Big Education Ape

Sunday, December 11, 2011

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

School Tech Connect: Words of Wisdom

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School Tech Connect: Words of Wisdom:Words of Wisdomby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Pass them along.Diane gave a barnburner in DC yesterday. I decided to pass it along to my state representative, my highly reformy state senator, my charter-happy liberal Democratic congresswoman, for whom I campaigned fiercely in 1998--and my senators, one of whom can be seen hiding in a copy room here. After reading Fred's last post, I feel like sending it to the leadership of NEA, which as far as I'm concerned ... more »

Florida Governor Scott is tonight’s Tool Time winner « Continuing Change

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Florida Governor Scott is tonight’s Tool Time winner « Continuing Change:Florida Governor Scott is tonight’s Tool Time winnerby gatorbonbc“Come on Scott, your half-ass efforts on Thanksgiving are not going to get Floridians on your side….and nobody who pays attentions to your efforts at dismantling the social safety net in Floridawill be fooled by your little photo op…so stop pretending to help the homeless while you are really just kicking them to the curb.Governor Scott is tonight’s Tool Time winner. “

Daily Kos: The most important speech on education in years #ows #edreform

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Daily Kos: The most important speech on education in years:The most important speech on education in yearsby rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)was given yesterday at the National Opportunity to Learn Education Summit by Diane Ravitch.You can read the entire text here (pdf).You should.You should pass it on.For example, how about this paragraph: So today we see Wall Street hedge funders and billionaires saying that they are leading the civil rights movement of our time. I have trouble imagining Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ... more »

They eat kids, don’t they? Destroying the teaching profession in Wisconsin: Virtual vouchers are next | Dailycensored.com

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They eat kids, don’t they? Destroying the teaching profession in Wisconsin: Virtual vouchers are next | Dailycensored.com:They eat kids, don’t they? Destroying the teaching profession in Wisconsin: Virtual vouchers are nextWritten by Danny WeilEducationDec 10, 20110diggShareThis is from Larry Miller’s blog out of Wisconsin. Not only are Walker’s policies destroying the teacher’s union and the desire on behalf of teachers to teach, but with all this he is destroying the lives of both the children ‘born’ (of which he has ... more »

National Opportunity to Learn Summit - Speech by Diane Ravitch

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National Opportunity to Learn Summit - Speech by Diane Ravitch:National Opportunity to Learn Summit – Speech by Diane Ravitchby rbhattThe following speech was delivered by Diane Ravitch yesterday, December 9, 2011, at the National Opportunity to Learn Summit. Our own Ken Bernstein has written a piece on this speech at his Daily Kos. Check it out after reading the speech! Just click on the link to access the pdf copy of Diane Ravitch’s speech.

Action for week of December 11, 2011 | United Opt Out National

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Action for week of December 11, 2011 | United Opt Out National:Action for week of December 11, 2011by PegFor the week of December 11th we are asking everyone to spread the word of January 7th, National Opt Out Day, by sharing it on Facebook. Last week we asked that the information be placed in your email signature – easy peasy way to spread the word without any legwork. This week, make it go viral on FB!! Here is the info ... more »

Schools Matter: Diane Ravitch, December 9, 2011

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Schools Matter: Diane Ravitch, December 9, 2011:Diane Ravitch, December 9, 2011by Jim Horn NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARNSUMMITDecember 9, 2011Diane RavitchMy theme for today: Whosechildren have been left behind?Let me tell you a little bitabout myself. For many years, I was a strong advocate of testing, accountability,and choice. I worked in three conservative think tanks where these ideas wereheld sacred. In 1998, I went to Albany, New York, to testify on behalf ofcharter legislation. At the time I was connected to ... more »

Walker: Destroying the Teaching Profession in Wisconsin « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

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Walker: Destroying the Teaching Profession in Wisconsin « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:Walker: Destroying the Teaching Profession in Wisconsinby millerlfWill Anyone Want to Teach in WisconsinBy Lisa Kaiser ExpressMilwaukee 12/8/11Milwaukee-area teachers say they would not encourage anyone to pursue a career in education, according to a new survey conducted by the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), which represents educators across the state.Three-fourths of the 3,800 educators surveyed said morale has gotten worse since February, when Gov. Scott Walker int... more »

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Little Evan Stone Is 99% Road Apples

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SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Little Evan Stone Is 99% Road Apples:Little Evan Stone Is 99% Road Applesby noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)Did you know that Little Evan Stone of Educators 4 Excellence is amongst the 99%? Yes, that is a fact. We here at SBSB couldn't believe it ourselves when we were sent the link to Little Evan's Google+ page last week. The photo was very grainy and since the crack team and myself believe in objective bloggerism, we had to wait for ... more »

Schools Matter: Against National Standards and National Tests

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Schools Matter: Against National Standards and National Tests:Against National Standards and National Testsby skrashenAgainst National Standards and National TestsStephen Krashento appear on: TOPed.org, Thoughts on Public Education in CaliforniaDecember, 2011The movement for national standards and tests is based on these claims: (1) Our educational system is broken, as revealed by US students' scores on international tests; (2) We must improve education to improve the economy; (3) The way to improve education is to have national standards and national tests that ... more »

How the FCAT Cut Score Debate Isolates Jeb Bush, Pearson, Florida Chamber of Commerce and Gerard Robinson | Scathing Purple Musings

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How the FCAT Cut Score Debate Isolates Jeb Bush, Pearson, Florida Chamber of Commerce and Gerard Robinson | Scathing Purple Musings:How the FCAT Cut Score Debate Isolates Jeb Bush, Pearson, Florida Chamber of Commerce and Gerard Robinsonby Bob SikesFrom Kaitlyn Ross, writing for First Coast News:The FCAT is getting national attention after a school board member in Orange County failed the standardized test.“That should tell you a lot. Something’s wrong with the test, or something’s wrong with him. Which one ... more »

Video: How Motivation is Driven by Purpose – and Not Monetary Incentives | Seattle Education

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Video: How Motivation is Driven by Purpose – and Not Monetary Incentives | Seattle Education:Video: How Motivation is Driven by Purpose – and Not Monetary Incentivesby seattleducation2011Someone reminded me of a video that we posted a while back on motivation and merit pay.It seems like a good time to post it again.Dora

AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND A LOVE OF LEARNING « Teachers Fight Back:AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND A LOVE OF LEARNINGby alkleenI am not a racist. I feel the need to state that before writing this post. I’ve worked all my life for equality and civil rights for all.There is something very important that needs to change in the impoverished African-American community in this city. The majority of African-American students in this school system are far below the average of national test scores. There ... more »

Gov Scott says the public is worried about us teachers ? Really ??? LOL Check your ratings, sir… not too refreshing, eh? Pink Slip Rick « Continuing Change

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Gov Scott says the public is worried about us teachers ? Really ??? LOL Check your ratings, sir… not too refreshing, eh? Pink Slip Rick « Continuing Change:Gov Scott says the public is worried about us teachers ? Really ??? LOL Check your ratings, sir… not too refreshing, eh? Pink Slip Rickby gatorbonbcLet’s see… Florida teachers are ranked in the TOP five for teacher effectiveness …“Florida’s schools have sharply improved in the past several years and are now ranked fifth ... more »

For-Profit College Rules Scaled Back After Lobbying - NYTimes.com

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For-Profit College Rules Scaled Back After Lobbying - NYTimes.com:With Lobbying Blitz, For-Profit Colleges Diluted New RulesBy ERIC LICHTBLAUPublished: December 9, 2011RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINE-MAILPRINTSINGLE PAGEREPRINTSSHAREWASHINGTON — Last year, the Obama administration vowed to stop for-profit collegesfrom luring students with false promises. In an opening volley that shook the $30 billion industry, officials proposed new restrictions to cut off the huge flow of federal aid to unfit programs.Enlarge This ImageAssociated Press PhotoCass R. Sunstein, the White House official who... more »

Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010 - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

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Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010 - Letters (CA Dept of Education):December 9, 2011Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, School Business Officials, and Nutrition Service Directors:CHILD NUTRITION REAUTHORIZATION 2010: INDIRECT COST GUIDANCEThe California Department of Education (CDE) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recognize the complexity that local educational agencies (LEAs) face in allocating costs amongst various federal and non-federal programs. As part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the USDA recently ... more »

Van Roekel Announces Plan to Strengthen Teaching Profession : NEA Today

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Van Roekel Announces Plan to Strengthen Teaching Profession : NEA Today:Van Roekel Announces Plan to Strengthen Teaching ProfessionDecember 8, 2011 by twalker Filed under Featured News, Teacher Quality, Top Stories4 CommentsBy Tim WalkerNational Education Association (NEA) President Dennis Van Roekel today laid out a new action agenda for the nation’s largest organization of educators that will help transform the teaching profession and accelerate student learning.Speaking at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., Van Roekel detailed three major strategies that will ... more »

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

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Sitting Among Giants | ED.gov BlogBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoSitting Among Giants | ED.gov Blog:Sitting Among GiantsPosted on December 9, 2011 by Guest BloggerThis week I got to rub shoulders with some impressive education leaders.At a White House event celebrating the 6,266 teachers who achieved their National Board Certification (NBCT) in 2011, I heard from National Board leaders, politicians, and policy makers—even the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.But it was later, at a series of ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Why Does Anyone Listen to Michelle Rhee? #edreform

Jersey Jazzman: Why Does Anyone Listen to Michelle Rhee?:

Why Does Anyone Listen to Michelle Rhee?

by Duke

NJ Governor Chris Christie on Michelle Rhee, former Washington DC school's chancellor, 11/11/11:

“No one in America has been more clear that we must change our public education system,” said Christie. "Thank you Michelle"

Michelle Rhee on Chris Christie, 11/16/11:

Michelle Rhee, the former Washington schools chancellor, who sat beside Mr. Christie’s wife during Tuesday’s speech in Trenton, has committed her new organization, StudentsFirst, to providing policy support for Mr. Christie’s education initiatives. “I think it’s incredibly courageous of the governor to take

Coaching Principals | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Coaching Principals | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Coaching Principals

by larrycuban

CEOs do it. Superintendents do it. Actors even do it–but birds and bees don’t do it. They don’t hire coaches.

Nor do fourth graders.

The coaching industry, originating in the private sector, has grown and spilled over schools beginning about a quarter-century ago. Distinguishing between mentors (insiders) and coaches (outsiders) who bolster failing executives from those who boost rising stars in the organization continue to plague the coaching industry in corporate America and in education.

Sorting out coaches who offer their services in peer-coaching from mentors or whatever is the catch-phrase du jour, however, is not the major issue influencing coaching especially when principals are concerned.

In the previous post, Dave Sherman described test day at his Chicago suburban elementary school. That day

Grumpy Educators: FCAT hits national news: "They are defending a test that has no validity."

Grumpy Educators: FCAT hits national news: "They are defending a test that has no validity.":

FCAT hits national news: "They are defending a test that has no validity."

by Sandra

Orange County School Board member Rick Roach did not believe that students were unable to read and read well in the 10th grade as measured by the FCAT. The 39 percent pass rate of reading at grade level in 10th grade caused him to question the test itself.

I have to tell you that I’ve never believed that that many kids can’t read at that level. Never ever believed it. I have five kids of my own. None of them were superstars at school but they could read well, and these kids today can read too.

“So I was thinking, ‘What are they taking that tells them they can’t read? What is this test? Our kids do okay on the eighth grade

Schools Matter: Misrepresenting Finland: Seeing What We Want to See, Saying What We Want to Say

Schools Matter: Misrepresenting Finland: Seeing What We Want to See, Saying What We Want to Say:

Misrepresenting Finland: Seeing What We Want to See, Saying What We Want to Say

by P. L. Thomas

Misrepresenting Finland: Seeing What We Want to See, Saying What We Want to Say

With the publication of Pasi Sahlberg's Finnish Lessons, the education reform debate in the U.S. is moving into a second round of Finnish envy—the first being the corporate reformers' distorted claims about international comparisons and the new being calls to examine the full and complex picture of why Finland has achieved both social and education reform that has pushed them to the forefront of education quality.

This second round, however, appears to be exposing a nonpartisan failure among all concerned with public education moreso than the needed turn away from corporate education agendas and toward democratic ideals

Grumpy Educators: Washington State: Bringing Parent Opposition and Resistance Out of the Shadows

Grumpy Educators: Washington State: Bringing Parent Opposition and Resistance Out of the Shadows:

Washington State: Bringing Parent Opposition and Resistance Out of the Shadows

by Sandra

Grumpy Educators is committed to highlighting the growing numbers of parents, community members, and taxpayers who question the costs, validity, and impact of excessive standardized testing.

Below is a slightly edited version published letter sent by a parent to the Seattle Public Schools asserting parental rights over participation in standardized testing.
**********************************

To Whom It May Concern:
My name is _____. I am the father of two Seattle Public School students, XXXX and XXXXXX who are currently enrolled at _____.
It is my intention that this letter serve as notice to Seattle Public Schools (SPS) that I wish for my two children to not be assessed using the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) either during the next scheduled assessment or any

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky #edreform

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky:

Sunday links.

by Fred Klonsky

Photo: CAJLA

Time Magazine’s Judith Warner asks, “Why are the rich so interested in public school reform?” She says,“Let’s hope that the time to reform this business-modeled mindset has finally come?”

Memoirs of a Young Lord: The long train ride down from Cardinal Spellman to East Harlem.

Milwaukee-area teachers say they would not encourage anyone to pursue a career in education, according to a new survey conducted by the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), which represents educators across the state. From Larry Miller’s blog.

The policies of Mayor 1% are driving teachers out of the profession. Or was that always the plan?

The Party of dumb and dumber. Romney turns to Ron Paul and says, “Bet you $10,000…” There’s a guy who gets what’s going on.

The Party of dumb and dumber part II. Perry’s campaign people insist that when their boy said that there were eight Supremes, it was on purpose.

The entire current reform movement rests on a fanatical belief in standardized testing. Yet testing experts

Sacramento City Unified School District School Board held its annual reorganization meeting

Board of Education:

My Dear Friend,

I write to you to share the news that the Sacramento City Unified School District School Board held its annual reorganization meeting to select a new executive committee for the 2011-2012 year. Serving as your executive committee is Diana Rodriguez, President; Darrel Woo, First Vice-President; and Jeff Cuneo, Second Vice-President.

The board room was full of students, parents/families, community members, including Council Member Ken Cooley from Rancho Cordova. They were there to advocate on behalf of the proposals to either close, consolidate, or re-design their schools. What they heard instead was an empathetic, transparent, and committed response from the board and superintendent that they needed to re-think these decisions that were on the table.

The lesson in all of this was without meaningful public engagement, it’s tough to reach reasonable solutions. We must remember to keep communicating our needs to one another during one of the toughest times in our history. The school board cannot make the necessary budgetary cuts without the voice of people who receive our services. This is why it is vitally important for everyone to be engaged at our board meetings from today forward.

Here are the ways in which you can be involved in person, via internet, or over the phone:

1. Show up. Come to our regularly scheduled board meetings. For a listing of our board meetings and agendas see our website at: http://scusd.edu/BoardofEducation/Meetings/Pages/default.aspx

a. You may speak on any agenda item that is listed by submitting a yellow card to our Chief of Communications, Gabe Ross, before the item is heard. You will have a total of two (2) minutes to speak on the item, so you may want to prepare a brief summary or talking points to make sure your message is effectively delivered.

b. If your message to the board doesn’t fit within anyone of the listed agenda items, you can still address the board by using the item listed as “Public Comment”. You will still need to submit a yellow card to our Chief of Communications, Gabe Ross, before the item is heard. You will have a total of two (2) minutes to speak on the item, so you may want to prepare a brief summary or talking points to make sure your message is effectively delivered.

2. Email your area representative, or the whole board, including our Student Board Member. For a listing of email addresses, see our website at: http://scusd.edu/BoardofEducation/Pages/BoardofEducationMembers.aspx

3. Call your area representative, or other board members. For a listing of phone numbers call our Board Assistant’s office at: (916) 643-9314.

4. Facebook. Many of our Board of Education members have a Facebook page, including our Superintendent. Ask for friendship on these pages. You may find others on our board that have a Twitter account, subscribed to LinkedIn, or other types of social networking pages.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or pose solutions. At this time, many hands (and minds) will make the daunting task of closing a budget hole of over $25 Million dollars tolerable.

6. Call legislators. I say this with a qualification. Our local legislators are very education and community friendly. You will want to ask your local legislator for the ways in which you can help them. For example, there are a few legislators who are opposed to passing anything that will harm their “friends” that they hold up items that are necessary to help our economy grow. I know your local legislator will be able to tell you who these people are.

The bottom line we are striving for is to have an educated community of children for our future. We can no longer afford to have California be at the bottom of per pupil spending.

The time for civic engagement is now.

I look forward to serving as your Board President this coming year and seeing your faces at our board meetings beginning this December 14^th and all through the upcoming year in 2012!

Lastly, I’d like to say, the board room is YOUR board room, we are there to hear your voice.

Sincerely,

Diana Rodriguez, Board President

Sacramento City Unified School District

(916) 752-3686

p.s. please feel free to share this email with others

Jersey Jazzman: The New, "Reasonable" Corporate Reformer

Jersey Jazzman: The New, "Reasonable" Corporate Reformer:

The New, "Reasonable" Corporate Reformer

by Duke

Something is happening here in Jersey that ought to give hope to teachers and parents around the rest of the country: the corporate reform movement is running out of gas. Suddenly, privatizers are running into real grass-roots opposition to charters schools; voucher rallies are exposed as Astroturf operations while opposition to giving taxpayer dollars to religious schools grows. Chris Christie, who seemed hell-bent on gutting tenure only a month ago, has suddenly shifted his focus to sick pay reform (yeah, that'll fix all of the state's fiscal problems, sure...).

The corporate reformers are watching their grandiose plans fall apart, and I suspect they are getting worried; their deep-pocketed backers wanted to see results by the end of the year, and it increasingly looks like that simply isn't going to happen. So they're shifting the goalposts and toning down their rhetoric. The preferred outcomes are now more modest, and the new tone is reasonable and conciliatory.

Witness today's op-ed from B4K's Derrell Bradford, featuring his new, wonky sales pitch:

The state Department of Education currently is piloting an overhaul of teacher evaluation in New Jersey consistent with the guidance of President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The pilot makes student learning,

Looking for Serious Program Terminations | Downsizing the Federal Government

Looking for Serious Program Terminations | Downsizing the Federal Government:

Looking for Serious Program Terminations

The House passed a bill last week eliminating the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, which the Tax Foundation calls a “voluntary tax that stirs little enthusiasm.” It would also save a whopping $14 million by eliminating the Election Action Committee and transferring certain functions to other federal agencies.

The Republican-sponsored bill passed on a straight party-line vote with the exception of Rep. Walter Jones’ (R-NC) no vote. Eliminating the fund would result in the transfer of $200 million to the U.S. Treasury for deficit reduction. From a fiscal standpoint, $200 million in deficit reduction isn’t even worthy of a yawn. And based on press reports, floor debate centered on whether Republicans were really just trying to disenfranchise Democratic voters. Seriously, didn’t the GOP leadership have anything more substantial to bring to the floor?

I went looking for bills introduced in the House that would eliminate programs. The conservative Republican Study Committee’s Sunset Caucus has a list of bills sponsored by their members that would cut spending

To All Teachers in Seattle: Collective Bargaining Rights Are Civil Rights | Seattle Education

To All Teachers in Seattle: Collective Bargaining Rights Are Civil Rights | Seattle Education:

To All Teachers in Seattle: Collective Bargaining Rights Are Civil Rights

by seattleducation2011

The term “Innovation School” is a charter school in sheep’s clothing. Sue and I both posted information regarding this bill last year. It basically allows teachers to sign their rights away in exchange for allowing more freedom to teach outside the tight parameters of the curriculum alignment standards.

Our question is, why do teachers have to sign their rights away to teach in a way that they think is in the best interest of their students?

Alternative schools are able to do that now although with the stricter standards as outlined by our former Broad-trained superintendent, many of these successful schools have had to request “waivers” to teach their students

Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Looking for Serious Program Terminations