 and the lack of accountability | Seattle Education: Washington State charter school Initiative 1240 and the lack of accountability by seattleducation2011 Washington State charter school Initiative 1240 and the lack of accountability [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] Posted on November 1, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment Since 2007, OII ( U. S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement) has handed over $909,000,000 to state education agencies (SEAs) and others (non-SEAs) to open and run char... more »

Ideas for E.L.L.s | 'Gangnam Style,' Emotion Words and More - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Ideas for E.L.L.s | 'Gangnam Style,' Emotion Words and More - NYTimes.com: Ideas for English Language Learners | ‘Gangnam Style,’ ‘Emotion Words’ and MoreBy LARRY FERLAZZO *“Long Division Style,” a parody of PSY’s “Gangnam Style” made by a Brooklyn teacher and her students. Go to related SchoolBook post »* Each month we post a list of ideas for English Language Learners written by teacher and “edublogger” Larry Ferlazzo. Sometimes, like last month’s on thepresidential election, they focus on a timely theme, while others, like this edition, pull from a variety of Times content. The g... more »

‘Just Let Me Teach’ armbands taking off

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
‘Just Let Me Teach’ armbands taking off: ‘Just Let Me Teach’ armbands taking off Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 1, 2012 at 11:49 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » (www.facebook.com/ JustLetMeTeach) Justin Oakley, 35, is a self-described lifelong Hoosier, who has been a teacher for 10 years and is sick and tired of school reformers telling him and his fellow teachers how to do their jobs. Oakley, who has been president of the Martinsville Classroom Teachers Association, had waged a month... more »

Open Letter to Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s CEO Greg Wasson on real parent involvement Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Open Letter to Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s CEO Greg Wasson on real parent involvement: Open Letter to Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s CEO Greg Wasson on real parent involvement by admin *An Open Letter to Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s* *on Real Parent Involvement* November 1, 2012 Sent by facsimile Dear Mayor Emanuel and Walgreen’s CEO Greg Wasson: PURE is a Chicago Public School (CPS) parent advocacy organization which has offered exceptional local school council and parent training and support for 25 years. We object to the ... more »

Schools Matter: Earning a Scholarship

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Schools Matter: Earning a Scholarship: Earning a Scholarship by Storm *[The following is excerpted from the first chapter of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Aside from what is obvious regarding the continuation of this particular social "understanding" of the status of the Black American, I would offer that this is the primary perspective we operate within as members of an hierarchically managed society. The narrator is one who has beheld an incoherence. "All dreamers and sleepwalkers must pay the price, and even the invisible victim is responsible for the fate of all." I sup... more »

Shanker Blog » The Structural Curve In Indiana's New School Grading System

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Shanker Blog » The Structural Curve In Indiana's New School Grading System: The Structural Curve In Indiana’s New School Grading System by Matthew Di Carlo The State of Indiana has receive a great deal of attention for its education reform efforts, and they recently announced the details, as well as the first round of results, of their new “A-F” school grading system. As in many other states, for elementary and middle schools, the grades are based entirely on math and reading test scores. It is probably the most rudimentary scoring system I’ve seen yet – almost painfully so. Such ... more »

THE REAL REASON “CHARTER REFORM” FAILED IN HARRISBURG

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
*THE REAL REASON “CHARTER REFORM”* *FAILED IN HARRISBURG* [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] *(**Harrisburg, PA)--*The failed attempt by proponents of charter schools to force legislation through the House last week resulted in legislation that was so lacking in oversight it raised concerns among far-right Republican members, who eventually joined with Democrats to seriously question and ultimately kill the bill. The so-call reforms didn’t go far enough or reform well enough to convince those who questioned the industry-lobbied bill on both sides of the... more »

Remarks by the President and Governor Christie After Surveying Damage from Hurricane Sandy | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Remarks by the President and Governor Christie After Surveying Damage from Hurricane Sandy | The White House: Remarks by the President and Governor Christie After Surveying Damage from Hurricane Sandy Brigantine Marina Brigantine, New Jersey 4:38 P.M. EDT GOVERNOR CHRISTIE: Good afternoon, everybody. And thank you all for coming today. I want to thank the members who are here as well. And obviously, I want to thank the President. We spent a significant afternoon together surveying the damage up and down the New Jersey coastline; we were on Marine One together to be able to sh... more »

Obama’s second-term promises in education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Obama’s second-term promises in education: Obama’s second-term promises in education by Valerie Strauss Arne Duncan and President Obama (YURI GRIPAS/REUTERS ) Here’s what a brochure put out by President Obama’s campaign says he will focus on in education during his next term, assuming he has one: President Obama’s plan for America’s future: Highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020 so we can compete and win in the 21st Century economy: 1. Cutting tuition growth in half over the next ten years. We can make college more affordable by continuing tax credits to he... more »

Real parent involvement not bought at Walgreen’s (memories of Field School) Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Real parent involvement not bought at Walgreen’s (memories of Field School): Real parent involvement not bought at Walgreen’s (memories of Field School) by admin Parents protest Walgreens' opposition to fair school funding (1993) So, Rahm Emanuel went swimming at his health club recently and got a great idea – give parents a $25 gift card from Walgreen’s and solve the parent involvement problem! (I guess the pool had already given him enough great ideas for solving Chicago’s homicide epidemic.) He took this great idea to my ol... more »

FCMAT » CALI Education Headlines Thursday, November 1, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Thursday, November 1, 2012* Sale of Pacific View Elementary site in Encinitas falls throughA deal to sell the Pacific View Elementary School site to a regional arts group that wanted to create an arts center there has fallen through, after a deadline passed with little progress and group leaders decided not to risk losing their deposit. Online petition supports school yoga programA local yoga enthusiast who runs a website about the practice has started an online petition to try to encourage the Encinitas Uni... more »

Former North Atlanta principal wants hearing to clear his name. Still think this could have been handled better. | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Former North Atlanta principal wants hearing to clear his name. Still think this could have been handled better. | Get Schooled: Former North Atlanta principal wants hearing to clear his name. Still think this could have been handled better. by Maureen Downey *WTF?* Former North Atlanta High principal Mark MyGrant wants to clear his name against what he considers innuendo and character assassination by APS leadership And he has hired education attorney Glenn Delk, fresh off his unsuccessful charter amendment lawsuits against Fulton and Gwinnett, to represent him. According to the... more »

Jersey Jazzman: NJEA Cancels Convention

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 »








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An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment

An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment:


An alternative to standardized testing for student assessment

(Scholastic.com)
Standardized tests have dominated the school reform discussion for years, with students scores used –  often unfairly –  to judge the kids as well as their schools, teachers, principals, districts and even states.  Here, Monty Neill, executive director of the non-profit National Center for Fair & Open Testing, known as FairTest, explains how student assessment can be done without standardized test scores.
By Monty Neill
Assessment reformers are often challenged, “What would you do instead of standardized testing?” While stopping the damage wrought by test misuse and overuse is necessary in its own right, high-quality assessment is essential to student learning. Sadly, No Child Left Behind killed many innovative practices as schools were forced to focus on boosting standardized exam scores. However, a number of excellent examples of better assess

Peg with Pen: A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C.

Peg with Pen: A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C.:


A Video for Diane Ravitch: Join Us in D.C.

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April 4th - 7th: The Battle for Public Schools - OCCUPY DOE 2.0

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Accreditation Game

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Accreditation Game:


The Accreditation Game

If you live in or around St. Louis you are very familiar with the crisis created when St. Louis Public Schools lost their accreditation from the Missouri State Board of Education. Loss of accreditation is meant to send a message to the school district, "You really need to do better."

For the individual student the consequences are less dramatic. They still receive a diploma. They are still eligible for all scholarships they would otherwise be eligible for. While they might, in theory, have a harder time qualifying for college admissions, MO DESE says it "has not identified any instance where a student who graduated from an unaccredited school district has been disqualified from consideration for admission." So where might they feel a pinch?

If they play a sport the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) provides that students who 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-2-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch




Councilman in NYC Has Idea for Marathon Runners

The council member from southern Brooklyn suggested that marathon runners should deliver water, food, medicine and other supplies to elderly people trapped in high-rise buildings in the Coney Island area, who have no power. No elevator, no refrigerator, no heat.
Mayor Bloomberg says the Marathon will go on, no matter what.


The Most Astonishing Post Ever On This Blog Is…

When I printed the post by Kris L. Neilsen explaining why he quit his teaching job in North Carolina, I had no idea what the reaction would be.
It went viral.
Kris’s post has been read–to this point–by more than 130,000 people. It has been retweeted more than 800 times.
Previously, the post that had the largest readership was “I am a teacher. Let me teach,” read by 4,000 people.
For Kris’s post, more than 130,000 page views.
Wow.
I have only been blogging for six months, so maybe others have experienced posts that took off like a rocket.


Should NYC Marathon Proceed?

Mayor Bloomberg told President Obama not to visit NYC because he would be a distraction.
But he has given approval to the annual NYC marathon, which attracts thousands of runners from around the world and requires hundreds of police to supervise.
The borough president of Manhattan Scott Stringer has called for the cancellation of the marathon.
Justin Wedes of Occupy Wall Street has an even better idea. How about directing the energy of he runners to bring relief supplies to the communities that are suffering?
This is the message Justin sent on the NYC Parent website to Scott Stringer:
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer calls on Mayor Bloomberg to cancel the #NYCMarathon 


Why Washington State Should Vote No on 1240

This article explains succinctly why certain members of the billionaire boys club have decided that Washington State absolutely positively must have charter schools. Their recipe for school reform: the free market. And why not? The free market works for them. Will they put their own children (or in the case of the Bezos family, grandchildren) in charter schools? Don’t be silly.

No on 1240 (click on picture)

I Cut Another Big Check

Yesterday the New Orleans Times-Picayune revealed that I had “cut a check” for school board candidate Karran Royal Harper. It’s true. I flooded her campaign with a contribution of $100.
That was intended to offset the $110,000 that other out-of-state donors like Joel Klein of Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp and Reed Hastings of Netflix and Boykin Curry of Wall Street had given to Sarah Usdin of TFA-New Schools for New Orleans and the New Teacher Project.
With the infusion of big checks like mine, Karran might have raised as much as $6,000 or so by now. Those are 


Shadowy Group Funds Idaho Luna Laws

A group called Education Voters of Idaho refused to disclose its donors until required to do so by a court order.
The biggest donor is a businessman who is an investor in K12, the online charter corporation ($250,000); the second biggest donor is Mayor Michael Bloomberg ($200,000).
EVI promotes the anti-union, anti-teacher, privatizing policies of state superintendent Tom Luna. Supporters of public education are seeking to repeal the Luna laws, which are deceptively called “Students Come First.” The phrase echoes Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst and Joel Klein’s Children’s First.
Luna has received heavy funding from technology corporations, and his laws mandate the purchase of a laptop 


Where Should We Look for School Leaders?

Andrea Gabor asks whether Brockton High will do a better job in the selection of a successor than Mayor Bloomberg.
Brockton High is a large high school in Massachusetts that successfully turned around its performance through teamwork and coloration, not punishment, closing and privatization.
Now that the principal is retiring, Gabor hopes the successor will be a knowledgeable insider, not a “star” intent 



Using Rap to Support Education

Two California teachers have created a rap video to exhort peope to vote “yes” on Proposition 30, which raises taxes on incomes over $250,000 to fund education, and to vote “no” on Proposition 32, which is intended to take away automatic contributions by members to their unions, a longtime goal of anti-union activists.
The video describes the “pre-school to prison pipeline.”
Pay now or pay later.



In Colorado, Stand on Children Shows Its True Colors

Long ago there was an organization called Stand for Children that advocated for children and their public schools. Unfortunately, the organization jumped on the money train and joined the corporate reform movement. Now it is flush with cash. It still pretends to care about children but it uses its clout to strip teachers of any rights and to advocate for privatization. It is anti-teacher, anti-union, and anti-public education. Some of its former supporters now refer to the organization as Stand on Children.
In Colorado, where there is a heated contest for control of the Legislature, Stand on Children removed the mask. 



Diane in the Evening 11-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: In New Orleans, Students Lead the Way by dianerav Several student groups convened an open forum for candidates running for the local school board. This gave students an opportunity to question candidates about where they stand on issues that affect students. Only one candidate did not appear: Sarah Usdin, who confirmed that she would show but did not. Usdin is the ex-TFA executive director of New Schools for New Orleans. She has received more than $110,000 from generous out-of-state donors like Joel Klein, who sells technology for Rupert Murdoch, and asso... more »

Student-centered teacher evaluations focus on learning goals | EdSource Today

Student-centered teacher evaluations focus on learning goals | EdSource Today:


William Slotnik
William Slotnik
By now the consensus is clear: California needs a better, more systematic way of supporting and ensuring teacher effectiveness. Though the teacher evaluation bill, AB 5, collapsed again in August, there is wide agreement on the state’s responsibility to ensure that every student has an effective teacher. Moreover, good teachers welcome accountability and they want and need support. As the 2010 Accomplished California Teachers report noted, every teacher wants to know “How am I doing?” and “How can I do better?”
Efforts here in California to structure a workable evaluation system have run into the same sticking points bedeviling states across the country. The design challenge is to ensure both accountability and support as anchors of high-quality evaluation. What are the right components? Which policy decisions belong at the state level and which should be determined 

Big districts divided over cutting school year if Prop. 30 fails - by Kathryn Baron and John Fensterwald

Additional reporting by Susan Frey and Christine Strena California’s 30 largest school districts are about evenly divided on whether they plan to further shorten this academic year if Proposition 30 fails next week, according to a new survey by EdSource Today. A third of the districts have already negotiated with their unions to lop anywhere from a week to a month from the school calendar...

Daily Kos: Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW

Daily Kos: Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW:


Read Paul Krugman's column - NOW

It is called The Blackmail Caucus.
He begins by laying out the start policy differences between the two candidates:
If President Obama is re-elected, health care coverage will expand dramatically, taxes on the wealthy will go up and Wall Street will face tougher regulation. If Mitt Romney wins instead, health coverage will shrink substantially, taxes on the wealthy will fall to levels not seen in 80 years and financial regulation will be rolled back.
 He suggests is it fine to decide between the two based on the policies they would follow.  He then attacks the alternative justification that is being offered, which he notes as follows:  
Lately, however, I’ve seen a growing number of Romney supporters making a quite different argument. Vote for Mr. Romney, they say, because if he loses, Republicans will destroy the economy.
That is how he takes on the notion, the major justification for the DesMoines Register endorsement of the Republican, that Romney will be better able to get things done. Before he addresses the endorsement specifically, he writes
The argument is phrased in terms of “partisan gridlock,” as if both parties were equally extreme. But they aren’t. This is, in reality, all about appeasing the hard men of the Republican Party.
Please keep reading.

Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers” | Get Schooled

Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers” | Get Schooled:


Charter schools amendment: Say “no” to ed biz “shamans” and “snake charmers”

In the final stretch of the charter school amendment battle, I am going to run a few more pro and con pieces.
Here is the con from high school educator Ian Altman of Athens. Stay tuned for a pro piece shortly.
By Ian Altman
Georgia voters will decide next week on Amendment 1 and whether to allow a politically appointed commission in Atlanta to override elected boards of education. Hence, they will be deciding whether to let millions of their tax dollars evade the respectability of their provenance by enriching the lives and moral self-regard of the billionaire Koch brothers, professional disparager of teachers Michelle Rhee, and Walmart heiress Alice Walton, among other mega-donors outside of Georgia 

Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools:


Enrollment plunges in Oakland schools

Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at 1:32 pm in 5 Comments »
photo by Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group
On the 20th day of school, Oakland’s district schools counted about 36,260 students. That’s 1,750 fewer kids than there were a year ago, a drop of 4.6 percent, according to 2012-13 enrollment figures recently released by OUSD.
Multiply that loss by $5,000, a rough estimate of general-purpose, per-student state funding (otherwise known as the revenue limit), and you are approaching $9 million. OUSD will have that much less to spend in 2013-14, in 

How should schools be funded?

How should schools be funded?:


How should schools be funded?




With school systems struggling to deal with slashed budgets and fears rising of more cuts next year, the question of how public schools are funded has never been more relevant. Here’s a look at the subject by Tarsi Dunlop, program and operations manager of the Learning First Alliance, a partnership of 16 education associations with more than 10 million members dedicated to improving student learning in America’s public schools.
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 

NYC Educator: Good Morning World

NYC Educator: Good Morning World:


Good Morning World

I just woke up in a friend's apartment. Even though there is power, I haven't got an alarm clock. I have no idea exactly what time Mayor Bloomberg wants me to report to my school to not teach. It's good I'm not teaching because the only clothes I have are jeans, t-shirts and hoodies. Our town is supposed to get power tomorrow so I may be able to do better by Monday.

But we can't turn the power on until we change the circuit breakers, which got wet. Apparently there's a risk of the house blowing up if you do that. While I'm sure teacher homes blowing up is fine with Mayor Bloomberg, I have to send my wife and daughter to make sure those circuits get changed. It's complicated because everyone who can do this job is pretty busy, but