Thursday, August 2, 2012

Sacramento Press / Mayor Kevin Johnson's use of private/public partnerships raises questions about transparency

Sacramento Press / Mayor Kevin Johnson's use of private/public partnerships raises questions about transparency:

Mayor Kevin Johnson's use of private/public partnerships raises questions about transparency

by Jared Goyette

I'm just taking out the trash

Sacramento Democratic party chairwoman Kerri Asbury's call for city probe into use of office space in City Hall by nonprofits run by Mayor Kevin Johnson started a predictable row between the two, but it also raised important questions about the role these nonprofits play in public policy and the degree to which they are subject to the same type of transparency and accountability we expect from government.
That at least, was my take away after taking to Sacramento Bee Reporter Ryan Lillis (@Ryan_Lillis) and City Councilman Steve Cohn in Wednesday's Sac Press Live chat.
The mayor has organized a group of nonprofits to focus on areas he has designated as priorities, with Think Big, a nonprofit focused on the search for a downtown arena and promoting downtown development, being the most visible example. Others include Greenwise, which focuses on developing clean technology and For Arts Sake, a

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Again, It's about the Money

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Again, It's about the Money:

Again, It's about the Money

by Melissa Westbrook

Over at The Stranger Slog, Goldy reports yet another interesting story about 1240; the Bezos family is funding four PACS. They are Children for WA PAC, Democrats for Ed Reform WA PAC and Education Voters Political Action Fund. The newest one is Revising the Status Quo. Most of the money from all of them comes from the Bezos family, including Jeff Bezos' mom and dad. And, in turn, Stand for Children throws some of its money in there. (It's a long line of circulating money usually starting from a wealthy person/entity like the Gates Foundation.)

Further more, all of these IEs were done by the same direct mail house, Amplified Strategies, a firm that proudlyboasts its work on the No on I-1098 (High earners income tax) a campaign to which the billionaire Bezos family contributed $150,000.

So while it may look like Cann and Bowman are getting a lot of support from a broad array of good-sounding

Principals Named for Lowell and Hamilton

by Melissa Westbrook

From Superintendent Banda to the Lowell and Hamilton communities:

I am excited today to announce the appointment of Dr. Marion Smith, Jr. as your new principal.

Dr. Smith comes to Lowell from Madrona K-8 where he was assistant principal during the 2011-2012 school year. He is committed to inclusive practices and will be a great fit for the Lowell Elementary School community. He has identified cultivating positive, constructive relationships with the community, supporting a foundation for continuous school improvement based on Lowell Elementary’s strengths and growth areas, and creating a shared vision for the future as beginning priorities as principal.

Marion Smith, Jr. served as the founding director of culture at Young Scholars Frederick Douglass, a K-8

Voice and Vision « InterACT

Voice and Vision « InterACT:

Voice and Vision

by David B. Cohen

Teacher voice will only take us so far without a vision to accompany it.

Teacher voice is a concept that is central to my work, one that I’ve tried to immerse myself in for years, but in a webinar today I began to think we need an expanded concept: voice and vision.
Bill Ferriter, The Tempered Radical, is one of my favorite people to read, listen to, and talk to about these issues. We first met in a virtual space, the Teacher Leaders Network, and then cemented a virtual camraderie by meeting in person at some conferences. Bill was the most influential person in pushing me towards blogging, (and he’s also someone you should follow on Twitter).
In today’s Connected Educator webinar session, “Beyond Top-Down: Teacher-Led Change,” an important question came up regarding teacher interactions with policy makers: are we token participants among influential

Remembering Justin Morrill | Taking Note

Remembering Justin Morrill | Taking Note:

Remembering Justin Morrill

by JOHN MERROW on 02. AUG, 2012 in 2012 BLOGS

Does the name Justin Smith Morrill ring a bell? Perhaps not, although I am sure you know about theMorrill Act, which President Lincoln signed into law 150 years ago. That legislation created the nation’s land grant universities and remains one of the most significant pieces of federal education legislation in our history. (That short list also includes the G.I. Bill, the National Defense Education Act, theElementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Pell Grant legislation.)

U.S. Representative Morrill, who never attended college, actually pushed the legislation through Congress in 1858, but President Buchanan vetoed it in 1859. Lincoln had a better grasp of the future and signed it into law in on July 2, 1862.

Mr. Morrill, responding to the power of the industrial revolution, was convinced that America’s future depended upon education — but not just the classical liberal arts curriculum offered in most colleges and universities. His legislation called for education to be ‘accessible to all,’ especially to working men, and

Campbell Brown’s abusive-teachers war preceded Twitter spat | GothamSchools

Campbell Brown’s abusive-teachers war preceded Twitter spat | GothamSchools:

Campbell Brown’s abusive-teachers war preceded Twitter spat

by Geoff Decker

Campbell Brown testified before the state's Education Reform Commission on the issue of teachers found to have abused children last week.

Campbell Brown says she’s done using Twitter to provoke union leaders into a debate.
After a furious 48-hour exchange with AFT president Randi Weingarten, in which the 140-character messages quickly elevated into charges of sexism and conflicted interests, Brown said she wants the next showdown to be face-to-face.
“I’d love to sit down with Randi and have a real debate,” Brown said this morning in a phone interview. But she added a caveat. “There’s nothing to debate.”
In less than a week, Brown, a former NBC White House correspondent and CNN anchor, has gone from largely

Jersey Jazzman: Students First: Astroturfers

Jersey Jazzman: Students First: Astroturfers:

Students First: Astroturfers

by Duke

How dare anyone impugn a refomyist's motives by daring to point out what they are actually up to!

Betrayed.
That’s how regional StudentsFirst organizer Catherine Robinson felt when an email she sent to a small group of supporters wound up published on education blogs.
The email announced a contest awarding gift cards for the best comments left on online education stories. (Two StateImpact Florida stories were among included links).
Robinson says the $5 gift cards were a small tribute of thanks to hard-working volunteers. The gift

Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformers

Just Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTER

Astroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run by corporate interests seeking to further their own agendas. Such groups are often typified by innocent-sounding names that have been chosen specifically to disguise the group's true backers

Just Like Michelle Rhee's

Students first Astroturf lobbying (only Better)

Other Astroturf lobbying groups

Just Like Michelle Rhee's

Students first Astroturf lobbying (only Better)

Learning Supports: The Missing Component in School Improvement - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Learning Supports: The Missing Component in School Improvement - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Learning Supports: The Missing Component in School Improvement

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor
School reform over the past decade has focused on two arenas: improving curriculum and instruction, and the way our schools are governed and managed. We have new curriculum, new tests, new evaluation schemes, new schools, new technology, and new teachers. But schools still are not doing anything significant to address factors interfering with youngsters benefiting from all these changes. As those who have followed our work know, we are determined to change this short-sighted state of affairs by ensuring there is a third primary and essential arena that directly focuses on addressing barriers to learning and teaching and re-engaging disconnected students.
Research shows that such factors include a wide range of neighborhood, family, school, and peer variables. Some studies suggest that more than 60% of the variation in student performance comes from matters such as parental income and level of education, unsupportive and hostile environments, and so forth. Students facing

Jersey Jazzman: Haliburton High Is Coming

Jersey Jazzman: Haliburton High Is Coming:

Haliburton High Is Coming

by Duke

The reformyists are so excited that it's "their time," they aren't even pretending that their plans are about anything other than profit:

Traditionally, public education has been a tough market for private firms to break into -- fraught with politics, tangled in bureaucracy and fragmented into tens of thousands of individual schools and school districts from coast to coast.
Now investors are signaling optimism that a golden moment has arrived. They're pouring private equity and venture capital into scores of companies that aim to profit by taking over broad swaths of public education.
The conference last week at the University Club, billed as a how-to on "private equity investing in for-profit education companies," drew a full house of about 100.

A New Program Scours Twitter for School Bullying - Education - GOOD

A New Program Scours Twitter for School Bullying - Education - GOOD:

A New Program Scours Twitter for School Bullying

by Liz Dwyer

One of the challenges with nipping school bullying in the bud is that students are often reluctant to let teachers and parents know what's going on. Kids think being labeled as a snitch will make their situations worse—if adults don't take bullying seriously, sometimes those fears are well founded. But there's one place students lose their inhibitions and dish all the details of what's going on: Twitter.
Indeed, computer science researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison say they've developed a program that scours Twitter for evidence of bullying. That sounds like a daunting task given that 250 million public tweets are sent every day. But the program was able to identify more than 15,000 specific bullying-related

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Hedge-fund vultures circling public ed

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Hedge-fund vultures circling public ed:

Hedg- fund vultures circling public ed

by Mike Klonsky

"This is a new frontier. The private equity guys and the hedge fund guys are circling public education." -- Diane Ravitch

Stephanie Simon at Reuters reveals profiteers waiting in the wings to cash in on Common Core Standards. About 100 of gathered in a meeting last week at the University Club in Manhattan, billed as a how-to on "private equity investing in for-profit education companies."

If they're as rigorous as advertised, a huge number of schools will suddenly look really bad, their

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Coup d'Etat Continues

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Coup d'Etat Continues:

NJDOE Coup d'Etat Continues

by Duke

If you had any doubts about the autocratic tendencies of Commissioner Chris Cerf and the NJ Education Department, this news should put them to rest:

ELC OBTAINS CONFIDENTIAL NJDOE SCHOOL “TURNAROUND” PLAN
PROPOSAL TO BROAD FOUNDATION SEEKS MILLIONS FOR CLOSURES, “RECOVERY DISTRICT”
July 31, 2012
In response to a request under the NJ Open Public Records Act (OPRA), Education Law Center has obtained a confidential proposal prepared for the Broad Foundation by the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE) to “turnaround,” take control, and potentially close over 200 public schools over the next three years.
NJ Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf submitted a draft “School Turnaround Proposal”

D.C. Fires 98 Teachers, Bringing Total to 400 Since 2009: DCist

D.C. Fires 98 Teachers, Bringing Total to 400 Since 2009: DCist:

D.C. Fires 98 Teachers, Bringing Total to 400 Since 2009

Part of the school reform ushered in by former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and continued by her successor Kaya Henderson revolves around rewarding good teachers and getting rid of the bad. Yesterday D.C. did the latter,letting 98 teachers go for faring poorly on annual performance evaluations.

With yesterday's dismissals, some 400 teachers have been fired from DCPS since 2009 for poor ratings on the annual IMPACT assessment. (There are over 4,000 teachers at D.C. public schools.)

According to the Post, of the 98 fired yesterday, 39 were rated ineffective on the assessment, while 59 were rated minimally effective for the second year running. This year, 998 teachers received the highest rating, while two-thirds of all teachers were rated effective.

Surprisingly, this round of dismissals has been less contested than in the past:

Washington Teachers’ Union President Nathan Saunders, one of the fiercest critics, said the evaluation system is flawed but has been improved through recent revisions. If a teacher with promise appears headed for a poor IMPACT rating, for

Chris Christie’s Plan to Privatize NJ’s Low-Performing Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog

Chris Christie’s Plan to Privatize NJ’s Low-Performing Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Chris Christie’s Plan to Privatize NJ’s Low-Performing Schools

by dianerav

The Education Law Center at Rutgers obtained a copy of a proposal that the Chris Christie administration made to the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation in Los Angeles.
The plan calls for aggressive state intervention in the state’s lowest performing schools. Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf wants to set up an “achievement district” for the low-performing schools. These schools would likely be closed and handed over to private managers as charter schools. The state plan calls for eliminating collective bargaining in these schools.
The amount requested was $7.6 million, of which the Broad Foundation has thus far supplied $1.6 million.
This should not be a difficult sell for Cerf. He is a “graduate” of the Broad Foundation’s unaccredited

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: D.C. mass teacher firings and Randi's "new unionism"

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: D.C. mass teacher firings and Randi's "new unionism":

D.C. mass teacher firings and Randi's "new unionism"

by Mike Klonsky

Back in 2009 in D.C., the acceptance of the IMPACT Evaluation System marked the start of what Randi Weingarten now refers to as "results-based" unionism. IMPACT drew national attention as one of the first attempts to link teacher pay and job security with classroom performance measured largely by student scores on high-stakes standardized tests. Weingarten's current new unionism approach calls for similar collaborations on merit pay and test-based teacher evaluation.

The D.C. Teachers Union went along with Michelle Rhee's plan, supposedly in order to gain a seat at the table and avert even more draconian measures. But even though the union leadership bought into IMPACT, many rank-and-file teachers opposed Rhee's mass firings in exchange for merit-pay for the teachers. Rhee's IMPACT

Privatizing Public Schools: Big Firms Eyeing Profits From U.S. K-12 Market

Privatizing Public Schools: Big Firms Eyeing Profits From U.S. K-12 Market:

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Privatizing Public Schools: Big Firms Eyeing Profits From U.S. K-12 Market

Reuters | Posted: 08/02/2012 10:16 am Updated: 08/02/2012 12:18 pm

By Stephanie Simon

NEW YORK, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The investors gathered in a tony private club in Manhattan were eager to hear about the next big thing, and education consultant Rob Lytle was happy to oblige.

Think about the upcoming rollout of new national academic standards for public schools, he urged the crowd. If they're as rigorous as advertised, a huge number of schools will suddenly look really bad, their students testing way behind in reading and math. They'll want help, quick. And private, for-profit vendors selling lesson plans, educational software and student assessments will be right there to provide it.

"You start to see entire ecosystems of investment opportunity lining up," said Lytle, a partner at The Parthenon Group, a Boston consulting firm. "It could get really, really big."

Indeed, investors of all stripes are beginning to sense big profit potential in public

Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson Maintains He Was Not Forced Out | TheLedger.com

Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson Maintains He Was Not Forced Out | TheLedger.com:

Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson Maintains He Was Not Forced Out

By Merissa Green
THE LEDGER

Published: Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 12:47 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 12:47 a.m.

LAKELAND | Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson told The Ledger on Wednesday he really is resigning for family reasons.

Enlarge

Gerard Robinson

It has nothing to do with the miscalculation on this year's school grades or the feud brewing between Polk and the state Department of Education, he said.

"I am not being forced out by Gov. Rick Scott," he said. "There's no ideal time for me to leave."

The State Board of Education will hold an emergency conference call today to discuss Robinson's resignation and the next steps. It will be webcast live at 7 a.m. from the DOE's website athttp://www.fldoe.org.

Robinson, 45, was education secretary in Virginia before taking the state's top education post last year. While he settled into his new job, his wife, Kimberly, and two daughters remained in

Teachers Don't Suck !: State Run Education is Great (If you Don't Mind Mind Control)

Teachers Don't Suck !: State Run Education is Great (If you Don't Mind Mind Control):

State Run Education is Great (If you Don't Mind Mind Control)

by Walt S.

I happened to read this article on the Internet and I think it makes some interesting points about the State's takeover of education.

The New Totalitarianism: How American Corporations Have Made America Like the Soviet Union

By Sara Robinson, AlterNet

Posted on July 15, 2012, Printed on July 16, 2012

http://www.alternet.org/story/156311/the_n...he_soviet_union

Education: Testing, Not Teaching

My eighth-grade civics teacher used to terrify our class with grim stories about the education endured by our unlucky peers in the USSR. Communist education, she said, was nothing but rote learning -- no discussion, no critical thinking skills, all aimed at preparing kids for high-stakes standardized testing that would ultimately determine their place in the Party hierarchy. They weren't free like we were to explore our own interests, or choose professions that pleased them. Rather than being treated like full, autonomous human beings being prepared for a limitless future of their own design, they were sorted and graded like potatoes, and tracked to serve the needs of the state. All of the decisions, we were told, were dictated by the central authorities in charge of determining what kind of workers the state would need, and which schools students would be sent to in order to fulfill those goals.

Eduwonky » Campbell Brown In Her Own Words

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » Campbell Brown In Her Own Words:

Campbell Brown In Her Own Words

by arotherham

Over the weekend journo and former NBC and CNN anchor Campbell Brown penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal taking teachers’ unions to task for not being more aggressive about dealing with sexual predators and sexually abusive adults in schools. Whether and how to reform policies dealing with such teachers is being hotly debated in California and New York right now.
Brown’s op-ed set off a firestorm (Eduwonk links here and here for background and my take) and a fairly nasty debate – as much about Brown’s motivations as about the underlying issue. In her first interview about these

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 8-1 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, August 2, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Mojave Desert * Education Headlines *Thursday, August 2, 2012* Bonita Unified officials receive updates on district projectsBonita High School, in La Verne, will have its more than $4.8 million gym construction scheduled for completion on Aug. 28, officials said. San Dimas High School is having its gym rebuilt and other construction planned at more than $6.9 million, officials said. Tustin bond measure asks voters to fund new school technologyCome November, voters will be asked to decide whether to approve a bond measure funding ... more »

Male teachers are sexual predators and the union protects them. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 minutes ago

Male teachers are sexual predators and the union protects them. « Fred Klonsky: Male teachers are sexual predators and the union protects them. by Fred Klonsky Okay. Let’s be frank, shall we? Why would a guy be an elementary school teacher? Gay. Right? And since male teachers *must* be homosexual, they *must* be after little boys. Right? Art teacher? Uh huh. Music? Yep. PE? Aren’t they all? And the teachers union protects these sexual predators?

Daily Kos: On Algebra and Lies We Tell Children (And Ourselves)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago

Daily Kos: On Algebra and Lies We Tell Children (And Ourselves): On Algebra and Lies We Tell Children (And Ourselves) byplthomasEdDFollow 4 PERMALINK3 COMMENTS Children who are native speakers of English do something extremely interesting and simultaneously frustrating for some parents who fret over whether or not their children are smart and whether or not their children speak "properly." At some point, that child will utter something like, "Mommy, he goed," and the adoring parent will respond with something like, "No, honey, he went." While this event should be an exciting and... more »

State Board of Education Members Co-Host Fundraiser for Jeb Bush’s Pro-Voucher Foundation at Voucher Advocates Home | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

State Board of Education Members Co-Host Fundraiser for Jeb Bush’s Pro-Voucher Foundation at Voucher Advocates Home | Scathing Purple Musings: State Board of Education Members Co-Host Fundraiser for Jeb Bush’s Pro-Voucher Foundation at Voucher Advocates Home by Bob Sikes Florida Board of Education Chair Kathleen Shanahan and member Akshay M. Desai are listed as hosts of a fundraiser to benefit Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Florida’s Future. Not to be confused with Bush’s other foundation, Foundation for Excellence in Education, this one focuses on choice legislation and digital lear... more »

Shanker Blog » Investing In Children = Supporting Their Families

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Shanker Blog » Investing In Children = Supporting Their Families: Investing In Children = Supporting Their Families by Esther Quintero Although some parents are better positioned than others to meet their families’ child care needs, very few parents are immune to the challenges of balancing work and family. Adding further stress to families is the fact that single-parent households are at a record high in the U.S., with more than 40 percent of births happening outside of marriage. Paid parental leave and quality early childhood education (ECE) are two important policies that can ... more »

Unionized Charter School Teachers Still Need Your Help | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Unionized Charter School Teachers Still Need Your Help | Edwize: Unionized Charter School Teachers Still Need Your Help by Rob Callaghan [image: UFT ACTS Contract Now]For those of you who expressed your support for the educators at the New York City Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industries’ (AECI) last week, we thank you. We are certain our message was heard by the board member we targeted in our call-in campaign. We want to ask you to once again reach out to another board member to help demand justice for teachers at this charter school in the B... more »

Education jargon: What ‘no excuses’ and other terms really mean - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Education jargon: What ‘no excuses’ and other terms really mean - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Education jargon: What ‘no excuses’ and other terms really mean By Valerie Strauss This* was written by Joanne Yatvin, a veteran public school educator, author and past president of the National Council of Teachers of English. She is now teaching part-time at Portland State University*. By Joanne Yatvin Way back when I was a college student, one of my professors warned the class to avoid using jargon in our papers. By jargon he meant big words of indeterminate meaning. Ever sin... more »

Schools Matter: Is Campbell Brown Just Another Corporate Lackey Posing as a Journalist?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Schools Matter: Is Campbell Brown Just Another Corporate Lackey Posing as a Journalist?: Is Campbell Brown Just Another Corporate Lackey Posing as a Journalist? by Jim Horn From Media Matters: Former CNN anchor Campbell Brown criticized New York teachers unions in a *Wall Street Journal* op-ed over the weekend without disclosing a possible conflict of interest -- her husband, Dan Senor, is a board member of an organization that opposes teachers unions. On July 29, Brown criticized the New York teachers unions' handling of teachers accused of sexual misconduct: Under current New ... more »

Thomas: Linking teacher pay to test scores helps no one - Editorial Columns - TheState.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Thomas: Linking teacher pay to test scores helps no one - Editorial Columns - TheState.com: Thomas: Linking teacher pay to test scores helps no one By PAUL THOMAS By PAUL THOMAS - Guest Columnist [image: Bookmark and Share] [image: email this story to a friend] E-MAIL[image: print story] PRINT REPRINT 3 COMMENTS TEXT SIZE: Starting in the early 1980s, education reform focused on increasing expectations for students by establishing state standards and graduation requirements that included high-stakes exit exams. More recently, it has shifted from student accountability to teacher a... more »

Report detailing Boston Consulting Group’s findings and recommendations released | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Report detailing Boston Consulting Group’s findings and recommendations released | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Report detailing Boston Consulting Group’s findings and recommendations releasedby Dale Mezzacappa on Aug 02 2012 Posted in Latest news - COMMENTS (1)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] Tags: - budget cuts - English language learners - District budget - privatization - special education - funding equity - transportation - Pedro Ramos - Thomas Knudsen - Renaissance Schools - Philadelphia Federation of Teachers - s... more »

Special needs child can't accept school voucher - KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather & Sports

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Special needs child can't accept school voucher - KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather & Sports: Special needs child can't accept school voucher *Posted: Aug 01, 2012 3:43 PM PDT**Updated: Aug 01, 2012 3:43 PM PDT* By Brittany Pieper - bio | email - KSLA NEWS 12 HEADLINESmore>> - NAACP joins fight of former city employees against mayor Updated: Aug 02, 2012 3:09 AM PDT The NAACP is now getting involved in Port Allen politics, working on behalf of former city employees. Several of those former employees have accused Mayor Roger Bergeron of being raci... more »

More Youth Run Away Who Attend Schools in the West, Have a Lack of Parent Involvement at School, or Have Larger Class Sizes - MarketWatch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

More Youth Run Away Who Attend Schools in the West, Have a Lack of Parent Involvement at School, or Have Larger Class Sizes - MarketWatch: More Youth Run Away Who Attend Schools in the West, Have a Lack of Parent Involvement at School, or Have Larger Class Sizes CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- National Runaway Switchboard's New Study Finds a Connection Between School Characteristics and Adolescent Runaway Behavior Many school level characteristics are predictors of youth runaway behavior, as determined in a new study released today by the National Runaway Switchboa... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-2-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] When Talking and Listening Are Not Enough by dianerav A reader responds to another post: *I agree we need to do all of what you say, god knows I do, but I’m worried that we may exchange the support we give to each other and ourselves for a quiet waiting, a further hunkering down. Make no mistake, teaching is a gender issue for all of us as well as anything else. We are in a classic abusive relationship with ed deform. Most of us are women, and we are being treated in a traditionally determined way because o... more »

Back-To-School: Education Cuts Favored By Americans Include Teacher Salary Freezes, Administration Cuts, Survey Says

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Back-To-School: Education Cuts Favored By Americans Include Teacher Salary Freezes, Administration Cuts, Survey Says: Back-To-School: Education Cuts Favored By Americans Include Teacher Salary Freezes, Administration Cuts, Survey Says by Joy Resmovits As school districts suffer from increasing costs and not enough cash, only 11 percent of Americans are willing to pay more in taxes to fund communities' schools, according to a new report released Thursday. Instead, almost half (48 percent) said that the best approach to fixing a school-district deficit would be "dramatically changing... more »

Sal Khan responds to a critic — and the critic answers back - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Sal Khan responds to a critic — and the critic answers back - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Sal Khan responds to a critic — and the critic answers back By Valerie Strauss A guest post I recently published critiquing the Khan Academy received a great deal of response, including an e-mail from Salman Khan, founder of the academy. Now here’s the next part of the debate: A response from the critic. Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, in 2010. (Courtesy of Khan Academy)For those who may not know, the Khan Academy is essentially a library of more than 3,300 videos on sub... more »

NYC Educator: Bloomberg Clarifies Breast Milk Position

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

NYC Educator: Bloomberg Clarifies Breast Milk Position: Bloomberg Clarifies Breast Milk Position by NYC Educator In another quick turnaround, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has set out to clear up the confusion between public perception and what he claims to be his actual position. The Mayor has taken quite a bit of flack for his restrictions on baby formula. In fact, some New Yorkers are saying this action deprives mothers of a fundamental choice, and that he has no business whatsoever getting involved in such personal decisions. "It's all a misunderstanding," said the Mayor today. "... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: StudentsFirst, the Full Court Press (Arne Duncan would be Proud) and Olympic Videos in Missouri.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: StudentsFirst, the Full Court Press (Arne Duncan would be Proud) and Olympic Videos in Missouri.: StudentsFirst, the Full Court Press (Arne Duncan would be Proud) and Olympic Videos in Missouri. by stlgretchen StudentsFirst practicing Arne Duncan's love of basketball moves. StudentsFirst's full court press has started in Missouri. We've gotten 2 new lobbyists for the organization (one is from the national office), Lea Crusey lets us know which Missouri politicians support RTTT-like mandates and we now have a video from the organization with an Olympic... more »

teacher/poet/musician glen brown: Any Assault on Public Employees’ Rights and Benefits Is an Attack on the Entire Middle Class

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

teacher/poet/musician glen brown: Any Assault on Public Employees’ Rights and Benefits Is an Attack on the Entire Middle Class: Any Assault on Public Employees’ Rights and Benefits Is an Attack on the Entire Middle Class How should we think about the legislative folly of the past several months? When we realize competent and ethical leadership does not exist in the Illinois General Assembly; that the majority of Illinois legislators pass bills they do not read because “doing something” is all that really needs to be done regardless of the disastrous consequences, then our belief i... more »

A Math Teacher and Dad Comments on Khan Academy (Jerry Brodkey) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

A Math Teacher and Dad Comments on Khan Academy (Jerry Brodkey) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: A Math Teacher and Dad Comments on Khan Academy (Jerry Brodkey) by larrycuban *Jerry Brodkey teaches at Menlo-Atherton High School in Menlo Park, California. He has been a public secondary school teacher since 1975, and has taught most of the subjects in Social Studies and Mathematics. He now teaches remedial algebra and Advanced Placement Calculus. His undergraduate degree was from Rice University (BA 1974), and has graduate degrees from Stanford (MA 1976, Ph.D.... more »

Lori Wheal Is Not Only a Master Teacher, But Master of Her Domain.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Lori Wheal Is Not Only a Master Teacher, But Master of Her Domain The great teacher debate is on yet again. The New Teacher Project, which was created by Michelle Rhee, has come out with another slanted study that we are losing "great" teachers as the same rate as "bad" teachers. That being said, so what? Of course before one can whistle the Ride of the Valkyries the sycophants got their marching orders and were out in full force parroting all the ed deform talking points on how we are not keeping "great" teachers, yet keeping the "bad" ones. So bl... more »

Broad Foundation Alert | Could State-Run ‘Achievement School District’ Be Last Resort for Failing Schools?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

NJ Spotlight | Could State-Run ‘Achievement School District’ Be Last Resort for Failing Schools?: Could State-Run ‘Achievement School District’ Be Last Resort for Failing Schools? Grant application to Broad Foundation sheds light on Cerf’s idea for lowest-performing schools print | email | share By John Mooney, August 2, 2012 in Education |Post a Comment Credit: Governor's Office/Tim Larsen Education Commissioner Chris Cerf is mulling an "Achievement School District" for failing schools. The Christie administration is weighing the idea of creating a separate state-run “achievement...more »

Schools Matter: Duncan Dishes $21.5 Million to College Board and Calls It Helping the Poor

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Schools Matter: Duncan Dishes $21.5 Million to College Board and Calls It Helping the Poor: Duncan Dishes $21.5 Million to College Board and Calls It Helping the Poor by Jim Horn Arne Duncan has a No Excuses approach to education, and to prove it once more, he has just signed off on a plan to give every American child living in a car, motel room, or urban hovel a chance to take another test to show how hopelessly behind she is. As a side benefit for the testing-industrial complex, the College Board collects the entire sum: The U.S. Department of Education announced the award o... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Please help The Children's School expand!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Please help The Children's School expand!: Please help The Children's School expand! by Leonie Haimson *The following post is by Nicole Krieger, parent at The Children's School, a very special inclusion school in Brooklyn that has been asking DOE for years for more space to expand into the middle grades. Too often the folks at Portfolio Office seem eager to find space for charters over the needs of even our most successful public schools. Please lend your support to this campaign.* Parents’ Committee for The Children’s School Expansion has begun a ca... more »

School Tech Connect: A Fundraiser in August

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

School Tech Connect: A Fundraiser in August: A Fundraiser in August This in from Matt Farmer: Shortly after sunrise on July 10, three teenagers not only attacked, robbed and killed 62-year-old Delfino Mora in an alley near his West Rogers Park apartment, they filmed themselves doing it. Mr. Mora happened to be in the alley collecting aluminum cans to make a few extra dollars for his family. Not long after posting their violent video on Facebook, the three teens were arrested and charged with murder.**** Mr. Mora left behind a wife and 12 children. On Sunday, August 12, please j... more »

Key Florida US Representative Calls For Duncan to Investigate State’s Test-Obsessed Accountabilty System | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

Key Florida US Representative Calls For Duncan to Investigate State’s Test-Obsessed Accountabilty System | Scathing Purple Musings: Key Florida US Representative Calls For Duncan to Investigate State’s Test-Obsessed Accountabilty System by Bob Sikes From Lauren Roth of the *Orlando Sentinel:* U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, has asked U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to step in and investigate Florida’s school accountability sytem, and particularly the state FCAT tests. “We need some accountability for Florida’s accountability system,” Castor said. She said the high... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Superintendent of Public Instruction

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Superintendent of Public Instruction: Superintendent of Public Instruction by Melissa Westbrook I'm late (and behind) on this post but life got in the way. Randy Dorn is an okay guy. I supported his last election. But I have found him a less-than-I wanted state superintendent. I think he has gotten out there and pushed the Innovation schools program and continued to push more students taking the SAT. However, I'm not impressed with his website which doesn't have much in the way of what he wants to do in the future. And, I don't like anyone... more »

Campbell Brown Slams Unions At Teachers' Expense | Crooks and Liars

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Campbell Brown Slams Unions At Teachers' Expense | Crooks and Liars: Campbell Brown Slams Unions At Teachers' Expense 0 comments By karoli I suppose the one good thing to come out of this is that Campbell Brown, who has absolutely no business talking about education in any way, finally reveals herself as the stealth Romney campaign advisor we have all known she is. Before I discuss her despicable effort to "Willy Horton" the American Federation of Teachers and President Randi Weingarten in particular, let's just review who Campbell Brown is. She is a long-gone CNN White House corr... more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Why Zero Tolerance School Discipline Schemes in Low-Income Schools Are So Inappropriate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

An Urban Teacher's Education: Why Zero Tolerance School Discipline Schemes in Low-Income Schools Are So Inappropriate: Why Zero Tolerance School Discipline Schemes in Low-Income Schools Are So Inappropriate by James Boutin On Sunday I posted my review of Kathleen Nolan's book, *Police in the Hallways*. Originally, I had intended for the post to be much longer, but as I reread it, I realized much of what I'd included was less about the book and more a discussion about factors that motivate students' oppositional behavior. Therefore, to ensure the book review remained a book review... more »

A Consumer’s Union for Schools « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

A Consumer’s Union for Schools « Deborah Meier on Education: A Consumer’s Union for Schools by debmeier What would it be like if we took our children and their teachers as seriously as CU takes the many products it “assesses”, “tests”, “reviews/” If you haven’t looked at an issue of CU recently, pick one up. Read the average auto review—and particularly the ones that compare a great many cars. They do not give you a single score. They “score” according to dozens of categories—so that the reader/consumer can keep in mind the trade-offs that are critical versus those that are tr... more »

Why Research on 21st Century Skills Matters | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Why Research on 21st Century Skills Matters | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Why Research on 21st Century Skills Matters by Tim Magner *Editor’s Note: Our guest blogger today is Tim Magner, Executive Director of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21).* Despite many education experts, business leaders, and higher education professionals joining the bandwagon to implement and highlight 21st century skills and helping define the now 10-year old 21st century skills movement, there’s been an important missing element: Research in the arena of 21st century sk... more »

Modern School: Immigrant Labor Illegal (Unless They Are Prisoners)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Modern School: Immigrant Labor Illegal (Unless They Are Prisoners): Immigrant Labor Illegal (Unless They Are Prisoners) by Michael Dunn Parchman Farm Prison Labor, 1911 It should be obvious that increasing raids and deportations of immigrants is great for business as it reduces the chances that immigrant laborers will organize or fight for their workplace rights out of fear they will be deported. Deportations increased 400% from 1996 and 2011, while the Department of Homeland Security has increased its daily detention capacity to34,000 beds, according to a recent piece in Truthout,... more »

Bill Gates needs to get his facts straight on test scores | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Bill Gates needs to get his facts straight on test scores | Seattle Education: Bill Gates needs to get his facts straight on test scores by seattleducation2011 *I came across an article that I had saved on the NAEP (pronounced “nape”) test results over the last 12 years and Bill Gates pronouncement that our school system is a failure based on his perception that students have not shown any academic gains over the last 40 years.* *Au contraire Mr. Gates, not according to the NAEP test.* *Mr. Richard Rothstein with the Economic Policy Institute states in a report last year titled Fa... more »

Aug 8 – Teachers to meet with parents in Hyde Park Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Aug 8 – Teachers to meet with parents in Hyde Park: Aug 8 – Teachers to meet with parents in Hyde Park by admin Next Wednesday, August 8, at 6:30 pm, Chicago Public School teachers from the Hyde Park area will meet with parents to share information about the progress of the teachers union contract talks and the impact the decisions may have on students and schools. I will also be on hand for the discussion. What: CPS teachers meeting with parents – all are invited! When: Wednesday, August 8, 2012, from 6:30 to 8 pm Where: Unit... more »

Most California for-profit colleges lose state grants - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Most California for-profit colleges lose state grants - Inside Bay Area: Most California for-profit colleges lose state grants By JUDY LIN, Associated Press Posted: 08/01/2012 08:12:24 AM PDT Updated: 08/01/2012 08:12:24 AM PDT SACRAMENTO -- California's move to tighten eligibility requirements for its Cal Grant program will eliminate or reduce awards to 14,500 students, most of them enrolled in for-profit colleges such as the University of Phoenix, the California Student Aid Commission announced Tuesday. The commission released a list of colleges that are no longer eligible to ... more »

OMG Whites Need Not Apply For School Vouchers In Richland Parish?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Whites Need Not Apply For School Vouchers In Richland Parish?: Whites Need Not Apply For School Vouchers In Richland Parish?Posted by: Tom Bonnette on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, 15:11 [image: Black and White Cats] facebook twitter email pinterest Tagged with: Bobby Jindal Eric Holder Racism Richland Parish School Choice School Reform vouchers So, are only black kids in failing schools going to be eligible for vouchers in Richland Parish? That seems like a logical assumption if you take what’s going on in Louisiana’s Public School Choice policy in Richland and a... more »

Our New Book On Teaching English Language Learners Is Out Three Weeks Early! | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Our New Book On Teaching English Language Learners Is Out Three Weeks Early! | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: Our New Book On Teaching English Language Learners Is Out Three Weeks Early! by Larry Ferlazzo My new book, *“The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide: Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools, and Activities for Teaching English Language Learners of All Levels,*” (co-authored by Katie Hull Sypnieski), now available — three weeks earlier than scheduled! Electronic versions, though, may not be available until the original publishing date — August 20th — but they might be out earlie... more »

Back to School: Family-School Partnership Act Brochure - Parent/Family (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Family-School Partnership Act Brochure - Parent/Family (CA Dept of Education): Family-School Partnership Act BrochureQuestions and answers from the California Department of Education. Sacramento 2004. ------------------------------ What is the Family-School Partnership Act? The Family-School Partnership Act is a California law that allows parents, grandparents, and guardians to take time off from work to participate in their children's school or child care activities. The law (*Labor Code *Section 230.8) first took effect in 1995. Its provisions were expanded in 1997 to add *lice... more »

Just the threat of a pension cost shift is an immediate threat to every teacher in the state. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Just the threat of a pension cost shift is an immediate threat to every teacher in the state. « Fred Klonsky: Just the threat of a pension cost shift is an immediate threat to every teacher in the state. by Fred Klonsky There are a number of things that may happen when the Governor calls the General Assembly into session on August 17th that impact teachers and working people in Illinois. - The House will be asked to pass HB1447. The Senate already has. HB1447 would force a class of state workers, not teachers, to choose between health care subsidy and a COLA. - Both ... more »

Education Research Report: Pay Teachers More: Financial Planning for Reach Models

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Education Research Report: Pay Teachers More: Financial Planning for Reach Models: Pay Teachers More: Financial Planning for Reach Models by Jonathan Kantrowitz This report contains links to financial analyses of three of the 20+ Opportunity Culture school models. Savings and cost calculations of the models—*Elementary Subject Specialization, **Multi-Classroom Leadership, * and*Time-Technology Swap Rotation*—illustrate that schools could increase excellent teachers’ pay up to approximately 130%, *without increasing class sizes and within existing budgets*. In some variations, school... more »

New York City’s great-teacher problem—Lori Wheal - NYPOST.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

New York City’s great-teacher problem—Lori Wheal - NYPOST.com: Why NYC can’t keep great teachers By LORI WHEAL *Last Updated:* 12:39 AM, August 1, 2012 When I first became a teacher 10 years ago, I envisioned a long career helping countless children reach their potential and go on to accomplish great things. By all measures, I’m succeeding — but it’s no longer enough to sustain me in this profession. Next month, as teachers and students return to to MS 391 in The Bronx, I won’t be among them. The decision to leave the classroom was among the most difficult I’ve ever made, but I feel... more »

Teacher union boss bends to school reform winds - Yahoo! News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Teacher union boss bends to school reform winds - Yahoo! News: Teacher union boss bends to school reform winds[image: Reuters]By James B. Kelleher | Reuters – 18 hrs ago - - - 1 - - Email - Print RELATED CONTENT - [image: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten testifies during the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee hearing on economic recovery and job creation options on Capitol Hill in Washington October 29, 2008. REUTERS/Mitch Dumke] American Federation of Teachers … DETROIT (Reuters) - In the maelstrom of criticism s... more »

The “Confessions of a Teaching Fellow” Were Spot On « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

The “Confessions of a Teaching Fellow” Were Spot On « Diane Ravitch's blog: The “Confessions of a Teaching Fellow” Were Spot On by dianerav A previous post recounted “The Confessions of a Teaching Fellow” who described her revulsion at what she was expected to do. Soon after that post went up, another came from someone who said the writer of the original post was absolutely wrong. Here is confirmation for the teacher who spoke out: *I worked for the TFA program last summer as a supervising teacher (basically a baby-sitter for the TFA candidates who aren’t allowed to be in a class... more »

Why Hillsborough School Board’s Passage of Resolution on High-Stakes Testing Means More | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Why Hillsborough School Board’s Passage of Resolution on High-Stakes Testing Means More | Scathing Purple Musings: Why Hillsborough School Board’s Passage of Resolution on High-Stakes Testing Means More by Bob Sikes From the *Tampa Bay Times* Marlene Sokol: Testing — the subject of school board resolutions around the nation and state — has troubled (Board Chairwoman Candy) Olson for months. At the board workshop on the issue, members spent more than an hour learning about state-ordered tests, national tests and the end-of-course exams that have existed in Hillsborough since 1984.... more »

How Should Teachers Spell R-E-S-P-E-C-T?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

How Should Teachers Spell R-E-S-P-E-C-T?: How Should Teachers Spell R-E-S-P-E-C-T? by Sam For the past several years, conversations about American public education – and how to improve it – have grown increasingly loud and contentious. In fact, there’s only one issue on which it seems all sides can agree: when it comes to the learning environment, nothing matters more than a great teacher. It’s ironic, then, that as a society we act as though nothing matters less. We internalize the notion that “Those who can’t, teach.” We speak in two-dimensional terms that portray educators...more »

RheeFirst! » Irony or Farce? Michelle Rhee, Kevin Johnson to speak about edu-ethics

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

RheeFirst! » Irony or Farce? Michelle Rhee, Kevin Johnson to speak about edu-ethics: Irony or Farce? Michelle Rhee, Kevin Johnson to speak about edu-ethics by admin The University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law is hosting a conversation series about ethics in various facets of society. For its August 7 “Ethics in Education” lecture, the law school invited Michelle Rhee and Kevin Johnson to be the featured speakers. Here are a few facts that might have led the organizers to choose different speakers: - The widespread cheating in DC schools during Michelle Rhee... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Who Is StudentsFirst Backing in the MO Elections?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Who Is StudentsFirst Backing in the MO Elections?: Who Is StudentsFirst Backing in the MO Elections? by Anngie This arrived in our mailbox this week from StudentsFirst. *We are pleased to announce our endorsements for the 2012 Missouri Primary Elections for elected offices in the State's General Assembly. The endorsed candidates below have been selected based upon their responses to a questionnaire on education policies and, if incumbents, their record of support for common sense education reform efforts. All those endorsed have clearly demonstrated ... more »

Last Stand for Children First: More on Using Loss Aversion with Teachers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Last Stand for Children First: More on Using Loss Aversion with Teachers: More on Using Loss Aversion with Teachers by Last Stand for Children Popout In the movie Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese gave a good demonstration on how you could use loss aversion to run a business. The idea is, giving somebody something and then threatening to take it away if certain goals aren't met is far more effective than just promising people something if they meet those goals. For teachers, this has obvious implication for merit pay schemes where teachers are handsomely rewarded at the beginning of t... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, August 1, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Los Angeles, California* Education Headlines *Wednesday, August 1, 2012* Panama-Buena Vista poised to send bond measure to votersA recent poll of about 400 voters in the Panama-Buena Vista Union School District showed 59 percent would "probably" or "definitely" vote for a $147 million bond measure aimed at upgrading classrooms, security systems, computer labs and other facilities, trustees heard Tuesday. Tehachapi approves K-5 anti-bullying curriculumTehachapi Unified School District's board on Monday approved anti-harassment cur... more »