Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-9-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP




Next Step in Push to Teach 21st Century Science - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago
Next Step in Push to Teach 21st Century Science - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Next Step in Nationwide Push to Teach Students 21st Century Science Skills SACRAMENTO—New education standards that reflect the major advances in science over the past 15 years are one step closer to completion with the launch of a final public comment period before they go to the State Board of Education for adoption, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today. Achieve, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.... more »

Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago
Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data by Anthony Cody *I attended the Occupy Department of Education 2.0 protest in Washington, DC, last week, and had a chance to spend some time with Chicago elementary teacher Michelle Gunderson. Michelle has become concerned about the myriad ways in which student data is now being used, and she shared with me this Personal Pledge for the Ethical Use of Student Data. She explains why she feels this is needed:* ... more »

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago
CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 - Perdaily.com: CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 by Leonard Isenberg *A purposefully failed and monetized for profit public education system that seeks conformity and obedience from students and teachers in lieu of developing a questioning intellect is inconsistent with maintaining a democratic society. * * * *The elite that is pushing for such a debased system of public education doesn't seem to have the intelligence to realize that a society that self-imposes mediocre in the public education of the majori... more »

The Network For Public Education | Network for Public Education News! Volume 1, Issue: #4

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The Network For Public Education | We are many. There is power in our numbers. Together, we will save our schools.: *Greetings!* Welcome to the fourth edition of the NPE News! In this issue, we share news from Occupy Dept of Ed 2.0 in DC, and some great ways to get involved in grassroots activism. Please share this newsletter with friends, so we can build our network of those working to support our schools. If you would like to make a donation, or become a member, you can do so here. And don't forget to "like us" on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter! *Note from Anthony* *Repor... more »

SEZ Who? Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week: Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils By Stephen Sawchuk on April 9, 2013 4:48 PM Middle school Teach For America teachers in Texas seem to be holding their own in the classroom, outperforming other novice teachers in math, according to a recently released study from the San Antonio, Texas-based Edvance, an independent evaluation firm. TFA alumni also did better than other veteran teachers in that subject, the study found. The study stands out for several reasons. For... more »

#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. – @ the chalk face: #msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. by Timothy D. Slekar Occupy the DOE 2.0 and the Battle for Public Schools finally got some media coverage from MSNBC. Check it out: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-cycle/51444548#51444548 I know. Are you kidding me? Really? Four days of amazing groups and individuals speaking passionately about the abusive nature of corporate education reform and clear ... more »

Whac-A-Mole Leadership — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Whac-A-Mole Leadership — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Steven Weber]Whac-A-Mole Leadership April 9, 2013 by Steven Weber One of my favorite arcade games is Whac-A-Mole. When you drop your token in the machine, you have a limited amount of time to "whac" as many moles as you can. In the beginning of the game, one or two moles pop their heads up and it is fairly easy to hit each one. About twenty seconds into the game, the moles start popping up three at a time and when you smash a mole with the mallet it may pop up again. Whac-A-Mole is similar to the daily rout... more »

Schools Matter: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Schools Matter: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives by Judy Rabin One of the most hopeful signs at Occupy the DOE 2.0 in DC this weekend were the number of students from all over the U.S. who showed up. Students are beginning to stand up for their rights to a quality education and calling out the corporate criminals who continue to suck the life and soul out of public education while fattening their bottom lines and stockholder profits. That's what market driven education looks like, but that is not what democracy looks like. This i... more »

Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’ | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’ | The Raw Story: Harris-Perry to Beck and Limbaugh: ‘Allow me to double down’ By David Ferguson Tuesday, April 9, 2013 15:09 EDT [image: Melissa Harris Perry screecap] Topics: glenn beck ♦ rush limbaugh - 12 - - - - - Email Melissa Harris-Perry responded Tuesday to charges by right-wing commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh who say that her recently released 30-second MSNBC promo is part of a United Nations plot to collectivise U.S. children and remove them from their parents’ custody... more »

When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children: When Making Deals In D.C. Hurts Children By Jeff Bryant | April 9, 2013 - - Everyone at all familiar with the Judgment of Solomon has to be aghast as political leaders reverse that Biblical wisdom and proceed to “split the difference” over who gets whose way on matters affecting children. Instead of putting the interests of children first, there’s a prevailing wisdom among political centrists inside the Beltway that “compromising” with radical conservatives is the only serious approach to governance and policy-making. So when “... more »

Ron Paul's Home Schooling Curriculum Will Turn Your Kid into a Little Ron Paul - Philip Bump - The Atlantic Wire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Ron Paul's Home Schooling Curriculum Will Turn Your Kid into a Little Ron Paul - Philip Bump - The Atlantic Wire: Ron Paul's Home Schooling Curriculum Will Turn Your Kid into a Little Ron Paul by Philip Bump Ron Paul's revolution is not yet complete. The two-time presidential candidate has launched a home schooling curriculum which promises to get your elementary school student up-to-speed on the hijacking of the Constitution in no time. Seriously. It promises that. The curriculum was announced on Sunday in a post from Paul himself. A common feature of authoritarian regimes is the ... more »

Cohort Graduation and Dropout Rates for 2012 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Cohort Graduation and Dropout Rates for 2012 - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Continued Improvement in State's High School Graduation Rate SACRAMENTO—Graduation rates among California's public school students are climbing and dropout rates are falling, with the biggest gains being made among African-American and Hispanic students, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today. Overall, nearly eight out of 10 students, or 78.5 percent, who started high school in 2008-09 graduated with their class in 2012. Tha... more »

PSAT for 4-9-13: Fax the IL Leg Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 4-9-13: Fax the IL Leg: PSAT for 4-9-13: Fax the IL Leg by admin I just faxed this message to the Illinois House and Senate Education Committees. For Public Schools Action Tuesday, why not share this message with your Reps and Senators, too? *RE: Support school closing moratorium bills **SB 1571 and HB 3283* ____________________________________________________________________________ *This week's updates on school closing issues:* [image: psat_logo]*11% of students lost in last year's CPS closings: **From Catalyst:... more »

Zak Malamed – Our Student Voice to Discover Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Student Voice: Zak Malamed – Our Student Voice to Discover by admin The Huffington Post will be promoting various Student Voice articles prior to the *Student Voice Live! *summit on April 13th. The following is from* Zak Malamed * [image: zak-malamed] I was 18 years old. On January 16, 2012 a student, who shall remain nameless, contacted me through a 700-student member Facebook group, and expressed interest in what “cool projects [I had] been working on.” Being an over-involved student, it was not unusual for me to receive such messages, but we had no mutual friends, no past inter... more »

Just in time Jerry: LAO seeks conditions on Brown’s surplus property-charter proposal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: LAO seeks conditions on Brown’s surplus property-charter proposal Just in time Jerry:*Sacramento City district trustees vote to close seven schools* Help! Action Alert! Kate and Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education Needs Your Help!! The governor’s plan to provide charter schools with more access to surplus property appears to have support within the Legislature – but lawmakers also seem interested in conditioning the proposal. The plan would extend for five years existing requirements that school districts with surplus land offer t... more »

UPDATE: CPPS Announces First Mayoral Forum Seattle Schools Community Forum: Dream Act Dies (But It's Okay if It Happens When a Republican Rules a Committee)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Dream Act Dies (But It's Okay if It Happens When a Republican Rules a Committee): CPPS Announces First Mayoral Forum by Melissa Westbrook From the press release: Community & Parents for Public Schools (CPPS) Seattle announces the first mayoral election season forum discussing Seattle public education: *"Focus on Students, Families, Communities: The CPPS 2013 Mayoral Education Forum." * The forum will take place *April 30th* in the Garfield High School Commons. CPPS will hold its annual meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The 90-minute forum will tak... more »

UPDATE: Will the Connecticut House vote tomorrow to confirm a Charter School Executive to the State Board of Education? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Will the Connecticut House vote tomorrow to confirm a Charter School Executive to the State Board of Education? - Wait, What?: The bill? Oh, just hand that over to the Hartford City Official in the far corner, he’ll be paying by jonpelto I was recently introduced to a blog written by Kevin Brookman called “We the People.” Brookman created the site as a way to shine the light of truth into the inner-workings of Hartford City Hall. One look at the blog and you can see why some of Hartford’s political elite should be living in fear of his efforts to inform the taxpayers of Hartford... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, April 9, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch]*Diane Ravitch's blog* Education Headlines *Tuesday, April 9, 2013* Soulsbyville, Twain Harte could share WinfieldTwain Harte-Long Barn Union School District will decide this week on whether to share a superintendent with Soulsbyville School District. San Luis Coastal's budget deficit puts 43 jobs at riskSan Luis Coastal Unified School District could cut more than 43 jobs, eliminate bus transportation for high school students and postpone installing Wi-Fi capabilities at its hig... more »

The Textbooks Have Eyes: Now E-Books Can Track If You Do Your Homework - Rebecca Greenfield - The Atlantic Wire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Textbooks Have Eyes: Now E-Books Can Track If You Do Your Homework - Rebecca Greenfield - The Atlantic Wire: The Textbooks Have Eyes: Now E-Books Can Track If You Do Your Homework by Rebecca Greenfield Welcome to the future of education where your textbook—and therefore your teacher—knows exactly how much of your homework you did, how, and when. The idea is that this *data* will improve outcomes, helping teachers better understand their students habits. And with CourseSmart teachers can do just that, as *The New York Times*' David Streitfeld explains today. Through what is ca... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Making college accessible only to the rich

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Making college accessible only to the rich: Making college accessible only to the rich by Mike Klonsky Despite all the talk about college readiness and 21st-century jobs, a college education is becoming inaccessible to all but the children of the rich or to those able to take on a burden of life-long debt. Like the indentured servants of old, today's poor or working-class students will graduate with dimming prospects for working in the field for which they are trained and will be working as much for the bankers as for their employer or themselve... more »

The Time is Now for Dreamers: Join the rally April 10 - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The Time is Now for Dreamers: Join the rally April 10 - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: The Time is Now for Dreamers: Join the rally April 10 by Lily The Time is Now for Dreamers: Join the rally April 10 Apr 9th, 2013 by Lily. Wednesday I will stand on the West Lawn of our nation’s capitol with thousands of others and demand that a dream come true. *Congress isn’t Disneyland and I am not wishing on a star for Tinker Bell to wave a magic wand.* It’s not that kind of dream. *Real dreams aren’t about magic. They’re about work and sacrifice and never giving up*. Martin Luther Kin... more »

Roger would have given Squeezy Quinn a thumbs down. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Roger would have given Squeezy Quinn a thumbs down. | Fred Klonsky: Roger would have given Squeezy Quinn a thumbs down. by Fred Klonsky I can’t say I *knew* Roger Ebert personally. [image: images]But, as I wrote last week, I took two film classes with him. I had more than a few conversations with him. And like many of you, I have watched him and read his reviews of movies and his comments on social and political issues for 40 years. Roger Ebert wasn’t just an observer, thinker and writer. Roger was in SDS in college at the University of Illinois. He was a union rep at the Sun-Times. B... more »

Understanding 'No Excuses' - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Understanding 'No Excuses' - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Understanding 'No Excuses' by Deborah Meier *Today, Deborah Meier continues her blog conversation with Elliott Witney.* Dear Elliott, We're going to have to converse for more than a month to get ourselves straightened out! It would be a useful learning experience for me so I'm hoping you're willing. I've been trying for the past few months to get into a healthy and vigorous disagreement with some other bloggers. It has been much more difficult than I anticipated it would be to get people to engage in constructive s... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Newark students walking out today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Newark students walking out today: Newark students walking out today by Mike Klonsky Popout Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet: *Three years ago, thousands of Newark students chanting “Save Our Schools” walked out of class and marched down city streets to protest budget cuts by the administration of Gov. Chris Christie. Another student demonstration is set for today, this time to protest more budget cuts and the closing of public schools.*

Daily Kos: SC Considering Flawed Reading, Fiscal Policy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Daily Kos: SC Considering Flawed Reading, Fiscal Policy: SC Considering Flawed Reading, Fiscal Policy by rss@dailykos.com (plthomasEdD) SC Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, has introduced an education bill modeled on a third-grade retention policy widely promoted by Jeb Bush as one aspect of the larger so-called Florida formula. Superintendent Mick Zais has endorsed the bill as well as suggested implementing similar policies at seventh grade. SC political leadership must not follow Florida’s lead in reading or grade retention policy for several reasons, including t... more »

UPDATE: Breaking: Reported 15 of 17 Newark, NJ high schools see walkouts protesting budget cuts +Pension call Tuesday. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Pension call Tuesday. | Fred Klonsky: Pension call Tuesday. by Fred Klonsky [image: mike] *“I’m taking Mike Madigan at his word that there will be a comprehensive bill put together,” said Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, a leading pension reform negotiator.* There is so much to unpack in that sentence. Taking Madigan at his word? Nekritz is a leading pension reform negotiator? Anyone who is not actually sitting at Madigan’s table at Saputo’s will admit that his word is worth no more than the word of any common gangster. And what has happened to the English language when a pension b... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Bobby Jindal Admits a Mistake by dianerav Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal backed off his big Thatcherite idea of reforming the tax code. He wanted to eliminate income taxes and corporate taxes and raise sales taxes. That way, the poor would subsidize the rich. But his poll numbers plummeted, and legislators told him that his plan would be defeated, even by his faithful followers, who want to be re-elected by the voters in their districts. So he backed off his reg... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 1 Best of the Ed Blogs Gary Rubinstein April 9, 2013 Why Is the US Department of Education Weakening FERPA? Best of the Ed Blog... more »

Show Up For Tests and Win + Big data strikes again with Coursesmart, #highered take notice – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Big data strikes again with Coursesmart, #highered take notice – @ the chalk face: Big data strikes again with Coursesmart, #highered take notice by Chalk Face, PhD According to the NYT, professors can now track how students are reading digital materials: Major publishers in higher education have already been collecting data from millions of students who use their digital materials. But CourseSmart goes further by individually packaging for each professor information on all the students in a class — a bold effort that is already beginning to affect how teachers present material an... more »

Wilcox school chief applauds student effort to integrate proms, but stresses that these aren’t school events | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Wilcox school chief applauds student effort to integrate proms, but stresses that these aren’t school events | Get Schooled: Wilcox school chief applauds student effort to integrate proms, but stresses that these aren’t school events by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart (Medium)]Wilcox County Schools finds itself in the unflattering eye of a social media storm after reports of its integrated proms — a vestige of 1970s integration when many high schools stopped sponsoring proms and it fell to parents to organize the dances – hit the newspapers, TV stations and Facebook. The south G... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sun-Times takes a tour of 'underutilized' school. Guess what they find?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Sun-Times takes a tour of 'underutilized' school. Guess what they find?: Sun-Times takes a tour of 'underutilized' school. Guess what? by Mike Klonsky *“Our guarantee is that no child will go to a school that is lesser performing than the school that they’re in,” Byrd-Bennett explains, adding that for many years students have been “trapped in under-utilized and under-resourced schools.”* The S-T editorial board goes from classroom to classroom at supposedly "half-empty" Garvey Elementary and finds every one of them in use. * In fact, during a visit... more »

The absolute worst story (and video) about standardized testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The absolute worst story (and video) about standardized testing: The absolute worst story (and video) about standardized testing Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 9, 2013 at 12:07 am 4 Comments More [image: fcat1]I recently ran a post about how the state of Florida was forcing a 9-year-old blind boy who was born with a brain stem but without most of his brain to take the state’s standardized test, known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The piece, written by veteran educator Marion Brady, explains that this travesty came to light when a state legislator, Linda Stewart of... more »

Eugenics, Standardized Tests Schools Matter: Feds Making More on Student Loans Annually Than Ford Motor Co.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Schools Matter: Feds Making More on Student Loans Annually Than Ford Motor Co.: Past and Present: Eugenics, Standardized Tests, and the Politics of School Reform by Douglas Storm *[Editor's note: An early draft version was posted in error. This has been corrected.]* * ***Guest Post by John Loflin* *Past and present: Eugenics, standardized tests, and politics of school reform* “If such a thing as a psycho-analysis of today’s prototypical culture were possible such an investigation would needs show the sickness proper to the time to consist precisely in normality.” ... more »

Legislators Are Against Making Teacher Evaluations Public… Except When They Aren’t in Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Legislators Are Against Making Teacher Evaluations Public… Except When They Aren’t in Parent Trigger | Scathing Purple Musings: Legislators Are Against Making Teacher Evaluations Public… Except When They Aren’t in Parent Trigger by Bob Sikes In a curious story that largely sailed under the radar, the *Florida Times-Union *has sued the Florida Department of Education to make value-added data from SB736 public. The Florida Education Association has joined the FLDOE in opposition. The Florida legislature has weighed in. Topher Sanders reports in the Times-Union: About a week after ... more »

NYC Educator: My Latest Unity-New Action Mass Email

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
NYC Educator: My Latest Unity-New Action Mass Email: My Latest Unity-New Action Mass Email by NYC Educator Today's mass email complained bitterly about receiving mass email. In fact, it compared mass email to spam. The fact its sender was doing exactly the same thing was apparently not relevant. Actually, this too came from someone I know and like. Yet it was riddled with misconceptions. One thing that was true was that there are indeed Unity-New Action people who work hard. You'd have to be a fool to say the union, dominated by Unity-New Action, never done anything of value or fo... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-8-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE* * * ** *UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* ** *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Newark's Students Fight Back Tomorrow! by Jersey Jazzman Now that's what I'm talking about:Popout First things first: if any of the yahoos on talk radio or in the press decide to make a big stink about these kids cutting classes tomorrow, remind them of this: This past week, pro-voucher forces in New Jersey bussed kids in from local Catholic schools to rally in support of a school voucher bill. Quote Of The Day: “I Was Tired Of Giving In” by Larry Ferlazzo There’s an excellent review of a new biograph... more »

An Open Letter From The Trenches [To Education Activists, Friends, and Haters] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
An Open Letter From The Trenches [To Education Activists, Friends, and Haters] | The Jose Vilson: An Open Letter From The Trenches [To Education Activists, Friends, and Haters] by Jose Vilson [image: martin-luther-king-arrested] To my fellow education activists: I’ve come across a few pieces that concern me and others in the last few months, and we got some shit to talk about. On normal days, I wake up at 5:30am hellbent on kicking butt at work, metaphorically of course. The stirring in my belly long after my butter toast and coffee is the passion with which I approach my students... more »

School 'Discipline Gap' Explodes As 1 In 4 Black Students Suspended, Report Finds

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
School 'Discipline Gap' Explodes As 1 In 4 Black Students Suspended, Report Finds: School 'Discipline Gap' Explodes As 1 In 4 Black Students Suspended, Report Finds by Joy Resmovits For years, education advocates have highlighted the dire importance of closing the achievement gap of academic performance between students of different ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Now, another group of advocates is drawing attention to the discipline gap of unequal punishments to different groups of students. The Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the University of California, Los Angeles Civ... more »

A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 – @ the chalk face: A collection of links from Occupy the DOE 2.0 #uoodc13 by Chalk Face, PhD As the dust finally settles on a great event, there’s still work to be done. Namely, collecting coverage of the event. I’m going to start posting links here. If I’ve missed any, please let us know in the comments. We’re expecting some long form pieces in the coming days, so they’ll be updated. Democracy Now! Mother Jones Truth Out MSNBC’s The Cycle [Although, I must say, that we at no point in any of our work contacted the United Way for... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Is Thatcher's ghost haunting the White House?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Is Thatcher's ghost haunting the White House?: Is Thatcher's ghost haunting the White House? by Mike Klonsky Margaret Thatcher with her pal PW Botha in 1984. Botha was first leader of the Apartheid regime accorded the privilege of a state visit to UK since 1961, a diplomatic coup for the white supremacist regime in South Africa. via @Tobias AgricoltoreI know that diplomacy dictates that when a former head of state passes on, our president has to pay his respects and not say anything critical. But today's statement by Pres. Obama on the death of *Marga... more »

Sometimes truth is… – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Sometimes truth is… – @ the chalk face: Sometimes truth is… by Chris Cerrone Back a few weeks ago I created a quick graphic for a post asking for examples of test prep and Common Core assignments using an online graphic generator. This picture went viral as parents and teachers passed it on via social media. [image: newsign] I created this picture to gain a few laughs and make a statement about the amount of time that is lost to testing in our schools. Detractors might say my creation is a piece of propaganda, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, or pretty darn close. S... more »

Daily Kos: Principal warns parents: ‘Don’t buy the bunk’ about new Common Core tests

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Daily Kos: Principal warns parents: ‘Don’t buy the bunk’ about new Common Core tests: Principal warns parents: ‘Don’t buy the bunk’ about new Common Core tests by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) That is the title of this post at the Answer Sheet Blog of the *Washington Post*, run by Valerie Strauss. The author is Carol Burris, an award-winning principal in Long Island who originally supported the idea of Common Core but has become increasingly concerned about the damage it will do as she has watched it take shape, particularly with respect to the assessments that will go with the ... more »

My discussion with Matt Barnum Part 1 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
My discussion with Matt Barnum Part 1 | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: My discussion with Matt Barnum Part 1by Gary Rubinstein A few weeks ago I was invited by Matt Barnum to discuss various issues in education reform through a series of letters. Matt is a TFA alum who is now in law school. He has written several articles in various newspapers about the complexity of improving education. Most recently he wrote something about how it is time for TFA to fold. My first thought was that since we have so much in common, these discussions would not have enough conflict to make them very int... more »

Zorn may think I’m contemptible. But he really hates CTU Prez Karen Lewis. I call that good company. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Zorn may think I’m contemptible. But he really hates CTU Prez Karen Lewis. I call that good company. | Fred Klonsky: Zorn may think I’m contemptible. But he really hates CTU Prez Karen Lewis. I call that good company. by Fred Klonsky *Scorned by Zorn* Eric Zorn took a few minutes out of his busy schedule chasing down leads to send me an email calling me contemptible for objecting to his ugly discourse on race and school closings. But just to remind readers where Zorn is coming from, here’s a Trib column of his from November of 2011. *Karen Lewis should step down as president of ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: More on inBloom, including parent right to opt out denied and potential costs to states and districts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: More on inBloom, including parent right to opt out denied and potential costs to states and districts: More on inBloom, including parent right to opt out denied and potential costs to states and districts by Leonie Haimson Many NY parents received an email from Commissioner King last week, in response to their request to opt their children’s personally identifiable confidential educational records out of the inBloom database and shared with vendors without their consent. He made it clear that he does not intend to honor any requests from parents to opt ... more »

Ed Notes Online: Leonie Haimson Offers Parents Real Choice: Low class size, rich non-test driven curriculum

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Leonie Haimson Offers Parents Real Choice: Low class size, rich non-test driven curriculum: Leonie Haimson Offers Parents Real Choice: Low class size, rich non-test driven curriculum by ed notes online There is no little irony in the Daily News assault on Leonie Haimson for sending her son to a private school while supposedly denying choice to other parents without that option open to them. Leonie has been such a thorn in the side of the deformers, they must disparage her work. How interesting that they chose one of their funding darlings, Gotham Schools and wri... more »

Low test scores are the symptom, not “The Cause” | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Low test scores are the symptom, not “The Cause” | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Low test scores are the symptom, not “The Cause” by crazycrawfish [image: Problem solved!] Problem solved! Recently my posting has started dropping off because of some nasty fatigue issues that seemed to come out of nowhere. (Hopefully you haven’t noticed the lull too much, as I have quite a few pieces I’m working on at any given time, and researching others.) Sometimes a recent event or flash of insight drives me to squeeze one out in the wee hours of the morning, so I assumed that was the cause of my fatig... more »

I’m Angry | Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
I’m Angry | Cooperative Catalyst: I’m Angry by robinclane It’s Monday, and I’m angry. I’m angry because, after a weekend of careful planning, after differentiating an assignment for students who have mastered skills at different levels, after catching up on all of my grading, after getting my lesson plans in on time with the TEKS and the Reading Comprehension standards and the ELPS, I couldn’t print anything I needed for class because our copy machine is broken. *Again*. I’m angry because I had to make something up on the fly, putting my students further behind from where we sho... more »

Message from Mali: Sacramento City USD DAC April Agenda

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
*Message from Mali: Sacramento City USD DAC April Agenda * Open in full size window: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7wdDUUSR15dUGRoUHJaa1Y2YWM/edit?usp=sharing

Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Students Fight Back Tomorrow!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Students Fight Back Tomorrow!: Newark's Students Fight Back Tomorrow! by Duke Now that's what I'm talking about: Popout First things first: if any of the yahoos on talk radio or in the press decide to make a big stink about these kids cutting classes tomorrow, remind them of this: This past week, pro-voucher forces in New Jersey bussed kids in from local Catholic schools to rally in support of a school voucher bill. [image: N.J. protesters rally in Trenton to support school vouchers] Chris Christie condemned that rally; he thinks it is wrong to take kids... more »







Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-24-13Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-23-13Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-22-13Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-21-13
Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-16-13Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-15-13 




Next Step in Push to Teach 21st Century Science - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Next Step in Push to Teach 21st Century Science - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):


State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Next Step in
Nationwide Push to Teach Students 21st Century Science Skills



SACRAMENTO—New education standards that reflect the major advances in science over the past 15 years are one step closer to completion with the launch of a final public comment period before they go to the State Board of Education for adoption, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.
Achieve, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., released the latest draft today of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The NGSS were developed through a collaborative, state-level process of which California was one of the national leaders. The NGSS will clearly articulate the science standards, defined as the educational content and practices students will need to learn from kindergarten through grade twelve. The new K–12 science standards will be rich in content and practice, arranged across disciplines and grades, to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education. The NGSS are based on the Framework for K–12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council.
"In the next decade, the number of jobs requiring highly technical skills is expected to outpace other occupations,"said Torlakson. "These Next Generation Science Standards will help students achieve real-world practical skills so they can help maintain California’s economic and technological leadership in the world."
The next step in the development of the NGSS will be a review by a panel of science experts, and public hearings are expected to be held in the spring throughout the state. In the summer, the State Board of Education should receive feedback from the panel and public hearings. Then in the fall, the State Board is expected to consider adoption of the NGSS. 
A recent U.S. Department of Commerce study found that over the past 10 years, growth in jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) was three times greater than that of non-STEM occupations. The report also forecast that STEM jobs are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than others in the coming decade. STEM-related industries continue to be a major factor in California's economy.
Torlakson convened his STEM Task Force last year to explore the status of STEM education in terms of curriculum, instructional practices, professional learning, student testing, resources, and community and business partnerships. The STEM Task Force will provide recommendations on how to improve teaching, learning, and equal access to STEM-related courses and careers for students in kindergarten through grade twelve. This "blueprint"for STEM education is also expected to include recommendations to integrate career technical education, the Common Core State Standards, and the NGSS. 
To view the final draft of the science standards, please visit the Next Generation Science Standards External link opens in new window or tab. Web site.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:


Michelle Gunderson Offers Pledge for Ethical Use of Student Data

I attended the Occupy Department of Education 2.0 protest in Washington, DC, last week, and had a chance to spend some time with Chicago elementary teacher Michelle Gunderson. Michelle has become concerned about the myriad ways in which student data is now being used, and she shared with me this Personal Pledge for the Ethical Use of Student Data. She explains why she feels this is needed:
Thumbnail image for MichelleG2.jpg
Michelle Gunderson: When I first started teaching in the Chicago Schools standardized tests were used as sorting instruments. Our students were given the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), a multiple choice test which involved reading passages, math computation, and math problem solving. At the end of the year, these scores along with grades and teacher recommendations were used to sort kids into piles, and we had classrooms labeled as "high, low, and bi-lingual" at our school.
Then in 1995 with the passage of the Illinois Education Reform Act and the CPS promotion policy, I saw testing as a tool for punishment. Children in 3rd, 6th, and 8th grades were placed in summer school with threat of retention if their scores on the ITBS fell below certain cut scores. Schools were also put on probation and threatened with closings based on test 

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 - Perdaily.com

CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13 - Perdaily.com:


CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION MEETING IN LONG BEACH 4/13/13

A purposefully failed and monetized for profit public education system that seeks conformity and obedience from students and teachers in lieu of developing a questioning intellect is inconsistent with maintaining a democratic society. 

The elite that is pushing for such a debased system of public education doesn't seem to have the intelligence to realize that a society that self-imposes mediocre in the public education of the majority of its people is planting the seeds of its own destruction in a manner that they have failed to learn from declined societies of the past that were foolish enough to go down this same path.

Popout

SPRING 2013 CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION CONFERENCE

Spring 2013 CA Student Union Conference
Saturday, April 13, 2013
9:00 am to 6:00 pm
CSU Long Beach, Room TBD
1250 Bellflower Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90840

The Network For Public Education | Network for Public Education News! Volume 1, Issue: #4

The Network For Public Education | We are many. There is power in our numbers. Together, we will save our schools.:





Greetings!

Welcome to the fourth edition of the NPE News! In this issue, we share news from Occupy Dept of Ed 2.0 in DC, and some great ways to get involved in grassroots activism. Please share this newsletter with friends, so we can build our network of those working to support our schools. If you would like to make a donation, or become a member, you can do so here. And don't forget to "like us" on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!
Note from Anthony
Report from Washington, DC

Dear Friends and Allies,

I am just back from Washington, DC, where I spent three days on the pavement in front of the Department of Education building, with several hundred others from around the country, at Occupy the Department of Education 2.0. There were teachers, students, parents, principals and professors, all pouring out their frustrations and hopes on that plaza. The doors of the building opened once to allow in a small group of students from the protest, who met with the DoEd staff youth outreach team. The students reported that the staff seemed unaware of the ways that students' lives have been scripted and standardized by test after test.

We stood up together, and we listened to one another. We marched to the White House, and we met in a church basement to talk some more. 

We learned. We heard from teachers, like Michelle Gunderson of Chicago, who shared how she had built unity at her school so that they were able to stand 100% united in last year's strike. We heard Lois Weiner remind us that teachers in the United Kingdom and Mexico are facing the same issues that we are. This is not just a national movement, it is international. Brian Jones gave us hope when he pointed out that the victories the "reformers" have won are temporary at best, and rest on false promises that they don't have the ability to fulfill. Denisha Jones told us about her research into the threats to teacher preparation programs. Deborah Meier pointed out that schools are just one of many democratic spaces that are under attack. And dozens of other speakers inspired and taught us.

Perhaps most inspiring were the students. Sarah Smith, the daughter of a kindergarten teacher, protested at Wisconsin's capitol every day in 2011. Stephanie Rivera, who joined with others to organize a new group, Students United for Public Education.

A Chicago student said:
 "I am #378947. That is my CPS code number. Student voices have been shut out, and we are here to change this. I am not just a number. I am Israel Muñoz, and I am one of the Chicago Students Organizing to Save Our Schools." 
Israel told us what is happening in in his community:
"The largest school closings in history are set to happen in Chicago this year. All these closings are in low income, African American and Latino communities. As a result, young students will have to cross dangerous gang territories. This is genocide. Our education is dying. 30,000 elementary students will be affected - but every student in Chicago is affected. Students will be crowded into classrooms, rival territories. Unacceptable. Not necessary. Underutilized schools have been neglected. Reduce the number of students per class and use all the rooms! Of course, that would require investing in our schools. Rahm Emanuel says there is no money. Every year, $250 million in tax increment financing is taken from money that's intended for blighted communities. But these monies go to downtown businesses, not our poor communities."

Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis advised us to always think about three things before deciding on what to do. First, will it unite us? Second, will it make us stronger? And third, will it give us more power?

Really, these three things can be boiled down to one word: Solidarity. It is our greatest asset.

The Network for Public Education is looking to build solidarity with all those who protested last week at the Department of Education. We also want to support even more grassroots activism. Today we are watching the news from Newark closely, to hear how the students there have walked out in protest of budget cuts.

On Saturday, April 13, we will host our first webinar, focused on grassroots organizing, featuring our allies in Indiana. Our movement is growing, but we need to reach out, organize, and find greater strength. Please join, and spread the word to others.

A Nebraska activist sent along this quote today:
:
"Each of us feels some aspect of the world's suffering acutely.  And we must pay attention.  We must act.  This little corner of the world is ours to transform.  This little corner of the world is ours to save."  Stephen Cope.

Each of us has that little corner we are working on, and when we help one another, that is what solidarity is all about.
 
Anthony
A Chicago Teacher Shares her Pledge for the Ethical Use of Student Data

Chicago elementary teacher Michelle Gunderson has authored a Personal Pldege for the Ethical Use of Student Data.
She writes:
"We see standardized test scores used to justify privatizing our schools. Over and over again our downtown administration starves neighborhood schools of resources and refuses to address the needs of our impoverished students. Then when these schools have low performing test scores, they are closed. Charter schools, which are private enterprises even when non-profit, are opened up to fill this void."

"Hence, in my career as a CPS teacher I've witnessed standardized testing used to sort, punish, and privatize."

"And I am saying enough is enough."

"I've developed a Personal Pledge for the Ethical Use of Student Data. This pledge is my way of communicating to fellow teachers, parents, administrators, and education policy allies my stance on standardized testing. It's a document that helps codify my moral stance, and it is hoped it will help others take a similar action."

You can read more, and download your copy of this pledge to share with others here. 
Join Diane Ravitch in San Diego Monday


Diane Ravitch will be in San Diego on Monday, April 15th, at 5 pm. at
Kearny High school, at 7651 Wellington Way. She will be hosted by the San Diego Education Association. Anthony Cody will be there too. Come join us!
T-Shirt Slogan Contest: Voting Time

Here is Nancy Carlsson-Paige sporting a Network for Public Education t-shirt. But it still needs a slogan!
We asked for suggestions, and about fifty people offered possible slogans. 
  • Whose Schools? Our Schools!
  • Public Schools Keep Us Free!
  • Public Education is a Public Good
  • Working to provide every child a meaningful education
  • Public Education: We're All In!
And many more to choose from!

Please go here and vote for your favorite slogan. We will get the t-shirts online and available soon!
Grassroots Report: A Letter from Indiana 

A member of the North East Indiana Friends of Public Education has shared a moving letter that she wrote to elected leaders in her state. Take a look here, and start writing -- and sharing -- some letters of your own.
NPE Webinar #1: How to Organize a Grassroots Group
Organizers share ideas
Many of those who have joined our network want to get involved in grassroots work to change the direction of education in our communities. We are now planning a series of web forums to share concrete ways to do just that. The first will focus on how to organize grassroots groups.
 
Phyllis Bush and members of the North East Indiana Friends of Public Education
will share their experiences in getting organized. Formed just two years ago, this group helped elect teacher Glenda Ritz as state superintendent of education.  
 
The webinar will take place on Saturday, April 13, at 2:30 pm Eastern time, 11:30 am Pacific time. You can register here. You will be emailed a link to the webinar a day or two before the event. 
Please forward this newsletter far and wide! 
 
In solidarity,
 
NPE sq

The Network For Public Education

SEZ Who? Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week:


Hi,

I handle media relations for WestEd. Your April 9th Big Education A.P.E. post titled "SEZ Who? Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week" includes WestEd and the full list of Edvance research partners. While WestEd does work with Edvance on projects, we didn't participate in this report described in the blog post. It seems misleading to show us as research partners related to this specific story. Could you please either remove mention of WestEd from this story, or add text that explains the list shown is not specifically related to the report discussed in the post?

Thanks. 


Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils

Middle school Teach For America teachers in Texas seem to be holding their own in the classroom, outperforming other novice teachers in math, according to a recently released study from the San Antonio, Texas-based Edvance, an independent evaluation firm.
TFA alumni also did better than other veteran teachers in that subject, the study found.
The study stands out for several reasons. For one, it looks at a very large sample size of more than 1,500 TFA teachers and alumni, nearly 500 schools, and more than 11,000 students in each subject area of reading and math. The study also looked across several Texas districts' programs. Finally, the quasi-experimental methodology used allows for more confidence that the TFA teachers and not confounding factors are responsible for the student achievement, measured here using 2010-11 state standardized test scores.
That's important, because one problem with much of the research on TFA is that it tends to compare groups of students taught by TFA and non-TFA teachers, without ensuring that those groups' baseline characteristics are similar. The research is also mainly descriptive.

The research gold standard is a random-assignment experiment, using carefully matched treatment and control groups. But these are costly, time consuming, and logistically 

Research Partners
Edvance Research has established partnerships with leading national research and educational organizations.  These alliances are instrumental in expanding the work we do and collaborating to support our mission of improving outcomes for students through building the capacity of educators and their school communities to conduct, understand and use research in their practice.
The partners listed below have contributed to Edvance work on various projects. 
 
The Academic Development Institute (ADI) is a non-profit institution founded in 1984 with a portfolio of tools and resources for state agencies, school districts, communities and families.  ADI has held contracts with state education agencies, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and with the U.S. Department of Education, most recently running the Center on Innovation & Improvement, a national content center for the U.S. Department of Education.  ADI is now a partner in three national content centers—Innovations in Learning, School Turnaround, and Building State Capacity and Productivity, and is based in Lincoln, IL.  www.adi.org.

Through research and policy analysis, CRPE seeks ways to make public education more effective, especially for America’s disadvantaged students. CRPE's work emphasizes evidence over posture and confronts hard truths, searching outside the traditional boundaries of education to find pragmatic, equitable, and promising approaches to address the complex challenges facing public education. CRPE's goal is to create new possibilities for the parents, educators, and public officials who strive to improve America’s schools. Founded at the University of Washington in 1993, CRPE is a self-sustaining organization funded entirely through private philanthropic dollars, federal grants, and contracts. www.crpe.org.
The Value-Added Research Center (VARC), housed in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is recognized for their ground-breaking work on value-added systems and evaluation models, which are being increasingly utilized as a tool in school improvement. WCER is one of the oldest, largest and most productive university-based education research centers in the world.

VARC has gained national prominence as a technical assistance provider for performance-based compensation projects. The organization is recognized for their extensive capacity in data quality and innovation in system redesign, providing broad-based support of holistic school reform efforts. VARC provides expertise for the full range of policy & technical challenges including productivity measures, data quality, IT systems, leadership evaluation, teacher evaluation, communication and stakeholder engagement, and pipeline/human capital strategies.  http://varc.wceruw.org
ECS logo
The Education Commission of the States(ECS) is an interstate compact created in 1965 to improve public education by facilitating the exchange of information, ideas and experiences among state policymakers and education leaders. As a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization involving key leaders from all levels of the education system, ECS creates unique opportunities to build partnerships, share information and promote the development of policy based on available research and strategies.
Forty-nine states, three territories and the District of Columbia constitute the commission's current membership. Each member state or territory is represented by seven commissioners -- the governor and six other individuals, typically legislators, chief state school officers, state and local school board members, superintendents, higher education officials and business leaders. www.ecs.org.
Wested

Hi,
I handle media relations for WestEd. Your April 9th Big Education A.P.E. post titled "SEZ Who? Bigger Math Gains Seen In Middle School TFA Teachers' Pupils - Teacher Beat - Education Week" includes WestEd and the full list of Edvance research partners. While WestEd does work with Edvance on projects, we didn't participate in this report described in the blog post. It seems misleading to show us as research partners related to this specific story. Could you please either remove mention of WestEd from this story, or add text that explains the list shown is not specifically related to the report discussed in the post?
Thanks

WestEd is a leading nonprofit research, development and service agency that offers a broad portfolio of nonpartisan, evidence-based solutions. As a nonprofit agency, WestEd work is guided by a mission of promoting excellence, achieving equity and improving learning for children, youth, and adults.

Founded in 1966, WestEd is guided by research and experience, drawing on an ever-growing and constantly refined base of knowledge and development for more than four decades. The organization brings in exceptional talent from across the country to tackle the complex issues related to education and human development.
www.wested.org
Consortium on Chicago School Research
The Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) is a national leader in research on high school reform and has conducted groundbreaking research on determinants of high school graduation and college access and success.
CCSR, which is part of the Urban Education Institute (UEI) at the University of Chicago, conducts research of high technical quality that can inform and assess policy and practice in the Chicago Public Schools. CCSR seeks to expand communication among researchers, policy makers, and practitioners as it supports the search for solutions to the problems of school reform. CCSR encourages the use of research in policy action and improvement of practice, but does not argue for particular policies or programs. Rather, CCSR helps to build capacity for school reform by identifying what matters for student success and school improvement, creating critical indicators to chart progress, and conducting theory-driven evaluation to identify how programs and policies are working.
CCSR is a partner with Edvance on the Texas Consortium on School Research (TCSR)project. Click here to learn more about CCSR: ccsr.uchicago.edu
American Institutes for Research
American Institutes for Research (AIR)
 is one of the largest behavioral and social science research organizations in the world. REL Southwest has partnered with AIR because of their vast experience in judging the quality of research evidence, their specialized capabilities in special education and high school reform and their ground breaking research in cost analysis.
Founded in 1946 as a nonprofit organization AIR’s work spans a wide range of substantive areas: education, student assessment, international education, individual and organizational performance, health research and communication, human development, usability design and testing, employment equity, and statistical and research methods. The intellectual diversity of our more than 1,100 employees, more than 50 percent of whom hold advanced degrees, enables AIR to bring together experts in many fields, including education, psychology, sociology, economics, psychometrics, statistics, public health, usability engineering, software design, graphics and video communications—all in the search for innovative answers to any challenge.
AIR has partnered with Edvance on the development of several fast response research studies for the Regional Educational Laboratory – Southwest (REL Southwest).
Click here to learn more about AIR:  www.air.org
Knowledge is Power Program

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program
, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. There are currently 99 KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia serving more than 26,000 students. KIPP builds a partnership among parents, students, and teachers that puts learning first. By providing outstanding educators, more time in school learning, and a strong culture of achievement, KIPP is helping all students climb the mountain to and through college.
Edvance Research partnered with KIPP by providing expert advice around the design of the National Study on KIPP's Impact at the Middle School Level.
Click here to learn more about KIPP: www.kipp.org
The University of Texas at Dallas Eduation Research Center

The University of Texas at Dallas Education Research Center (UTD-ERC)
, managed by Texas Schools Project, brings together over 500 million individual-level administrative data records from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), and other state agencies, creating an unparalleled source of PK-16 data that allows researchers to follow Texas students from pre-K through college and beyond.
Texas Schools Project, which was established in 1992, supports independent, high-quality academic research and evaluation to improve academic achievement, teacher effectiveness, increase transitions to and success in postsecondary education, and improve labor market outcomes of students in Texas and the nation. In 2006 Texas Schools Project received its designation as a State of Texas Education Research Center.
Over the past decade, Texas Schools Project has become one of the premier education research institutions in the country, working with leading researchers at universities in Texas and throughout the country to analyze relevant, policy-related questions that benefit students in Texas and nationwide.
UTD-ERC is a partner with Edvance on the Texas Consortium on School Researchproject. Click here to learn more about the UTD-ERC: www.texasschoolsproject.org

#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. – @ the chalk face

#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout. – @ the chalk face:


#msnbc The Cycle: Smothering Occupy the DOE #uoodc13 and #optout.

Occupy the DOE 2.0 and the Battle for Public Schools finally got some media coverage from MSNBC.   Check it out:


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-cycle/51444548#51444548



I know.  Are you kidding me? Really? Four days of amazing groups and individuals speaking passionately about the abusive nature of corporate education reform and clear attack on the American system of public education and this is the best a mainstream media outlet can do? The segment above reduced the fight to demand a fully funded, comprehensive PUBLIC education for all children to a silly debate about whether or not “opting out” is good or bad. What?  Are my expectations too high?  I don’t think so and let tell you why. Occupy the DOE was not a gathering of crazy anti-testing people trying to shield their precious children from the real world. And Sheena Wright from the United Way had absolutely nothing of value to say about the merits of high stakes testing, literacy, and teacher evaluation. You mean to tell me that in NYC there was not a single retired teacher, education professor, statistician, or senior in high school available to be the guest?  Does MS (Gates) NBC lack the resources to find qualified 

Whac-A-Mole Leadership — Whole Child Education

Whac-A-Mole Leadership — Whole Child Education:


Steven Weber

Whac-A-Mole Leadership

One of my favorite arcade games is Whac-A-Mole. When you drop your token in the machine, you have a limited amount of time to "whac" as many moles as you can. In the beginning of the game, one or two moles pop their heads up and it is fairly easy to hit each one. About twenty seconds into the game, the moles start popping up three at a time and when you smash a mole with the mallet it may pop up again.
Whac-A-Mole is similar to the daily routine of a principal. From the time you arrive at school in the morning until late in the evening, moles pop up. Your job is to address each mole and to prioritize which one is most important. In this article, I am going to describe the "six moles" a principal must address in order to be a good leader.

Six Moles A Principal Must Address

  1. Family Concerns
    Principals receive phone calls, e-mails, and face-to-face messages from families. If you work in the car-rider line at an elementary school, a parent or grandparent may share a concern with you as they drop a child off at school. When you check your e-mail, you may have messages from multiple families with a concern about something that happened the day before. There are times when a family member has a concern about something that is a district-level concern, but it is the principal's job to advocate for families and contact the central office, or assist the family in navigating communication with the central office. Families are not moles, but concerns pop up frequently and the principal cannot ignore family concerns. It is not wise to whac a family member, but the concern must be addressed.
  2. Instructional Rounds
    A principal wears several hats; and the instructional leadership hat is critical to the success of the school. If a principal is focused on e-mail, returning phone calls, developing professional development, and 

Schools Matter: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives

Schools Matter: Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives:


Newark Students Fighting for Their Lives



One of the most hopeful signs at Occupy the DOE 2.0 in DC this weekend were the number of students from all over the U.S. who showed up.  Students are beginning to stand up for their rights to a quality education and calling out the corporate criminals who continue to suck the life and soul out of public education while fattening their bottom lines and stockholder profits. That's what market driven education looks like, but that is not what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like.



Meanwhile, parents in New Jersey are opting their children out of the tests because they are also fed up.


A handful of New Jersey families will join an increasingly vocal national group boycotting state standardized tests this |spring, in the belief that they hinder true