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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 1-2-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




5 Reasons You Should Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 minutes ago
5 Reasons You Should Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | ED.gov Blog: 5 Reasons You Should Complete the *Free Application for Federal Student Aid* (FAFSA) Posted on January 2, 2013 by Nicole Callahan [image: FAFSA January Free Logo] The new FAFSA for the 2013-14 school year is now available. *1. It’s the only way to gain access to the more than $150 billion available in federal student aid.* Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward getting federal aid for college, career school, or graduate school. Federal Student Aid provides more than $150 billion ... more »

This Week In Education: Morning Video: Matt Damon's School Reform Movie

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago
This Week In Education: Morning Video: Matt Damon's School Reform Movie: Morning Video: Matt Damon's School Reform Movie by Alexander Russo The new movie "Promised Land" looks like it has lots to offer education types, especially those who are critical of the current school reform movement: Popout Celebrity school reform critic Matt Damon plays a leading role. The actress from "My Sister's Sister" who's not Emily Blunt plays a teacher who is the moral center of the film. And the topic -- whether it's better to "save" small rural towns with natural gas leases (aka, fracking) or to t... more »

Community College Spotlight | College textbook bubble will burst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
Community College Spotlight | College textbook bubble will burst: College textbook bubble will burst by Joanne Jacobs The college textbook bubble will burst when the “open educational resources” movement breaks the textbook cartel, writes Mark Perry on AEIdeas. Since 1978, the cost of education books and supplies (mostly college textbooks) has increased by 812 percent, his chart shows. That’s much more than the very high inflation rate for medical services or new homes and way more than the 250 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index. It’s “unsustainable,” Perry writes. Never Pay ... more »

EDjango Unchained: The Coming Revolt against ‘No Excuses’ Schools | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
EDjango Unchained: The Coming Revolt against ‘No Excuses’ Schools | EduShyster: EdJango Unchained: The Coming Revolt against ‘No Excuses’ Schools by edushyster2012 An elementary student at a ‘no excuses’ school in Memphis. For tens of thousands of black and brown students who attend what are billed as “college-prep” academies, today’s return to school begins as always: in straight, silent lines. For these students, more and more of them in our cities every day, school is now synonymous with discipline. While the specific systems of rewards and punishments vary from one urban charte... more »

Hot Times in the Kelly Center Tonight! « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Hot Times in the Kelly Center Tonight! « PWC Education Reform Blog: Hot Times in the Kelly Center Tonight! by pwceducationreform There is a school board meeting tonight, January 2, 2013, and it should be interesting. There will be a Work Session on the CIP following the regular meeting. Both the meeting and work session are open to the public. *ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING* First is the organizational meeting where the interim appointee to the Woodbridge seat will be announced. I assume the school board / division will also announce the date of the election to fill the seat, which will... more »

Something to be thankful for: Public education - The Item: Opinion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Something to be thankful for: Public education - The Item: Opinion: Something to be thankful for: Public education - - ShareShare PrintCreate a hardcopy of this pageFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font size [image: Something to be thankful for: Public education]Something to be thankful for: Public education IVEY Posted: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 6:00 am | *Updated: 5:44 pm, Tue Jan 1, 2013.* BY TREVOR IVEY With the season of giving upon us, it is time to sit down and reflect on all of the things for which we are thankful. For many, it's family and good friends. For o... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-2-13 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] Jersey Jazzman Deconstructs Joel Klein’s Record by dianerav Joel Klein served as Chancellor of the New York City public schools for eight years. He had no previous experience as an educator. But he came to the job with a determination to reinvent the system and wipe out whatever he found. He has often boasted of the dramatic gains that occurred under his leadership, at the same time that he claims that public education is in terrible shape due to teachers’ unions and tenure laws that protect incompetent... more »

Federal cuts to education left unresolved | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Federal cuts to education left unresolved | EdSource Today: Federal cuts to education left unresolved - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald [image: FiscalCliffSign010113]Congress’ New Year’s Day drama, ending a stalemate over extending tax cuts for all but the wealthy, delays rather than resolves an across-the-board 8.2 percent decrease in federal education spending. That’s the spending piece of the “fiscal cliff” that Congress decided to put off deciding until early March. For California districts, that means a two-month reprieve from facing potentially hundreds of millions o... more »

Congress Pushing College Students Over Fiscal Cliff | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Congress Pushing College Students Over Fiscal Cliff | toteachornototeach: Congress Pushing College Students Over Fiscal Cliff by aristotlethewise *Congress Pushing College Students Over Fiscal Cliff * [image: 121119035415_fiscal-cliff,-money] by Sheila SimonThe clock is ticking as we approach the “fiscal cliff,” and it is important to understand how falling over the cliff will hurt college students — and Illinois’ future job prospects. If Congress fails to act in the coming hours on President Obama’s plan, student aid experts predict middle- and low-income students will pay about $5,... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » This week’s #PTchat On Twitter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Engaging Parents In School… » This week’s #PTchat On Twitter: This week’s #PTchat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo Guest post by Joe Mazza On Wednesday, January 2, 2013, weekly #ptchat returns with a goal setting conversation. We’ll discuss short and long term family engagement goals from the classroom, administrative and parent leadership lens. How can we best involve student voice to maximize our engagement goals? Join us at 9PM EDT for our first conversation of 2013. Happy New Year! *New to Twitterchats?* After logging on to Twitter, visit Tweetchat and simply enter “ptchat” in the ... more »

Daily Kos: Loyalty Oaths

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Daily Kos: Loyalty Oaths: Loyalty Oaths by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) To some younger readers of this blog, the title of this post may seem strange. They do not realize how many lives and careers were wrecked because people refused to sign loyalty oaths. Today seems an appropriate time to revisit this topic, to offer some history as a cautionary. Why? On this date in 1962 the Weavers, a popular folk-singing quartet which included others the great Pete Seeger, Lee Hayes, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert, were barred from appearing on the Jack Paar Show because they refuse... more »

Newtown shooting demands we consider our “call of duty” as parents | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Newtown shooting demands we consider our “call of duty” as parents | Get Schooled: Newtown shooting demands we consider our “call of duty” as parents by Maureen Downey [image: Snow-covered stuffed animals with photos attached sit at a memorial in Newtown, Conn. Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. People continue to visit memorials after gunman Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Friday, Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26, including 20 children, before killing himself. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)]Snow-covered stuffed animals with photos attached sit at a memorial in Ne... more »

Robbed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Robbed: Robbed by Valerie Strauss To start off the new year, here’s a personal look at the problems that face public education from Brock Cohen, a teacher and student advocate in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Cohen believes that school reform begins with social justice and that school reformers everywhere have to stop trivializing the role that poverty plays in student achievement. His students were featured in this NPR piece. **By Brock Cohen I stared into the now unlocked and vacant steel filing cabinet drawer that formerly contained three valuable tools of my trade... more »

Ten Edu-Stories We'll Be Reading in 2013 :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Ten Edu-Stories We'll Be Reading in 2013 :: Frederick M. Hess: Ten Edu-Stories We'll Be Reading in 2013 Last year, I took a shot at predicting some of the key edu-headlines we'd be reading in 2012. You can check 'em here to score my accuracy for yourself. Meanwhile, here's a guess at some of the key edu-headlines we'll be reading in 2013: 10] "The Common Core fight turns increasingly nasty, as embattled Tea Party conservatives lash out at Republicans who they see as apologizing for Obama administration overreach. A few additional states opt out of the standards, while many more e... more »

Happy New Year! Suggestions for a Successful School Year! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Happy New Year! Suggestions for a Successful School Year! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: Happy New Year! Suggestions for a Successful School Year! by Oldschoolteach *Have a wonderful 2013!* *I share these ideas twice a year. At the beginning of the school year, and the beginning of the year. I’ve made some changes to my list.* * * Some suggestions for the new year: 1. treat all students fairly, regardless of race, gender, age, behavior, a parent’s nasty attitude, the comments from last year’s teachers, or a seemingly lack of interest in learning 2. to realize ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Break's over...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Break's over...: Break's over... by Mike Klonsky As I head out the door this cold Chicago morning, free from fear of the *fiscal cliff*, why does that old "Break's over -- Everyone back on their heads" joke keep popping into my head? Obama was the big winner over the T-Party *fiscal-cliff * ferrets. It's a tiny taste of what happens when the message is framed as the 99% vs. the 1%. Thanks Occupy! But we the people remained largely as spectators to the grand deal and as a result, the deal falls short on making up for the revenue lost due to the Bush t... more »

Malloy affiliated Political Action Committee cashes in on education reform bill: - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Malloy affiliated Political Action Committee cashes in on education reform bill: - Wait, What?: Malloy affiliated Political Action Committee cashes in on education reform bill: by jonpelto In the financial world, I think they call it Return on Investment, or, in the parlance of Wall Street ROI. On May 29, 2012, Governor Malloy’s education reform bill became Public Act 12-116. Twenty-four hours later, Malloy was ensconced at the 10,000 square foot, $8.5 million, Greenwich, Connecticut home of corporate education reform financier Jonathan Sackler for a fundraiser that netted the Mal... more »

Schools Matter: Bloodless Abstractionism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schools Matter: Bloodless Abstractionism: Bloodless Abstractionism by Storm A dedicated advocate for putting the reality of a living being, a child, back into the actuarial equations of our political considerations, Peg With Pen posts this on the first day of 2013: Teachers, as you plan how to resist corporate education reform and rebuild public schools on National Opt Out Day (Jan.7th) - or any day for that matter - here is one way to do it - do not allow others to refer to children based on their test scores. Children cannot be called "UnSats" or "Partials" or any other labe... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Millionaires' Spawn to Teachers & Cops: Suck It!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Millionaires' Spawn to Teachers & Cops: Suck It!: Millionaires' Spawn to Teachers & Cops: Suck It! by Duke *America speaks! Inflation adjustments for her...* I just saw this about the latest fiscal cliff deal. And you people have got to be freakin' kidding me: As for estate taxes, the rates will rise from 35 percent to 40 percent for estates valued at over $5 million dollars, however *the Republicans did succeed in building in a provision which allows the amount of the exemption (currently five million dollars) to be indexed to the rate of inflation*. [emphasis mi... more »

NYC Educator: Geniuses at Work

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: Geniuses at Work: Geniuses at Work by NYC Educator One of the reasons I voted for President Obama in 2008 was his promise to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. At first, he ignored that promise. Later he made a deal and extended them. He's finally changed that, to an extent, and has protected people who've made up to 450K per year. Apparently, they cannot pay any more or they will move to Australia. However, President Obama neglected to extend cuts to the payroll tax, and that effectively cuts the income of working people by 2%, immediately. For me, not having ha... more »

Your Student’s Privacy | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Your Student’s Privacy | Seattle Education: Your Student’s Privacy by seattleducation2011 *This article, without the sidebars provided at the end of this post, was originally published on August 27, 2012 at EducationNews.com and is republished here with permission from the author.* [image: internet-privacy] *Parents Need to Know About Student Data Privacy* *Trusting Parents* When enrolling or filling out forms during the school year, parents give schools personal information about themselves and their child. A school employee

CTA'S PRESIDENT KAREN LEWIS & THE RELENTLESS ATTACK ON PUBLIC EDUCATION - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
CTA'S PRESIDENT KAREN LEWIS & THE RELENTLESS ATTACK ON PUBLIC EDUCATION - Perdaily.com: CTA'S PRESIDENT KAREN LEWIS & THE RELENTLESS ATTACK ON PUBLIC EDUCATION by Leonard Isenberg [image: Karen Lewis.jpg] Take a moment and listen to Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Karen Lewis talk about "the class war between rich and poor in Chicago, Los Angeles, and the rest of the country" that is being carried out in our public schools that has made the "American dream a scary nightmare." It is hard to be one nation under g-d or under anything that even remotely resembles an equitable de... more »

Group Files Department of Education Complaint on UVa’s ‘Warning’ - Higher Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Group Files Department of Education Complaint on UVa’s ‘Warning’ - Higher Education: Group Files Department of Education Complaint on UVa’s ‘Warning’ by cmaadmin [image: Teresa Sullivan]Teresa Sullivan overcame the University of Virginia’s attempt to fire her as president. RICHMOND, Va. — A nonprofit group representing trustees and alumni from colleges around the country is seeking an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education into an accreditation agency’s decision to put the University of Virginia on warning for its failed attempt to fire its president last summer. The Ame... more »

School Tech Connect: Get To Aurora. Then Get To Springfield

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Get To Aurora. Then Get To Springfield: Get To Aurora. Then Get To Springfield by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) It's going to be a busy couple of days... These are things you should be attending, if you live in Illinois and you're a teacher: Jobs For Justice Town Hall (Pension Discussion) *Town Hall Pension Forum When: Wednesday January 2nd, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Where: East Aurora High School (Auditorium) 500 Tomcat Ln., Aurora, IL 60505 Ample parking–enter through Door 5* * *This event will feature the long-awaited reunion of pension-buster Elaine Nekritz and l... more »

Peg with Pen: Children are NOT Numbers: National Opt Out Day, January 7th

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Peg with Pen: Children are NOT Numbers: National Opt Out Day, January 7th: Children are NOT Numbers: National Opt Out Day, January 7th by Peggy Teachers, as you plan how to resist corporate education reform and rebuild public schools on National Opt Out Day (Jan.7th) - or any day for that matter - here is one way to do it - *do not allow others to refer to children based on their test scores*. Children cannot be called "UnSats" or "Partials" or any other label attached to a number. It is beyond disrespectful and allows teachers to become removed from the actions they are taking, t... more »

2012 ten minute drawing sample. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
2012 ten minute drawing sample. « Fred Klonsky: 2012 ten minute drawing sample. by Fred Klonsky [image: bipartisanship] [image: boehner] [image: brizard] [image: cartoon1] [image: columbus] [image: dan-biss] [image: debate3] [image: ella-baker] *More Fred 2012 ten minute drawing sample. « Fred Klonsky:*

Twelve lessons we learned from New York City’s schools in 2012 | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Twelve lessons we learned from New York City’s schools in 2012 | GothamSchools: Twelve lessons we learned from New York City’s schools in 2012 by Philissa Cramer 2-12 Jan. 1, 2012, dawned just as 2013 will tomorrow: with the city at odds with the UFT over teacher evaluations, under the threat of a bus strike, and in the process of closing down dozens of schools. But just because the city’s education news sometimes seems like it’s on a loop doesn’t mean we can’t learn from it. Here are a dozen of the lessons we took away from the city’s schools this year:** *1. The Department of E... more »

Ed Notes Online: Back to Brooklyn College with Julie and Jack

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Back to Brooklyn College with Julie and Jack: Back to Brooklyn College with Julie and Jack by ed notes online Recently Julie Cavanagh (and Jack) and I were invited by professor Charisa Kiyô Smith as GEMers to speak to a class at Brooklyn College that had watched our movie in class the week before. She wanted us to talk about activism. She described the class, Children and The Law, this way: 90% of my students are either already paras or teacher's aides, or seek to go into teaching full time. They would like to learn about becoming more involved in combating som... more »

A Model T Education: Public Schooling on the Assembly Line - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
A Model T Education: Public Schooling on the Assembly Line - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: A Model T Education: Public Schooling on the Assembly Line by Adam Bessie [image: Ford-model-a-assembly-line] “Mass production is a problem the auto industry solved over 100 years ago,” veteran education reporter Jonn Merrow narrates over grainy images of Model Ts being rolled out of a factory in his most recent PBS NewsHour report. He observes that with the Model T, Henry Ford’s innovation was not in creating a quality car, but in constructin... more »

Parent Trigger Brings Division Among the Same Parents Who Won in California | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Parent Trigger Brings Division Among the Same Parents Who Won in California | Scathing Purple Musings: Parent Trigger Brings Division Among the Same Parents Who Won in California by Bob Sikes Several Florida republican lawmakers went to the mat for Parent Trigger last March and it’s widely predicted it will be back this year. Jeb Bush has vowed that it will. Existing in only a handful of states, Parent Trigger has been successfully used just once. After ripping a community apart, it appears that there’s division among the parents who won their Parent Trigger effort in Adelanto, C... more »

Opt Out in ’13! | California Father

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Opt Out in ’13! | California Father: [image: California Father] Opt Out in ’13! *by California Father on January 1, 2013 · Leave a Comment*

NYC Educator: Happy New Year to All!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
NYC Educator: Happy New Year to All!: Happy New Year to All! by NYC Educator Yes, I know there's school tomorrow. But it's a new year, and things could get better at any moment!

“Elections shouldn’t exist”: The new war on school boards - Salon.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
“Elections shouldn’t exist”: The new war on school boards - Salon.com: “Elections shouldn’t exist”: The new war on school boardsThe new education "reform" fight is over who chooses school boards: the mayor or the people. One city fought backBY JOSH EIDELSON On Election Day 2012, as voters around the country chose between two presidential candidates who both touted policies that would make it easier to fire teachers, voters in Bridgeport, Conn., rebuffed a referendum backed by* *Michelle Rhee,* *Michael Bloomberg* *and the local Democratic Party. By a seven-point margin,* *Bridgep... more »

My 2012 @tomwhitby « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
My 2012 @tomwhitby « My Island View: My 2012 @tomwhitby by tomwhitby It has come to that time of year that we all sit back and reflect on what went on in our lives over the last 365 days. For some of us older folk this yearly indulgence has become more of a legacy measurement than just a checklist of what was done last year. At this stage of my life I find myself in a unique position to help connect and engage educators in huge numbers and using methods that were not imagined a few years ago. I might say that this is an assessment of my digital footprint. I guess that this post... more »

UPDATE: Top posts of 2012 + They said what? @ the chalk face internet radio. « @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
They said what? @ the chalk face internet radio. « @ the chalk face: They said what? @ the chalk face internet radio.Leave a comment January 1, 2013 by Timothy D. Slekar [image: at-the-chalk-face] *@ the chalk face internet radio 12/30/12. * *Educated Educators talking Education!* Interview with Ms. Katie Osgood. http://mskatiesramblings.blogspot.com/2012/12/make-no-mistake-corporate-ed-reform-is.html We discuss EduShyster’s miracle: Twin Cities’ Venture Academy. http://edushyster.com/?p=1653 And Utah teaches teachers to “lock and load” for free! http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/... more »

UPDATE: Jersey Jazzman: Joel Klein: As Excellent As He Says He Is? Part I

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Joel Klein: As Excellent As He Says He Is? Part I: Joel Klein: As Excellent As He Says He Is? Part I by Duke I and many others spent a good deal of time last year documenting the real legacy of Michelle Rhee. This is important work: Rhee occupies an outsized place in the current debate about education "reform," largely based on claims of her own success, both as a teacher and as Chancellor of Washington, D.C.'s schools. Thanks to the close scrutiny of Gary Brandenburg, Bob Somerby, Matt DiCarlo , Dana Goldstein, Diane Ravitch,*USA Today*, and others, we now know th... more »

What Will Happen to FLDOE Investigation of K12 Inc When Tony Bennett Arrives? | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
What Will Happen to FLDOE Investigation of K12 Inc When Tony Bennett Arrives? | Scathing Purple Musings: What Will Happen to FLDOE Investigation of K12 Inc When Tony Bennett Arrives? by Bob Sikes A glimpse at John O’Connor’s *StateImpact* review of 2012′s top stories reminds readers of the ongoing investigation of online education giant K12 Inc by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) for irregularities in Seminole County. State investigating K12 — In September we told you the Florida Department of Education was investigating K12, Inc., the nation’s largest online educati... more »

PREDICTIONS FOR A CRAZY 2013 « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
PREDICTIONS FOR A CRAZY 2013 « Teachers Fight Back: PREDICTIONS FOR A CRAZY 2013 by alkleen I predict : More teachers will be armed as a measure to prevent school shootings, and at least one of the teachers will accidentally shoot themselves in the foot. More security personnel will be in our schools and at least one of them will make headlines for having an affair with a married teacher and or having a liaison with an underage student. A court will order at least one high school to have 3 separate proms. One prom for gay, lesbian and transgender students, one for students with m... more »

Ed Notes Online: E4E at Dec PEP Exposes Ties to Eva and Success

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: E4E at Dec PEP Exposes Ties to Eva and Success: E4E at Dec PEP Exposes Ties to Eva and Success by ed notes online When I got on the speakers' line at the Dec. 20 PEP at 5PM, low and behold there were a bunch of E4E staffers and other E4E slugs already on line in front of me. Was E4E going to use the occasion to push their anti-UFT agenda calling for giving up the fight for a fair evaluation agreement? Not at all. In fact they were there as placeholders so Eva's crew could get to speak. These are the people calling on the UFT to give up the rights of teachers by sig... more »

2012 in pictures. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
2012 in pictures. « Fred Klonsky: 2012 in pictures. by Fred Klonsky [image: 73932_10151403670227067_848723833_n] [image: 76550_10151458096132067_1957449200_n] [image: 223754_10151469563307067_821552006_n] *More 2012 in pictures. « Fred Klonsky:*

The 2013 Wait, What? Content Survey - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The 2013 Wait, What? Content Survey - Wait, What?: The 2013 Wait, What? Content Survey by jonpelto Wait, What? needs your feedback; Please take a moment to respond to the attached survey by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. Not only will I publish the results, but they will help guide the research, writing and topics covered in Wait, What? over the coming year. Feel free add topics, as appropriate, and please – please – continue to send ideas and background on issues you think need some light shined on them. Of course, a huge thank you for taking the time to read Wa... more »

Editorial: Real hurdle to education reform is poverty - Chicago Sun-Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Editorial: Real hurdle to education reform is poverty - Chicago Sun-Times: Editorial: Real hurdle to education reform is poverty Editorials December 31, 2012 9:54AM 0 0 Share 41 1 [image: Chicago Teachers UniPresident Karen Lewis addresses City Club Chicago during luncheMaggiano's Banquets Chicago Ill. Tuesday November 20 2012. | Andrew] Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis addresses the City Club of Chicago during a luncheon at Maggiano's Banquets in Chicago, Ill., on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. | Andrew A. Nelles~Sun-Times Media There is nothing easy about trying to boost a... more »

School Reform Network Shutters National Office - District Dossier - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
School Reform Network Shutters National Office - District Dossier - Education Week: School Reform Network Shutters National Office By Gina Cairney on December 31, 2012 12:00 PM [image: District Dossier] *From guest blogger Gina Cairney* The Public Education Network has announced plans to close its national office in Washington, D.C., today, after 21 years of working to help all children—especially minority and disadvantaged children—have access to quality education. The announcement did not give a reason for the national office's closing. But PEN's network of independent, communit... more »

Daily Kos: Please read Eugene Robinson: Stop the gun madness

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Daily Kos: Please read Eugene Robinson: Stop the gun madness: Please read Eugene Robinson: Stop the gun madness from Daily Kos by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Georgia has featured Robinson's *Washington Post* column in the pundit round- up, which is good. It is not enough. Everyone should read it. Consider: In 2010, guns took the lives of 31,076 Americans. Most of the deaths were suicides; a few were accidental. About a third of them — 11,078 — were homicides. That’s almost twice the number of Americans who have been killed in a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.In Britain... more »

Modern School: Labor History Timeline--The Colonial and Revolutionary Eras

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: Labor History Timeline--The Colonial and Revolutionary Eras: Labor History Timeline--The Colonial and Revolutionary Eras by Michael Dunn *The Colonial and Revolutionary Eras* Popout *1619 First slaves brought to American colonies: *They were brought to Jamestown by Dutch traders who had stolen them from a Spanish ship. Because the Spanish usually baptized captured Africans and the English exempted baptized people from chattel slavery, these first African Americans joined

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] My News for 2013 by dianerav Faithful readers of the blog may recall that I started a new book last June. I am pleased to announce that it will be published next fall by Knopf, the finest publishing house in the United States. The title is under wraps for now. If you have been reading the blog, you know what it’s about. EduShyster’s Predictions for 2013 by dianerav EduShyster, that merry prankster of edu-reform offers her predictions for the New Year. She says 2013 will be the year of the edupreneur. This is... more »






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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 1-1-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-31-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-30-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-29-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-28-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-27-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-26-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-25-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-24-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-23-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-22-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-21-2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 12-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big 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

UPDATE: 5 Reasons You Should Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | ED.gov Blog

5 Reasons You Should Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | ED.gov Blog:


5 Reasons You Should Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

FAFSA January Free Logo
The new FAFSA for the 2013-14 school year is now available.
1. It’s the only way to gain access to the more than $150 billion available in federal student aid.
Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward getting federal aid for college, career school, or graduate school. Federal Student Aid provides more than $150 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funds each year, but you have to complete the FAFSA to see if you can get any of that money. Not to mention, many states, schools and scholarships also use the FAFSA to award financial aid, so every college-bound student should complete it.
2. It’s FREE!
The FAFSA is free to complete and there is help provided throughout the application. Several websites offer help filing the FAFSA for a fee. These sites are not endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education. We urge you not to pay these sites for assistance that you can get for free at the official FAFSA website: www.fafsa.gov.
3. It’s easier than ever.
We’ve done a lot over the past few years to simplify the FAFSA. One of the most exciting enhancements has been the launch of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. The tool allows students and parents to access the IRS tax return information needed to complete the FAFSA, and transfer the data directly into their FAFSA from the IRS Web site, saving lots of time. This year, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool will launch in early February, so be on the lookout for that.
4. It only takes about 30 minutes to complete.
Given all the simplifications we’ve made over the last couple of years, the FAFSA now only takes about 30 minutes to complete. That’s probably less time than you spend watching your favorite TV show each week. And think of the benefits: spend 30 minutes completing the application and you could qualify for thousands of dollars in financial aid. Talk about return on investment.
5. More people qualify than you’d think.
If you don’t fill out the FAFSA, you could be missing out on a lot of financial aid! I’ve heard a number of reasons students think they shouldn’t complete the FAFSA. Here are a few:
    • “I (or my parents) make too much money, so I won’t qualify for aid.”
    • “Only students with good grades get financial aid.”
    • “The FAFSA is too hard to fill out.”
    • “I’m too old to qualify for financial aid.”
If you think any of these statements apply to you, then you should read “Myths About Financial Aid.” The reality is, EVERYONE should fill out the FAFSA! Don’t leave money on the table.
For information and tips on completing the FAFSA, visit StudentAid.gov/fafsa.
Nicole Callahan is a new media analyst at the Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid.


New Student Loan Repayment Option to Help Recent Graduates

Graduation CapsFor many recent college graduates, monthly student loan payments can be overwhelming. The good news is that a measure of relief is on the way for more than a million borrowers. The Obama Administration recently announced changes that will allow many borrowers to take advantage of a new repayment plan that could  lower their monthly federal student loan bills.
The plan, known as Pay As You Earn, caps monthly payments for many recent graduates at an amount that is affordable based on their income. That helps borrowers to stay on track to repay their loan and avoid default.
The Pay As You Earn plan, which President Obama first announced in October 2011, caps payments for Federal Direct Student Loans at 10 percent of discretionary income for eligible borrowers.
As many as 1.6 million Direct Loan borrowers could reduce their monthly payments under the new Pay as You Earn plan. The new option complements additional repayment plans offered by ED to help borrowers manage their debt, including Income-Based Repayment, which caps monthly loan payments at 15 percent of a borrower’s discretionary income. Borrowers who are not eligible for Pay As You Earn may still qualify for Income-Based Repayment, which more than 1.3 million borrowers already use.
To learn more about Pay As You Earn, and to see if it’s right for you and if you qualify, please visit studentaid.gov/payasyouearn.

UPDATE: This Week In Education: Morning Video: Matt Damon's School Reform Movie

This Week In Education: Morning Video: Matt Damon's School Reform Movie:


Morning Video: Matt Damon's School Reform Movie

The new movie "Promised Land" looks like it has lots to offer education types, especially those who are critical of the current school reform movement: Popout
Celebrity school reform critic Matt Damon plays a leading role.  The actress from "My Sister's Sister" who's not Emily Blunt plays a teacher who is the moral center of the film. And the topic -- whether it's better to "save" small rural towns with natural gas leases (aka, fracking) or to try and help them recover otherwise -- might as well be about school reform. Right?

Media: Don't Forget To Apply For A Spencer Fellowship

ScreenHunter_08 Jan. 02 10.24
Before you forget or lose momentum, write up that Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship for 2013-2014 and join luminaries such as Pat Wingert, Nancy Solomon, Elizabeth Green, Dana Goldstein, Peg Tyre, and Greg Toppo.  You have until January 31 (here).


Update: New Year's Blogging Resolutions

As the new year ramps up, I thought I'd share some half-baked blogging and writing resolutions with you in the hopes that you'd (a) tell me what I missed or got wrong and (b) remind me when I forget what I resolved:
1 - Quality content:  In the current era where every think tank, news outlet, nonprofit, and classroom teacher has his or her own blog and Twitter feed and YouTube channel the real issue is selecting (and writing) high-quality content that provides useful information and is intellectually honest rather than predictible, self-serving, and unchanging. Less is more. This may be the hardest one for me.
2 - Longer, more thoughtful pieces: Twitter and Tumblr and Pinterest and Facebook are all great -- I have and do them all -- but there's really no replacement for longer essays and reported stories that can convey nuance, detail, and flesh out an idea or issue -- and no reason given the rise of longform blog sites and tablet readers not to share (and write) more of these in 2013.  [Wouldn't you know it, this is my shortest resolution?]
image from money.usnews.com
3 - Fresh new voices and perspectives:  I don't know about you but I feel like I already know what most folks out there are going to say, and have become pretty sick of hearing them say it. As I did last year with the addition of Paul Bruno I'm going to try and ferret out new, fresh voices that take on a different view, share a different perspective, or at least give us a break from the circular firing squad of familiar voices.
4 - Constructive criticism:  It's all too easy to find flaws in what others are doing or saying, and to come up with pretty-sounding alternatives.  But the folks being criticized usually aren't malicious idiots.  They're doing what they're doing for reasons -- logistical and political limitations, usually -- that critics like me all too often ignore.  I'm going to try and do more about viable alternatives in 2013, and call out those on all sides who rely too much on critiquing the other side instead of coming up with workable (not wishful) alternatives.
5 - Building out my blogging empire:  It's been a ton of fun blogging about national issues, Chicago, and (most recently) Los Angeles, as well as posting silly stuff on Hot For education.  They all sort of work together.  And, despite the glut of blogs out there, I think there's still room for another hyper-niche blog of some kind.  I'm just not sure what the topic should be.  A few years ago I scared and amused folks with the idea of a blog focused entirely on the world of education philanthropy that I wanted to call "Bill Gates' Magic Spray Can."  More recently, I've thought about a blog focused on middle-class parents, gentrification, and diversity -- one of several "what next?" issues that I and others have been writing about over the past year or so.  Dibs. 
That's it for now.  What have I missed or gotten wrong?  What would you suggest that I do more or differently in 2013 (and do you want to help and/or fund the effort)? Which resolution have I already broken?

Community College Spotlight | College textbook bubble will burst

Community College Spotlight | College textbook bubble will burst:


College textbook bubble will burst

The college textbook bubble will burst when the “open educational resources” movement breaks the textbook cartel, writes Mark Perry on AEIdeas.
Since 1978, the cost of education books and supplies (mostly college textbooks) has increased by 812 percent, his chart shows. That’s much more than the very high inflation rate for medical services or new homes and way more than the 250 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index. It’s “unsustainable,” Perry writes.
Never Pay Sticker Price for a Textbook Again, writes Slate.
My husband used to write college engineering textbooks. He hasn’t updated his old book or written a new one 

EDjango Unchained: The Coming Revolt against ‘No Excuses’ Schools | EduShyster

EDjango Unchained: The Coming Revolt against ‘No Excuses’ Schools | EduShyster:


EdJango Unchained: The Coming Revolt against ‘No Excuses’ Schools

An elementary student at a ‘no excuses’ school in Memphis.
For tens of thousands of black and brown students who attend what are billed as “college-prep” academies, today’s return to school begins as always: in straight, silent lines. For these students, more and more of them in our cities every day, school is now synonymous with discipline. While the specific systems of rewards and punishments vary from one urban charter school to another, the premise is the same. Poor minority children must be made to be compliant. Resistance is met with still more punishment until the lesson is finally learned: 

Hot Times in the Kelly Center Tonight! « PWC Education Reform Blog

Hot Times in the Kelly Center Tonight! « PWC Education Reform Blog:


Hot Times in the Kelly Center Tonight!

Something to be thankful for: Public education - The Item: Opinion

Something to be thankful for: Public education - The Item: Opinion:


Something to be thankful for: Public education

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Posted: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 6:00 am | Updated: 5:44 pm, Tue Jan 1, 2013.
With the season of giving upon us, it is time to sit down and reflect on all of the things for which we are thankful. For many, it's family and good friends. For others, good health or a successful career leaves one feeling grateful. While I am certainly thankful for all of those, I am also thankful for our public schools of which we have much to be proud. America's public schools are gateways of opportunity for millions of students, and I am proud to have been one of them.
As a nation, we owe much gratitude to Thomas Jefferson, a visionary whose wisdom and foresight laid the groundwork for public education, as we know it today. Jefferson, our nation's third president, once said, "No other sure foundation can be devised, for the preservation of freedom and happiness ... preach, my dear sir, a crusade against ignorance; establish and improve the law for educating the common people." Teaching and learning has always been my passion. It was my senior Teacher Cadet class at Lakewood High 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch





Protest in Australia Against Our Corporate Reformers

Here is a website in Australia that keeps watch on the damage done to Australian education by bad ideas imported from the USA.
The question is why Australia–which ranks above the US on those international tests–should be copying the methods of the US.
The Treehorn Express
Treehorn is the hero of an easy-to-read, sad children’s book, “The Shrinking of Treehorn” by Florence Heidi Parry. She cleverly exposes adults’ couldn’t-care-less attitude towards the needs of children, even when the circumstances of mal-treatment of children are patently obvious…vomiting, sleeplessness, crying etc. Treehorn found that parents, teachers and principals only pretend to care. What do you 


Jersey Jazzman Deconstructs Joel Klein’s Record

Joel Klein served as Chancellor of the New York City public schools for eight years. He had no previous experience as an educator. But he came to the job with a determination to reinvent the system and wipe out whatever he found. He has often boasted of the dramatic gains that occurred under his leadership, at the same time that he claims that public education is in terrible shape due to teachers’ unions and tenure laws that protect incompetent teachers.
Here Jersey Jazzman begins a multi-part dissection of Klein’s record as leader in New York City.


Teachers in Hawai’i Speak Up

A reader responded to my roundup of the good news of 2012 and chided me for not mentioning the courage of teachers in Hawai’i, who have stood up and spoken up for their profession. And then I received this comment from a teacher in Hawai’i:
Aloha! Hau’oli Makahiki Hou — 2013! Thanks for a terrific blog, Diane! As well as being an Inspiration! Remember… you’re always welcome to come visit, speak, stay with us in Hawai’i ! What started out as a one-

A Personal Invitation to Join a Protest in DC

Should I go?
This video was made by Peggy Robertson, who is a leader in the National Opt Out movement.
What a fabulous invitation to join the Opt-Out protest on April 4-7 on the steps of the US Department of Education!
Who could resist Sam and Luke?
I will be there on April 4 at 3 pm.
Thanks, Sam and Luke.
To all the readers of this blog: Join me.
Read this link to learn about Occupy the DOE.

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
"May the Force be with you"

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] My News for 2013 by dianerav Faithful readers of the blog may recall that I started a new book last June. I am pleased to announce that it will be published next fall by Knopf, the finest publishing house in the United States. The title is under wraps for now. If you have been reading the blog, you know what it’s about. EduShyster’s Predictions for 2013 by dianerav EduShyster, that merry prankster of edu-reform offers her predictions for the New Year. She says 2013 will be the year of the edupreneur. This is... more »

Federal cuts to education left unresolved | EdSource Today

Federal cuts to education left unresolved | EdSource Today:


Federal cuts to education left unresolved - by John Fensterwald