BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
Jersey Jazzman: Do We Remember Heroes For Their Test Scores?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Do We Remember Heroes For Their Test Scores?: Do We Remember Heroes For Their Test Scores? by Duke Vicki Leigh Soto was a true hero: First-grade teacher Vicki Leigh Soto, 27 years old, died trying to protect the children she loved, her cousin Jim Wiltsie said. When the gunfire started on Friday morning, she gathered her students and tried to hide them in a classroom closet, officials told her family. “In doing so, she put herself between the kids and the gunman’s bullets,” said Mr. Wiltsie, who is a police officer. “That is how she was found. Huddled with her ch... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Do We Remember Heroes For Their Test Scores?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Do We Remember Heroes For Their Test Scores?: Do We Remember Heroes For Their Test Scores? by Duke Vicki Leigh Soto was a true hero: First-grade teacher Vicki Leigh Soto, 27 years old, died trying to protect the children she loved, her cousin Jim Wiltsie said. When the gunfire started on Friday morning, she gathered her students and tried to hide them in a classroom closet, officials told her family. “In doing so, she put herself between the kids and the gunman’s bullets,” said Mr. Wiltsie, who is a police officer. “That is how she was fo... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-16-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Reflections from Readers, 13 by dianerav I am really proud of the teachers at that school. Parents and authorities are saying that their quick thinking and bravery saved other students who may have been killed as well. Reflections from Readers, 12 by dianerav I really am amazed how inadequate our support systems are, especially for our “troubled” students. The guidance counselor would “fit my students” into their schedule. Sometimes that was just a few times a month. And these are children who needed pro... more »
James Causey Gets It Right On Residency « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
James Causey Gets It Right On Residency « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: James Causey Gets It Right On Residency by millerlf *Repeal would weaken city when middle-class residents move* James Causey MJS 12/15/12 Ending Milwaukee’s residency law may not turn the city into Wisconsin’s Detroit, but it won’t help a city that is already ranked as one of the poorest and most segregated in the nation. The middle class provides the backbone that keeps cities such as ours strong. But some Republicans don’t see that. And since they will control both houses of the Legislature com... more »
Sun Sentinel to Tony Bennett: Don’t Position Yourself As An Ideologue | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Sun Sentinel to Tony Bennett: Don’t Position Yourself As An Ideologue | Scathing Purple Musings: Sun Sentinel to Tony Bennett: Don’t Position Yourself As An Ideologue by Bob Sikes The editors of the *Sun Sentinel *have a bullet list of suggestions for incoming education commissioner Tony Bennett: *Seek* to end the polarization. Listen hard to local school administrators, teachers and parents. Where it makes sense, be their champion. Solve problems. Don’t position yourself as an ideologue. Find common ground where we can all agree that change makes sense. Start there. *Don’t* ma... more »
Daily Kos: When will we ever learn . . . .
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Daily Kos: When will we ever learn . . . .: When will we ever learn . . . . by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) credit where it is due - A Timeline of mass shootings in the US since Columbine, a Thing Progress piece by Aviva Shen. That piece is worth saving. Most of my information is from that article. Here are the basics. 4/20/99 was Columbine, where the shooters killed 13 and wounded 21 before taking their own lives Here are the rest. I refuse to dignify the shooters by mentioning their names. 7/29/99 Atlanta. Shooter killed 12 including his family, injured 13, then committe... more »
Speaking about the Unspeakable | Connected Principals
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Speaking about the Unspeakable | Connected Principals: Speaking about the Unspeakable by sleibowitz There was a time, before Columbine, when school shootings were unimaginable; the very definition of an evil so unspeakable as to be in our minds essentially impossible. I have never forgotten the seriousness with which my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Jackson, defined “evil”. An educator nearing the end of her career, Mrs. Jackson captivated my imagination with the detail, nuance, and emotion with which she conveyed tales of how her family survived the Great Depression. She often had s... more »
Massive new surveillance program uncovered by Wall Street Journal - San Jose Mercury News
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Massive new surveillance program uncovered by Wall Street Journal - San Jose Mercury News: Massive new surveillance program uncovered by Wall Street Journal By Ryan Gallagher, Slate Posted: 12/13/2012 02:53:25 PM PST Updated: 12/13/2012 04:18:31 PM PST When a former senior White House official describes a nationwide surveillance effort as “breathtaking,” you know civil liberties activists are preparing for a fight. The *Wall Street Journal* reported today that the little-known National Counterterrorism Center, based in an unmarked building in McLean, Va., has been granted sweepi... more »
Ed Notes Online: Chicago Teachers Say: Tell the Fat Cats: Get Your Paws Off Our Public Schools
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Chicago Teachers Say: Tell the Fat Cats: Get Your Paws Off Our Public Schools: Chicago Teachers Say: Tell the Fat Cats: Get Your Paws Off Our Public Schools by ed notes online Could you see the UFT putting on an event like this when they themselves are fat cats? [image: Chicago Teachers Union] Defending Our Schools Click here to RSVPTell the Fat Cats: Get Your Paws Off Our Public Schools [image: Rowdy Rauner and the Litterbox Crew caricatures from the Stand Up to the Fat Cats video. Names: Rowdy Rauner, the Rahminator, Bill the Fence, Penny Pincher, Kochta Brothe... more »
Michelle Rhee Never Misses an Opportunity To Exploit a Tragedy southbronxschool.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Michelle Rhee Never Misses an Opportunity To Exploit a Tragedy by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The news trickled throughout my school yesterday at the horrors that had befallen the students, the teachers, the parents, and the community in Newtown CT. As a father I cannot imagine what the parents of the children who perished are going through. When I got home I immediately went online to scour the news sites to catch myself up on information that had been lagging. Then the cynical side of me took over. I wondered to myself which educational d... more »
Oh no, we don’t talk about that! now shhh…. « Cooperative Catalyst
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Oh no, we don’t talk about that! now shhh…. « Cooperative Catalyst: Oh no, we don’t talk about that! now shhh…. by Jabreel Chisley Over the past few years, public discussion, and outrage over the blatant patterns of ethical and immoral misconduct in our nation’s schools have seemingly went untouched by some of the blogospheres most relevant education bloggers. From teenage girls being forced out of school because of unwed pregnancies, to Gay, Trans, and Lesbian students being openly humiliated, to schools (charter, public, and voucher) using evasive tactics to control populations... more »
Daily Kos: Because we are teachers
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Daily Kos: Because we are teachers: Because we are teachers by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) we take seriously that the first charge we have is to keep our students safe. At Columbine a coach, William David Sanders, was shot when he went out into the dangerous area probably to try to warn more students. At Virginia Tech Prof. G. V. Loganathan was shot before his students were, and Professor Liviu Librescu, an Israeli Holocaust survivor, forcibly held the door to keep Cho out so his students could escape from the danger, himself dying for his troubles with shots through the door. A... more »
Is the Love Affair With Data Driven Public Policy Cooling Off? | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Is the Love Affair With Data Driven Public Policy Cooling Off? | toteachornototeach: Is the Love Affair With Data Driven Public Policy Cooling Off? by aristotlethewise *Is the Love Affair With Data Driven Public Policy Cooling Off?* [image: 06hargreaves] by Marc Epstein The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882) When historians and political scientists look back on the first decade of this century I suspect they’ll spend a fair amount of time explaining why politicians, enamored of data driven “reforms,” bypassed the democra... more »
Leader’s Response to School Tragedy – A Sample Family Letter | Connected Principals
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Leader’s Response to School Tragedy – A Sample Family Letter | Connected Principals: Leader’s Response to School Tragedy – A Sample Family Letter by Joe Mazza Without a doubt, students, staff & families are going to come in Monday morning talking about the events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. Feel free to use this letter with your own school and perspective in mind to identify what steps you might take in proactive school safety initiatives. Embedded within the letter are efforts of one of my favorite parenting experts Dr. @MicheleBorba, as she provided some great 140 ch... more »
“Teach for America” aimed at San Diego Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
“Teach for America” aimed at San Diego Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com: “Teach for America” aimed at San DiegoPeace Corps approach targets needy schools, but some are wary SAN DIEGO — Teach for America, the nonprofit that trains and deploys college graduates to hard-to-staff schools, has set its sights on San Diego. The organization hopes to send up to 50 new teachers to high-need schools throughout San Diego County starting in the fall. The San Diego city school board approved the first local partnership with Teach for America last week. The arrangement allows the San Diego Unified S... more »
A Time to Reflect | Seattle Education
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
A Time to Reflect | Seattle Education: A Time to Reflect by seattleducation2011 “Violence is a disease, a disease that corrupts all who use it regardless of the cause.” Chris Hedges After going through the emotions that a parent goes through hearing about a child being hurt or killed, I began to think that the children in Newton, CT should not die in vain. It was ironic that after the first few reports about the shootings at the elementary school in this small, quiet town came out, the next news story would be about the Pentagon and their next warring tactics or how we were armi... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Oddities in BEX IV
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Oddities in BEX IV: Oddities in BEX IV by Melissa Westbrook Perusing the BEX IV presentation and then what was presented to the Mayor's Educational Leadership Team yesterday, I see some things that I don't understand. - BTA has been about major maintenance like roofs and yet there are five roofs to be replaced under BEX IV. That is troubling because BEX is about renovations and yet there are roofs and other "major preventative maintenance" under BEX IV. What is really troubling is the "major preventative maintenance" at $18M has... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Heros in Sandy Hook Elementary
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Heros in Sandy Hook Elementary: The Heros in Sandy Hook Elementary by Melissa Westbrook There has been a lot of name-calling and demonizing of teachers over the last few years. The teachers and those who represent them in the workplace - the teachers' union. *The teachers (and staff) at Sandy Hook saved lives. * Gave their own lives - standing between the shooter and the children - and died for those children. Young teachers, new teachers - all of them, right down the custodian. The Stranger Slog has this devastating interview with a firs... more »
PAA-Washington letter on new charter school law | Parents Across America
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
PAA-Washington letter on new charter school law | Parents Across America: PAA-Washington letter on new charter school law by pureparents Dec. 5, 2012 To Superintendent Dorn: Parents Across America of Washington State, the local chapters of the national organization dedicated to the preservation of public education, has concluded that Initiative 1240 is in violation of the Washington State Constitution on multiple counts. We therefore urge the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to pursue a legal challenge to I-1240, based on the following grounds: 1. I-... more »
Community confronts Hite at first closings forum | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Community confronts Hite at first closings forum | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Community confronts Hite at first closings forumby thenotebook on Dec 15 2012 ="" title="Facebook_like" href="http://thenotebook.org/blog/125441/community-confronts-hite-first-closings-forum#" style="text-decoration: initial; color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on email COMMENTS (0)EMAILPRINT *By Connie Langland* * * * * As it surely had to, the issue of safety surfaced as a major topic today at the first community forum on the District’s plan to close... more »
Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Ban assault weapons? “STFU.” « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Ban assault weapons? “STFU.” « Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Ban assault weapons? “STFU.” by Fred Klonsky [image: gty_rahm_emanuel_cc_120712_wblog] Back in July, ABC’s Jake Tapper reported on the role the *Rahmbastic* one played in getting the Obama administration to back off of the the assault weapons ban. Rahm, as we know, later left the White House and his role as Chief of Staff to become our mayor and on his watch see the murder rate sky-rocket. “Now Emanuel had his sights set on Holder. The attorney general had gotten off to a rocky start with t...more »
Daily Kos: An important column from Gail Collins
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Daily Kos: An important column from Gail Collins: An important column from Gail Collins by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Earl Wilson/The New York Times *Gail Collins* in today's *New York Times*, with the title Looking for America. My wife called it to my attention because it begins with someone I consider a close friend, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy: “I’m sorry,” said Representative Carolyn McCarthy, her voice breaking. “I’m having a really tough time.”She’s the former nurse from Long Island who ran for Congress in 1996 as a crusader against gun violence after her husband and son were... more »
Schools Matter: Guns Don't Kill People--Crazy People with Guns Kill People
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Schools Matter: Guns Don't Kill People--Crazy People with Guns Kill People: Guns Don't Kill People--Crazy People with Guns Kill People by Jim Horn From Kristof at NYTimes: By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF IN the harrowing aftermath of the school shooting in Connecticut, one thought wells in my mind: Why can’t we regulate guns as seriously as we do cars? The fundamental reason kids are dying in massacres like this one is not that we have lunatics or criminals — all countries have them — but that we suffer from a political failure to regulate guns. Children ages 5 to 14 in America are 13 times... more »
Why Florida’s Teachers and Schools Are About to Face a Smashmouth Legal Fight Over SB 736 | Scathing Purple Musings
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Why Florida’s Teachers and Schools Are About to Face a Smashmouth Legal Fight Over SB 736 | Scathing Purple Musings: Why Florida’s Teachers and Schools Are About to Face a Smashmouth Legal Fight Over SB 736 by Bob Sikes After alllllll that, alomost 97 perecnt of Florida teachers were rated effective or highly effective under SB 736. Word came yesterday in Jeff Solocheck’s *Gradebook *that the lawsuit filed by a group of teachers against SB 736 has hit a new roadblock: The latest twist on the case is that the state’s new lawyer is questioning whether the teachers who filed the ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Obama & Romney: Bad Schools Cause Gun Violence
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Obama & Romney: Bad Schools Cause Gun Violence: Obama & Romney: Bad Schools Cause Gun Violence by Duke *So, guys, what should we blame on teachers today?* Via digby (who else?), here is what the two major party candidates in the last presidential election said we should do about gun violence (all emphases mine): CROWLEY: Governor Romney, the question is about assault weapons, AK-47s. ROMNEY: Yeah, I'm not in favor of new pieces of legislation on — on guns and taking guns away or making certain guns illegal. We, of course, don't want to have automatic weapons, and ... more »
NEA - Student Death--The Empty Desk
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
NEA - Student Death--The Empty Desk: Lessons on Loss How a school community heals after a student dies. *By Cindy Long* Because it was Halloween, 16-year-old Melody Ross was dressed up in a Supergirl costume the night she was shot. She had just left the sold-out Woodrow Wilson High School homecoming football game in Long Beach, California, and was sitting shoulder to shoulder with friends on the school steps, chatting about their team’s loss. But before they could make their way inside for the big dance, gunfire erupted, sending hundreds running for cover. Witnesses say between fi... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Convicted Missouri Democrat Politician Jeff Smith Supports Supposedly Conservative Republican Jeb Bush...
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Convicted Missouri Democrat Politician Jeff Smith Supports Supposedly Conservative Republican Jeb Bush...: Convicted Missouri Democrat Politician Jeff Smith Supports Supposedly Conservative Republican Jeb Bush... by stlgretchen Former state Sen. Jeff Smith (center), D-St. Louis, exits the Thomas Eagleton Federal Courthouse on Tuesday after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Smith faces up to 20 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine for each count. (Matt Mitgang | Student Life) ...so what's the problem? Stop labeling all ... more »
NEA Reacts to School Shooting in Connecticut | NEA Today
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
NEA Reacts to School Shooting in Connecticut | NEA Today: NEA Reacts to School Shooting in Connecticut December 14, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Top Stories 2 Comments [image: Email][image: Share] *By Sara Robertson* On Friday, a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut and opened fire on students and staff, killing at least 26. It is the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. The shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007 resulted in the deaths of 32. “We join the Newtown community and our entire nation in mourning the deaths of innocent chi... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-15-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Today We Mourn by dianerav I had half a dozen interesting posts ready to go out today, but I decided it was inappropriate to return to business as usual after the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. I postponed them. So you won’t be getting another post today. This is a time to mourn, to reflect, to be still. It’s a time to think about the heroic staff at the school who reacted immediately to protect their students. It’s a time to think about the principal Dawn Hochsprung and the school psychologist... more »
Heroic teacher recounts hellish school shooting | The Raw Story
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Heroic teacher recounts hellish school shooting | The Raw Story: Heroic teacher recounts hellish school shooting by Agence France-Presse [image: A sign reads "God Bless the Families" near a home near the Sandy Hook School in Newtown on December 15, 2012 (AFP, Don Emmert)] Topics: Connecticut school shooting ♦ Kaitlin Roig ♦ Roig The 15 first graders cowered in a dark, barricaded bathroom as gunfire boomed outside, shot after shot after shot killing their classmates and teachers. Terrified as they were, their teacher played loving mother hen, even as she feared they — ages 6 and 7 ... more »
Daily Kos: A reflection on a sad Saturday morning
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Daily Kos: A reflection on a sad Saturday morning: A reflection on a sad Saturday morning by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) These reflections are a product of my being a classroom based teacher, now in a non-profit public charter school. I got the news when my spouse forwarded a news alert about the story. We had a professional development day, with no students. I shared the news alert with my principal, and later with the larger community. To say we were shocked is an understatement. We inspect the bags of our students coming in, and all adults not part of our community have t... more »
"Look for the Helpers" - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
"Look for the Helpers" - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: "Look for the Helpers" by Anthony Cody The atrocious details are coming through the fog of saturated news coverage. The teacher who ushered her students into closets before she was killed. The teacher who told her students that she loved them so that would be the last thing they were thinking about. The principal who ran towards the gun fire instead of to safety. On this day we are reminded that classroom teachers, staff and administrators are on the front lines with our children every day. They are witnesses t... more »
In California, Parents Trigger Change At Failing School | toteachornototeach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
In California, Parents Trigger Change At Failing School | toteachornototeach: In California, Parents Trigger Change At Failing School by aristotlethewise *In California, Parents Trigger Change At Failing School* [image: wont-back-down] by Claudio Sanchez Parents in one small California community have used a “parent-trigger” law for the first time to shut down and take over an elementary school. It’s a revolt led by parents who say the school has failed their children, but others say it’s not the school’s fault. The school is in tiny Adelanto, Calif., home to several prisons connected... more »
Sandy Hook Elementary principal’s recent tweets
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Sandy Hook Elementary principal’s recent tweets: Sandy Hook Elementary principal’s recent tweets Posted by Valerie Strauss on December 15, 2012 at 3:59 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Here are some of the recent tweets and retweets by Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School who was one of 28 people — including 20 children — killed in a rampage in Newtown, Conn., on Friday. (The total includes the shooter, who killed himself.) Charles Dumais@*charlesdumais* ... more »
Ed Notes Online: Reform UFT Dues, Hold UFT Leaders Accountable
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Reform UFT Dues, Hold UFT Leaders Accountable: Reform UFT Dues, Hold UFT Leaders Accountable by ed notes online *There are 3500 agency fee UFT members, people who refuse to join the union but must pay dues since NY State is not a right to work state.* That's a surprising number of people willing to give up basic union rights.* *Imagine if NY were a right to work state. If you think the right wing won't be coming to NY State at some point pushing right to work laws after their victory in Michigan you are not living in the real world. I know that we will probably n... more »
Top Content this Week - 12-15-12 The Educator's PLN
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: 1[image: Again; Relevance, Why Twitter?]Again; Relevance, Why Twitter? Added by Thomas Whitby on November 29, 2012 2[image: Digital Footprints- Your New First Impression]Digital Footprints- Your New First Impression Added by Steve Johnson on November 9, 2009 3[image: How to Ignite Passion in Your Students: 8 Ways Educators Can Foster Passion-Based Learning]How to Ignite Passion in Your Students: 8 Ways Educators Can Foster Passion-Based Learning Added by Tess Pajaron on October 12, 2012 4[image: Factors Influencing Student Use of Technolog...more »
Weekly Address: Nation Grieves for Those Killed in Tragic Shooting in Newtown, CT | The White House
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Weekly Address: Nation Grieves for Those Killed in Tragic Shooting in Newtown, CT | The White House: Weekly Address: Nation Grieves for Those Killed in Tragic Shooting in Newtown, CT by The White House On Friday, we learned that more than two dozen people were killed when a gunman opened fire in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Most of those who died were just young children with their whole lives ahead of them. And every parent in America has a heart heavy with hurt. Among the fallen were also teachers – men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children f... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates from School Shooting
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates from School Shooting: Updates from School Shooting by Melissa Westbrook - There were 20 children killed and six adults including the principal who, just last month, had tweeted a photo of their safety drill. Apparently she was a beloved and effective principal. *Ms. Hochsprung believed that many students engaged better with electronic screens than with blackboards, and she made sure her teachers had iPads in the classroom. Then, she organized “Appy Hour” sessions to discuss the most useful teaching apps. * * **She was no distant authorit... more »
Daily Kos: Mourn, Reflect, Act
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Daily Kos: Mourn, Reflect, Act: Mourn, Reflect, Act byplthomasEdDFollow1 Comments / 1 New I agree with Diane Ravitch who combines her intellect, her scholarship and her inspiring humanity in a blog today: "Today We Mourn." I have been a life-long teacher, and yesterday's killing of children and teachers was a burden I wasn't prepared for. Last night at dinner, the universe sent a very important gift my way. I was sitting at the bar with a friend eating and talking when a former student approached; we hugged, and then talked about those wonderful years she was in my class—among the... more »
Peg with Pen: Humanity
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Peg with Pen: Humanity: Humanity by Peggy Trying to move forward after yesterday. I've had many conversations with friends and family as we all try to figure out what to do, how to help when we feel helpless, how to grapple with fear, anger and absolute despair. I would be lying if I told you that I went to bed last night with any hope left in my soul. But then this morning I began to sift through my emails and my conversations with all the teachers I have spoken with and the word that continues to come forward is love. And then I think about our schools and the love, the heart, ... more »
One Teacher's Perspective: Rage and Guns
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
One Teacher's Perspective: Rage and Guns: Rage and Guns by Imagine Wisconsin *Today’s tragic school shooting in Connecticut reminds me of a time I wished I had a gun. When I was around 14 or 15, I stood by and watched a bully coldcock my younger brother in a random act of violence. I stood frozen about thirty yards away amongst some friends. The terrorist stood over my brother while I silently prayed, “Leave, leave, just leave.” He did. My mom arrived moments later to pick us up to find my brother nursing his head. I spilled the story with a rage I have rarely felt in my life. ... more »
These Are Some of the Heroes from Newtown - National - The Atlantic Wire
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
These Are Some of the Heroes from Newtown - National - The Atlantic Wire: These Are Some of the Heroes from Newtown by Connor Simpson As details emerge about what happened inside Sandy Hook Elementary Friday morning, we're beginning to be able to piece together a narrative, and see who was responsible for preventing any further harm. If it wasn't for these people -- big and small -- who contributed in different ways, the shooting could have been even worse. Some of the survived and some of them didn't, but what matters is they helped yesterday, and they deserve to be recognized f... more »
Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: A72YHFDCMAAjrYi] *Dawn Hochsprung. Principal at Sandy Hook. The Sandy Hook Book Fairy reads to first graders.* We woke to a gloomy Chicago morning. Ulysses and I took our morning walk in the dampness of a light drizzle that promises to turn to real rain and possible thunder later in the day. Uly doesn’t like thunder. What dog does? After the events of yesterday it would be a gloomy morning anyway Yet some sunshine would have helped. I tried to stay off the news yesterday. But in this world of social networkin... more »
Two Newtown Educators Went the Extra Mile for Students - NYTimes.com
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Two Newtown Educators Went the Extra Mile for Students - NYTimes.com: Two Newtown Educators Went the Extra Mile for Students by By SAM DOLNICK and MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM One dressed up in goofy costumes to make her students smile. Enlarge This Image Eliza Hallabeck/Newtown Bee, via Associated Press Dawn Hochsprung, 47, Sandy Hook’s principal, was killed. Related - Nation Reels After Gunman Massacres 20 Children at School in Connecticut (December 15, 2012) - ‘Who Would Do This to Our Poor Little Babies’ (December 15, 2012) - A Gunman, Recalled as Intelligent and Shy, Who Lef... more »
Daily Kos: Today we should remember the Bill of Rights
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Daily Kos: Today we should remember the Bill of Rights: Today we should remember the Bill of Rights by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) which on this date in 1791 went into effect when Virginia became the 10th of the then 14 states to ratify 10 of the original 12 proposed by the first Congress. It is worth remembering that without a commitment by Madison to a Bill of Rights, Virginia almost certainly would NOT have ratified the Constitution. After all, George Mason, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, had refused in Philadelphia to sign the Constitution precisely because i... more »
solidaridad: City Clerk Certifies Official List Of Candidates
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
solidaridad: City Clerk Certifies Official List Of Candidates: City Clerk Certifies Official List Of Candidates by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene [image: Robert D. Skeels, a Social Justice Schoolboard Candidate] [image: Ron Gochez: LA City Council District 9 Candidate, Robert D. Skeels: LAUSD District 2 Candidate]*2013 Primary Nominating Election* LOS ANGELES (December 14, 2012) — Los Angeles City Clerk June Lagmay released today the official list of 77 candidates who have qualified to appear on the ballot for the March 5, 2013 City of Los Angeles Primary Nominating Election. A rand... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Proud To Teach
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Proud To Teach: Proud To Teach by Duke Like every public school teacher in America, I have trained and drilled on my school's response to the unthinkable. I'm guessing I'm like most teachers: I've rolled my eyes a bit when the fire drill sounds right in the middle of my carefully crafted lesson. I mean, I know this is stuff is important, and I know we need to prepare for the worst, but I've got a concert coming up in two weeks! Do we really have to run a "Code Black" drill *now*? Seriously, what are the odds? Columbine was a once in a lifetime event... And so no... more »
Schools Matter: • Heavy science, math, technology focus in education: A good idea?
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schools Matter: • Heavy science, math, technology focus in education: A good idea?: • Heavy science, math, technology focus in education: A good idea? by skrashen Posted in Dallas Morning News, Dec. 13, 2012: http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com/index.php?s=Krashen&submit=Search Re: “Science, math are paving the way – Schools chief using model to set district on positive course” (Dec 10). The announcement that the “Lancaster superintendent is shaping his district to be a science, math model,” with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math from pre-K to grade 12... more »
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: I Cried for Connecticut
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: I Cried for Connecticut: I Cried for Connecticut by Lisa M I wanted to cry. When the teacher across the hall told me, I wanted to cry. I couldn't. I had 23 kids in my room, immersed in trying to build a container that would keep an ice cube frozen. They were working. Full of life, joy, and curiosity. Something a crazed gunman had just taken from 20 children. Something he had taken from 7 adults. When someone says, "How are your kids?" I tend to say, "Which ones?" Meaning my kids I gave birth to or my kids in my class. I am sure I am not the onl... more »
Best of the Ed Blogs 12-15-12 | National Education Policy Center
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Exclusive! Pasi Sahlberg on TIMSS and PIRLS (Guest Post by Pasi Sahlberg) Best of the Ed Blogs Pasi Sahlberg,... more »
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 12-15-12
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* L.A. AREA SCHOOL DISTRICTS REACT TO CONNECTICUT SCHOOL SHOOTING smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 39 minutes ago Several school districts around the Greater Los Angeles area are releasing statements in the wake of a school shooting in Connecticut that left 27 dead. By Sara Fay, Eagle Rock, CA Patch http://bit.ly/UvyB3G Credit Hoa Nguyen December 14, 2012 :: Representatives from school districts in Greater Los Angeles are reacting to the news of a deadly elementary school ...more »
This Week's Education Research Report 12-15-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * School improvement strategy designed by teachers shows promise Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago * Students in lowest-performing Boston schools are closing the achievement gap compared to their peers in the district and statewide * Data from the 2012 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) shows that students in Boston’s T3 Initiative partner schools are making extraordinary gains in English language arts and math. Teach Plus’ T3: Turnaround Teacher Team Initiative partners... more »
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… 12-15-12 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL *LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY* [image: Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Problems.] More Resources On Dealing With Tragedies Larry Ferlazzo at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - 25 minutes ago Here are recent additions to The Best Resources On Talking With Children About Tragedies: Talking to Children About Violence:Tips for Parents and Teachers is from The National Association of School Psychologists. School Crisis Resources is from the NEA Health Information … C...more »
Sarah Kirby-Gonzalez: Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2011for School Board
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*Sarah Kirby-Gonzalez for School Board* * Her Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Kirby-Gonzalez-for-School-Board/140425392775087?fref=ts * An interview with the Folsom Cordova Unified School District Teacher of the Year 2011. The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year program recognizes excellence in teaching within the county's schools. Participating districts nominate individual teachers to receive this special recognition. At the Teachers of the Year awards recognition dinner, two teachers are identified as the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year and are t... more »
For these are all our children - Winnie the Pooh - Wherever you are
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Come out moon Come out wishing star Come out Come out Wherever you are I’m out here in the dark All alone and wide awake Come and find me I’m empty and I’m cold And my heart's about to break Come and find me I need you to come here and find me Cause without you I’m totally lost I've hung a wish on every star It hasn’t done much good so far I can only dream of you Wherever you are I’ll hear you laugh I’ll see you smile I’ll be with you just for a while But when the morning comes And the sun begins to rise I will lose you Because it’s just a dream When I open up my eyes I will lose ... more »
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-24-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-17-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-10-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-3-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-27-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-15-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-14-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-13-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-12-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-11-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
