Sunday, September 2, 2012

by stlgretchen

This is what a Republican Superintendent supports in education. Does this look state driven to you?

What happens educationally in Indiana will happen in Missouri will happen in Florida will happen in Utah....and in any other state signed on to the Common Core standards.

If Romney is elected president, will his new Secretary of Education support these unproven and untested standards? Will a DOEd secretary support standards and assessments that are decided by private consortia instead of state driven standards and assessments? Will a DOEd secretary support giving away state power of educational decisions to federally funded consortia busy creating a national curriculum and set of standards?

The Huntington Teacher has published an excellent blog containing these type of questions to Indiana superintendent Tony Bennett. He has been rumored to be a candidate for Secretary of Education and is

TO A HIGHER STANDARD « Teachers Fight Back

TO A HIGHER STANDARD « Teachers Fight Back:

TO A HIGHER STANDARD

by alkleen

When are teachers going to understand that they are held to a higher standard than a person in any other profession known to man? That high standard takes away many of the freedoms that people who work in other professions are allowed to have. Teachers don’t really have freedom of expression, freedom of speech, the right to express themselves politically, (at least in the classroom), the right to make moral choices that might offend a school board or a community, the right to act in any manner that might be outside of the norms of an “extremely responsible adult”.
A guidance counselor at a south suburban Chicago high school has been placed on administrative leave. He was also the girls basketball coach, and he voluntarily resigned from that position. What caused the counselor and

School Tech Connect: It Needs To Be Honoroed

School Tech Connect: It Needs To Be Honoroed:

It Needs To Be Honoroed

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Nice letter in the downstate press.

To the Editor:

My pension does not need to be reformed; it needs to be honored. I am a retired public school teacher. I did not earn or pay into the Social Security system during my years of teaching. I instead paid into the Teacher Retirement System every paycheck (almost 10 percent each month). This was not a choice; it was an automatic deduction from my paycheck. My employers also paid into the Teacher Retirement System. The TRS invested and continues to invest the money contributed to the system, with an average rate of return of 9 percent per year over the last 30 years.

However, 1952 was the last year the state of Illinois contributed its actuarial share to the TRS. Now, the

Eh, Political - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Eh, Political - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

Eh, Political

by Nancy Flanagan

Today is my birthday. I'm giving myself a day of relaxation--I've been working hard all week, keeping up with the political splatfest on TV and Twitter, from empty chairs to shopping for milk. Here's a reworked column I wrote in September of 2008. Guess what? Not much has changed.
I wish I had a stock certificate for every time I've heard a teacher exclaim "I'm not very political, but..." Or maybe I'd rather have a dollar, cash money in the cookie jar, given the times--but the point stands: teachers, individually, are caught between a rock and a murky place when it comes to politics.
When teachers say they aren't political, what they usually mean is partisan. Or some variant of dogmatic,intolerant or aggressively and publicly involved. Teaching is an inherently political occupation, however.
The daily work, from kindergarten to Chemistry class, is built on authority, rules, governance structures, practical

Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram:

Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine

Documents expose the flow of money and influence from corporations that stand to profit from state leaders' efforts to expand and deregulate digital education.

By Colin Woodard cwoodard@pressherald.com
Staff Writer

Stephen Bowen was excited and relieved.

click image to enlarge

Celestial McBride, left, 14, and her brother Sevan, 12, work on their online classes from the Florida Virtual School at their home in Mims, Fla.

2011 AP file photo

RELATED HEADLINES

Studies: Existing full-time virtual schools earn poor grades

Select images available for purchase in the
Maine Today Photo Store

Maine’s education commissioner had just returned to his Augusta office last October after a three-day trip to San Francisco where he attended a summit of conservative education reformers convened by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, which had paid for the trip.

He’d heard presentations on the merits of full-time virtual public schools – ones without classrooms, playgrounds or in-person teachers – and watched as Bush unveile

• KEY FINDINGS

PULLING THE STRINGS: Maine's digital education agenda is being guided behind the scenes by out-of-state companies that stand to profit on the changes.

FLORIDA CONNECTION: The LePage administration has relied heavily on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education, a conservative think tank, in writing policies to create taxpayer-funded virtual schools in Maine.

FOLLOW THE MONEY: This foundation and its top officials receive funding from online education companies, which will profit if the initiatives go forward.

REMOTE CONTROL: The foundation wrote much of the language in Gov. Paul LePage's Feb. 1 executive order on digital learning, which embraces foundation policies.

BACKSTAGE MEETINGS: The secretive American Legislative Exchange Council -- a corporate-backed political group for state legislators -- developed digital learning legislation that was introduced by Maine lawmakers. Stephen Bowen (pictured) was a private-sector member until he was appointed education commissioner in Maine.

FAILING GRADES: Virtual schools have no classrooms, little or no in-person teaching and a poor track record compared to public schools. (Sidebar, A5)

CRITICS REACT: National education leaders say democratic governance is being superseded by corporate control.

• BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

Comparison of Gov. LePage's executive order on digital learning and the
draft order provided by the Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Digital Learning Now! agenda (adopted by LePage administration)

American Legislative Exchange documents leaked to Common Cause showing Stephen Bowen's membership and attendance at ALEC meetings.

Emails between Stephen Bowen and Patricia Levesque, executive director of Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Patricia Levesque's compensation (from Foundation for Excellence in Education's 2010 IRS filing)

• ADDITIONAL READING

New York Times Dec 2011 investigation of K12 Inc.

UPDATE - Online Scandal in Maine: For-Profit Online Charter Scandal « Diane Ravitch's blog

For-Profit Online Charter Scandal « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Understanding the Online Scandal in Maine

by dianerav

If you read this article about how online companies bought American education, you would not be at all shocked or surprised by the scandal in Maine. There, the state commissioner of education is following the instructions of Jeb Bush’s education advisor and implementing the ALEC model legislation to change the laws to bring in for-profit online corporations.
Corporations will make millions. Many children in Maine will get a lousy education, and the taxpayers in Maine will be ripped off.
That’s known these days as reform.

For-Profit Online Charter Scandal

by dianerav

Con Academy

Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos...

Maine’s State Commissioner of Education Stephen Bowen went to San Francisco to hear Jeb Bush tout the glories of for-profit online charter schools. Jeb Bush’s foundation paid for the trip. The commissioner met with Jeb’s chief education aide, Patricia Levesque, whose company lobbies for the online corporations. She promised help.
This is what the Maine Sunday Telegram found after getting access to public records of the correspondence:
Bowen was preparing an aggressive reform drive on initiatives intended to dramatically expand and deregulate online education in Maine, but he felt overwhelmed.
“I have no ‘political’ staff who I can work with to move this stuff through the process,” he emailed her from his

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.

Couldn't Find Your Own Special Charter School Scandal

Just Type the name of your city or charter school in the box below

Jonathan Kozol: FIRE IN THE ASHES: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children

Jonathan Kozol: FIRE IN THE ASHES: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children:

Event

Jonathan Kozol: FIRE IN THE ASHES: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children

KPFA Radio 94.1 FM with the Oakland Education Association and the Berkeley Federation of Teachers presents

Jonathan Kozol
FIRE IN THE ASHES: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America
A Tribute to Jonathan Kozol & All Public School Teachers
Hosted by Anthony Cody

$12 advance tickets: brownpapertickets.com : (800) 838-3006
or Pegasus Books, Marcus Books, Mrs. Dalloway's, Moe's Books, Walden Pond, DIESEL, A Bookstore, and Modern Times ($15 door)
$5 for public school teachers, public school workers,
& public school students with ID: available by calling 510.763.4020
Information: www.kpfa.org/events KPFA benefit

Jonathan Kozol is the National Book Award-winning author of Savage Inequalities, Death at an Early Age, The Shame of the Nation, Amazing Grace, Letters to a Young Teacher, Rachel and Her Children, Children of the Revolution, The Night Is Dark, and I Am Far From Home, among others. He has worked with children in inner-city schools for nearly fifty years. Jonathan will sign his new book, which will be for sale during the event.

"Despite the steep odds stacked against these childrenwhich too many cannot overcomethis is a hopeful book thanks to those who do. The incredible resilience, grit and grace of children like Pineapple are a call to urgent action". Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children's Defense Fund

"Jonathan Kozol is America's premier chronicler of life among the children of societal neglect. And FIRE IN THE ASHES may be his best book yetKozol does not just write about these people; he becomes an intimate part of their lives, sharing their triumphs, defeats, and, too often, mourning their deathsIf you care about the children who are the future of America, this is a book you must read."
Ellis Cose, author of The End of Anger and The Rage of a Privileged Class.

This special event offers gratitude and great respect to all public school teachers.
Host, Anthony Cody, who has taught science and math at Bret Harte Middle School in Oakland for eighteen years, has written numerous articles on teacher leadership and education policy, and has presented around the US and the world. Also speaking will be Cathy Campbell (President of Berkeley Federation of Teachers) and Trish Gorham (President of Oakland Education Association).

Vice President Biden Selected to "Talk to the Chair" at the Democratic National Convention

Vice President Biden Selected to "Talk to the Republican Chair" at the Democratic National Convention

UPDATE: The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky:

The Sunday Mail.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2012

John Dillon’s Pension Vocabulary: “Who’s on first?” The Springfield art of finger-pointing and double talk.

My old Atlanta buddy Jim Skillman wrote an op-ed piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They wouldn’t print it. He wrote that all freedom loving

Washington Post editorial: Illinois Dems are a problem for the national party on the eve of the DNC.

by Fred Klonsky

The Washington Post editorial today: The Democrats Pension Dilemma.

For the party of activist government, the competing interests of their public-sector union backers and their other constituents spell trouble, in both political and policy terms. It’s a conflict that Democrats may be uniquely well positioned to resolve, given their close ties to unions — or uniquely incapable of resolving, for the same reason. As the experience of California and Illinois shows, it’s an

Ryan and Scott Walker’s Janesville GM blooper revisited.

by Fred Klonsky

Back in January I posted a story of Scott Walker’s Wisconsin Blooper.
Who knew the story would blow up again at last week’s Republican National Convention?
In January Walker put up a giant billboard right in front of the shuttered Janesville General Motors plant. The billboard claimed that Walker Creates Jobs for Wisconsin. A claim not exactly supported by the Wisconsin employment data. It was such a stupid and embarrassing thing to do that the Walker campaign quickly had the

Ten minute drawing. Romney borrows slogan from the Ku Klux Klan.

by Fred Klonsky

Atlantic Magazine. The Trouble with Keeping America American.

Daily Kos: what health care and education have in common

Daily Kos: what health care and education have in common:

what health care and education have in common

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

is that neither can be addressed in isolation
I am writing this as a result of watching Melissa Harris-Perry this morning, where she had a focus on issues of health care - an overall shortage of doctors, a specific shortage of primary care physicians, the costs of getting the necessary education versus the returns one can get (in certain practices), and problems of geographical distribution of physicians.
But what also was mentioned is that much of what is being addressed in medical treatment are issues outside of medicine - the conditions of housing (asbestos, lead based paint, and to which we can add vermin and insects), the lack of appropriate nutrition, and we could also mention lack of air conditioning and lack of heat.
These are issues of poverty. These are issues of inequitable distribution of resources. This is barriers to those who might want to provide necessary services. These are issues of policy silos that cannot fix issues in

The destructive power of “Education Reform” is spreading - Wait, What?

The destructive power of “Education Reform” is spreading - Wait, What?:

The destructive power of “Education Reform” is spreading

by jonpelto

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram newspaper leads with the headline, “Special Report: The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine.” The reporting is a stunning tribute to what reporters can do when they look past the spin and the fancy press releases and really start digging.

It is also another shocking example about how public education is falling to the education reform industry.

Change the location from Maine to Connecticut and the term “virtual schools” to “education reform” and readers will recognize the patterns.

They are just as prevalent here in Connecticut.

In Maine it is being perpetrated by a tea-bag governor and his ultra-right hacks, and the

Guest blogger: “Do they think WE’RE idiots.” « Fred Klonsky

Guest blogger: “Do they think WE’RE idiots.” « Fred Klonsky:

Guest blogger: “Do they think WE’RE idiots.”

by Fred Klonsky

By guest blogger: MiC
Shortly after a special session of the Illinois General Assembly ended a couple weeks ago, Representative Daniel Biss described the failure to enact pension “reform” by the politicians assembled in Springfield this way:
“We all look like idiots.”
This line, widely reported, pretty much summed up the view held prior to the special session of roughly 800,000 working and middle class Illinois public employees who keep us safe, care for our sick and elderly, inspire our

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 9-2 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

C.O.R.E. video on Successful Chicago Strikes: Teachers set to walk out | Dailycensored.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago

C.O.R.E. video on Successful Chicago Strikes: Teachers set to walk out | Dailycensored.com: C.O.R.E. video on Successful Chicago Strikes: Teachers set to walk out by Danny Weil Produced by CORE (the Caucus of Rank and File Educators of the Chicago Teachers Union) and Chicago’s Labor Beat. Titled “CTU Strikes: 1968 – 1987″, the video was made during the summer of 2012 in conjunction with the four CORE “Successful Chicago Strikes” forums. It is now up and available on You Tube. The video contains interviews from retired Chicago Teachers Union members who participated in these... more »

American Rhetoric: Lyndon Baines Johnson -- "The Great Society"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago

American Rhetoric: Lyndon Baines Johnson -- "The Great Society": A third place to build the Great Society is in the classrooms of America …We are still far from that goal. In many places, classrooms are overcrowded and curricula are outdated. Most of our qualified teachers are underpaid, and many of our paid teachers are unqualified. So we must give every child a place to sit and a teacher to learn from. Poverty must not be a bar to learning, and learning must offer an escape from poverty. Lyndon Baines Johnson *The Great Society* delivered 22 May 1964, Ann Arbor, MI Audio mp3 of... more »

Blue Collar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

Q & A: Chiefs of five school districts talk reform — and describe their biggest wish - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago

Q & A: Chiefs of five school districts talk reform — and describe their biggest wish - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Q & A: Chiefs of five school districts talk reform — and describe their biggest wish By Valerie Strauss With the new school year upon us, we asked a handful of superintendents of districts in the greater Washington area to answer six questions so we could get a better understanding of their vision and challenges. Th school district chiefs were asked to talk about teacher evaluation, class size, new initiatives and more, including the one thing they would do ... more »

FCAT, PARCC: High-stakes testing by any other name - Other Views - MiamiHerald.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 46 minutes ago

FCAT, PARCC: High-stakes testing by any other name - Other Views - MiamiHerald.com: FCAT, PARCC: High-stakes testing by any other name BY KATHLEEN OROPEZAKATHLEENO@CFL.RR.COM Gov. Rick Scott and his advisors really need to get out more. If they were more clued in Scott would not be out there taking credit for stopping the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Here’s a newsflash: FCAT was always going away. Scott has nothing whatsoever to do with that. Gov. Charlie Crist implemented a plan to phase out the FCAT by 2014. The truth didn’t stop approval-hungry Scott from starring i...more »

Daily Kos: On "Hostile Rhetoric," Laziness, and the Education Debate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 52 minutes ago

Daily Kos: On "Hostile Rhetoric," Laziness, and the Education Debate: On "Hostile Rhetoric," Laziness, and the Education Debate byplthomasEdDFollow 3 PERMALINK1 COMMENT In the early 1980s, I was newly married, seeking my first teaching job, and necessarily living in my parents' home, which also housed my sister, her husband, and child. We were a pretty interesting extended family nestled in the Upstate of rural South Carolina. One night, I was suddenly startled awake by my sister ripping the screened door off its hinges as she shouted for me to wake up. After a blur of jumping ... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-2-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Florida Gets Tough on 5-Year-Olds by dianerav In Florida, as we learn from the comment below, it is never too soon to get tough. It’s never too soon to give tests and hand out grades. Even five-year-olds need to know that someone (the State Education Department? the Legislature? Jeb Bush? ) has high expectations for them! It’s never too soon for them to learn the Great Lesson: Perform on our tests or you are marked a failure. The treadmill starts here. Must be part of that big Pearson contract with the stat... more »

Bridgeport Election Tuesday: What Excel Bridgeport failed to point out - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Bridgeport Election Tuesday: What Excel Bridgeport failed to point out - Wait, What?: Bridgeport Election Tuesday: What Excel Bridgeport failed to point out by jonpelto This Tuesday, September 4th, the voters of Bridgeport can finally go to the polls to select members of a democratically elected board of education. This new board will replace the illegal board of education that has been running Bridgeport’s school for more than a year. It is the illegal board that hired Paul Vallas and his entourage of outside consultants. Excel Bridgeport is the group that pushed for the state’s ... more »

School Tech Connect: Thoughts On The Strike Notice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

School Tech Connect: Thoughts On The Strike Notice: Thoughts On The Strike Notice by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Two notes from Karen Lewis's press conference following the 10-day notice. 1. It's brilliant. It's both a concise summary of what's going on in the negotiations and of the larger picture of what's going on in the nation. This isn't some slick eduhucktster with a PowerPoint--- this is a chemistry teacher, laying out exactly what is happening, why it's happening, and how it all fits into the bigger picture. 2. The narrative of disruption that's going on the press is b... more »

Daily Kos: Nicholas Kristof takes on Republicans over abortion

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Daily Kos: Nicholas Kristof takes on Republicans over abortion: Nicholas Kristof takes on Republicans over abortion by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Today in America, more than one-third of teens say that when they began having sex, they had not had any formal instruction about contraception. Is this really the time for a Republican Party platform denouncing comprehensive sex education?Some Americans don’t even seem to have had any sex education by the time they’re elected to Congress. Like Todd Akin. That is the conclusion of Nicholas Kristof's Sunday *New York Times* column, tit... more »

Yes, they cheat at Harvard, too - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Yes, they cheat at Harvard, too - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Yes, they cheat at Harvard, too By Valerie Strauss The scandal at Harvard University in which authorities are investigatingwhether nearly half of a class of 279 students cheated on a take-home final exam raises a number of questions, including this: Does everybody cheat? Dozens of Harvard University students are being investigated for cheating after school officials discovered evidence they may have wrongly shared answers or plagiarized on a final exam. (Elise Amendola - AP)At the moment, Harvard is dealing w... more »

"Yo Soy 132" Student Movement Protests Calderon Government in Mexico - Hispanically Speaking News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

"Yo Soy 132" Student Movement Protests Calderon Government in Mexico - Hispanically Speaking News: “Yo Soy 132” Student Movement Protests Calderon Government in Mexico [image: “Yo Soy 132” Student Movement Protests Calderon Government in Mexico]Hundreds of people demonstrated outside Mexico’s Congress Saturday against President Felipe Calderon, a protest coinciding with the presentation of his final state-of-the-nation report. Members of the Yo soy 132 student movement, which arose in May as a reaction to the Mexican mass media’s bias in favor of now-President-elect Enrique Peña Ni... more »

Democurmudgeon: We're a nation of American Suckers when it comes to Public School Bashing.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Democurmudgeon: We're a nation of American Suckers when it comes to Public School Bashing.: We're a nation of American Suckers when it comes to Public School Bashing. by Democurmudgeon The rabid hatred of public schools by Republicans is spreading, thanks to the repetitive message and money spent on advertising “choice” and vilifying teachers. It’s called propaganda, and it works. Take a look at this right wing article pushing the latest results of a Gallup opinion poll on public schools. The public’s perception, surprise, is just the opposite of the truth. We really are turning i... more »

Bush, Levesque, ALEC and Their Corporate Bankrollers | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Bush, Levesque, ALEC and Their Corporate Bankrollers | Scathing Purple Musings: Bush, Levesque, ALEC and Their Corporate Bankrollers by Bob Sikes See the rest of thus worthwhile read from Colin Woodard from the *Maine Sunday Telegraph*

Are Kids Really Motivated by Technology? (Bill Ferriter) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Are Kids Really Motivated by Technology? (Bill Ferriter) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Are Kids Really Motivated by Technology? (Bill Ferriter) by larrycuban *Bill Ferriter (@plugusin) is a full-time elementary school teacher. He is also a Solution Tree author and presenter,a frequent blogger and a senior fellow in the Teacher Leaders Network. His commentary appeared in SmartBlogs on Education on August 17th, 2012* As a guy who delivers two-day edtech workshops during my breaks from full-time classroom teaching, I’m often asked the same questions again and... more »

More about Milk and Choice « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

More about Milk and Choice « Diane Ravitch's blog: More about Milk and Choice from Diane Ravitch's blog by dianerav A teacher in New York City wrote to tell me that he worked in the dairy industry for many years before becoming a teacher. When he read about Jeb Bush touting the virtues of choosing schools the way we choose milk, he laughed. Did you know, he wrote, that a small number of big corporations control the dairy industry. No matter what label is on the carton, the odds are that you are buying from agri-business, not a small producer. There are really only

What Schools Can Learn From the World of Photography | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago

What Schools Can Learn From the World of Photography | Connected Principals: What Schools Can Learn From the World of Photography by George Couros The best camera you have is the one with you. cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Nico Kaiser I have taken a big interest in visuals and photography as I have found some amazing photo sites on the web, as well as simply enjoying using apps such as Instagram (along with a large chunk of the world). Recently, I was struck by this quote: “(On digital photography) No wasted film, slides, or prints. And we are aware of this relationsh... more »

NYC Public School Parents: More dissimulation from Eva

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: More dissimulation from Eva: More dissimulation from Eva by Leonie Haimson From Wikipedia: In 2010, according to Eva Moskowitz, she received around 13,000 applications for 69 teacher positions. In 2011, she said there were " *57,000 applications for 256 jobs*." (Sources: Rosato, Ken, host, *New York Viewpoint*,*July 25, 2010; *Phillips, Anna M., *High Teacher Turnover at a Success Network School*, in NYT*SchoolBook*, October 19, 2011) Yet from the below email it is clear that of yesterday, her schools *are still* looking for TFA teachers even afte

Diane in the Afternoon 9-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Why Did We Forget About Integration? by dianerav A good discussion on NPR about an important issue that has been swept under the rug. The combination of racial segregation and poverty is toxic. Maybe Choosing Schools Is Like Choosing Toothpaste? by dianerav Deborah Meier writes to comment on Jeb Bush’s claim that choosing schools should be like choosing milk. Could have said cereal. There, two or three corporations own all the different brands. *Re Jeb Bush’s analogy—choosing schools is like choosing milk as you wander down the aisle. Among the * A New ...more »

Peg with Pen: Sitting Ducks in Suburbia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

Peg with Pen: Sitting Ducks in Suburbia: Sitting Ducks in Suburbia by Peggy I attended my son’s middle school Back to School Night this past week; you may recall that this is Sam’s first year in a public school. I especially enjoy these events because as a former public school teacher, I enjoy hearing teachers speak, I love being in their classrooms and I most definitely want to let them know I appreciate their talents, education, dedication and time spent working with our children. During my fifteen years of teaching my last five were spent teaching teachers and administrators ... more »

The Weekly Update: Rallies at the DNC, it’s all about the money for some folks and Michelle Rhee & ALEC – a marriage made in… | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

The Weekly Update: Rallies at the DNC, it’s all about the money for some folks and Michelle Rhee & ALEC – a marriage made in… | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Rallies at the DNC, it’s all about the money for some folks and Michelle Rhee & ALEC – a marriage made in… by seattleducation2011 *The Weekly Update for the news you might have missed* Check out their Facebook page. *Action Alert: Rally at the DNC!* Parents Across America founding member, Pamela Grundy, is one of the organizers of the following events that will occur in Charlotte, NC next week. To follow is the informat... more »

PAA’s Parent Online Toolkit for the WBD* movie and beyond « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago

PAA’s Parent Online Toolkit for the WBD* movie and beyond « Parents Across America: PAA’s Parent Online Toolkit for the WBD* movie and beyond by pureparents Parents Across America is a network of **active parents doing the hard work of change in our public schools. We know that our schools need help. Knowing what to do is the problem. Knowing what works in improving schools is even more important. We know that most parents don’t want to close their schools or turn them into charters. They want to improve their local neighborhood public schools by stopping budget cuts, reducing cla... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Global Learning: Helping to Prevent "The Ugly American" Stereotype!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Global Learning: Helping to Prevent "The Ugly American" Stereotype!: Global Learning: Helping to Prevent "The Ugly American" Stereotype! by Lisa M "I have a nosy wife". My husband and I were sitting in the Windjammer Cafe on the Royal Carribean's Explorer of the Seas. And I was doing what I usually do when I am around a large number of people. In between conversing with my hubby, I listen to conversations taking place around me. So while eavesdropping,listening, I heard a conversation between a man, who was sitting with his son, and the

GOP Divided on ObamaCore | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

GOP Divided on ObamaCore | Truth in American Education: GOP Divided on ObamaCore by Shane Vander Hart It is so good for EdWeek to point out that yes there is dissention in the ranks. Not all Republicans have bought into Governor Jeb Bush’s vision of education reform, as far as, national standards are concerned. On the one hand, there’s Jeb Bush, a key Romney surrogate and the former GOP governor of Florida. He points out that a majority of GOP governors have embraced the standards. And then you’ve got Gayle Ruzeicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum, and a delegate to the Repub... more »

Jeb Bush ‘s Irrational and Potentially Catastrophic Exercise in Hubris | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Jeb Bush ‘s Irrational and Potentially Catastrophic Exercise in Hubris | Scathing Purple Musings: Jeb Bush ‘s Irrational and Potentially Catastrophic Exercise in Hubris by Bob Sikes Jeb Bush’s predictable RNC performance centered on school choice with a dash of teacher union bash. The later, red meat for the GOP base; the former, code for vouchers with a lustful eye on total privatization of education. But Bush knows that his Florida test-based way is collapsing and he’s desperately trying to control the narrative with spin. He knows that for some republican voters, playing the uni... more »

THE “DISHONOR YOUR PROFESSION AWARD” « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

THE “DISHONOR YOUR PROFESSION AWARD” « Teachers Fight Back: THE “DISHONOR YOUR PROFESSION AWARD” by alkleen *Next to the Broad Prize the Charter School Emmy and the * *DISHONOR YOUR PROFESSION AWARD **are most * *coveted prizes in all of Reformdumb* It’s time to create a new award. The “Dishonor Your Profession Award” will be given to teacher groups that agree to humiliating and degrading contracts. The first award recipient is the Libertyville and Vernon Hills high school teachers who after six months of negotiations have agreed to a pathetic contract. The teachers accepted a sala... more »

Stand in Solidarity with CTU: Action for the Week of 9/2/2012 | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Stand in Solidarity with CTU: Action for the Week of 9/2/2012 | United Opt Out National: Stand in Solidarity with CTU: Action for the Week of 9/2/2012 by admin *The Chicago Teachers Union stands up against the powers of fear, intimidation, coercion and oppression against the rights of children, teachers, parents and their communities. We support their courageous actions as they confront the education de/formers. CTU’s actions are a model for national action. CTU says “We have had enough!” And we agree with them. We hope more schools, teachers and communities will follow their lea... more »

GotJeb ? Diane Ravitch and Floridians Respond to Jeb Bush’s Speech about Education at the Republican National Convention. « Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

GotJeb ? Diane Ravitch and Floridians Respond to Jeb Bush’s Speech about Education at the Republican National Convention. « Continuing Change: GotJeb ? Diane Ravitch and Floridians Respond to Jeb Bush’s Speech about Education at the Republican National Convention. by gatorbonbc *Diane Ravitch responded to Jeb Bush’s speech at the Republican National Convention. Jeb compared public education to shopping for milk. Here is Ravitch’s blog response: * *http://dianeravitch.net/2012/09/01/how-is-a-school-like-milk/* *My comment? * *Jeb’s connections to online ed for profit are well known ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: New De Blasio study on inclusion: where are the parents, teachers and principals?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: New De Blasio study on inclusion: where are the parents, teachers and principals?: New De Blasio study on inclusion: where are the parents, teachers and principals? by Leonie Haimson There’s a new study put out by Public Advocate De Blasio’s office praising DOE’s inclusion program, based on the results of Phase I of their initiative. Today’s NYT carries an article about the reporthere. Interestingly, the author of the report only interviewed top brass at Tweed and cluster and network leaders. Not a single principal, teacher or parent, or student in an... more »

Opponents of charter schools amendment say backers are... | www.ajc.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Opponents of charter schools amendment say backers are... | www.ajc.com: Opponents of charter schools amendment say backers are bullying, silencing them - SHARE - FAVORITE - VOTE (0) By Wayne Washington The Atlanta Journal-Constitution [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Opponents of a proposed charter schools constitutional amendment say supporters of the amendment are using “bullying and intimidation” in an effort to shut down debate on the topic. Supporters say they are not, and there is no secret campaign to squelch debate about the amen... more »

Back to school: Why public education is awesome (Julie Mack column) | MLive.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Back to school: Why public education is awesome (Julie Mack column) | MLive.com: Back to school: Why public education is awesome (Julie Mack column) [image: Students by the busload] *KALAMAZOO, MI* -- Years ago, I interviewed a man who adopted a teenage boy from Central America. The boy had to adjust to life in Michigan, which included dealing with winters and going to a school where very few people spoke his language. But surprisingly, the teen had boundless enthusiasm for the latter. In his home country, educational options were very limited for poor children. The child could... more »

Saturday coffee. 9-1-12 « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky Can we consider two stupid wars an entitlement? Here’s why I ask. The Illinois Policy Institute is a corporate think tank and lobbying outfit that has led the charge against public employee pensions in the state. Today they link to a *Wall Street Journal* article that makes the claim that entitlements cost too much and are ruining the *American character*, whatever that means. As Americans opt to reward themselves ever more lavishly with entitlement benefits, the question of how to pay for these government transfers ... more »

Educator Musing: Parent Revolution Pants on Fire

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

Educator Musing: Parent Revolution Pants on Fire: Parent Revolution Pants on Fire by Educator Musing “Ironically, the Desert Trails Parents’ Union initially had no interest in their school becoming a charter school.” David Phleps – National Communications Director of Parent Revolution http://parentrevolution.org/recent-criticism-regarding-won’t-back-down “This group of parents would do anything rather than bring in an

School Tech Connect: Nothing Is Ever True...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Nothing Is Ever True...: Nothing Is Ever True... by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) ....when Rahm talks about public education or crime. I rarely get in the car, but I did yesterday, and flipped on the radio and heard the Diminutive Prevaricator talking about how wonderful it is that fewer people have been getting shot to death over in Englewood. Chicago is burning down with gun violence, and there are predictable parallels between the lies that are told about education to with the lies that are told about public safety. The lies are propped on data-worship, ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Why the Republicans Don't Want Common Core Rescinded.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Why the Republicans Don't Want Common Core Rescinded.: Why the Republicans Don't Want Common Core Rescinded. by stlgretchen You are invited to the educational reform party masqueraded as Common Core and School "Choice" Common Core allows State Longitudinal Data Systems to share information. The information does not only include state wide assessment scores and educational data, it will include invasive personal data on students and families. This data will be used to track children from birth into careers. This data will be supplied to various Fed... more »

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The Biggest Lie about Unions by dianerav A reader responds to someone who lambasted the unions for preventing the firing of bad teachers: *Only poor administrators can’t fire poor teachers. There has never been a union contract anywhere, ever that didn’t allow for a competent principal to remove an incompetent tenured teacher. And it’s even easier to just non-renew a loser before they become tenured. This is the biggest of all the lies told about unionized teachers.* * ** * A Brave State School Board Memb... more »

A teacher's take on testing: High demands, few resources | UTSanDiego.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

A teacher's take on testing: High demands, few resources | UTSanDiego.com: A teacher's take on testing: High demands, few resources[image: Veronica Valdivia with Loma Verde Elementary School in Chula Vista works with her 6th students during a reading and writing classroom assignment.]Veronica Valdivia with Loma Verde Elementary School in Chula Vista works with her 6th students during a reading and writing classroom assignment. — Nelvin C. Cepeda CHULA VISTA — Veronica Valdivia, 37, has taught in the Chula Vista Elementary School District for 14 years. She currently teaches sixt... more »

Daily Kos: Propaganda is one thing; prevarication is another.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Daily Kos: Propaganda is one thing; prevarication is another.: Propaganda is one thing; prevarication is another. by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) That is just one of the many powerful lines from a brilliant op ed in tomorrow's*New York Time* by the fantastic Charles M. Blow. The piece is titled The G.O.P. Fact Vacuum and begins: Honesty is a lost art. Facts are for losers. The truth is dead.Pick one. The piece has a major focus on the words of Paul Ryan from Thursday night, including the now-viral takedown on Foxnews.com by Sally Kohn (who is an unpaid op ed writer there). Aft... more »

This Week's Radical Scholarship 9-1-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Radical Scholarship: Paul Thomas Paul Thomas Explains Why “No Excuses” Fails « Diane Ravitch's blog P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 2 hours ago Paul Thomas Explains Why “No Excuses” Fails « Diane Ravitch's blog "No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: The Miseducation of Our Nation's Children | Alternet P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 2 hours ago "No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: The Miseducation of Our Nation's Children | Alternet “Missionary Zeal”: The Miseducation of “Other People’s Children” | Dailycensored.com P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 23 hours ago “Miss... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-1-12

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: *4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit* PENSION REFORM: Top-paid administrators to take biggest hit smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 hour ago By John Fensterwald, Ed Source Today | http://bit.ly/T659Dl August 29th, 2012 :: The retirement age for new teachers will be pushed back two years; they’ll have to fork over about another 1 percent of their pay into the retirement system. And their bosses – principals and administrators – will see a ceiling of $132,120 as the portion of their pay used to calculate ret... more »