Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

School Tech Connect: The Week in Books

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

School Tech Connect: The Week in Books:The Week in Booksby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)This week's haul from the Rogers Park branch library. My tech thought for the week is this: if your kids aren't reading a lot of books, on their e-readers or tablets or whatever, it doesn't matter what else you're doing: something has gone horribly awry.Here are my micro-reviews from last week. Each Litte Bird That Sings -- couldn't finish it; the narrator's voice annoyed me too much and, well, ... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - - Ive seen locked doors open due to my education ...

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

OCCUPY EDUCATION - - Ive seen locked doors open due to my education ...:- Ive seen locked doors open due to my education - I want to...OCCUPY EDUCATION - 5 minutes ago- Ive seen locked doors open due to my education - I want to see money equally distributed to ALL schools, no matter that location of the institution or the race of the student body. - innovatively injecting education into the minds of the youth will cripple “the cycle” ... more »

What Is to Be Done about the Oligarchy? | Firedoglake

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

What Is to Be Done about the Oligarchy? | Firedoglake:What Is to Be Done about the Oligarchy?by masaccioWe can’t afford this miserable oligarchy any more; so what should we do? There are two basic approaches. One is to cut down on the material inequality between the oligarchs and the rest of us. Another is to hem in the behaviors of Oligarchs so that their ability to damage the rest of us is significantly reduced. We can try both at the ... more »

Privatization of School Food Service: Unhealthy for Kids and Little Cost Savings « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

Privatization of School Food Service: Unhealthy for Kids and Little Cost Savings « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:Privatization of School Food Service: Unhealthy for Kids and Little Cost Savingsby millerlfHow the Food Industry Eats Your Kid’s LunchHeather Ainsworth for The New York TimesBy LUCY KOMISAR Published: December 3, 2011 NYTimesAn increasingly cozy alliance between companies that manufacture processed foods and companies that serve the meals is making students — a captive market — fat and sick while pulling in ... more »

Coaching Veteran Teachers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

Coaching Veteran Teachers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:Coaching Veteran Teachersby larrycubanIt is rare to get a direct observation of instructional coaches working with experienced teachers. Atul Gawande, the veteran surgeon who took on a coach–see previous post–watched Jim Knight and his coaches at work in a Virginia middle school. Here is Gawande’s account.We met early one May morning at Leslie H. Walton Middle School, in Albemarle County, Virginia. In 2009, the Albemarle County public schools created ... more »

I am a Cultural Tourist. Are you the Tour Guides? « Cooperative Catalyst

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

I am a Cultural Tourist. Are you the Tour Guides? « Cooperative Catalyst:I am a Cultural Tourist. Are you the Tour Guides?by Brent SnavelyI am sitting at my computer attempting to articulate profound thoughts and the TV show my wife is watching intrudes.The show is about Kevin Costner’s making of the film Dances with Wolves. Those interviewed claim “authenticity” (as defined by those telling the story) was an underlying concern of all who were involved in the film, investors and ... more »

4LAKids : DEAL GIVES LAUSD TEACHERS, PARENTS MORE SAY IN SOME SCHOOLS

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: DEAL GIVES LAUSD TEACHERS, PARENTS MORE SAY IN SOME SCHOOLS:DEAL GIVES LAUSD TEACHERS, PARENTS MORE SAY IN SOME SCHOOLSBY CITY NEWS SERVICE/EGP PUBLICATIONS | HTTP://BIT.LY/VWDWQXDec 1, 2011 :: The Los Angeles Unified School District announced a tentative labor agreement with the union representing the district’s teachers Tuesday – a pact aimed at giving more authority to teachers, principals and parents to determine policies and set the direction of individual schools.“Teachers and ... more »

ALEC and Bill Gates, the Mask Comes Off | AMPS

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

ALEC and Bill Gates, the Mask Comes Off | AMPS:ALEC and Bill Gates, the Mask Comes Offby Thomas J. MertzThe Cramps, “What’s Behind the Mask” (click to listen or download)This morning a friend tweeted me a grant listing from the Bill and Linda Gates Foundation to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Gates is giving ALEC $375,000[T]o educate and engage its membership on more efficient state budget approaches to drive greater student outcomes, as well as educate them on beneficial ... more »

Why Rick Scott’s Call for More STEM Degrees is Half Right | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

Why Rick Scott’s Call for More STEM Degrees is Half Right | Scathing Purple Musings:Why Rick Scott’s Call for More STEM Degrees is Half Rightby Bob SikesI thought that Rick Scott was on solid ground when he called for an increased emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education programs. Scott was correct to point out that there are some empty degrees being pushed on college campuses which do not prepare students for employment. Athough he was misguided in ... more »

Chicago to join Gates Foundation charter compact | catalyst-chicago.org #edreform #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 minutes ago

Chicago to join Gates Foundation charter compact | catalyst-chicago.org:Chicago to join Gates Foundation charter compactBy: Sarah Karp / December 02, 2011Tags: charter schools finance and budgetsThough they are still in negotiations over the details, Chicago Public Schools officials are set to sign on to a national intiaitive that encourages stronger cooperation between charter schools and traditional schools, as well as providing equitable district funding for charters.Nine cities have already signed such agreements, called District Charter Collaboration Compacts, which are being ... more »

EXEC SUMMARY OF THE LAUSD/UTLA LOCAL SCHOOL STABILIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT INITITIVE OF 2011 ("The Tentative Agreement") +

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE LAUSD/UTLA LOCAL SCHOOL STABILIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT INITITIVE OF 2011 ("The Tentative Agreement") + STATEMENT OF JOINT INTEREST + THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT:EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE LAUSD/UTLA LOCAL SCHOOL STABILIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT INITITIVE OF 2011 ("The Tentative Agreement") + STATEMENT OF JOINT INTEREST + THE ENTIRE AGREEMENTSUMMARY BY UTLA | HTTP://BIT.LY/U6VAUS(Dec. 2, 2011)SCHOOL STABILIZATION1. For the next three years, including PSC 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 schools, only in-District applicants ... more »

The Parent Trigger fails in California « Parents Across America

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

The Parent Trigger fails in California « Parents Across America:The Parent Trigger fails in Californiaby CarolineSFBy Caroline Grannan, San FranciscoParents Across America founding memberThe Parent Trigger is a school reform idea that was hatched here in California, has won glowing press and is still being discussed around the nation as a school reform panacea.The Parent Trigger supposedly allows 51% of the parents at a school to petition for “transformation” at the school, in one of four ways: turn the school ... more »

School Tech Connect: Jackson Potter on Chicago Tonight

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Jackson Potter on Chicago Tonight:Jackson Potter on Chicago Tonightby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Jackson Potter did a very nice job here a few nights ago.Watch December 1, 2011 - Turnaround Schools on PBS. See more from CHICAGO TONIGHT.George Schmidt gives the history here. It should come as no surprise to anyone when Common Core "data" are

Schools Matter: Michelle Newsum: Reclaiming Reform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Schools Matter: Michelle Newsum: Reclaiming Reform:Michelle Newsum: Reclaiming Reformby skrashenReclaiming ReformBy Michelle NewsumPublished in the Advocate, December, 2011, p. 13advocate@coosdems.orgOur schools have been labeled as failing by people who have never stepped foot in them.The favorite weapon of these 'reformers' is test scores.So let's take a closer look at the data:Based on the PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study)* American kids in schools with less than 10% poverty far outscore all

Engaging Parents In School… - A Collection Of “The Best…” Lists On Parent Engagement — 2011

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 13 hours ago

Engaging Parents In School… - A Collection Of “The Best…” Lists On Parent Engagement — 2011:A Collection Of “The Best…” Lists On Parent Engagement — 2011from Engaging Parents In School... by Larry FerlazzoSince I have published so many “The Best…” lists, I thought it might be helpful to readers if I posted a few year-end collections.Here is A Collection Of “The Best…” Lists On Parent Engagement — 2011:The Best Ideas On How Parents Ca

Occupy Empire | Dissident Voice #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 13 hours ago

Occupy Empire | Dissident Voice:Occupy Empireby William BlumWhen the Vietnam War became history, and the protest signs and the bullhorns were put away, so too was the serious side of most protestors’ alienation and hostility toward the government. They returned, with minimal resistance, to the restless pursuit of success, and the belief that the choice facing the world was either “capitalist democracy” or “communist dictatorship.” The war had been an aberration, was the implicit verdict, a blemish on an otherwise ... more »

School Lunches and the Food Industry - NYTimes.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 13 hours ago

School Lunches and the Food Industry - NYTimes.com:How the Food Industry Eats Your Kid’s LunchHeather Ainsworth for The New York TimesStudents at Gates Chili Middle School last month in Rochester. Forty percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.By LUCY KOMISARPublished: December 3, 2011RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINE-MAILPRINTSINGLE PAGEREPRINTSSHAREAn increasingly cozy alliance between companies that manufacture processed foods and companies that serve the meals is making students — a captive market — fat and sick while pulling in hundreds of millions of ... more »

The best way to fight corporate education reform: New Triple Strength Prozac for Teachers | Dailycensored.com

The best way to fight corporate education reform: New Triple Strength Prozac for Teachers | Dailycensored.com:

The best way to fight corporate education reform: New Triple Strength Prozac for Teachers

by Danny Weil

With education boiled down to illiteracy, teachers are finding that what was once a profession is now serfdom. The pharaceutical corporations that brought you ‘boner pills’, anti-depressants and other research marvels, now have a new market to target for their ‘suicide drugs’: the disenfranchised teacher. Take a look at the sardonic Youtube video that makes this [...]

Did WaPo Censor Jay Mathews Blog Post Alleging ‘Outrageous Practices’ at Kaplan U? EduGate

by Danny Weil

On Nov 27, 2011 Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews published the blog post “ 5 reasons for-profit colleges will survive”. In the post Mathews cited statistics from a Kaplan University press release, misleadingly presenting them as fact and without attributing the source. It was apparent Mathews neither wanted to write the article nor agreed [...]

California State University Faculty Challenge Plans to Re-open Study Aborad Program in Israel

by admin

An Open Letter to CSU Chancellor Charles Reed Regarding the CSU-Israel Study Abroad Program The CSU system has recently taken steps to reinstate the Israel Study Abroad Program. It was suspended in 2002 because of costs and because of the U.S. State Department travel warning on travel to Israel. We strongly urge you not to [...]

Gates Foundation Grants ALEC A Hefty Sum For 'Education Reform' | Crooks and Liars

Gates Foundation Grants ALEC A Hefty Sum For 'Education Reform' | Crooks and Liars:

Gates Foundation Grants ALEC A Hefty Sum For 'Education Reform'

29 comments

By karoli

ENLARGE

This is exactly why I've always been suspicious of Bill Gates' "philanthropy." Yes, I understand that he's done wonderful things in Africa, but the United States is where we live and there is a very real and lasting battle going on over the future of public education.

While union-busting is certainly one goal of the privatization monsters, profit is the primary goal. Education for profit is lucrative and alluring, especially to people with large sums of money parked and waiting for investment in big-profit items. So when Bill Gates claims to stand for education reform in this country, I place him squarely in the category of those who stand to profit from privatized education.

Now we have this grant from the Gates Foundation to ALEC, of all things. It isn't a small grant, by any stretch. $376,635 to be paid over a period of 22 months. That's about $17,000 per month dropping into the coffers of one of the most evil organizations in the country. The grant description reads as follows:

Purpose: to educate and engage its membership on more efficient state budget approaches to

The Innovative Educator: The history of the cell phones for learning movement

The Innovative Educator: The history of the cell phones for learning movement:

The history of the cell phones for learning movement

Are you going to follow the pack or be an education pioneer? When it comes to using cell phones for learning, if you're not on board yet you'll be left in the dust. Here's a timeline that outlines how schools have gone from banning to embracing these powerful learning tools.

When	What
Early 1990s	Schools banned all electronic devices, (pagers, beepers, cell phones) which tended to be associated with drug dealing or gangs.
Late 1990s	Cell phones became commonplace, smaller, and cheaper. Text messaging became popular, especially with teens.
1999 - 2002	After the Columbine High School shootings and the acts of terrorism on our country, parents wanted to be able to communicate with their children at any time. Cell phones, parents argued, were necessary for safety, and the ban was relaxed in many schools. As stated on the Education World website in an article on school issues in 2002, “Mor

Unraveling Rick Scott’s Week of Hubris and Contradictory Rhetoric on Education Policy | Scathing Purple Musings

Unraveling Rick Scott’s Week of Hubris and Contradictory Rhetoric on Education Policy | Scathing Purple Musings:

Unraveling Rick Scott’s Week of Hubris and Contradictory Rhetoric on Education Policy

by Bob Sikes

Florida’s governor made the rounds last week. He met with a group of teachers in Kissimmee, wrote an education policy op-ed and spoke with the editorial board of the Lakeland Ledger. One can never blame a governor for advancing general themes or using talking points when communicating with constituents, but they should be scrutinized for condor, clarity and wisdom.

Lets take a look at his meeting with teachers. This from the Orlando Sun-Sentinel piece:

Scott, holding a roundtable discussion with the teachers, said he is a strong supporter of

National Day of Action to Occupy Our Homes | Occupy Together #ows

National Day of Action to Occupy Our Homes | Occupy Together:

National Day of Action to Occupy Our Homes

December 4th, 2011 · Ella · Announcements No comments- Tags: actions, foreclosures, mass action, occupy movement,occupy our homes, occupy wall st

Banks took such high risks that they placed our entire economy in serious jeopardy. In return, they received trillions of dollars from the Fed and billions of dollars from hard working tax payers to get back on their feet. Homeowners take risks when buying homes; however, when they lose their jobs or are unable to afford their medical attention they don’t get bailouts, they lose everything.

With our current environment of corporate irresponsibility and greed, political impotence and corruption, all it takes is for you to lose your job or get dropped from your health

School Tech Connect: The Week in Books

School Tech Connect: The Week in Books:

The Week in Books

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

This week's haul from the Rogers Park branch library. My tech thought for the week is this: if your kids aren't reading a lot of books, on their e-readers or tablets or whatever, it doesn't matter what else you're doing: something has gone horribly awry.

Here are my micro-reviews from last week. Each Litte Bird That Sings -- couldn't finish it; the narrator's voice annoyed me too much and, well, Love, Ruby Lavender it ain't. What a curse it must be to have written one of the truly great YA books. The Golem's Eye -- still listening to it. Wonderful, witty, subversive. War Dances-- dreadful