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Friday, January 4, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 1-4-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS





The nutrition gap: A fight for quality food for Mississippi’s littlest learners | Hechinger Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 44 minutes ago
The nutrition gap: A fight for quality food for Mississippi’s littlest learners | Hechinger Report: The nutrition gap: A fight for quality food for Mississippi’s littlest learners by Jackie Mader Debbie Ellis remembers the instant potatoes, chocolate pudding and classic Southern fried foods once served at the child care centers she owns in Greenwood, Miss. Watching kids eat was a joy—even though spending $800 a month on groceries for meals that could hardly be called nutritious was not. These days, Ellis has a caterer preparing meals with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plenty... more »

UFT’s takes to the tube to tackle evals and Bloomberg’s legacy | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 54 minutes ago
UFT’s takes to the tube to tackle evals and Bloomberg’s legacy | GothamSchools: UFT’s takes to the tube to diss evals and Bloomberg’s legacy by Geoff Decker The United Federation of Teachers ratcheted up pressure on Mayor Bloomberg over teacher evaluations with a new television ad campaign that will run daily between now and Jan. 17. The 30-second spot — and an accompanying statement from Michael Mulgrew — take aim at Bloomberg’s education legacy during the 11 years he’s been in office. The ad begins with a still shot of a young student who has grown up through the city school syst... more »

Yet another charter school lobby group comes to Connecticut - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago
Yet another charter school lobby group comes to Connecticut - Wait, What?: Yet another charter school lobby group comes to Connecticut by jonpelto Lured by Governor Malloy’s education reform efforts and the prospect of easier access to taxpayer funds, the NEW YORK CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION is expanding into Connecticut. According to a press release issued in Albany, New York, “The New York State Charter Schools Association (NYCSA) today announced that it is growing into a regional organization with the new inclusion of charter schools in Connecticut.” The release stated that wit... more »

Florida HS Grades Show No Difference Between Charter Schools and Public Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Florida HS Grades Show No Difference Between Charter Schools and Public Schools | Scathing Purple Musings: Florida HS Grades Show No Difference Between Charter Schools and Public Schools by Bob Sikes While the Florida media are obliged to publish whatever conclusions that the hacks at the FLDOE Bush Foundation release , Dr. Stanley Smith of UCF has emerged as a counterweight to their predictable everything is just swell fluff. Gina Jordan of *StateImpact* has Dr. Smith’s comparison of charter schools to public schools from Florida’ just released high school grades. Smith exami... more »

(TRIGGER WARNING) It’s Time to Have a Conversation About Personal Responsibility, Rape, and Public Schools! « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
(TRIGGER WARNING) It’s Time to Have a Conversation About Personal Responsibility, Rape, and Public Schools! « Cooperative Catalyst: (TRIGGER WARNING) It’s Time to Have a Conversation About Personal Responsibility, Rape, and Public Schools! by Jabreel Chisley - Greene County, Missouri (Republic School District) - Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis Public School District) - Jackson Township, Ohio (Jackson Local School District) - Bibb County, Macon, Georgia (Bibb County Public School District) - Gwinett County, Georgia ( Gwinett County Public School District) - University P... more »

UPDATE: Schools Matter: SCAM ALERT: Coleman as Perpetual Huckster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schools Matter: SCAM ALERT: Coleman as Perpetual Huckster: SCAM ALERT: Coleman as Perpetual Huckster by P. L. Thomas There's an allegory that is popular among lawyers called the allegory of the river. [1] In this allegory, people find themselves near a river and confronted with a stream of babies floating helplessly by in the current. Many begin frantically to wade into the rushing water, saving as many babies as possible. Then one walks away. The others are stunned and ask why this one person is abandoning the mission to rescue the babies floating down the river. The one walki... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] As Detroit Public Schools Shrink, Proportion of Special Ed Kids Soar by dianerav http://www.freep.com/article/20121224/NEWS01/312240091/As-Detroit-Public-Schools-rolls-fall-proportion-of-special-needs-students-on-rise?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage School Board Showdown in Los Angeles by dianerav Steve Zimmer is an alumnus of Teach for America. He is not your typical TFA-er. He was elected to the Los Angeles Unified school board in 2009, after seventeen years as a public school teacher. He will be ... more »

Daily Kos: Our clown-around Congress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Our clown-around Congress: Our clown-around Congress by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) To say that Congress looked like a clown show this week is an insult to self-respecting clowns. So begins Eugene Robinson in this *Washington Post* column this morning, whose title I have borrowed for this posting.He begins by reminding us, as painful as it might be, that the so-called fiscal cliff was a fake crisis, manufactured by legislators (and "aided and abetted" by the President), who then proceeded to handle it so incompetently that they turned it into a real one. . And w... more »

Ed Notes Online: Ed Deformer Biddle Muddles While Randi Fiddles

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Ed Deformer Biddle Muddles While Randi Fiddles: Ed Deformer Biddle Muddles While Randi Fiddles by ed notes online [image: randi-weingarten.JPG] Declared Weingarten on Twitter: “retirees do not sway local elections”. Really, Randi should think twice before she tweets. Thanks to Jeff Kaufman for digging this up from dropout nation's RiShawn Biddle, my new fave ed deformer for the material he provides us, in this follow-up piece to his attack on Randi when she called for more teacher voice (which means SHE gets to talk and no one else). Here is the Ed Notes link (Iron... more »

EdWatch 2013: School finance reform redux | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
EdWatch 2013: School finance reform redux | EdSource Today: EdWatch 2013: School finance reform redux ** January 4th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John FensterwaldShare on twitter Share on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone Gov. Jerry Brown won’t speak the words “weighted student funding formula” when he presents a new state budget next week, along with his plan to refashion the state’s complex and inequitable school finance system. The concept of funneling more education dollars to high-needs children is very much alive, and Brown will press the Legislature to act on it thi... more »

Engaging Parents In School…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Engaging Parents In School…: My Parent Engagement Book “Community School Model Seen as Valuable to Rural Areas” Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 8 hours ago Community School Model Seen as Valuable to Rural Areas is an interesting article over at Education Week. I’ve written very positively about community schools in the past, as well as expressing my concerns about them. Making Parents Pay A School Anytime Their Child Is Given Detention Is Not A Wise Parent Engagement Strategy Larry Ferlazzo at Engaging Parents In School... - 8 hours ago The Noble Network has ten c... more »

Charter school ruled private entity for labor relations

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Charter school ruled private entity for labor relations: Charter school ruled private entity for labor relations Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 4, 2013 at 6:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » The question of just how public charter schools really are has been further muddied by aruling by the National Labor Relations Board in a case involving a Chicago charter school. Critics of charter schools have long contended that private companies that run publicly funded charters don’t act like p... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Joel Klein: As Excellent As He Says He Is? Part III: Joel Klein: As Excellent As He Says He Is? Part III by Duke *Joel Klein is one of America's foremost proponents of corporate education "reform." He asserts that public education is in such a crisis that it constitutes a national security threat - a threat that can be dealt with by buying technology from the firm he runs for Rupert Murdoch, Amplify. He also believes that the "reforms" he and Mayor Michael Bloomberg instituted in New York City - including mayoral control, school closings, charter expansion, and te... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-3-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* Educators, politicians have stark reaction to Gov. Jerry Brown school funding revamp by By Barbara Jones and Beau Yarbrough, Staff Writers School districts that have long struggled to educate large numbers of poor students or English learners could see a massive influx of cash under a new funding formula expected to be unveiled next week by Gov. LA school police still ticketing thousands of young students Susan Ferriss Tami Abdollah/KPCC L.A. city councilman Tony Cardenas and L.A. Unified board member Monica Garcia join students pr... more »

Illinois teachers jam Capitol for pension rights. « Notes From The We Are One Rally

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Illinois teachers jam Capitol for pension rights. « Fred Klonsky: Illinois teachers jam Capitol for pension rights. by Fred Klonsky [image: Park Ridge Education Association.] [image: IMG_0002] [image: Tough getting everybody in.] [image: IMG_0006] [image: IMG_0007] [image: IMG_0008] [image: IMG_0011] [image: IMG_0013] [image: IMG_0014] [image: IEA President Cinda Klickna.] [image: IMG_0019] Notes From The We Are One Rally by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Ok enough of Elaine Nekritz already! *Take, Ye, These Workers' Pensions*Except to say that I completely forgot there's a stat... more »

Schools to Watch-Taking Center Stage - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Schools to Watch-Taking Center Stage - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates California's 2013 Schools to Watch - Taking Center Stage Model Middle Schools SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 12 high-performing California middle schools have been newly designated as model middle grades schools in the Schools to Watch™−Taking Center Stage (STW−TCS) program. Another nine high-performing California schools will also retain their model middle grades schools status under the same program. "... more »

The Ethical Core of Common Core — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
The Ethical Core of Common Core — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Paula Mirk]The Ethical Core of Common Core January 3, 2013 by Paula Mirk Both the whole child approach and the Common Core State Standards "compel school instructional staff to develop and deliver effective, engaging instruction reflective of individual student needs and strengths." That's what we all want for our students, and we should expect nothing less. But the standards are undergirded by an "ethical core," and all educators should keep in mind that our ultimate purpose in teaching—indeed in ... more »

Armed Teacher Training Program launches in 15 states; ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws = increase in homicides | Pam's House Blend

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Armed Teacher Training Program launches in 15 states; ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws = increase in homicides | Pam's House Blend: Armed Teacher Training Program launches in 15 states; study reveals impact of ‘Stand Your Ground’ on homicides by Pam Spaulding Boy, this is a bad idea on so many levels. Teachers are already in high-stress positions — imagine dealing with middle-school-age, hormone-racing kids all day for one thing. Add on the responsibility of being in charge of your firearm, to keep it safeguarded yet accessible on the chance someone is going to come in randomly guns-ablazi... more »

Diane in the EVENING 1-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Rocketship to Nowhere by dianerav I posted a couple of times about John Merrow’s PBS profile of the Rocketship charter chain, but I think there is more to be said on the subject. The chain now has seven charters in San Jose, California, and it will soon expand into many more urban “markets.” When it enters a new territory, it expects a commitment for at least five charters. It aims to enroll one million children eventually. It is presently planning new schools in Nashville, San Antonio, Milwaukee, and other cities. Merrow’s show was well done and nicely... more »

Blame the Teachers « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Blame the Teachers « PWC Education Reform Blog: Blame the Teachers by pwceducationreform Blame the teachers. That’s the advice from PWCS for anyone with concerns about the Math program. According to PWCS staff, teachers developed the assessments and have the authority and autonomy to select and use any materials they want in any order no matter what the recommended pacing might suggest. Teachers can even disavow instructional materials [...] Blame the Teachers, Part (2) by pwceducationreform Blame the teachers. That’s the advice from PWCS for anyone with concerns about the Mat...more »

Quick! Look Busy, Set up a Sandy Hook Advisory Commission to Study the Problem - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Quick! Look Busy, Set up a Sandy Hook Advisory Commission to Study the Problem - Wait, What?: Quick! Look Busy, Set up a Sandy Hook Advisory Commission to Study the Problem by jonpelto A couple of hours ago, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced that he was creating the *Sandy Hook Advisory Commission,* a committee of 15 members who will “explore relevant issues of gun control, school security and mental health.” The governor named Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson to lead the committee and instructed him that an initial round of recommendations are expected no later than March 15, which woul... more »

Schools Matter: National Opt Out Day January 7

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Schools Matter: National Opt Out Day January 7: National Opt Out Day January 7 by Jim Horn From Peg with Pen:Children are NOT Numbers: National Opt Out Day, January 7th Teachers, as you plan how to resist corporate education reform and rebuild public schools on National Opt Out Day (Jan.7th) - or any day for that matter - here is one way to do it - *do not allow others to refer to children based on their test scores*. Children cannot be called "UnSats" or "Partials" or any other label attached to a number. It is beyond disrespectful and allows teachers to become removed from the ... more »

Questions about school closings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Questions about school closings: *Questions about school closings* Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 3, 2013 at 3:15 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » Here is a letter sent to Barbara Byrd-Bennett, chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools, asking important questions about the process being used to determine which public schools will be closed. It was written by Wendy Katten, executive director of a nonprofit organization called Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education, a grass... more »

California School Funding: Jerry Brown To Pursue Sweeping Overhaul | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
California School Funding: Jerry Brown To Pursue Sweeping Overhaul | toteachornototeach: California School Funding: Jerry Brown To Pursue Sweeping Overhaul by aristotlethewise *California School Funding: Jerry Brown To Pursue Sweeping Overhaul* [image: jerry-brown-california] By Theresa Harrington and Steve Harmon SACRAMENTO — In what promises to be one of his most significant policy moves this year, Gov. Jerry Brown will pursue a sweeping overhaul of the way California schools are funded, changing the way money has been allocated for four decades. Although the administration hasn’t ... more »

The grand education bargain Texas needs in 2013 | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
The grand education bargain Texas needs in 2013 | Education Blog: The grand education bargain Texas needs in 2013 by Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnist We are hearing a lot about grand bargains in Washington, so here is the grand bargain I’d like to see for education in Texas in 2013: First, legislators make some restitution to schools for the $5.4 billion in cuts that education took in the 2011 session. It may not be possible to put every single dime back into education, given competing budget priorities. But Austin should do more than look askance at restoring funding, as this DM... more »

Ed Notes Online: MORE Press Release on Cuomo's report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: MORE Press Release on Cuomo's report: MORE Press Release on Cuomo's report by ed notes online *UFT Presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh said, "We hoped the Commission would place a greater emphasis on giving schools and teachers the tools they need to truly put children first. This would mean lowering class sizes, accepting parents as stakeholders in public education, listening to the perspective of career educators, and equitable funding for our schools. Unfortunately, it is precisely these issues the Commission has largely ignored."--- MORE press release* I... more »

Rally at Illinois Capitol: Representatives Abandon Teachers and All | Reclaim Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Rally at Illinois Capitol: Representatives Abandon Teachers and All | Reclaim Reform: Rally at Illinois Capitol: Representatives Abandon Teachers and All by kenpreviti [image: mr smith]We Are One Illinois created a massive Jan. 3, 2002 rally in the capitol to address the pension crisis created by state representatives. The representatives canceled their scheduled legislative session. Shakespeare famously wrote, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” The reason for this is simply that Springfield, Illinois had not yet been founded when he wrote the line. The Illinois Educat... more »

Five Things That Changed At My School When We Adopted A Competency-Based Model | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Five Things That Changed At My School When We Adopted A Competency-Based Model | Connected Principals: Five Things That Changed At My School When We Adopted A Competency-Based Model by Brian Stack ***“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”* This ancient Chinese proverb sums up my view on why just three years ago it was time for my school, Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston, NH, to stop “talking” about making the change to a competency-based grading and reporting model and why it was time to start “doing it.” With a leap of faith ... more »

Michigan Parents for Schools – story from new PAA affiliate | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Michigan Parents for Schools – story from new PAA affiliate | Parents Across America: Michigan Parents for Schools – story from new PAA affiliate by pureparents Michigan public school supporters have just come out of a bruising lame duck session of the state legislature that promises even greater battles to come next year. I think our experience may be helpful to other states because of the common ideological framework behind all these attacks on public education. You may have heard about some of the damaging, and in come cases bizarre, bills that became law in the last days of t... more »

Welcome new Congress! | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Welcome new Congress! | Parents Across America: Welcome new Congress! by pureparents Today is the opening day of the new Congress. A couple of weeks ago, PAA sent a letter to three new Democratic members of the Senate education committee. Today we sent a similar letter to three new Republican members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Susan Brooks (R-IN), Luke Messer (R-IN) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) as well as the new chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, Todd Rokita (R-IN). We will reach out to any other new Senate or ... more »

Melinda Gates Leaves Post Board After Report Criticizes Kaplan - DiversityInc

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Melinda Gates Leaves Post Board After Report Criticizes Kaplan - DiversityInc: Melinda Gates Leaves Post Board After Report Criticizes Kaplan - Share this: - Print - Email - Facebook - LinkedIn - Twitter - **Melinda French Gates, philanthropist and wife of Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, has resigned from The Washington Post Co.’s board of directors. Her resignation comes shortly after the release of a highly critical report, funded partly by her foundation, which likened for-profit colleges to subprime-mortgage lenders, targeting low-income and tradition... more »

LAUSD, lifelong learners, educrats - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
LAUSD, lifelong learners, educrats - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: NOT THE ONLY PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO RATIONALITY by Leonard Isenberg [image: Lifelong Learning.jpg] *(It is small consolation to know that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is not the only public education system in this country where no good teaching act goes unpunished and where the educrats in charge would be hard pressed to rationally justify anything they do, when all they have had to do up until now is mindlessly stonewall any objection. **Clearly those in charge were not chosen b... more »

Education Justice | December 18, 2012 - Latest Race to the Top Grants Go to States at Bottom on School Funding Equity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Education Justice | December 18, 2012 - Latest Race to the Top Grants Go to States at Bottom on School Funding Equity: *LATEST RACE TO THE TOP GRANTS GO TO STATES AT BOTTOM ON SCHOOL FUNDING EQUITY* * * Since 2009, the US Department of Education's (USDOE) Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative has given billions in federal funds to states conditioned on launching various education reforms. The USDOE has awarded these grant funds without regard to how equitably the states fund their schools. States control 90% of all school funding, and successful reform requires adequate resources, esp... more »

Mother Crusader: Center For Education Reform; "Important Partners" With NJDOE Office Of Charter Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Center For Education Reform; "Important Partners" With NJDOE Office Of Charter Schools: Center For Education Reform; "Important Partners" With NJDOE Office Of Charter Schools by darciecima Looks like to ring in the New Year the NJDOE Charter School Office website got a facelift. I needed to access information on the site to prepare for a bunch of blog posts which I hope to finish up and share in the next few weeks. I became COMPLETELY sidetracked however by some of the changes to the site. For instance, there is a new section titled Resources and Information, ... more »

Anti-Common Core Legislation Coming From Indiana Lawmaker - State EdWatch - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Anti-Common Core Legislation Coming From Indiana Lawmaker - State EdWatch - Education Week: Anti-Common Core Legislation Coming From Indiana Lawmaker by Andrew Ujifusa Ever since the defeat of a resolution opposing the Common Core State Standards at the American Legislative Exchange Council, a Washington-based conservative think tank which ideologically might have been sympathetic with common standards foes, the question for those foes has been where they would go from there. Without the stamp of ALEC's influential approval, what would be their strategy? Indiana Sen. Scott Schnei... more »

John Thompson: Could Rick Hess Become a Reluctant Warrior for Teachers? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
John Thompson: Could Rick Hess Become a Reluctant Warrior for Teachers? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: Could Rick Hess Become a Reluctant Warrior for Teachers? by Anthony Cody *Guest post by John Thompson.* Most teachers who I know would heartily endorse Rick Hess's top two blog hits of 2012. Common Core is likely to join the DeLorean automobile on the ash heap of history. And rather than viewing technology as a "miraculous balm," it should be seen more like Hamburger Helper." Education loves those sorts of quick fixes but, as the year's third top po... more »

Baasil Ebrahim- Music Programs in Middle Schools | Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Baasil Ebrahim- Music Programs in Middle Schools | Student Voice: Baasil Ebrahim- Music Programs in Middle Schools by admin [image: baasil-225x225] My school is extremely lucky because we have a tremendous music program for a middle school, but I understand that not all middle schools are this lucky. We have had the good fortune of being able to have three different types of saxophones, tubas, and bass clarinets and they add a whole new dynamic to a band. There are many reasons why schools should have a superb music program, but I am going to narrow it down to two. These reasons... more »

Parents' Rights (novel concept) School Activities Leave | California Employer's Association Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
School Activities Leave | California Employer's Association Blog: *Questions Surrounding School Activities Leave* Many California employers and employees are unaware of the School Activities Leave Law, but if you have 25 or more employees, you need to be aware of the implications and workings of this labor code. *Labor code section 230.8* requires employers who have 25 or more employees working at the same location to allow their employees a leave of absence to permit their employees time off for their children’s school activities. The basics around this law include: - Cove... more »

Daily Kos: Labor board decides Chicago charter school is really private, subject to private sector laws.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Daily Kos: Labor board decides Chicago charter school is really private, subject to private sector laws.: Labor board decides Chicago charter school is really private, subject to private sector laws. byfloridagalFollow - - - 8 Comments / 8 New This school has gotten at least 23 million in taxpayer money. I am assuming they will still get public taxpayer money. Yet they will not be subject to any regulation by elected school boards or local districts. Jersey Jazzman caught the implications of the ruling right away. Reformers like Michelle Rhee et al have repeat... more »

New UGA study: Their classroom demeanors give girls a boost in grades over boys in classroom | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
New UGA study: Their classroom demeanors give girls a boost in grades over boys in classroom | Get Schooled: New UGA study: Their classroom demeanors give girls a boost in grades over boys in classroom by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart (Medium)]Interesting release from the University of Georgia on why girls fare better than boys in elementary school. If interested in this issue, check out this interview I did with the author of “The Way of Boys: Raising Healthy Boys in a Challenging and Complex World.” Author and behavioral psychologist Anthony Rao maintains that today’s classro... more »

Why are Tax-Funded Common Core Meetings Closed to the Public? | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Why are Tax-Funded Common Core Meetings Closed to the Public? | Truth in American Education: Why are Tax-Funded Common Core Meetings Closed to the Public? by Shane Vander Hart Joy Pullman, research fellow at The Heartland Institute and the managing editor of School Reform News, reports that the meeting of Council of Chief State School Officers to write and discuss the Common Core State Standards are closed to the public. Meetings between members of the Council of Chief State School Officers to write and discuss these standards and corresponding tests are closed to the public, th... more »

Mayoral Control Stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Mayoral Control Stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Mayoral Control Stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut by millerlf *“Elections shouldn’t exist”: The new war on school boards* *The new education “reform” fight is over who chooses school boards: the mayor or the people. One city fought back* By Josh Eidelson Salon Monday, Dec 31, 2012 On Election Day 2012, as voters around the country chose between two presidential candidates who both touted policies that would make it easier to fire teachers, voters in Bridgeport, Conn., rebuffed a referend... more »

New College Board chief cites ‘problems’ with SAT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
New College Board chief cites ‘problems’ with SAT: New College Board chief cites ‘problems’ with SAT Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 3, 2013 at 11:23 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - (College Board) Guess who thinks there’s more than one problem with the SAT? The man who was recently selected to run the organization that owns the SAT. That man is David Coleman, who last fall became the ninth College Board president after his stint as co-lead author of the Common Core State Standards. Coleman’s commen... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, January 3, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Group won't challenge Sacramento school trustee appointee* Education Headlines *Thursday, January 3, 2013* Fensterwald: Federal cuts to education left unresolvedCongress’ New Year’s Day drama, ending a stalemate over extending tax cuts for all but the wealthy, delays rather than resolves an across-the-board 8.2 percent decrease in federal education spending. That’s the spending piece of the “fiscal cliff” that Congress decided to put off deciding until early March. Group won't challenge Sacramento school trustee appointeeIt appea... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Anti-union NLRB ruling confirms that charters aren't public school

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Anti-union NLRB ruling confirms that charters aren't public school: Anti-union NLRB ruling confirms that charters aren't public school by Mike Klonsky Charter school lobbyists are quick to remind critics that they are still * public* schools in need of public funding and public support. But when it comes to preventing their teachers from unionizing, they have no problem describing themselves as*private* entities, free from constraints and laws governing public-sector employees. Pres. Obama's appointed NLRB has ruled that teachers at a Chicago char... more »

Ed Notes Online: E4E Mauled in Chapter Election by ICE Candidate and at Raging Horse

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Ed Notes Online: E4E Mauled in Chapter Election by ICE Candidate and at Raging Horse: E4E Mauled in Chapter Election by ICE Candidate and at Raging Horse Here is an E4E story Gotham won't report. I forgot to tell you the story of how one of the most extreme ICEers -- a guy who makes me look like a pussycat and even scares me -- a 23 year hard-bitten militant anti-Unity candidate --- defeated an E4Eer in a chapter election in a small high school in the Bronx this past fall, an indication of the outrage of so many teachers. When I heard the news I said, "Holy shit," at the idea that ... more »

Education Reformer Vallas reverses course, now open to keeping part-time, $234,000 Bridgeport superintendent’s job. - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Education Reformer Vallas reverses course, now open to keeping part-time, $234,000 Bridgeport superintendent’s job. - Wait, What?: Education Reformer Vallas reverses course, now open to keeping part-time, $234,000 Bridgeport superintendent’s job. by jonpelto Just before the Christmas holiday, the Only in Bridgeport blog reported that Paul Vallas has changed his mind and that although he is scheduled to leave his post as Bridgeport’s Superintendent of Schools in June, “he’d be open to an extended contract offer from the Board of Education beyond the end of the school year in June.... more »

School Board Report – January 2, 2013 « PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
School Board Report – January 2, 2013 « PWC Education Reform Blog: School Board Report – January 2, 2013 by pwceducationreform School Board Report for January 2, 2013 The meeting began at 7:18 PM. All members were present. *Organizational Meeting* The big event of the night was the appointment of the Woodbridge representative to the school board. Steve Keen was nominated as approved in a 6 – 1 vote as the Woodbridge representative. Ms. Jessie (Occoquan) voted against Mr Keen. Congratulations to Mr Keen! Dr Otaigbe was nominated and unanimously approved as Vice Chairman of the S... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Debate Still Rages Over Her Tenure in D.C. Schools - District Dossier - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee : Debate Still Rages Over Her Tenure in D.C. Schools - District Dossier - Education Week: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Debate Still Rages Over Her Tenure in D.C. Schools By Lesli A. Maxwell on January 2, 2013 4:33 PM Michelle Rhee's record as chancellor of the District of Columbia public schools remains contentious, and her leadership style polarizing, more than two years after she resigned and left the nation's capital. That record—which gets rehashed often amid larger debates about what strategies hold the most promise for turning around... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-3-12 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] Tough Choices: TFA or Goldman Sachs or McKinsey? by dianerav Today the New York Times ran an admiring article about Teach for America. I almost missed it because it was in the business section. The young people interviewed intend to move on to six-figure jobs on Wall Street after they put in their two years in the classroom. Some say they are making quite a financial sacrifice by deferring their entry into their “real” career. The comments are almost as interesting as the article. In Search of One Brave Sup... more »






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The nutrition gap: A fight for quality food for Mississippi’s littlest learners | Hechinger Report

The nutrition gap: A fight for quality food for Mississippi’s littlest learners | Hechinger Report:


The nutrition gap: A fight for quality food for Mississippi’s littlest learners

Debbie Ellis remembers the instant potatoes, chocolate pudding and classic Southern fried foods once served at the child care centers she owns in Greenwood, Miss. Watching kids eat was a joy—even though spending $800 a month on groceries for meals that could hardly be called nutritious was not.
These days, Ellis has a caterer preparing meals with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plenty of low-fat milk and 100 percent juice, all approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Children are healthier and the quality of care has greatly improved, and the new diets save her hundreds of dollars a month—while guaranteeing healthier food in a state with the nation’s highest rate of childhood obesity.
Mississippi has the highest rate of child obesity, which advocates of federally funded food programs say could be addressed by serving healthier foods at younger ages. (Photo by Annie Gilberston, Southern Education Desk)
“We don’t have that [joy] now,” Ellis joked, “but we do have good quality.”
When the USDA passed new nutrition requirements for school lunches in January, more U.S. students gained 

UFT’s takes to the tube to tackle evals and Bloomberg’s legacy | GothamSchools

UFT’s takes to the tube to tackle evals and Bloomberg’s legacy | GothamSchools:


UFT’s takes to the tube to diss evals and Bloomberg’s legacy

The United Federation of Teachers ratcheted up pressure on Mayor Bloomberg over teacher evaluations with a new television ad campaign that will run daily between now and Jan. 17.
The 30-second spot — and an accompanying statement from Michael Mulgrew — take aim at Bloomberg’s education legacy during the 11 years he’s been in office.
The ad begins with a still shot of a young student who has grown up through the city school system during the Bloomberg’s tenure, entering first grade during the mayor’s first year in office.
“And while she’s changed a lot, he hasn’t,” the narrator says, as negative tabloid and op-ed headlines fill the screen. “It’s still his way or the highway, at whatever cost.”

Yet another charter school lobby group comes to Connecticut - Wait, What?

Yet another charter school lobby group comes to Connecticut - Wait, What?:


Yet another charter school lobby group comes to Connecticut

Florida HS Grades Show No Difference Between Charter Schools and Public Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

Florida HS Grades Show No Difference Between Charter Schools and Public Schools | Scathing Purple Musings:


Florida HS Grades Show No Difference Between Charter Schools and Public Schools

While the Florida media are obliged to publish whatever conclusions that the hacks at the FLDOE Bush Foundation release , Dr. Stanley Smith of UCF has emerged as a counterweight to their predictable everything is just swell fluff. Gina Jordan of StateImpact has Dr. Smith’s comparison of charter schools to public schools from Florida’ just released high school grades.
Smith examined 491 high schools. 46 of them are charter schools.
He says that at first glance, the average scores suggest charters are the stronger performers.
“Without any adjustments for poverty or minority status, it appears that the charter high schools perform better by a statistically significant difference of 4.37 percent,” Smith said.
But he says this is misleading because charter schools serve a higher percentage of minority 

(TRIGGER WARNING) It’s Time to Have a Conversation About Personal Responsibility, Rape, and Public Schools! « Cooperative Catalyst

(TRIGGER WARNING) It’s Time to Have a Conversation About Personal Responsibility, Rape, and Public Schools! « Cooperative Catalyst:


(TRIGGER WARNING) It’s Time to Have a Conversation About Personal Responsibility, Rape, and Public Schools!

  • Greene County, Missouri (Republic School District)
  • Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis Public School District)
  • Jackson Township, Ohio (Jackson Local School District)
  • Bibb County, Macon, Georgia (Bibb County Public School District)
  • Gwinett County, Georgia ( Gwinett County Public School District)
  • University Park, Texas ( Highland Park Independent School District)
  • Richmond, California (West Contra Costa Unified School District)
  • Chestnut Ridge (Ramapo), New York (East Ramapo Central Public School District)
  • Lakewood, Washington (Clover Park School District)
  • Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Public Schools)
  • Cleveland Heights, Ohio (Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public School District)
  • Henry County, Georgia (Henry County School District)
  • Hillsborough County, Florida (Hillsborough County Public School District)
  • Spring, Texas (Spring Independent School District)
  • Redwood City, California (Redwood City School District)
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia City School District)
  • Raytown, Missouri (Raytown City School District)
  • Stubenville, Ohio (Stubenville Local School District)
  • Boston, Massachusetts (Groton School)
  • Dekalb County, Georgia (Dekalb County Public Schools)
  • Pasco County, Florida (Pasco County School District)
  • Portsmouth, Virginia (Portsmouth Public School District)
  • Scottsdale, Arizona (Scottsdale Unified School District)
America has a social climate where when rape occurs, the victim undergoes public attack, and when it comes to the offender, there is usually offender worshipping, weak punishment, or offender protection. That attitude toward rape has unfortunately grown as generations of children enter the public school system in a society where sex is idealized and glorified and rape is trivialized and everyone is eager to teach girls not to get raped but hesitant to teach boys not to rape. However, since 2002, 23 school districts across the nation have had some type of relation to a sexual assault, most often at the school district’s school. Moreover, while each story was different and some were more heinous than others were, most if not all shared common themes where school officials 

UPDATE: Schools Matter: SCAM ALERT: Coleman as Perpetual Huckster

Schools Matter: SCAM ALERT: Coleman as Perpetual Huckster:


SCAM ALERT: Coleman as Perpetual Huckster

There's an allegory that is popular among lawyers called the allegory of the river. [1]

In this allegory, people find themselves near a river and confronted with a stream of babies floating helplessly by in the current. Many begin frantically to wade into the rushing water, saving as many babies as possible.

Then one walks away. The others are stunned and ask why this one person is abandoning the mission to rescue the babies floating down the river.

The one walking away says, "I am going upstream to find who is throwing the babies in and stop them."



If David Coleman found himself among these people, he would be the one crafting (and selling) a strategy to


New Hope for Socio-Economic Integration

Richard Kahlenberg’s “From All Walks of Life, New Hope for School Integration,” updates the evidence in favor of socio-economic integration as the best single way to improve outcomes for poor children.  He also gives reason for measured hope that it can be expanded, perhaps replacing failed test-driven attempts to improve poor schools.  I remain unconvinced, however, that Kahlenberg’s wisdom will be scaled up.
Kahlenberg summarizes research explaining that socio-economic integration works because it involves all three of the essential factors of effective schools.  Low-income students in schools where less than 50% of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch are surrounded by peers that are academically engaged, have larger vocabularies, and who are less likely to disrupt class.  They also benefit from a community of involved parents, and teachers with higher expectations.
Kahlenberg cites research showing that a school’s socio-economic status has as much influence on a student’s performance as his individual status. Another study found that the racial achievement gap is likely to be smaller when 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch




As Detroit Public Schools Shrink, Proportion of Special Ed Kids Soar



School Board Showdown in Los Angeles

Steve Zimmer is an alumnus of Teach for America.
He is not your typical TFA-er.
He was elected to the Los Angeles Unified school board in 2009, after seventeen years as a public school teacher.
He will be opposed by Kate Anderson, who has endorsements and major funding from the powerful charter 

The Dichotomy Between Corporate Reform and Real Reform

Anthony Cody has written a crisp analysis of the differences between what corporate reformers want and what supporters of public education want.
People like Anthony and me are often told to be accommodating, to be more receptive of the corporate style ideas.
But, as Anthony shows in this article, there are genuine differences.
Public education is facing an existential threat to its existence from people 

Peter Goodman: NYC Needs a Chancellor Who Can Lead

New York City has been swaddled in hype and spin for the past dozen years. The mayor gained control of the schools in 2002 and he appoints the chancellor. He also appoints a majority of the school board, who serve at his pleasure. He has appointed three chancellors in a row who were not educators.
Peter Goodman, who writes a blog called Ed in the Apple, says that the next mayor should appoint a chancellor whom educators can respect. NYC has been subjected to an endless parade of reforms, initiatives, accountability measures, and reorganizations. Disruption has been the only constant. Teachers keep on keeping 

Diane in the EVENING 1-3-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: FOUND: One Brave Superintendent in Connecticut! by dianerav Earlier today, I posted Wendy Lecker’s article, in which she said she was in search of one brave superintendent in Connecticut, who would stand up against the data-driven, test-obsessed climate of the times. I have found him. He is Thomas Starice, the superintendent of the Madison, Connecticut, public schools. Superintendent Scarice consulted with his school board, parents and the local community. He has shown leadership in responding to the state’s recently passed legislation about linking tea... more »

Daily Kos: Our clown-around Congress

Daily Kos: Our clown-around Congress:


Our clown-around Congress

To say that Congress looked like a clown show this week is an insult to self-respecting clowns.
 So begins Eugene Robinson in this Washington Post column this morning, whose title I have borrowed for this posting.He begins by reminding us, as painful as it might be, that the so-called fiscal cliff was a fake crisis, manufactured by legislators (and "aided and abetted" by the President), who
then proceeded to handle it so incompetently that they turned it into a real one.
.   And we off to the races with another powerful column by the Pulitzer Prize winner.He outright calls the fiscal cliff "bogus" - and asks that we never again use those words.
He says our leaders really did not decide much of anything, and all we as a nation gained from the show was to avoid temporarily the
hardships that its elected leaders were bizarrely threatening to impose on the citizens who elected 

UPDATE: Ed Notes Online: Ed Deformer Biddle Muddles While Randi Fiddles

Ed Notes Online: Ed Deformer Biddle Muddles While Randi Fiddles:



Norm in The Wave: What Were We Thinking, Part 2: Living in the middle of an ocean

Read Part 1.

By Norm Scott

I last left you at around 4:30 on October 29 as the waters from the ocean three and a half blocks away started coming up the bay block I live on. Knowing high tide was around 9 PM, this was not a good sign. The earlier morning tide had the waters over the curb and lapping at my garage door where I had placed two rows, of what turned out to be, paltry, 12 bright yellow sand bags we had laboriously filled the day before.

Seeing a neighbor, who in the morning had said we would be on our porches toasting bloody marys during the storm, leave in a hurry around 4PM certainly didn’t give me confidence. I went down to a basement so full of stuff there was almost no path to walk to see what I could get off the floor. I raised a few things – putting tools on a table -- but every ounce of space seemed filled and I gave up fairly quickly. Oh, I did take my deceased aunt’s 


Ed Deformer Biddle Muddles While Randi Fiddles

Declared Weingarten on Twitter: “retirees do not sway local elections”.

Really, Randi should think twice before she tweets. Thanks to Jeff Kaufman for digging this up from dropout nation's RiShawn Biddle, my new fave ed deformer for the material he provides us, in this follow-up piece to his attack on Randi when she called for more teacher voice (which means SHE gets to talk and no one else). Here is the Ed Notes link (Irony: Randi's Call for Teacher Voices to Be Heard...) to the first piece where Biddle while going after Randi does an assault on Karen Lewis, the real enemy of ed deformers.

Clueless - or propagandist - Biddle and Randi ought to walk off into the sunset together. Even a blind squirrel finds a chestnut once in a while. At least he got the impact of the retirees in UFT elections right (he ought to 

EdWatch 2013: School finance reform redux | EdSource Today

EdWatch 2013: School finance reform redux | EdSource Today:




Gov. Jerry Brown won’t speak the words “weighted student funding formula” when he presents a new state budget next week, along with his plan to refashion the state’s complex and inequitable school finance system. The concept of funneling more education dollars to high-needs children is very much alive, and Brown will press the Legislature to act on it this year. But rebranding his plan to reform school finance is one of the changes that the governor will make to seek more support than he got last year when he introduced a similar plan.
Department of Finance officials and Brown’s advisers won’t disclose the new name. But they say the governor wants to clear up misperceptions associated with a “weighted student formula” and to stress key features of the plan: transferring accountability and responsibility for spending decisions from Sacramento to local school boards, freeing up dollars through flexibility and simplifying an 

Resolving to transform our school finance system - by Ted Lempert

Each new year brings the opportunity for a fresh start and renewed purpose. For many of us committed to improving student achievement and promoting excellence in all of California’s schools, our resolve in 2013 is aimed at finally reforming the state’s convoluted education finance system. Governor Jerry Brown wants to get this critical education reform done in 2013, giving us a historic...

Local-state funding should sync like a tandem bike - by Jeff Camp

In 2013, most California education-watchers expect two policy debates about school finance. Two is not enough; there will need to be three. Weighted student funding The first debate will probably be about how to inject a level of principle into the capricious way that state funds are apportioned to school districts. The arcane term in this debate is “weighted student funding,” which...