Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 11-20-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


Diane in the Evening 11-20-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: America’s Favorite Parlour Game? by dianerav What is America’s favorite parlour game? If you are talking about the average American, I don’t know though I would guess that parlour games have been replaced by watching TV. However, if you are talking about the wonks in conservative think tanks, a rare breed to be sure, I will share their secret: they are obsessed with trying to understand how their idol, Tony Bennett, got beat at the polls. He had everything going for him: the nation’s leading advocate of privatization. Chair of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs fo MORNI... more »

What’s the Matter With Kids Today? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 48 minutes ago
What’s the Matter With Kids Today? | toteachornototeach: What’s the Matter With Kids Today? by aristotlethewise What’s the Matter With Kids Today? by Evan Shapiro There is a perception among many in my cohort and among my elders that the generation currently coming of age — aka Millennials — are an entitled bunch of slacker know-it-alls who expect to get medals for just showing up. For numerous GenXers and Boomers, this disdain goes beyond stereotype and into specific, vehement bias against the entire generation. Many of my friends in the media industry, whose staff and customer base... more »

Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio: Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 20, 2012 at 11:36 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » A few years ago Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, put out a 12-point plan that he posited would improve public education. (One item, to give you a sense of the list, was a federal corporate income tax credit to boost “school choice.”) This was Idea No. 7: *Overcome The Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathemati... more »

Academic Performance Not Top Reason for High Dropout Rates | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Academic Performance Not Top Reason for High Dropout Rates | NewsTaco: ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE NOT TOP REASON FOR HIGH DROPOUT RATES By Hope Gillette, Voxxi Poor academic performance ranked fourth on decisive reasons for high school student drop out , states the *2012 High School Drop Outs in America* study. The data indicates the number one reason (23 percent) for high school student drop out rates is lack of parental encouragement, followed closely by teenage pregnancy (21 percent) and poor attendance (17 percent). Tied for fourth place at 15 percent were reasons relating to academic... more »

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: New policy allows dagger-like objects on campusThe Jurupa Unified School District board of education on Nov. 19 approved a new district policy that will allow Sikh students to wear a kirpan to school but with strict restrictions. Under the new policy, parents agree to sign a statement that requires the kirpan — a daggerlike object that is a sacred article of faith — to be worn under clothing, to have the blade dulled, to be soldered or sewn into its sheath so it cannot be removed and to have a blade that is 2 1/2 inches or less.... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK: LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK ** *…your rose-colored-glasses are located in a compartment under the center armrest.* *FROM THE 11/20 CCSA EMAIL TO THEIR MEMBERS:*** * ***The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released its annual Fiscal Outlook last week, updating its projections on the state’s fiscal situation. With the passage of Propositions 30 and 39, the LAO reports that *“the budget situation has improved sharply” and that we can expect ... more »

ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution - State EdWatch - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution - State EdWatch - Education Week: ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution by Andrew Ujifusa The way the American Legislative Exchange Council, the controversial conservative think tank in Washington, has handled the Common Core State Standards has generated an interesting conflict in the education community. Some who have dealings with ALEC believe the common standards could mean progress for K-12 schools, but others involved in the group believe the standards represent the camel's nose in the tent and a prelude to greater federal ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm: Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm by Mike Klonsky It would be hilarious if it wasn't so tragic. It's not only the low point of this once-progressive governor's career, it is characteristic of the buffoonery that marks state Democrats' attack on public employees' pensions and on their own political base. Of course I'm referring to Gov. "Squeezy's" pet python and his "grass-roots" campaign to "reform" the pension fund. It all makes me wonder, first why are we taxpayers footing the bill for this crap? And second, what i... more »

UPDATE: Students Clash at UC Davis Gaza Protest « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Students Clash at UC Davis Gaza Protest « Student Activism: Gaza Demonstrations at More Than a Dozen US Campuses by Angus Johnston Students have held demonstrations in connection with the Israeli assault on Gaza at more than a dozen campuses — some in support of the Palestinians, some in support of Israel. What follows is a list of the demonstrations I’ve been able to learn of through the media. Presumably many more have occurred that haven’t received press coverage. *Monday* - Cornell - Florida State - Purdue - University of California Davis - University of Massachus... more »

Modern School: Charter School Enrollment Rising Rapidly

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Modern School: Charter School Enrollment Rising Rapidly: Charter School Enrollment Rising Rapidly by Michael Dunn Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons Between the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years, the number of students enrolled in charter schools rose by nearly 13%, to just over two million students nationwide, according to a new report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. 110 school districts across the nation have at least 10% of their students enrolled in charter schools, 16 more than last year. New Orleans leads the nation with 70% of its students enrolled in charte... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE: The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE OP-ED BY ELANA EDEN AND MARGARET HARDY IN THE DAILY CALIFORNIAN - THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF U.C. BERKELEY |HTTP://BIT.LY/S8BYEMTuesday, November 20, 2012 :: Lately, my friends have been asking me: “Proposition 30 just passed… so why mobilize?” In the relief following a narrow escape from a 20.3 percent fee hike, it seems like a reasonable question... more »

Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system | Hechinger Report: Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system by Sarah Garland The new teacher evaluation system Louisiana launched this fall may be too simplistic, according to the architect of one of the most widely used evaluation systems in the country – and the one on which Louisiana’s new system is based. 4th grader Noah Nafziger finds a quiet place to read during breakout groups in Lora Johnson’s class at George Cox Elementary School in Gretna, La. Thursday, Oct... more »

President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline | Get Schooled: President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline by Maureen Downey John Konop steered me to this *article from MSN.com on the compelling education policy challenges facing President Obama and Congress.* Seems like a lot to get done, some of which has to be done in a matter of weeks. Here is an excerpt but try to read the full piece before commenting:** …First up is sequestration, the auto... more »

Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading. by Nancy Flanagan When my kids--now young adults--were in elementary grades, their school participated in Pizza Hut's *Book It*program. The idea was to promote reading by giving kids coupons for free individual pizzas if they read a specific number of books, or were the "top" readers in their classes. Whole classes got pizza parties for reading the greatest number of books. Teachers and principal ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed": Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed" by stlgretchen Common Core explained: Common Sense not allowed. Comments today are reprinted with permission from Barry Garelick. *Garelick has written extensively about math education in various publications including Education Next, Educational Leadership, and Education News. He is currently doing student teaching at a junior high school in the central coast area of California, and plans to teach math as his s... more »

Schools Matter: The Cucumber Austerity of Teaching: Merit Pay and Grapes

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Schools Matter: The Cucumber Austerity of Teaching: Merit Pay and Grapes: The Cucumber Austerity of Teaching: Merit Pay and Grapes by P. L. Thomas This isn't dystopian fiction, but it certainly could be. Nancy Flanagan led (by way of Twitter) me and Jersey Jazzman to this wonderful and chilling video of monkeys confronting the concept of fairness: 2 Monkeys Were Paid Unequally; See What Happens Next I agree with Jersey Jazzman that this video makes me think of how teachers are being treated under the Arne Duncan era of austerity in education, how Duncan/Obama have been pulled int... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-20-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Credit-Rating Agency: Charter Schools Are Risky Investment by dianerav Well, we are into big-time business talk about education. For-profit colleges are losing market share. K12 Inc.’s stock price drops after Wells Fargo downgraded its rating in response to the poor performance of K12′s Colorado Virtual Academy, where the graduation rate is 22 percent. Now a rating agency finds that despite the passage of an ALEC-style amendment in Georgia, allowing a Democracy for Sale? by dianerav Somebody is dumping a lo... more »

Iowa’s Plan for Education Success–Assess, Assess, Assess | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Iowa’s Plan for Education Success–Assess, Assess, Assess | Truth in American Education: Iowa’s Plan for Education Success–Assess, Assess, Assess by Shane Vander Hart [image: image]There is nothing earth shattering in the Iowa Department of Education’s latest report entitled “Overcoming the Achievement Divide: Key Challenges and Solutions for Iowa Schools.” It’s main goal is to address the news that Iowa is stagnant in seeing growth in math and reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). They are using the following qualifiers for the selection of programs... more »

Walker Implicated « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Walker Implicated « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Walker Implicated by millerlf *Prosecutors: Walker county staff, guv campaign met regularly to ensure ‘good coordination’* 11/19/2012 Wispolitics.comMILWAUKEE — Prosecutors today said Scott Walker had regular meetings with his Milwaukee County staffers and his 2010 guv campaign to ensure there was “good coordination” between the two. Milwaukee County prosecutors made the disclosure during the sentencing of Kelly Rindfleisch, a former Walker county aide who reached a plea deal to settle charges against her stemming fro... more »

Beyond Bloomberg: On The 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Beyond Bloomberg: On The 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education | The Jose Vilson: Beyond Bloomberg: On The 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education by Jose Blackboard Awards on the 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education Tonight, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Blackboard Awards’ 2013 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Education at the Fordham Law School, moderated by Philissa Cramer of GothamSchools and Lindsey Christ of NY1, Time Warner Cable’s main New York City news station. Five out of the six main mayoral candidates (City Council Speaker of the House Christine Qu... more »

Fiscal cliff, with federal cuts, not imminent for school districts | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Fiscal cliff, with federal cuts, not imminent for school districts | EdSource Today: Fiscal cliff, with federal cuts, not imminent for school districts ** November 20th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services For California’s K-12 districts and federally funded preschools, the “fiscal cliff” that is now consuming politics in Washington is more like a distant canyon. [image: (Photo by Juan Pablo Garnham)] (Photo by Juan Pablo Garnham) The abyss refers to an across-the-board 8.2 percent cut... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 11-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* The first mayoral debate on education! by Leonie Haimson This afternoon, the first debate on education among the mayoral candidates took place, hosted by Manhattan Media. The candidates included two Bills, one Tom, one John and one Christine, absent Scott Stringer, given his announcement today that he will run for City Comptroller instead. The consensus among most of the observers I talked to afterwards is that the candidates did not distinguish themselves much from one another on the hot-button issues. Also, despite the best eff... more »

School Exclusion Policies Stigmatize Arrested Teens and Contribute to Educational Failure, - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
School Exclusion Policies Stigmatize Arrested Teens and Contribute to Educational Failure, - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: School Exclusion Policies Stigmatize Arrested Teens and Contribute to Educational Failure, November 19, 2012 at 5:04 pm by Jonathan Kantrowitz [image: Comment] Comments | [image: Email] E-mail | [image: Print] Print [image: Jonathan Kantrowitz]“Zero- tolerance” policies that rely heavily on suspensions and expulsions hinder teens who have been arrested from completing high school or pursuing a college degree, according to a new study from The Universit... more »

“SQUEEZY – THE PENSION PYTHON” « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
“SQUEEZY – THE PENSION PYTHON” « Teachers Fight Back: “SQUEEZY – THE PENSION PYTHON” by alkleen *Squeezy and Wheezie (Gov. Quinn?)* Oh my ! Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, you are a hoot. All of you must go to the Governor’s new pension publicity website, www.thisismyillinois.com. Did you see the governor when he announced the new site ? There he was surrounded on stage by over a dozen children. There were the posters of the children, saying, ” thanks in advance”. Why the children, you might ask ? Didn’t you know this pension issue is about saving the future of our children her... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News from Around the Country

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed News from Around the Country: Ed News from Around the Country by Melissa Westbrook I'm finally catching up on some backreading on education issues. Arne Duncan. According to this article in Ed Week on the first speech Secretary Duncan has made since the re-election of President Obama, it appears he will stay on if asked. His priorities? *In his first major postelection remarks, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that he will use his second term to continue to leverage education improvement at the state and local levels, with a new ... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - Be part of Documentary of Student Loan Debt

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
OCCUPY EDUCATION - Be part of Documentary of Student Loan Debt: Be part of Documentary of Student Loan Debt Be part of Documentary of Student Loan Debt

Walker Announces Voucher Expansion at California Speech « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Walker Announces Voucher Expansion at California Speech « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Walker Announces Voucher Expansion at California Speech by millerlf Scott Walker is ready to take another step on his mission to privatize public education in the state of Wisconsin. He announced his plans to expand the voucher program for private schools while limiting funding for public schools, including technical colleges and the University of Wisconsin System. Walker recently exposed his plans while speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. Following... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Charterism Consumes Camden

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Charterism Consumes Camden: Charterism Consumes Camden by Duke The perks keep flowing to charter schools in Camden: As part of the $175 million state takeover fund given to Camden in 2002, $7 million was set aside for business lease grants to stimulate business growth throughout the city. So far, less than $3 million of the business grants has been spent, *the most recent and largest chunk to date being $495,990 to the nonprofit support group for the Knowledge A to Z (KATZ) Academy Charter School. * [...] At least one Camden board member has questioned her peers... more »

All Education Matters: SpareChange: Are There Viable Possibilities Now for Student Loan Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
All Education Matters: SpareChange: Are There Viable Possibilities Now for Student Loan Reform: SpareChange: Are There Viable Possibilities Now for Student Loan Reform by Cryn Johannsen Thanks to* Spare Change News* for inviting me to write an op-ed after the election results. This piece offers 9 solutions to solving the student lending crisis (mind you, that's the short list). Here's the piece in its *entirety*, and below is a snippet: It’s hard to avoid the clichรฉd statement—and every pundit has been saying it over and over again—this was truly an historic election. Not only wa... more »

Voters have spoken: No corporate school reform in Bridgeport! | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Voters have spoken: No corporate school reform in Bridgeport! | Parents Across America: Voters have spoken: No corporate school reform in Bridgeport! by pureparents By Wendy Lecker Originally published on November 18, 2012 in the Stamford Advocate In this age of instantaneous global communication, it is incredible that a simple message sent by voters in Bridgeport has not reached leaders in Hartford, just 50 miles away. On Nov. 6, a rare event in modern politics occurred: democracy prevailed over money. Average citizens defeated a Bridgeport charter revision proposal backed by a... more »

Schooled by experts Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Schooled by experts: Schooled by experts by admin This morning I attended an excellent symposium on a variety of education issues presented by CReATE (Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education), the nearly two-year-old group of 100 Chicago-area academic experts who have already created some excellent resources to help parents, community groups, students and others to better understand the truth about corporate school reform. CReATE’s first effort was a paper called “Chicago School Reform: Myths, R... more »

Open Letter to PWCS About CIP and Enrollment « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Open Letter to PWCS About CIP and Enrollment « PWC Education Reform Blog: Open Letter to PWCS About CIP and EnrollmentNovember 19, 2012 — pwceducationreform Tomorrow night the PWC School Board will participate in a work session on student enrollment and new school construction / expansion / renovation. The public is allowed to attend the meetings. The meeting will not be televised, and, as far as I can tell, there is no plan for minutes to be made available to the public. Below are the issues I’d like to see addressed and questions I’d like to have answered. If there are additi... more »

UPDATE: ConnCAN, StudentsFirst and Corporate Education Reformers roll out new Connecticut “pro-reform” blog? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
ConnCAN, StudentsFirst and Corporate Education Reformers roll out new Connecticut “pro-reform” blog? - Wait, What?: In Greenwich, Malloy throws “heavy support behind the charter school movement” by jonpelto Categories: - Achievement First/ConnCAN - Charter Schools - Education - Malloy Tags: Achievement FirstCharter SchoolsConnCANMalloy At last week’s ConnCAN Block Party, in Greenwich (go figure), Governor Malloy “spoke about the dismal graduation rate in urban districts where he purportedly told the crowd that on average, four in 10 students never receive a diploma…”... more »

On the Rise of Pearson Coalition for Public Education/Coaliciรณn por la Educaciรณn Pรบblica

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coaliciรณn por la Educaciรณn Pรบblica: On the Rise of Pearson *(oh, and following the money)* *A long post that is worth a read here on the rise and influence of Pearson and corporate influence in education reform. Take pause, friends. Take pause but feel free to share and post comments here. Thoughts?* *The Pearson Monopoly * Jennifer Job, *UNC Chapel Hill* If you haven’t heard of Pearson, perhaps you have heard of one of the publishers they own, like Adobe, Scott Foresman, Penguin, Longman, Wharton, Harcourt, Puffin, Prentice Hall, or Allyn & Bacon... more »

If you want better schools, rural or otherwise, improve motivation and discipline of students | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
If you want better schools, rural or otherwise, improve motivation and discipline of students | Get Schooled: If you want better schools, rural or otherwise, improve motivation and discipline of students by Maureen Downey *My blog entry on rural schools,* prompted by an *AJC Sunday story on rural education in Georgia*, spurred a lot of comments, including this email from retired educator and school head Dennis Brown of Villa Rica. (I have shared other *responses by Brown on teacher quality*.) Here is his latest: There is always a need for more great teachers in the classroom. But... more »

Diane in the Evening 11-19-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Help This Small Community By Signing Its Petition by dianerav The town of Scottsburg, Indiana, has fewer than 10,000 residents. There is a proposal before the City Council to open a charter school. This will split the town. Some public school parents have started a petition to ask the City Council and the Mayor not to open a charter Why Local School Boards Are Targeted for Destruction by dianerav A local school board in Florida rejected the application of a for-profit charter operator. The board said they had had a bad experience with the last charter scho... more »

Critical Scholars Project @ Critical Theories in the 21st Century: "The Dictatorship of the Marketplace," and Academia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Critical Scholars Project @ Critical Theories in the 21st Century: "The Dictatorship of the Marketplace," and Academia: "The Dictatorship of the Marketplace," and Academia by P. L. Thomas The second annual Critical Theories in the 21st Century conference did not unfold like the scripted plot arc traditional literature instruction teaches students about Shakespearean plays. If it had, the day would have peaked during the lunchtime performance of Hip Hop Psychology, and from there, the ideas would have worked themselves out into a nice and tidy denouement. Instead, the day ended ... more »

U.S. Department of Education Releases Early Snapshot of School Improvement Grants Data | U.S. Department of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
U.S. Department of Education Releases Early Snapshot of School Improvement Grants Data | U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Department of Education Releases Early Snapshot of School Improvement Grants Data NOVEMBER 19, 2012 *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov The U.S. Department of Education today released an early snapshot of student performance data at schools that have received federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) program funds, a key component of the Department’s blueprint for helping states and districts turn around the nation’s lowest-performing sch... more »

INSPIRE 2013: The First NISCE Conference on Student-Centered Education — National Institute for Student-Centered Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
INSPIRE 2013: The First NISCE Conference on Student-Centered Education — National Institute for Student-Centered Education: [image: National Institute for Student-Centered Education] INSPIRE 2013: The First NISCE Conference on Student-Centered Education SAVE THE DATEINSPIRE 2013 *The First NISCE Conference on Student-Centered Education* Friday, April 5, 2013 • Boston, MA Hilton Boston (Logan Airport) Student-centered education is both broad and deep in theory and in practice. From the many challenges of teaching students as individuals, to the neurological milestones of human develo... more »

From Michigan, Rephorm Turducken | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
From Michigan, Rephorm Turducken | EduShyster: From Michigan, Rephorm Turducken by edushyster2012 Reader: an idea for how to rescue our union-stifled public schools is generated roughly every 3.5 seconds. Most of these edu-ideas are almost nonsensically bad. Still, there is a special category of edu-idea so catastrophically ill-informed, so stuffed with rephorminess and drenched with what the French call *sauce privatisation* that deserves our attention today. I give you rephorm turducken. Lest you think that such a creature exists only in edu-mythology, I present to you exhibit A:... more »

Why some conservatives oppose vouchers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Why some conservatives oppose vouchers: Why some conservatives oppose vouchers Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 19, 2012 at 11:59 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: Andrew J. Coulson] I had an interesting e-mail conversation with Andrew Coulson, director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom. The Cato Institute is a Washington D.C.-based public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peac... more »

Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out:The Consequences | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out:The Consequences | Seattle Education: Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out:The Consequences Posted on November 19, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment *The Consequences* As long as policy and funding are determined by test results, we will be dealing with the consequences. There is the narrowing of focus to math and reading and less focus on history, social studies, the arts, foreign languages, writing, physical education, or developing research and critical thinking skills. The emphasis on test scores precludes looking more ... more »

Louisiana Educator: School Closings Not the Answer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Louisiana Educator: School Closings Not the Answer: School Closings Not the Answer by Michael Deshotels Another elementary school (Delmont Elementary School) in East Baton Rouge Parish is being recommended for closing due to lack of academic improvement. The school had been reconstituted with a new principal and faculty just before the beginning of the last school session and has already been demonstrating several indications that it was well on its way to improving. Such indications included enthusiastic support from parents and children. But the LEAP scores (in less than one ye... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Who is Paying in Washington State?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Who is Paying in Washington State?: Who is Paying in Washington State? by Melissa Westbrook Following up on Charlie's post about Crosscut's article on how business says it cares about public education, here's more input from The Stranger Slog. David Goldstein has been laying out the case against the levy swap for our school districts and the supplied graphic says it all. *King County, with roughly 29 percent of the state population, produced 42 percent of state tax revenues, yet it received back less than 26 percent of state benefits. That's a ret... more »








Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-15-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-14-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-13-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-12-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-11-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 11-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

 

Diane in the Evening 11-20-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:




More Charters Headed for Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. Is about to get a bunch of additional charters.
Nexus Academy, part of Pearson’s Connections Academy, wants to open a school.
So does K12, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Its stock price dropped this week after news 


Expose of Charter Corruption in The New Republic

Timothy Noah, a senior editor of The New Republic, has written a stunning expose of charter school corruption. He begins with Arizona, where the laws are so lax that self-dealing by charter executives is the rule, not the exception. Noah points out that 90 percent of charter operators are exempt from state laws requiring competitive bidding. The state has never withdrawn an exemption.
Noah bases his observations about Arizona’s Wild West of charters on investigative reporting by Anne Ryman of the Arizona Republic.
He quotes from Ryman’s article:
“The schools’ purchases from their own officials,” Ryman writes, “range from curriculum and business consulting to land leases and transportation services. A handful of non-profit schools outsource most of their operations to a 


Please Vote: Was Portland, Oregon, Right to Pass Up Race to the Top?

A reader sent us a link to a poll in the Portland Oregonian.
The question is whether the Portland Public Schools were right to pass up applying to get the federal funding.
Good for Portland!
Maybe the school system figured out that the money is not discretionary and that the mandates that come with


America’s Favorite Parlour Game?

What is America’s favorite parlour game?
If you are talking about the average American, I don’t know though I would guess that parlour games have been replaced by watching TV.
However, if you are talking about the wonks in conservative think tanks, a rare breed to be sure, I will share their secret: they are obsessed with trying to understand how their idol, Tony Bennett, got beat at the polls.
He had everything going for him: the nation’s leading advocate of privatization. Chair of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs fo





MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-20-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

What’s the Matter With Kids Today? | toteachornototeach

What’s the Matter With Kids Today? | toteachornototeach:


What’s the Matter With Kids Today?

What’s the Matter With Kids Today?
by Evan Shapiro

There is a perception among many in my cohort and among my elders that the generation currently coming of age — aka Millennials — are an entitled bunch of slacker know-it-alls who expect to get medals for just showing up. For numerous GenXers and Boomers, this disdain goes beyond stereotype and into specific, vehement bias against the entire generation.
Many of my friends in the media industry, whose staff and customer bases are comprised of large percentages of Millennials, cannot contain or conceal their utter contempt for what they see as a universal presumptuousness among the 20-30 years olds with whom they are forced to deal. It’s not unusual to hear things like “Even the nice 

Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio

Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio:


Needed: STEM education for Marco Rubio

A few years ago Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, put out a 12-point plan that he posited would improve public education. (One item, to give you a sense of the list, was a federal corporate income tax credit to boost “school choice.”) This was Idea No. 7:
  Overcome The Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics Crisis. A focus on the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects will ensure that America remains highly competitive in the global market. Systemic reform with school choice, virtual learning and opportunity scholarships will allow STEM-focused students to study the critical subject areas that will help them succeed in our economy. If those students wish to become teachers, regulatory hurdles should not dissuade them. Together, we can ensure that America has the teachers and 

Academic Performance Not Top Reason for High Dropout Rates | NewsTaco

Academic Performance Not Top Reason for High Dropout Rates | NewsTaco:


ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE NOT TOP REASON FOR HIGH DROPOUT RATES

By Hope Gillette, Voxxi
The data indicates the number one reason (23 percent) for high school  student drop out rates is lack of parental encouragement, followed closely by teenage pregnancy (21 percent) and poor attendance (17 percent). Tied for fourth place at 15 percent were reasons relating to academic performance, issues with mental health, and lack of interesting/motivating classes.
High school student drop outs in America
Of the 513 high school student drop outs surveyed, all between the ages of 19 and 35, researchers found one-third of them were employed, and of those, 46 percent felt they had no chance of advancement in their current positions.
“It’s certainly not surprising that almost half of young Americans without a high school diploma feel like their career prospects are on shaky ground,” survey spokesman and Everest College regional director of career services John 

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team


FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

New policy allows dagger-like objects on campus

The Jurupa Unified School District board of education on Nov. 19 approved a new district policy that will allow Sikh students to wear a kirpan to school but with strict restrictions. Under the new policy, parents agree to sign a statement that requires the kirpan — a daggerlike object that is a sacred article of faith — to be worn under clothing, to have the blade dulled, to be soldered or sewn into its sheath so it cannot be removed and to have a blade that is 2 1/2 inches or less.



Education Headlines

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Bible club sues district over meeting fees

The Buena Park School District has been targeted in a lawsuit that says school officials acted improperly when they refused to let a religion-themed organization meet on district property for free last year.

Long Beach USD board expected to ratify new teachers contract

The Long Beach Unified School District today is expected to ratify a new contract with its teachers union after nearly two years of negotiations.

New policy allows dagger-like objects on campus

The Jurupa Unified School District board of education on Nov. 19 approved a new district policy that will allow Sikh students to wear a kirpan to school but with strict restrictions. Under the new policy, parents agree to sign a statement that requires the kirpan — a daggerlike object that is a sacred article of faith — to be worn under clothing, to have the blade dulled, to be soldered or sewn into its sheath so it cannot be removed and to have a blade that is 2 1/2 inches or less.

Federal grant means more counselors at area schools

Three area elementary school districts recently received grants from the U.S. Department of Education to increase their counseling departments. Arcata Elementary and Fortuna Elementary school districts pulled in about $1.2 million apiece over the next three years, while Eureka City Schools received $1.1 million.

Fensterwald: Fiscal cliff, with federal cuts, not imminent for school districts

For California’s K-12 districts and federally funded preschools, the “fiscal cliff” that is now consuming politics in Washington is more like a distant canyon.

Study: More than half of LAUSD students overweight

Fewer than half of the Los Angeles Unified students have a healthy body composition and one in three are considered at risk of future medical problems, according to a new state study.
Monday, November 19, 2012

Hope Charter School petition denied

During its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Yreka Union School District (YUSD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to deny a petition for the establishment of Hope Charter School in Yreka.

Stockton USD plans to get jump on upcoming English, math standards

The state-mandated implementation of virtually national academic standards will begin in less than two years, and Stockton Unified took a step this week toward preparing for that moment.

Race to the Top funding could bring $30 million to North County schools

Three local school districts and a charter school have come together to apply for $30 million in federal grant money that’s part of the Race to the Top initiative many teachers unions have opposed.

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK:


LAO Report: The 2013-14 Budget - CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK


…your rose-colored-glasses are located in a compartment under the center armrest.

FROM THE 11/20 CCSA EMAIL TO THEIR MEMBERS:

 The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released its annual Fiscal Outlook last week, updating its projections on the state’s fiscal situation.  With the passage of Propositions 30 and 39, the LAO reports that “the budget situation has improved sharply” and that we can expect increases to Proposition 98 education funding in both the current year and in 2013-14, with steady increases of about $3 billion per year thereafter. 
The LAO suggests that this new funding could be used to begin paying off maintenance factor obligations and deferrals, provide Cost of Living Adjustments and equalize funding.    As a reminder, the Governor will issue his budget plan for 2013-14 in mid-January 2013.

The LAO Report: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

COMPLETE REPORT FOLLOWS

Budget Situation Has Improved Sharply.
The state’s economic recovery, prior budget cuts, and the additional, temporary taxes provided by Proposition 30 have combined to bring California to a promising moment: the possible end of a decade of acute state budget challenges.
Our economic and budgetary forecast indicates that California’s leaders face a dramaticallysmaller budget problem in 2013-14 compared to recent years. Furthermore, assuming steadyeconomic growth and restraint in augmenting current program funding 

ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution - State EdWatch - Education Week

ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution - State EdWatch - Education Week:


ALEC Votes Down Anti-Common-Core Resolution

The way the American Legislative Exchange Council, the controversial conservative think tank in Washington, has handled the Common Core State Standards has generated an interesting conflict in the education community. Some who have dealings with ALEC believe the common standards could mean progress for K-12 schools, but others involved in the group believe the standards represent the camel's nose in the tent and a prelude to greater federal intrusion in state and local education policy.
The latest news is that on Nov. 19, after several discussions over the past year and at least one postponed vote, ALEC's legislative board of directors has voted not to adopt the resolution opposing the common core, the group announced in an email. ALEC stated that it will remain "neutral" on the common core, "but will continue to 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm:


Gov. "Squeezy" and autocrat Rahm


It would be hilarious if it wasn't so tragic. It's not only the low point of this once-progressive governor's career, it is characteristic of the buffoonery that marks state Democrats' attack on public employees' pensions and on their own political base. Of course I'm referring to Gov. "Squeezy's" pet python and his "grass-roots" campaign to "reform" the pension fund.

It all makes me wonder, first why are we taxpayers footing the bill for this crap? And second, what idiot on the gov's staff ingested enough drugs to come up with Squeezy? As I said the day Quinn was chased out of the state fair by thousands of pissed-off union members down in Springfield -- he's toast.

******
The school board appointment means that two former CPS principals — Azcoitia and Mahalia 

UPDATE: Students Clash at UC Davis Gaza Protest « Student Activism

Students Clash at UC Davis Gaza Protest « Student Activism:


Gaza Demonstrations at More Than a Dozen US Campuses

Students have held demonstrations in connection with the Israeli assault on Gaza at more than a dozen campuses — some in support of the Palestinians, some in support of Israel. What follows is a list of the demonstrations I’ve been able to learn of through the media. Presumably many more have occurred that haven’t received press coverage.
Monday
Friday
Thursday



Students Clash at UC Davis Gaza Protest

Several dozen students briefly occupied Dutton Hall, an administration building on the University of California Davis campus, yesterday afternoon in protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza. The protest came one day after the first anniversary of last year’s notorious pepper-spraying of UC Davis activists by campus police.
According to the California Aggie, the UC Davis student newspaper, tempers flared between protesters and pro-Israel students at the occupation in two separate incidents.
The paper says that when demonstrators saw one student recording the action on her camera phone they 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE:


The privatization of the University of California: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EDUCATION MUST CONTINUE


OP-ED BY ELANA EDEN AND MARGARET HARDY IN THE DAILY CALIFORNIAN  - THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF U.C. BERKELEY |HTTP://BIT.LY/S8BYEM

Tuesday, November 20, 2012  ::  Lately, my friends have been asking me: “Proposition 30 just passed… so why mobilize?” In the relief following a narrow escape from a 20.3 percent fee hike, it seems like a reasonable question. As the pre-election panic subsides and we return to our schoolwork exhausted but reassured that we’re safe from a fee hike — at least for now — it’s difficult to acknowledge that the fight for public education is far from over.
But the privatization of the university doesn’t stop for elections. We may have averted a fee hike this year, but the UC Board of Regents is already discussing one for next year. At its meeting last week, the Board of Regents passed its new budget proposal, which could lead to an estimated 6 percent increase in 2013-14 undergraduate tuition if the state is unable to provide equivalent funding, as well as fee 

Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system | Hechinger Report

Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system | Hechinger Report:


Teacher evaluation architect warns of lawsuits against Louisiana’s new system

The new teacher evaluation system Louisiana launched this fall may be too simplistic, according to the architect of one of the most widely used evaluation systems in the country – and the one on which Louisiana’s new system is based.
4th grader Noah Nafziger finds a quiet place to read during breakout groups in Lora Johnson’s class at George Cox Elementary School in Gretna, La. Thursday, October 18, 2012. In 2010 the Louisiana Legislature passed Teacher Evaluation Reform. Now it’s rolling out across Louisiana with local schools grappling with how to carry out the intense new requirements. The program, called Compass, consists of a two part annual evaluation, 50% based on observation by the principal and 50% on student performance. A designation of ineffective 

President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline | Get Schooled

President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline | Get Schooled:


President Obama, Congress face ticking education time bombs: Fiscal cliff, college costs and student loan deadline

John Konop steered me to this article from MSN.com on the compelling education policy challenges facing President Obama and Congress.
Seems like a lot to get done, some of which has to be done in a matter of weeks.
Here is an excerpt but try to read the full piece before commenting:
…First up is sequestration, the automatic, government-wide spending cuts set to knock out 8.2 percent of the funding to almost all of the Education Department’s programs — unless Congress acts before the end of the year to avert the cuts.
Programs intended to reduce educational inequities will take a hit of $1.3 billion, according to the 

Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:


Racing, Striving, Accelerating, Winning, Yada, Yada. And Reading.

When my kids--now young adults--were in elementary grades, their school participated in Pizza Hut's Book Itprogram. The idea was to promote reading by giving kids coupons for free individual pizzas if they read a specific number of books, or were the "top" readers in their classes. Whole classes got pizza parties for reading the greatest number of books. Teachers and principal were solidly behind the program, promising public recognition for kids who read the most, silly adult stunts and assemblies if all classes achieved certain goals.
My daughter was immediately down with the Book It concept, strategically selecting and plowing through books to stay a volume or two ahead her classroom competitors. Soon, I was signing off on a dozen or more books per day--easy, short books--to keep her in the running for "best" reader. The free pizza coupons were piling up on the counter. It never was about the pizza, however. It was about the chart on the wall, where students tallied up their 

Missouri Education Watchdog: Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed"

Missouri Education Watchdog: Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed":


Now Common Core is not only "State Led" it's Also "Teacher Designed"


Common Core explained:  Common Sense not allowed.


Comments today are reprinted with permission from Barry Garelick.  

Garelick has written extensively about math education in various publications including Education Next, Educational Leadership, and Education News. He is currently doing student teaching at a junior high school in the central coast area of California, and plans to teach math as his second career. He recently retired from the federal government.

He writes:

Stockton CA school district talks about Common Core. 

Here are some gems:

"Most significantly, Stockton Unified Assistant Superintendent Kirk Nicholas said, under the new approach student success will be measured less by their ability to recite facts than by