Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Big Ed Ape - Morning Wink 9-30 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Schooling in the Ownership Society: Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand: Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand by Mike Klonsky Hedge-funder, Julian RobertsonLook who paid KIPP founder, Mike Feinberg’s way to NZ where he got a cool reception. None other than conservative hedge-funder Julian Robertson. Robertson's Aotearoa Foundation, is the local arm of the right wing USA-based Robertson Foundation. It was *hedge-fund king* Robertson who founded the now-defunct Tiger Management Fund which was mired in scandal over the collapse of U.S. Airways. Robertson recently gave $1.25 mi... more »

School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 50 minutes ago
School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) by larrycuban *The following post was written by teacher John Thompson of Oklahoma City and Neerav Kingsland, CEO of New Schools for New Orleans. They introduce themselves below. The post was published by Rick Hess, a blogger for Education Week on September 21, 2012.* * *There is much we disagree on – don’t worry we’ll get to that. But in writing this join... more »

Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago
Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators: Looking Ahead Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning Howard Gardner challenged that prevailing definition of intelligence with one concise description of what it means to be smart: “the ability to find and solve problems and create products of value in one's own culture.” It’s so simple it’s profound! There is no single measurement for intelligence in this definition. There is no “quotient” that can quantify ability or predict ... more »

Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?: Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing? More blog posts from Jeff Faux SUNDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2012 07:44 0 Comments The end of the Chicago teachers' strike was but a temporary regional truce in the civil war that plagues the nation's public schools. There is no end in sight, in part because -- as often happens in wartime -- the conflict is increasingly being driven by profiteers. The familiar media narrative tells us that this is a fight over how to improve our schools. On the one side are the self-styled reformers,... more »

'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate | TBO.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate | TBO.com: 'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate By ROB SHAW | The Tampa Tribune Published: September 30, 2012 » 0 Comments | Post a Comment TAMPA -- The ballot title says it's an issue about religious freedom. Supporters, including Catholics statewide, say it's all about making sure that soup kitchens, elder care and other services provided by faith-based organizations aren't left out in the cold. Opponents say it's a smokescreen designed to pave the way for a school voucher program at church-run ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-30-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] This Is a Book You Should Read by dianerav Diana Senechal wrote an important book about the world we live in now, a world of buzz and noise, with no time to think, reflect, day dream. This is a review in a magazine for zcanadian teachers. Teachers and parents will enjoy this book. Ten Years of NCLB: A Student Says, “How Sad.” Her Teacher Agrees by dianerav Paul Karrer teaches fifth grade in Castroville, California. He is doing his best to educate parents and the public about the destructive farce called “re... more »

Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom” | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom” | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom” by Jose A few notes: - Michael Doyle: “If you want to teach children, you have to know them. If this is a problem, get the f**k out of the classroom.” [Science teacher] - Elianne Ramos (of LATISM fame) is nominated for Yahoo!’s “Women Who Shine.” Go vote. [Yahoo!] - Big Daddy Kane joins Jay-Z at the Barclays Center. As I said, “ Amazeballs.” [Rap Radar] - Kids in a NYC public school were stuck watch... more »

Daily Kos: I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Daily Kos: I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled: I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) will explain a lot - about the mindset of many who are Republicans (and unfortunately more than a few who are at least nominally Democrats, including those in the group Democrats for Education Reform), and will most certainly help you understand the thinking of the likes of Mitt Romney. That is the title of this columnby Steve Pearlstein of *The Washington Post*, appearing in today's dead-tree edition, and online since last night. It is bri... more »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky *On Chicago’s west side. Photo: Bob Simpson* * * * * *Free speech is for billionaires.* Not teachers. *What happened to play?* 25 states mandate kindergarten testing. *Rahm should listen to the great school reformer John Dewey.* Want to improve schools? Work on poverty. *It’s banned books week.* Celebrating all those books that corrupt young kids’ minds. How about a free the Governor Quinn is bad for workers. by Fred Klonsky *In late September, Gov. Quinn took a six-day junket to meet with CEOs and politicians in ... more »

Radical Scholarship: 2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Radical Scholarship: 2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference: What is the SAT Good For? Absolutely Nothing | Alternet | National Education Policy Center by P. L. Thomas What is the SAT Good For? Absolutely Nothing | Alternet | National Education Policy Center 2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference by P. L. Thomas 5 Biggest Lies About America's Public Schools -- Debunked | Alternet by P. L. Thomas 5 Biggest Lies About America's Public Schools -- Debunked | Alternet

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, PART TROIS southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, PART TROIS by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is a happy place, an innovative place, a place in which the students themselves suffer no consequences and all is joyful. Students, usually the same ones every single day, who don't wish to go to class are coddled and given walks around the school all day long in which to contemplate how to keep from going to class the next day. So what if the wandering student doesn't learn, or even comes fro... more »

Union Backing Helps Us Help Children « InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Union Backing Helps Us Help Children « InterACT: Union Backing Helps Us Help Children by David B. Cohen I found this interesting story in the Sacramento Bee online yesterday, coming out of a small school district near Sacramento: *Rocklin Unified retaliated against school nurses, judge says*News involving schools always catches my eye, but this excerpt is particularly noteworthy in today’s education policy climate: The Rocklin Teachers Professional Association filed an unfair practice charge against the school district in 2010, alleging the four nurses were laid off in retaliation ... more »

Diane in the Evening 9-29-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Wendy Kopp Reviews Jonathan Kozol by dianerav As Edushyster calls it, Wendy is miffed that Jon didn’t mention TFA. Another hilarious article from one of our best satirists. Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel by dianerav Jersey Jazzman has written a brilliant screenplay that tells what happened after the characters in the movie opened their charter school. This is hilarious! A Teacher Responds to “Won’t Back Down” by dianerav Julie Cavanaugh is a special education teacher at PS 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. She was one of the makers of the documentary “The In... more »

Dichotomy of Co-Intentional Teaching and Our Current Education System « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Dichotomy of Co-Intentional Teaching and Our Current Education System « Cooperative Catalyst: Dichotomy of Co-Intentional Teaching and Our Current Education System by SngrLittle [image: Justice-statue.gif] Last week I attended a national conference on theatre education. It was an illuminating and frustrating experience. And this fall, I started attending graduate school in applied theatre at CUNY in New York, where I am participating in a wonderfully illuminating course, Group Theatre. Part of the ongoing dialogue and work in Group Theatre has centered on challenging ourselves... more »

Students Last: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Students Last: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher: Stripper Fired For Being A Teacher by Students Last Teachers rejected: "We have our standards"*Grand Rapids, Michigan *- Stripper Bunny Halter has filed a federal employment discrimination lawsuit against her former employer strip club White Glove, claiming she was fired one year ago due to her previous employment as a teacher. "I know I made some bad choices," Ms. Halter apologized at a press conference organized by her attorney Gloria Allred. "But I've left the education field now and I don't think I should be punished for trying... more »

Schools Matter: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Schools Matter: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review: Kopp's shameless self-promotion in the guise of a Kozol book review by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"Ms. Kopp's husband, Richard Barth, was an Edison executive before taking over as CEO of KIPP's national foundation, where he has sought to decertify its New York City unions." — Jesse James Alred* [image: Separate is never equal: TFA, KIPP, and corporate charter schools are the new Jim Crow.]One thing I'll concede to the corporate education reformers is their uncanny ability to use anything as a sal... more »

Schools Matter: Autism, ADHD, Adaptation and Randomization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Schools Matter: Autism, ADHD, Adaptation and Randomization: Autism, ADHD, Adaptation and Randomization by Storm Some time ago I wrote a piece noting how it seems autism is becoming a useful "disorder" to have. (I used the quotes for a reason which I hope becomes clear.) The post, "Autism: the next 'specialty' credential," tried to create a kind of choral effect between an essay by Adam Philips on the cultural definitions (always changing) of "mental illness," and a *Wired* article detailing the hiring practices of an "entrepreneur" (someone with money, or access to money, who ca... more »

Jersey Jazzman: More Perth Amboy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: More Perth Amboy: More Perth Amboy by Duke It never ends in Perth Amboy: The large crowd of parents and teachers at Perth Amboy High School erupted in applause when the Perth Amboy Board of Education placed Superintendent Janine Caffrey on administrative leave last Saturday. After an hour-long private session, the Board passed a resolution to not only place Caffrey on leave but also name Assistant Superintendent Vivian Rodriguez as active Superintendent. The board also unanimously voted to not bring Caffrey back as Superintendent once her current deal expires ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Won't Back Down II: The Sequel

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Won't Back Down II: The Sequel: Won't Back Down II: The Sequel by Duke *Won't Back Down II: The Sequel* * * * * * **After credits roll, fade up on school office. A worker is taking down a sign that says "Adams Elementary" and putting up one that says "KKIP Super Success Academy." In walk Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Nona Alberts (Viola Davis), smiling and chatting, clearly excited by changes in the school. * * **They enter the principal's office, where they are greeted by the new school leader, Geoffrey Barth-Moskowitz (Anthony Hopkins). He stands and s... more »

Dan Malloy just isn't that into Michelle Rhee - AMERICAblog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Dan Malloy just isn't that into Michelle Rhee - AMERICAblog: Dan Malloy just isn’t that into Michelle Rhee 9/28/2012 4:23pm by Matt Browner Hamlin 4 Comments Print Disgraced former DC schools chief Michelle Rhee is on a quixotic search to pretend she’s a Democrat in good standing, despite her pursuit of taking away workers’ rights and helping Republican governors bust teachers unions. In her Washington Post op-ed on how “real Democrats” support her education prioritization strategy, which reads like a Joe Lieberman op-ed arguing that real Democrats support endless war, Rhee offers ... more »

Prop. 30 isn't perfect, but if it fails, the results will be tragic - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Prop. 30 isn't perfect, but if it fails, the results will be tragic - latimes.com: Prop. 30 isn't perfect, but if it fails, the results will be tragicIf funding for public education is devastated, we will all pay the price. - [image: print] - Comments 174 - Email Share - - - - 1 - 2 - next - | single page [image: ] Gov. Jerry Brown at an August event supporting Proposition 30 in San Francisco. (Paul Sakuma, Associated Press) By Sandy Banks September 28, 2012, 7:38 p.m. It's the kind of education news that never makes head... more »

Engaged Pedagogy « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Engaged Pedagogy « Cooperative Catalyst: Engaged Pedagogy by Paul Freedman There’s one heck of a problem in American education today. There seems to be absolute consensus on this point. After all, student test scores are woeful in comparison to those of other industrialized nations. And the test scores of students of color reveal a gap that exposes a culture of privileging the already privileged, that shows little sign of change. Hands are wringing and policy makers and administrators scramble to increase standards and heighten the stakes of measurable achievement. We must c... more »

High School Stadiums, Packed With Loopholes - Businessweek

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
High School Stadiums, Packed With Loopholes - Businessweek: High School Stadiums, Packed With Loopholes By Kathy Warbelow on September 27, 2012 [image: The cost of the Carthage Bulldogs’ new scoreboard: $750,000] Texas isn’t a place you’d expect to see the words “equalized wealth,” but there they are in the state’s education code. The so-called Robin Hood provision passed in 1993 requires that school districts with taxable property values above a certain level, currently $319,500 per student, surrender some of their revenue to poorer communities. For the 2012-13 school year, a rec... more »

"Won't Back Down": Round-Up Of Reviews Find It Boring, Propaganda-Filled | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
"Won't Back Down": Round-Up Of Reviews Find It Boring, Propaganda-Filled | K-12 News Network: Won’t Back Down”: Round-Up Of Reviews Find It Boring, Propaganda-Filled Posted on September 29, 2012 by admin What’s supposed to be a charming, compelling movie that tugs at heart-strings and delivers the message that teacher’s unions are bad is instead dull, heavy-handed, and uninvolving, according to critics. In this movie, parents and teachers unite, and voila! The result is always and only a charter school. “Won’t Back Down” isn’t passing the low bar of being at least mildly entertaini... more »

Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger | Seattle Education: Education Radio on “Won’t Back Down” and the Parent Trigger by seattleducation2011 Leonie Haimson Highly recommended. On this program you will hear from *real* parents who are active in education. *“Won’t Back Down”: Corporate Education Reform and the Rhetoric of Fiction* *In the past weeks, we have watched with renewed energy and hope as the teachers, parents, students and community members of Chicago have shown us the power of solidarity. Their resistance to the privatization of public education an... more »

Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom - Echo Park-Silver-Lake, CA Patch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom - Echo Park-Silver-Lake, CA Patch: Expired food products being served by Walmart Foundation funded LAUSD Breakfast in the Classroom Posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:26 pm Email Print 6 Comments PHOTOS (2) [image: Expired Oatmeal Bars arrive for the day's Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC)] [image: LAUSD officials insist kids with syrup leave classes cleaner] Upload Photos and Videos *"So long as there are children who are coming to school hungry, there will be a need for school b...more »

The Unseen Casualties of the Budget War: California Adult Schools | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
The Unseen Casualties of the Budget War: California Adult Schools | Dailycensored.com: The Unseen Casualties of the Budget War: California Adult Schools by Danny Weil You’ve heard about the severe budget cuts to K-12 schools, and you’ve probably seen countless stories about the dire straits colleges and universities are in. Chances are, you don’t know much about the schools that have been hit the hardest:California’s adult schools. About 10% of adult schools have already closed, and about 15% more have been cut 50%-90%. That’s about 25% of adult schools that have had their funds... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Merit Pay Fairy Lands In Jersey!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Merit Pay Fairy Lands In Jersey!: Merit Pay Fairy Lands In Jersey! by Duke *No Not Her, She's the MONEY Fairy* Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Rutgers University's newest mascot: the Merit Pay Fairy! The best teachers in Asbury Park, Lakewood, Hillside and North Plainfield will be among the first in the state to earn federally financed merit pay, a spokesman from the U.S. Department of Education said. In partnership with the four low-income districts, Rutgers University will distribute $39.7 million over five years through the department’s Teacher Innovation Fund... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-29-12 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] A Teacher Responds to “Won’t Back Down” by dianerav Julie Cavanaugh is a special education teacher at PS 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. She was one of the makers of the documentary “The Inconvenient Truth Behind ‘Waiting for Superman’” She now reviews “Won’t Back Down” and explains what is really necessary to reform schools today. Is It Really “All About the Kids”? by dianerav The review in the New York Times of the anti-union film makes an important point: when people loudly insist that “it’s all about the kid... more »

Here come the latest pension bills. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Here come the latest pension bills. « Fred Klonsky: Here come the latest pension bills. by Fred Klonsky *Elaine Nekritz. She’s baaaaaack!* My pal Glen Brown reports on the latest pension bills. These are likely to be introduced in the post-election veto session of the Illinois General Assembly or in the next session that will be convened after January 1. HB 6209 and HB 6210 were filed by north suburban Democratic Representative Elaine Nekritz. These two bills are the latest version of the plan to force state retirees to choose between health care and their yearly cost of living adju... more »

Last Stand for Children First: Won't Back Down is the Greatest Story Ever Told

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Last Stand for Children First: Won't Back Down is the Greatest Story Ever Told: Won't Back Down is the Greatest Story Ever Told by Last Stand for Children As I am writing this blog, Won't Back Down has just been released to movie theaters across the country. It is on its way to setting huge box office records, but if you care about children or education you must go see this film immediately and preferably multiple times. While, I haven't seen this movie myself yet, I can guarantee you that this is a powerful and uplifting story that will forever change the way that movies are ma... more »

Daily Kos: You must read - and pass on - "40 Days of Night"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Daily Kos: You must read - and pass on - "40 Days of Night": You must read - and pass on - "40 Days of Night" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) The title of this Charles Blow *New York Times* column comes from the final line of this superb column: If Obama doesn’t slip up, the next 40 days or so will be one long, dark night for Mitt Romney. while this diary by xaxner mentions the Blow column (and is worth reading for the comment xaxner wrote and crossposted here) I think the Blow column deserves more attention, and was surprised not to see it featured in the Pundit Roundup.It is ... more »

In split vote, OUSD board puts American Indian charter schools on notice - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
In split vote, OUSD board puts American Indian charter schools on notice - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: In split vote, OUSD board puts American Indian charter schools on notice [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] By Katy Murphy Friday, September 28th, 2012 at 9:27 am in Uncategorized. Last night, as the Oakland school board issued a 1,080-page “notice of violation” to all three American Indian Model Schools over its fiscal and governance practices. (Link to the massive file here.) It’s the first step in a long process that could... more »

Leading School Board Member and High-Stakes Testing Opponent Applies for Florida Ed Commish Post | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Leading School Board Member and High-Stakes Testing Opponent Applies for Florida Ed Commish Post | Scathing Purple Musings: Leading School Board Member and High-Stakes Testing Opponent Applies for Florida Ed Commish Post by Bob Sikes You gotta hand to Rich Roach for chutzpah. Read this from Jeff Solochek in * Gradebook*: Rick Roach, a veteran educator and Orange School Board member since 1998, has contacted friends to let them know he will apply for Florida education commissioner. He also asked them to back his candidacy, if they agree with his views. “I have long been concerned wi... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Stay in School

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Stay in School: Stay in School by Charlie Mas Seattle Public Schools is exploring new ways to support our students to stay in school and is asking families to join District staff in discussions regarding student truancy, suspension and discipline. The meetings will be held Oct. 4, 8, 11, 17 and 24 at several high schools around the region. The meetings are being organized by the District Ombudsman, in collaboration with the Disciplinary Appeals/Truancy Office; and the office of School-Family Partnerships/Equity & Race. The meetings will be hel... more »

Saturday coffee 9-29-12 « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky *Union Pier, Michigan.* Anne, Ulysses and I have left the City for a month. We have rented a little cottage a few yards from Lake Michigan. We are planning little more than walking, reading and watching the colors change. The change has begun. That picture above was taken last Monday when we arrived and already the road is lined with gold, yellow and rust. Ten more days and we will be in peak colors. Saturday coffee is here at the cottage. Or maybe a latte at the Whistle Stop, a ten minute walk down Red Arrow Highwa... more »

Standardized Testing Stole Our Day! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Standardized Testing Stole Our Day! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: Standardized Testing Stole Our Day! Posted September 29, 2012 by Oldschoolteach in Blogging about Education, Standardized Testing. Tagged: Education,loss of instructional time due to standardized testing, NCLB, No Child Left Behind Act, standardized testing, the negatives of standardized testing. Leave a Comment I planned in advance and completely forgot that we were having the standardized Math test today! Bummer! Wonderful plans put on hold…. *This is what my students and I lost today because Standardized test... more »






Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-29-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-22-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 9-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 







Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-22-12 #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-21-12 #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-20-12 #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-19-12 #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Ed Ape Nite Cap Chicago Delegates Vote to Suspend Strike DAY #9 9-18-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #8 9-17-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #7 9-16-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #6 9-15-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #3 9-12-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION 9-11-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-10-12 #faircontractnow #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-9-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-8-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-7-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-6-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-5-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-4-12 #DNC2012 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-2-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ape Nite Cap 9-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
 

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand:


Look who paid KIPP's way to New Zealand

Hedge-funder, Julian Robertson
Look who paid KIPP founder, Mike Feinberg’s way to NZ where he got a cool reception. None other than conservative hedge-funder Julian Robertson. Robertson's Aotearoa Foundation, is the local arm of the right wing USA-based Robertson Foundation. It was hedge-fund king Robertson who founded the now-defunct Tiger Management Fund which was mired in scandal over the collapse of U.S. Airways.

Robertson recently gave $1.25 million to  Restore Our Future, a Super PAC supporting Mitt Romney campaign. In fact, Robertson wanted Romney to run his hedge fund. But Romney has enough sense not to get involved in such a crooked organization and ran Bain Capital instead.
"I'm fortunate to be a one-percenter", said Robertson. "I put it up there as probably, if it works, as 

School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:


School Reformers Who Disagree Find Common Ground (John Thompson and Neerav Kingsland)

The following post was written by teacher John Thompson of Oklahoma City  and Neerav Kingsland, CEO of New Schools for New Orleans. They introduce themselves below. The post was published by Rick Hess, a blogger for Education Week on September 21, 2012.
 There is much we disagree on – don’t worry we’ll get to that. But in writing this joint post we hope to flesh out some common beliefs that unite two very different people – and, perhaps, two different wings of current education debates. The recent events in Chicago make very clear that there is a great divide between different factions of reform and that this divide continues to greatly impact children. We hope that this divide need not be permanent – and that a common agenda may be found between different reform camps. At the very least, we have found common ground where few would have expected.

Some Background on Us
I (John) taught and participated in whole school and district-wide reforms in the Oklahoma City Public School System (which is 90% low income). On the eve of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), I served on the steering 

Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning - Woodbridge, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators:

Looking Ahead

Rich, Real World, Performance-Based Learning

Howard Gardner challenged that prevailing definition of intelligence with one concise description of what it means to be smart: “the ability to find and solve problems and create products of value in one's own culture.” It’s so simple it’s profound! There is no single measurement for intelligence in this definition. There is no “quotient” that can quantify ability or predict potential. Gardner’s theory attempts to provide for the complex processes of human cognition without setting limits on its potential. If the human mind has an operating system, Gardner’s model is the manual that attempts to explain how it runs.

Consider these observable actions for each intelligence:

Intelligence
Observable Actions
Verbal
Read, write, speak, tell, ask, explain,  inform, convey, report, articulate, address, confer, request, recount, lecture, present, announce, narrate, debate, discuss, converse, recite, quote, describe, clarify

Logical
Solve, resolve, question, hypothesize, theorize, scrutinize, investigate, experiment, analyze, deduce, prove, verify, decipher, determine, predict, estimate, measure, calculate, quantify, simplify

Visual
Observe, symbolize, draw, sketch, draft, illustrate, paint, color, contour, outline, rearrange, design, redesign, invent, create, conceive, originate, innovate, imagine, picture, envision, visualize, pretend

Kinesthetic
Build, construct, erect, assemble, make, manufacture, structure, craft, imitate, play, perform, walk, run, jump, dance, collect, gather, compile, fashion, shape, duplicate, dissect, exercise, move, transport

Musical
Listen, hear, infer, audiate, note, pattern, sing, clap, chant, model,  repeat, replicate, reproduce, copy, echo, imitate, impersonate, mimic, compose, harmonize, dub, rap, orchestrate, resonate

Intrapersonal
Express, imply, support, sponsor, promote, advise, advocate, encourage, champion, justify, rationalize, characterize, defend, validate, vindicate, assess, evaluate, judge, challenge, survey, poll

Interpersonal
Share, lead, guide, direct, help, mediate, manage, conduct, collaborate, cooperate, interview, influence, persuade, campaign, convince, compromise, role play, improvise, ad-lib, referee, reconcile

Naturalist
Sort, organize, categorize, compare, contrast, differentiate, separate, classify, detail, align, order, arrange, sequence, inventory, catalogue, group, file, index, chronicle, log, map, chart, graph

Existential
Reflect, contemplate, deliberate, ponder, summarize, synthesize, associate, relate, recap, encapsulate, elaborate, appreciate, appraise, critique, evaluate, assess, speculate, explore, dream, wonder


Our goal should be to provide instructional opportunities that promote all nine intelligences. MI Theory was not developed to label or exclude individuals, but to allow all learners to be successful through the different paths to learning that '

Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?

Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?:


Education Profiteering; Wall Street's Next Big Thing?



The end of the Chicago teachers' strike was but a temporary regional truce in the civil war that plagues the nation's public schools. There is no end in sight, in part because -- as often happens in wartime -- the conflict is increasingly being driven by profiteers.
The familiar media narrative tells us that this is a fight over how to improve our schools. On the one side are the self-styled reformers, who argue that the central problem with American K-12 education is low-quality teachers protected by their unions. Their solution is privatization, with its most common form being the privately run but publicly financed charter school. Because charter schools are mostly unregulated, nonunion and compete for students, their promoters claim they will, ipso facto, perform better than public schools.
On the other side are teachers and their unions who are cast as villains. The conventional plot line is that they resist change, blame poverty for their schools' failings and protect their jobs and turf.
It is well known, although rarely acknowledged in the press, that the reform movement has been financed and led by the corporate class. For over twenty years large business oriented foundations, such as Gates (Microsoft), Walton (Wal-Mart) and Broad (Sun Life) have
poured billions into charter school start-ups, sympathetic academics 

'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate | TBO.com

'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate | TBO.com:


'Religious Freedom' amendment reignites school voucher debate

» 0 Comments | Post a Comment

The ballot title says it's an issue about religious freedom.
Supporters, including Catholics statewide, say it's all about making sure that soup kitchens, elder care and other services provided by faith-based organizations aren't left out in the cold.
Opponents say it's a smokescreen designed to pave the way for a school voucher program at church-run schools, and that it will erode the separation between church and state. A school board member in Alachua County even called it "the very death of public schools."
Either way, the 72-word Amendment 8, titled "Religious Freedom" and sponsored by the Florida Legislature, has created a firestorm of controversy as the Nov. 6 election nears.

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-30-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch



A Charter Teacher Tells What Happened

In response to an earlier post about the lack of accountability for charters, a teacher wrote to describe her experience in a charter school in Pennsylvania. Most important in her story is the last line:
From 2009-2011 I worked for a Philadelphia charter school that exemplifies the problems Bill White is talking about, a problem leaders like Ackerman were enforcing before Corbett assumed his role. When I entered the Philadelphia school system in 2009, the district’s messaging under Arlene Ackerman seemed to be: if public schools are the problem, charter schools are the answer.
Although my school’s Chief Operating Officer’s business cards proclaimed “Best middle school (grades 6-8) in



This Is a Book You Should Read

Diana Senechal wrote an important book about the world we live in now, a world of buzz and noise, with no time to think, reflect, day dream.
This is a review in a magazine for zcanadian teachers.
Teachers and parents will enjoy this book.



Ten Years of NCLB: A Student Says, “How Sad.” Her Teacher Agrees

Paul Karrer teaches fifth grade in Castroville, California.
He is doing his best to educate parents and the public about the destructive farce called “reform” that is ruining education for his students.
A student returned to his classroom and asked him why he was no longer teaching as he had when she was a 



What Charter Schools Do Best

A reader in Los Altos, California, comments on an earlier post:
The REAL carrot here is allowing middle-class parents to engage in segregation. This is the “dirty little secret” of charter schools and of education reform in general: that they are a sustained political force ONLY because rich or semi-rich parents want their children in schools without “undesirables”.
Hence Obama is making a calculated political move here by saying he supports charters. That statement alone is probably worth a million or two votes in terms of direct votes, activism on his behalf, and donations. Parents in 



Anti-Union Film Bombs at Box-Office

A reader wrote to say that he went to see “that movie,” and there were only eight other people in the theater.
The Hollywood media says that his family’s experience was not unusual.
Despite a huge publicity campaign involving promotion by NBC’s Education Nation and full-page ads in major 



New Jersey Parent to Daniel Barnz: You Lied

Darcie Cimarusti blogs under the name “Mother Crusader.”
She is a parent activist in New Jersey who joined the battle to save her community’s public schools from privatizers.
She was one of the parents who protested outside the opening of “Won’t Back Down” in New York City.
In interviews and articles, the film’s director Daniel Barnz made condescending comments about the parents. He 



Can Stand for Children Save Its Soul?

No one knows for sure when Stand for Children abandoned its original mission of advocating for public schools and seeking more equitable funding.
But by 2011, Stand for Children had become a handmaiden of the hedge fund managers and super-rich, promoting their agenda of privatization. Its founder, Jonah Edelman, boasted at the Aspen Ideas Festival of how he had outsmarted the teachers’ unions and had bought up the best lobbyists. He worked with like-minded 



The Hardest, Most Rewarding Career Ever

An earlier post asked which was harder: Teaching or Rocket Science. It received some great responses. Here is one of them:
I’ll add my vote here. Former engineer, now a teacher for 17 years. Teaching is much harder work. It takes a really long time to get very good at it (which TFA and other organizations like it don’t seem to grasp). It also takes a unique blend of patience, thick-skinned tolerance of minor (and sometimes major) injustices, humility 



Wendy Kopp Reviews Jonathan Kozol

As Edushyster calls it, Wendy is miffed that Jon didn’t mention TFA.
Another hilarious article from one of our best satirists.

Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel

Jersey Jazzman has written a brilliant screenplay that tells what happened after the characters in the movie opened their charter school.
This is hilarious!

Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom” | The Jose Vilson

Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom” | The Jose Vilson:


Short Notes: “If This Is A Problem, Get The F**k Out Of The Classroom”


A few notes:
  • Michael Doyle: “If you want to teach children, you have to know them. If this is a problem, get the f**k out of the classroom.” [Science teacher]
  • Elianne Ramos (of LATISM fame) is nominated for Yahoo!’s “Women Who Shine.” Go vote. [Yahoo!]
  • Big Daddy Kane joins Jay-Z at the Barclays Center. As I said, “Amazeballs.” [Rap Radar]
  • Kids in a NYC public school were stuck watching Shrek instead of, say, learning in a classroom. Ben Chapman investigates. [NY Daily News]
  • Josmar Trujillo (full disclosure: classmate at

Daily Kos: I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled

Daily Kos: I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled:


I am a job creator: A manifesto for the entitled

will explain a lot -  about the mindset of many who are Republicans (and unfortunately more than a few who are at least nominally Democrats, including those in the group Democrats for Education Reform), and will most certainly help you understand the thinking of the likes of Mitt Romney.
That is the title of this columnby Steve Pearlstein of The Washington Post, appearing in today's dead-tree edition, and online since last night.
It is brilliant.
It is also almost impossible to excerpt, although below the squiggle I will offer a few selections with commentary.



Warren up 5 in new Boston Globe poll

but due caution, still 18% undecided.
In this Globe story about the poll, we learn that she now leads Scott Brown by 43-38.
This survey is the sixth of eight public polls taken this month that show Warren ahead.
  So we know the trend is in Warren's direction, and the director of the survey notes
“Brown right now is not doing well enough among Democrats to offset the advantage that ­Warren has,” said Smith. “That’s just such a big obstacle to overcome for any Republican candidate” in Massachusetts.
Brown is only drawing 9% of those planning to vote for Obama, while 20% of Obama voters remain undecided in 

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky:


The Sunday Mail.



On Chicago’s west side. Photo: Bob Simpson


Free speech is for billionaires. Not teachers.
What happened to play? 25 states mandate kindergarten testing.
Rahm should listen to the great school reformer John Dewey. Want to improve schools? Work on poverty.
It’s banned books week. Celebrating all those books that corrupt young kids’ minds. How about a free the



Governor Quinn is bad for workers.

In late September, Gov. Quinn took a six-day junket to meet with CEOs and politicians in Brazil. Public employees and labor leaders there were waiting with their own “Pat Quinn Truth Squad”! The signs in Portuguese read, “Governor Quinn, Bad for Workers”. In this photo: Graca Costa (left), president of the National Confederation of Municipal Workers (CONFETAM), and Vagner Freitas (right), president of the Unified Workers Central (CUT).
From AFSCME District 31.

Radical Scholarship: 2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference

Radical Scholarship: 2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference:



What is the SAT Good For? Absolutely Nothing | Alternet | National Education Policy Center



2nd Annual Critical Theories in the Twenty-First Century Conference

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, PART TROIS southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:


The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, PART TROIS

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is a happy place, an innovative place, a place in which the students themselves suffer no consequences and all is joyful.

Students, usually the same ones every single day, who don't wish to go to class are coddled and given walks around the school all day long in which to contemplate how to keep from going to class the next day.

So what if the wandering student doesn't learn, or even comes from a dysfunctional home. What matters is that the student feels safe and responsive at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School and knows that all he or she needs to do to avoid sitting in the classroom is to throw a tantrum, 

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Union Backing Helps Us Help Children « InterACT

Union Backing Helps Us Help Children « InterACT:


Union Backing Helps Us Help Children

I found this interesting story in the Sacramento Bee online yesterday, coming out of a small school district near Sacramento:

Rocklin Unified retaliated against school nurses, judge says

News involving schools always catches my eye, but this excerpt is particularly noteworthy in today’s education policy climate:
The Rocklin Teachers Professional Association filed an unfair practice charge against the school district in 2010, alleging the four nurses were laid off in retaliation for asking their union for assistance regarding workload and safety issues.
In PERB documents, the district argued that the nurses routinely said no to many requests and claimed their nursing licenses would not let them perform certain work.
This story won’t be noted in the national news, but it should be noted by those engaged in the national debate on