Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 7-11 AM Posts #soschat #edreform



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, July 11, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *The one-room schoolhouse in "Old Town" Sacramento, California * Education Headlines *Wednesday, July 11, 2012* Six Aspire charter schools in California could closeSix Aspire schools in California have one year to gain approval from local school districts or be forced to close. New Twin Rivers trustees face old wounds, tough tasksA superintendent search and grand jury response are among the top tasks being tackled by the newly elected Twin Rivers Unified School District trustees, but old wounds continued to show during Tuesday's fi... more »

More about the SOS March and Convention in DC « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
More about the SOS March and Convention in DC « Diane Ravitch's blog: More about the SOS March and Convention in DC by dianerav I received this comment from one of the active members of SOS. I am glad she mentioned that Jonathan Kozol will be speaking at the SOS event, which takes place from August 3-5 in D.C.. Jon was riveting last year. And the great thing about hearing Jon is that he will make clear who is really leading “the civil rights movement of our time.” *Thank you, Diane, for taking the time to tell your readers about the Save Our Schools People’s Convention.* *I will b... more »

HARD CHOICE ON SCHOOL LOOMS FOR BRIDGEPOINT | UTSanDiego.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 minutes ago
HARD CHOICE ON SCHOOL LOOMS FOR BRIDGEPOINT | UTSanDiego.com: HARD CHOICE ON SCHOOL LOOMS FOR BRIDGEPOINTAccreditation denial for Ashford means jobs might leave S.D. Bridgepoint Education soon may face tough decisions regarding its San Diego workforce after its Ashford University arm failed to win accreditation on Monday from a regional college certification agency. The fast-growing, for-profit education company must address shortfalls in its scholastic programs pinpointed by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or WASC, analysts and education experts said. At the same... more »

NYC Educator: School's in for Summer

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
NYC Educator: School's in for Summer: School's in for Summer by Miss Eyre I've never worked summer school before, but I've also found that a strange entropy seems to overtake me by the second week of August. I think it's because I don't have kids of my own and Mr. Eyre works in the Big City, so I'm alone for long stretches of time in the summer. On the surface I don't mind this, but I decided it might be better for my mental health to work at least a little this summer. So I'm teaching two weeks of summer school. This is not as bad as I feared it might be. I'm working a"Bridge ... more »

Shanker Blog » Cheating In Online Courses

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Shanker Blog » Cheating In Online Courses: Cheating In Online Courses by Dan Ariely *Our guest author today is Dan Ariely, James B Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, and author of the book *The Honest Truth About Dishonesty* (published by Harper Collins in June 2012).* A recent article in *The Chronicle of Higher Education* suggests that students cheat more in online than in face-to-face classes. The article tells the story of Bob Smith (not his real name, obviously), who was a student in an online science course. Bob logged in once a week fo... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Tonight's SOS Webinar with Barbara Madeloni

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Tonight's SOS Webinar with Barbara Madeloni: Tonight's SOS Webinar with Barbara Madeloni by Mike Klonsky *They Challenged and Conquered Corporate Education Reforms * *To Hear How Join Us Tonight!* *[image: SOSBdg] Save Our Schools Webinar* "Teacher Education/Social Justice" *with Professor Barbara Madeloni* and her Student Teachers Today, Wednesday, July 11, 2012 8 PM Eastern Daylight Time [EDT] *Please Join Us!* It is Time to Walk the Talk with the Many Who Do Corporate reformers, Stanford University, along with test publishing company Pearson,impl... more »

The Save Our Schools March « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Save Our Schools March « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Save Our Schools March by dianerav [image: People’s Principles Convention (click picture)] Last year I participated in the first Save Our Schools March in D.C. It was a wonderful event. This year, there will be another Save Our Schools March in D.C. Some of the same speakers will return: my wonderful colleague Deborah Meier and the great teacher-educator Nancy Carlsson-Paige will speak, along with many others. I won’t be there because I am working hard on a new book and minimizing travel (and writing this blog, which is very tim... more »

Does It Help Schools to Fire Half Their Staff? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Does It Help Schools to Fire Half Their Staff? « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Does It Help Schools to Fire Half Their Staff? by dianerav The story below appeared this morning in the NY Post. It refers to a judge’s decision not to overturn the ruling of an independent arbitrator who stopped the Mayor from firing half the staff at 24 “turnaround” schools. The Mayor has had one very simple strategy to “help” schools and “save” students: He closes them. This time, to qualify for federal funds, he decided to “turn around” the schools by f... more »

Spoke at AAUW Release of Sexual Harassment in Schools Report (VIDEO) « Feminist Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Spoke at AAUW Release of Sexual Harassment in Schools Report (VIDEO) « Feminist Teacher: Spoke at AAUW Release of Sexual Harassment in Schools Report (VIDEO) by feministteacher Last fall, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) released a report titled Crossing the Line: Sexual Harassment in Schools at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The report presents new data on sexual harassment, including cyber-harassment, in middle and high schools based on a 2011 nationwide survey of students in grades 7-12. As part of the release, I participated in a panel along with... more »

MS 331 Bronx Watch Out For Citizen Schools New Campus Leader Ruben Brosbe.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: MS 331 Bronx Watch Out For Citizen Schools New Campus Leader Ruben Brosbe by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Yesterday I wrote about Ruben Brosbe while lamenting the fact that I might be beating a dead horse and not really wishing to for Ruben is a waste of time. I spoke, or rather wrote, too soon. Please accept my apologies. After putting the blog post to bed, I felt pretty darn good that yet again Ruben, and all his minions, were exposed. I popped open my 10th Diet Coke of the evening and toasted to the good fortune of of being on the good side... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Boston Consulting Group -- Engineers of school privatization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Boston Consulting Group -- Engineers of school privatization: Boston Consulting Group -- Engineers of school privatization by Mike Klonsky CEO Hans-Paul Buerkner of BCG. Where Romney got his start They're the Bain Capital of public education. Politically connectedBoston Consulting Group consultants are paid million of dollars, much of it from public funds that might ordinarily be used to fund public education. Instead they are financing the dismantling of public education, mainly in urban school systems, responsible for the education of primarily... more »

Schools Matter: Guest Post: Tough Educational Challenges Make for Bad 'Reforms'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schools Matter: Guest Post: Tough Educational Challenges Make for Bad 'Reforms': Guest Post: Tough Educational Challenges Make for Bad 'Reforms' by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene [image: Dr. John Thompson was an award-winning historian, lobbyist, and guerilla-gardener who became an award-winning inner city teacher after crack and gangs hit his neighborhood.]By John Thompson There is an old saying that, "Tough cases make bad law." Similarly, the New York Department of Education, due to its size, is a tough educational challenge. Ordinarily, Eric Nadelstern's "The Evolution of School Su... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Not About Program Placement

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Not About Program Placement: Not About Program Placement by Charlie Mas I swear, this post is not about Program Placement, but a lot of folks will think that it is. The District staff is making a new distinction, between things that are programs and services and schools that have a distinctive "curricular focus". All of the things that they will recognize as programs and services exist to address student academic needs. They are pretty much limited to special education, bilingual education, and advanced learning. Nothing else - including a lot of ... more »

Pension Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Pension Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky: Pension Tuesday. by Fred Klonsky Readers shared with me some responses they received this week from legislators regarding our pensions. So, I’m sharing them with you. Senator Michael Frerichs from the downstate 52nd district wrote this to a constituent: *Members of the General Assembly have been expecting Governor Pat Quinn to call us back for a special session to address pension reform. I have been waiting for that call to communicate the current proposal from the Governor. * *It now seems like it will be a while before we are called back. It is p... more »

Save Our Schools Initiative | California Progress Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Save Our Schools Initiative | California Progress Report: Save Our Schools Initiative by megan *By Duane Campbell* The Sacramento Bee in both its editorial position on Sunday, July 8, and its news reporting name the fall initiative tax measure to preserve funding for our schools Governor Brown's Tax proposal. This naming, this framing, is selected to defeat the proposal. It is not Governor Brown's proposal- it is a proposal from all of us who worked on the Millionaires Tax, from teachers, union members, the majority in the California legislature and all of those who wish to save ... more »

The Educated Reporter: Reporters And Social Media: Do Newsrooms Need Rules?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Reporters And Social Media: Do Newsrooms Need Rules?: Reporters And Social Media: Do Newsrooms Need Rules? by Emily Richmond I was somewhat surprised to learn that the New York Times doesn't have a written policy to guide its reporters through the sometimes murky waters of social media. In an interview with the Poynter Institute's Jeff Sonderman, Times' associate managing editor for standards Phil Corbett explains that the overarching goal was not to discourage or hamper reporters from embracing social media as a tool. Too many rules might stifle innovation... more »

Glaring Comparison of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Treatment of MPS and Voucher Schools « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Glaring Comparison of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Treatment of MPS and Voucher Schools « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Glaring Comparison of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Treatment of MPS and Voucher Schools by millerlf *Some unnatural tilts in media coverage from vouchers to cops* *By Dominique Paul Noth* *Editor, Milwaukee Labor Press Posted July 5, 2012* The principal was already in hot water for abusing children and other practices that shut his school down in May. And then in June came a search warrant, a 22 page criminal record and an investigation for child entice... more »

GOOD Ideas for Cities: Developing Local Support for Portland's Public Schools - Cities - GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
GOOD Ideas for Cities: Developing Local Support for Portland's Public Schools - Cities - GOOD: GOOD Ideas for Cities: Developing Local Support for Portland's Public Schools by Chappell Ellison When a team from Wieden + Kennedy confronted its challenge to engage the community in public schoolsfor GOOD Ideas for Cities Portland, a surprising statistic came to the forefront: 85% of people in central Portland have no children of school age. With so few residents with a natural link to education, Portland’s public schools are struggling to develop community support. "Our research with... more »

Obama's Education Policy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

The State of Public Education in New Orleans: 2012 Report » Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The State of Public Education in New Orleans: 2012 Report » Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives: The State of Public Education in New Orleans: 2012 Report The 2011-12 school year was, in many ways, the beginning of a new era in New Orleans’ public education landscape. The year was marked by momentous changes in leadership and strategy at both the state and local levels. Nonetheless, state and district leaders remain committed to a school reform model that espouses the central principles of school autonomy, choice, and accountability. At the same time, school and distri... more »

Who Benefits from Cyber Charters? Part 2 « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Who Benefits from Cyber Charters? Part 2 « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Who Benefits from Cyber Charters? by dianerav The question often arises: Who are cyber charters for? I have gotten emails from people in the industry saying that children with special needs should be home in front of a computer, where a parent can help them. Or they say that cyber charters are good for sick children. Certainly they are attractive to home schoolers, who suddenly become eligible for state tuition money (which is Who Benefits from Cyber Charters? Pa... more »

Judge Says City Must Reinstate Teachers at 24 Struggling Schools – SchoolBook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Judge Says City Must Reinstate Teachers at 24 Struggling Schools – SchoolBook: Judge Says City Must Reinstate Teachers at 24 Struggling Schools by Beth Fertig A state judge has declined, for now, to suspend a ruling that allows up to 4,000 city teachers to go back to their jobs at 24 struggling schools. Judge Joan B. Lobis of the New York State Supreme Court refused the city’s request for a temporary restraining order on the ruling by an arbitrator, Scott Buckhheit. He found that the city had violated the union’s contract by requiring the teachers to reapply for their positions a... more »

Diane Ravitch Takes Down Gates Foundation Role in U.S. Education - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Diane Ravitch Takes Down Gates Foundation Role in U.S. Education - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: Diane Ravitch Takes Down Gates Foundation Role in U.S. Education WRITTEN BY RICK COHEN CREATED ON TUESDAY, 10 JULY 2012 13:22 [image: Ravitch] July 5, 2012; *Source: *Diane Ravitch’s Blog If you don’t know who Diane Ravitch is, you should. Be assured that the die-hard advocates of privatized approaches to education reform know this brilliant New York University education professor, who was once seen as generally supportive of the conservativ... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Teacher Advice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
An Urban Teacher's Education: Teacher Advice: Teacher Advice by James Boutin Across the country, thousands of recent college grads and career changers are right now trying to prepare for their first year teaching, even if they don't know where it will be or what it will look like. If they're anything like I was, they've probably heard truckloads of advice on what they should and shouldn't do their first year. *Don't smile until Christmas.* *Make sure the kids respect you. This is not about being liked.* *Try to make the classroom fun. That's how you hook the kids, you know.* *Do... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: TFA - The Beat Goes On (in more ways than one)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: TFA - The Beat Goes On (in more ways than one): TFA - The Beat Goes On (in more ways than one) by Melissa Westbrook So first up, it looks like Renton is getting the full-court press from TFA (even though Renton previously announced they wouldn't be hiring any TFAers). We'll have to see what happens. As well, I'm sure Dr. Enfield's first agenda item is to convince Highline to sign on. I suspect this is happening for two reasons. One, TFA is probably getting pressure from Stritikus and UW to fill that program. Operating it at a loss (as they... more »

Modern School: Union-Busting Corporate Giveaways in Michigan

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Modern School: Union-Busting Corporate Giveaways in Michigan: Union-Busting Corporate Giveaways in Michigan by Michael Dunn Image from Flickr by Christopher Dombres Michigan’s infamous Financial Martial Law is now well known to those paying attention to this sort of thing. Numerous towns, cities and jurisdictions—including Detroit Public Schools (DPS)—have already been declared financial catastrophes and had “emergency financial managers” (generally business executives) imposed on them. These managers have the authority to override or fire elected officials, lay off unionized worke... more »

School bus drivers go for the gold in annual competition - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
School bus drivers go for the gold in annual competition - latimes.com: School bus drivers go for the gold in annual competition July 10, 2012 | 2:05 pm [image: increase text size][image: decrease text size] 3 0 [image: A conventional yellow bus at the stop line obstacle at the 41st annual School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Linthicum, Maryland in 2011.] This time of year is not just for Olympians and baseball all-stars to showcase their skills. School bus drivers, too, are competing -- in the 42nd annual School Bus Driver International Safety Competition in Milw... more »

Brooks, Petrilli, and Murray: Conservatives Confront Class Realities « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Brooks, Petrilli, and Murray: Conservatives Confront Class Realities « Diane Ravitch's blog: Brooks, Petrilli, and Murray: Conservatives Confront Class Realities by dianerav There is one fact about America today that has not been mentioned in the political debates: nearly 25% of our nation’s children are growing up in poverty. This nation leads the advanced nations of the world in child poverty. Two articles today by conservative writers suggest that some hint of realism may enter the national discourse. David Brooks wrote a column today expressing alarm about the growing inequali... more »

Jersey Jazzman: A Fair Trade?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: A Fair Trade?: A Fair Trade? by Duke An addendum to my earlier rambling rant essay about class, segregation, and school "choice": As if on cue, David Brooks does a *good* thing by bemoaning the radical differences in the childhoods of rich and poor American children. But then he proposes a trade: Liberals are going to have to be willing to champion norms that say marriage should come before childrearing and be morally tough about it. Conservatives are going to have to be willing to accept tax increases or benefit cuts so that more can be spent on the earned-incom... more »

Jersey Jazzman: A Virtual Diaster In the Making

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: A Virtual Diaster In the Making: A Virtual Diaster In the Making by Duke *PROUDLY SPONSORED BY* Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... After all of the embarrassment the NJDOE has suffered due to their broken charter school application process, you would think they'd be proceeding with extreme caution before introducing another hair-brained scheme. Not a chance: As New Jersey awaits a decision on its first online charter schools, the operator of three of those proposed schools isn’t taking any chances. Officials of K12 Inc.,... more »

NEA members at RA are not for the kids? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
NEA members at RA are not for the kids? « Fred Klonsky: NEA members at RA are not for the kids? by Fred Klonsky *Unions, as evidenced by these videos, have been putting the interests of school employees first for quite some time. The reason the obvious dichotomy has developed is because the adult issues (pay, benefits, work rules) are often divergent from student needs. – Kyle Olson, Education Action Group* Last week my stalker Ben Velderman reappeared to

School Bus Driver Champs Named - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
School Bus Driver Champs Named - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates California School Bus Drivers SACRAMENTO—Six California school bus drivers will be headed to Wisconsin this weekend to take part in a two-day bus driving competition, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today. They will be competing at the 42nd Annual School Bus Driver International Safety Competition hosted by the National School Transportation Association [image: External link opens in new window or tab.] on July 14-15, 2012 in Milwau... more »

Could School be Both Too Easy AND Too Hard? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Could School be Both Too Easy AND Too Hard? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Could School be Both Too Easy AND Too Hard? by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody This morning's USA Today featured two seemingly contradictory stories. On page one, the headline is "School is too easy, students report." On page seven, an op-ed is entitled "Why our kids hate math." The first article, authored by their excellent reporter Greg Toppo, shares a report that included results of surveys where students were asked how hard or easy they found their classwork. Among th... more »

David Brooks Knows Nothing about Schools Today « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
David Brooks Knows Nothing about Schools Today « Diane Ravitch's blog: David Brooks Knows Nothing about Schools Today by dianerav Peter DeWitt, who is an elementary school principal in upstate New York, got very ticked off by a column written by David Brooks in the New York Times. DeWitt has written a post in which he takes Brooks to task for his confusion and ignorance about schools today. He sees it as just another example of school-bashing by an uninformed critic, the sort that is making teachers and administrators feel shell-shocked. Brooks blames schools for being too feminiz... more »

Cutting Deep: Schools and Sequestration | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Cutting Deep: Schools and Sequestration | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Cutting Deep: Schools and Sequestration by obriena Remember the Super Committee? Formally known as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, it was a bipartisan congressional committee established by the Budget Control Act of 2011 tasked with identifying $1.2 trillion in federal budgetary savings (through spending cuts, revenue increases and program reforms) over ten years. If you remember the Super Committee, you also remember that it failed. And the consequence of that failure is... more »

NYC Educator: To IEP, or Not to IEP?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
NYC Educator: To IEP, or Not to IEP?: To IEP, or Not to IEP? by NYC Educator Diane Ravitch today notes what it takes to build a successful charter school. First, of course, you have to spend money. Then, rid yourself of the regulations that burden real public schools. Most of all, avoid those troublesome high-needs students, the ones who don't speak English, or have learning disabilities. That's true, of course. One of the most important things you can do if you want those great stats is to get great kids. They pass tests, and you look like a genius. But not all high-needs kids a... more »

RheeFirst! » Whistleblower sues Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee, alleges ErasureGate cover-up

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
RheeFirst! » Whistleblower sues Rhee, alleges ErasureGate cover-up: Whistleblower sues Rhee, alleges ErasureGate cover-up by admin The plaintiff in the case, Bruno Mpoy– a former teacher at a school flagged for high erasure rates– alleges that his principal instructed teachers to alter scores on the DC standardized test. When he brought this to Michelle Rhee’s attention, Rhee allegedly responded by firing him. Rhee has been less than forthright in her previous comments about the scandal—attacking a USA Today investigation as “lacking in integrity”, and stonewalling reporters. You... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The New Segregation in the New Newark

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: The New Segregation in the New Newark: The New Segregation in the New Newark by Duke This is a *very* important post; not because it's in response to me, but because it comes from a Newark parent - someone with his child's future on the line: Jersey Jazzman: Newark Will NEVER Have Control Of Its Schools Thoughtful and angry counterpoint on state-appointed superintendent Cami Anderson’soverriding the locally elected school board’s vote against leasing school buildings to charter schools. [...] It’s true that there are a lot of mediocre and even ineffective char... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: There's no fix without a fight

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: There's no fix without a fight: There's no fix without a fight by Mike Klonsky Mayor Frank Jackson, center, and Cleveland Teacher's Union president David Quolke, right, listen as schools CEO Eric Gordon talks about the agreement that was reached on the mayor's school plan. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal headline: A School Fix Without a Fight Cleveland Mayor Works With Governor and Teachers to Link Pay to Test Scores *By Stephanie Banchero* *The Republican governor of Ohio, the Democratic mayor of Cleveland and the local teachers union have united to ... more »

PSAT for 7-10-12: More reasons for an elected school board Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 7-10-12: More reasons for an elected school board: PSAT for 7-10-12: More reasons for an elected school board by admin The leadership of the Chicago Public Schools has once more shown its utter disrespect for our communities by announcing a nonsensical budget on a Friday evening and then scheduling hearings all on one day, 5 days later. No matter that this violates the law by missing the June deadline, as Substance News points out. No matter that they have ended what had become some sort of a tradition of opening the... more »

Don’t Be Fooled By Rick Scott’s Clever Rhetoric on High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Don’t Be Fooled By Rick Scott’s Clever Rhetoric on High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Don’t Be Fooled By Rick Scott’s Clever Rhetoric on High-Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes Desperate for a PR winner to defend his high-stakes tests regime, Rick Scott may have found one with a simple rhetorical tool: Change the wording. One now. One later. Let’s take a look: “Parents and taxpayers expect *measurement*. We’ve got to *measure*, we’ve got to find out who the best schools are,” Scott said at a convention of newspaper editors. “We have to have a good*measurement* system, but we... more »

Shanker Blog » Low-Income Students In The CREDO Charter School Study

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Low-Income Students In The CREDO Charter School Study: Low-Income Students In The CREDO Charter School Study by Matthew Di Carlo A recent *Economist* article on charter schools, though slightly more nuanced than most mainstream media treatments of the charter evidence, contains a very common, somewhat misleading argument that I’d like to address quickly. It’s about the findings of the so-called “CREDO study,” the important (albeit over-cited) 2009 national comparison of student achievement in charter and regular public schools in 16 states. Specifically, the article... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, July 10, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Chinatown San Francisco* Education Headlines *Tuesday, July 10, 2012* Fruitvale sues over defective gym constructionFruitvale School District has filed a lawsuit claiming that construction companies were negligent in building and installing a gymnasium floor at its junior high school, court filings show. Schools facing tighter budgetsSonora High School, Summerville High School and Calaveras Unified School District have all approved budgets for the next fiscal year that anticipate steep drops in revenue, setting the stage for more... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-30-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-29-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-28-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-27-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-25-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-21-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-20-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-19-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-15-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-14-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-13-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-12-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-12-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-11-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-10-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-6-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-5-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-4-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, July 11, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

The one-room schoolhouse in "Old Town" Sacramento, California 

Education Headlines

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Six Aspire charter schools in California could close

Six Aspire schools in California have one year to gain approval from local school districts or be forced to close.

New Twin Rivers trustees face old wounds, tough tasks

A superintendent search and grand jury response are among the top tasks being tackled by the newly elected Twin Rivers Unified School District trustees, but old wounds continued to show during Tuesday's first meeting of the new board.

School closure plan dropped

Plans to close eight campuses in San Diego were halted by the city school board Tuesday, leaving the district with the task of finding another way to offset $4 million of a deficit projected to hit $92 million in the 2013-14 academic year.

DA is reviewing Sweetwater food thefts

The District Attorney’s Office is reviewing a report from the Sweetwater Union High School District of theft from district cafeterias. The school district launched an investigation a year ago, paying outside investigator ESI $64,000 to look into theft and nepotism allegations spurred by employee complaints.

LAUSD sued in teacher molestation case

A former Los Angeles elementary school teacher molested 14 students and officials did nothing to protect them, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the nation's second-largest school district.

Imazeki: Move over, Sacramento, and give districts space to innovate

At this point, one of the best things Sacramento can do is simply get out of the way. Although most teacher policy is determined at the district level, one of the key findings of Getting Down to Facts was that state policies could do much more to give districts flexibility at least to try new approaches.

Fensterwald: Brown’s Veto Throws Wrench In AVID College Prep Program

The national executive director of AVID, a successful college preparatory program for students in the middle, vowed Tuesday to continue a strong operation in California, in spite of Gov. Jerry Brown’s veto last month of $8.1 million in state funding for it.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012

New campus, El Capitan High School, reaches halfway point

El Capitan High School is half done now, with a new leader to guide its development as a 21st-century learning environment. Anthony Johnson, Merced High School's associate principal for assessment and accountability the past three years, has been named principal of Merced's third high school. Since his appointment he has spent the bulk of his time familiarizing himself with the brand-new campus going up on North G Street near Farmland Avenue.

Fruitvale sues over defective gym construction

Fruitvale School District has filed a lawsuit claiming that construction companies were negligent in building and installing a gymnasium floor at its junior high school, court filings show.

Schools facing tighter budgets

Sonora High School, Summerville High School and Calaveras Unified School District have all approved budgets for the next fiscal year that anticipate steep drops in revenue, setting the stage for more possible 

More about the SOS March and Convention in DC « Diane Ravitch's blog

More about the SOS March and Convention in DC « Diane Ravitch's blog:


More about the SOS March and Convention in DC

I received this comment from one of the active members of SOS. I am glad she mentioned that Jonathan Kozol will be speaking at the SOS event, which takes place from August 3-5 in D.C.. Jon was riveting last year. And the great thing about hearing Jon is that he will make clear who is really leading “the civil rights movement of our time.”
Thank you, Diane, for taking the time to tell your readers about the Save Our Schools People’s Convention.
I will be attending the Save Our Schools People’s Convention in Washington, DC again this year.  One of the highlights last year was listening to you speak.  You will be sorely missed this year AND we can hardly wait to read your new book!
I also look forward to hearing Jonathan Kozol speak. I believe the issue of civil rights is at  the very core of education reform and Jonathan’s work will lead us to create a 21st century model that puts civil rights in the driver’s seat.  While corporate reformers tout their ideas as a means of achieving civil rights, the policies they have mandated have effectively segregated America’s schools to a point worse than the 1950′s.  This “savage” impact is what drives many of us who are battling corporate reform.
As a kindergarten teacher, I look forward to being part of the work that needs to be done in early childhood education with Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Deborah Meier.  The expectations of the corporate reformers curriculum is completely out of touch with child development.  These experts are champions for the whole child and their contributions to our conference will be key in the early childhood education platforms we will be creating.
Since last year’s conference, not a day goes by that I do not have contact with the many wonderful people across the country with whom I made connections with at the Save Our Schools March last year.
In fact, these connections have often put information I needed to inform others right at my fingertips, as I have resources now through people like yourself, Anthony Cody, Mike Klonsky, Dave Greene, Steve Krashen, Nancy Flanagan, Teacher Ken Bernstein, and Deborah Meier within minutes if I need them.  And I have needed all of these connections this year, believe me!
By making these connections at last year’s Save Our Schools Conference, these resources have helped me educate other stakeholders and provide evidence in my state that has made a huge difference in my ability to argue against corporate reforms.
More than anything, when I have been weary from this uphill battle, these connections have instantly stepped in to encourage me.  I have struggled, as many teachers have in deciding whether to continue working in this profession due to the oppressive nature of education reform on the children I work with daily.
These individuals  I met at Save Our Schools have taken the time out of their busy lives to make a phone call or send an encouraging word via email, Twitter, or Facebook that has lifted my spirits and help me lead others in this fight for equality.  I have all of you who came to Save Our Schools to thank for this support, for it would be very difficult to maintain this level of service without that encouragement.
For me, the speakers and workshops will be exciting.  The work on platforms will hopefully unify our vision to begin the work of taking back public education from the corporate reformers.  Many who dismiss us critique us for being “naysayers”.
Personally, I think we need both:  As you do on your blog, we need to be critical of education reform, working to show the public what does not work and why.
We also need to show the public, through compare and contrast: what works and what does not.
To do that, we need to come together to create our vision of what DOES work.  Once we come together as stakeholders to create that vision, that example, our real work can begin. Using example vs non-example will be the key to the public understanding what is at the heart of our mission.  After all, what do we do best?  Teach.
As educators, parents, and students —-  all stakeholders and the real OWNERS of this public good called PUBLIC schools have been shut out of the policy making, shut out of the curriculum [the standards] and shut out of the pedagogy [the art and science], as corporations have taken over our public schools.
Save Our Schools People’s Education Convention hopes to give the people a voice in creating a vision, to define what the real purpose for education is in America, and what a 21st century education would look like to support all stakeholders.
This is a great goal.  Whether we accomplish this entire goal at the convention remains to be seen.  What will be accomplished will be a start towards creating that vision.  I am excited to see the results.
I know those of us attending are ALL invited to be participants on Twitter’s LIVE #SOSchat on Tuesday, August 7th  at 9 pm EDT to report back to the public about our Save Our Schools People’s Education Convention.  I hope you can join us that night, Diane to hear about the event and discuss what we accomplished as a group.
Whether we accomplish the great goal of creating a vision and the first steps of how to achieve our vision remains to be seen, but I know one thing:
The national connections we make at the Save Our Schools convention will carry us through another year and years to come to continue the work that needs to be done to “Save Our Schools”; for the people who attend are able to communicate, build relationships that are lasting, inform each other of the effective ways those working to end corporate reform, encourage one another when the uphill battle is challenging, work together on brainstorming new strategies, and create actions that serve the people of America.
For me, this is the most important and most positive impact the convention will have.  We need ALL stakeholders at this convention.  I hope your readers will join us.

HARD CHOICE ON SCHOOL LOOMS FOR BRIDGEPOINT | UTSanDiego.com

HARD CHOICE ON SCHOOL LOOMS FOR BRIDGEPOINT | UTSanDiego.com:


HARD CHOICE ON SCHOOL LOOMS FOR BRIDGEPOINT

Accreditation denial for Ashford means jobs might leave S.D.



Bridgepoint Education soon may face tough decisions regarding its San Diego workforce after its Ashford University arm failed to win accreditation on Monday from a regional college certification agency.
The fast-growing, for-profit education company must address shortfalls in its scholastic programs pinpointed by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or WASC, analysts and education experts said. At the same time, it must juggle its business operation quickly to save its current accreditation — possibly relocating an unknown number of jobs out of San Diego in the process.
“We believe numerous and potentially expensive changes will need to occur before WASC accredits Bridgepoint, and it could take several years,” said Brandon Dobell, an analyst with William Blair & Co. in Chicago.
Maintaining accreditation is critical for Bridgepoint, since it is a precondition to participating in federal financial aid programs, including Pell Grants and government-backed student loans. The company received more than 85 percent of its $933 million in revenue from federal student 

NYC Educator: School's in for Summer

NYC Educator: School's in for Summer:


School's in for Summer

I've never worked summer school before, but I've also found that a strange entropy seems to overtake me by the second week of August.  I think it's because I don't have kids of my own and Mr. Eyre works in the Big City, so I'm alone for long stretches of time in the summer.  On the surface I don't mind this, but I decided it might be better for my mental health to work at least a little this summer.  So I'm teaching two weeks of summer school.

This is not as bad as I feared it might be.  I'm working a"Bridge Academy" because my genius principal figured out how to afford it, and getting to know the incoming 9th graders 

Shanker Blog » Cheating In Online Courses

Shanker Blog » Cheating In Online Courses:


Cheating In Online Courses

Our guest author today is Dan Ariely, James B Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, and author of the book The Honest Truth About Dishonesty (published by Harper Collins in June 2012).
A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education suggests that students cheat more in online than in face-to-face classes. The article tells the story of Bob Smith (not his real name, obviously), who was a student in an online science course.  Bob logged in once a week for half an hour in order to take a quiz. He didn’t read a word of his textbook, didn’t participate in discussions, and still he got an A. Bob pulled this off, he explained, with the help of a collaborative cheating effort. Interestingly, Bob is enrolled at a public university in the U.S., and claims to work diligently in all his other (classroom) courses. He doesn’t cheat in those courses, he explains, but with a busy work and school schedule, the easy A is too tempting to pass up.
Bob’s online cheating methods deserve some attention. He is representative of a population of students that have striven to keep up with their instructor’s efforts to prevent cheating online. The tests were designed in a way that 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Tonight's SOS Webinar with Barbara Madeloni

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Tonight's SOS Webinar with Barbara Madeloni:


Tonight's SOS Webinar with Barbara Madeloni

They Challenged and Conquered Corporate Education Reforms 
To Hear How Join Us Tonight!

SOSBdg Save Our Schools Webinar
"Teacher Education/Social Justice"
with Professor Barbara Madeloni
and her Student Teachers
Today, Wednesday, July 11, 2012  
8 PM Eastern Daylight Time [EDT] 
It is Time to Walk the Talk with the Many Who Do
 

Corporate reformers, Stanford University, along with test publishing company Pearson,implemented policy that changed the face of pedagogy. Students studying to be Teachers Protested. Local School Districts offered their dissent. Professor Madeloni stood with the two and received a non-renewal letter from UMass. You may think all hope is lost. We cannot change or conquer corporate education reforms. The truth is...

Yes! We Can Challenge and Conquer Corporate Ed!

The New York Times shared part of the story.  There is more... Professor Susan Theberge of Keene State College, New Hampshire wrote in The Daily Hampshire Gazette...
After three months School of Education administrators relented, agreeing that students, as human subjects in a research study, must be given the choice to participate or not. Sixty-seven of 68 secondary level student teachers refused to participate. 

The Mandeloni Webinar articulates our eternal endeavor to Save Our Schools and seek greater activism. If you choose, please help us bring more persons and students to the conversation. 
It is Time To Walk Our Talk!

Contribute what you choose. We request $25...$250 would be nice. Any amount will do. http://saveourschoolsmarch.com/donations/

SOSBdg Save Our Schools Webinar
"Teacher Education/Social Justice"
with Barbara Madeloni
and her Students
Tonight, Wednesday, July 11, 2012  
8 PM Eastern Daylight Time [EDT] 

The Save Our Schools March « Diane Ravitch's blog

The Save Our Schools March « Diane Ravitch's blog:


The Save Our Schools March

Last year I participated in the first Save Our Schools March in D.C.
It was a wonderful event.
This year, there will be another Save Our Schools March in D.C.
Some of the same speakers will return: my wonderful colleague Deborah Meier and the great teacher-educator Nancy Carlsson-Paige will speak, along with many others. I won’t be there because I am working hard on a new book and minimizing travel (and writing this blog, which is very time-consuming but keeps my spark plugs running).
The event is August 3-5. There is a group rate at the Marriott-Wardman Hotel.
If you live near D.C., or if you can get there, I urge you to attend. Join with others who care about the future of our schools and our children.
You can get more information here: http://www.saveourschoolsmarch.org/