H.R.1041: Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

H.R.1041: Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress:

Bill Introduced: H.R.1041 Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2013

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 6 minutes ago

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve early education.

Bill Introduced: S.502 Prepare All Kids Act of 2013

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 6 minutes ago

A bill to assist States in providing voluntary high-quality universal prekindergarten programs and programs to support infants and toddlers.

Bill Introduced: S.Res.68 A resolution congratulating the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon on its continued success in support of the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 6 minutes ago

A resolution congratulating the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon on its continued success in support of the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.

Bill Introduced: S.427 Sensible School Lunch Act

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 6 minutes ago

A bill to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to provide flexibility to school food authorities in meeting certain nutritional requirements for the school lunch and breakfast programs, and for other purposes.

Bill Introduced: S.406 Students First Act of 2013

Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 6 minutes ago

A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for new program review requirements.

Michelle Rhee Needs a Head Shrinker… – @ the chalk face

Michelle Rhee Needs a Head Shrinker… – @ the chalk face:

Michelle Rhee Needs a Head Shrinker…

by Kris Nielsen

…so, here I am!
(Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist, but I play one on the Internet.  The following is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used as an official diagnosis, even though I know I’m totally right.)
This probably isn’t healthy.  Perhaps I should find a new hobby, before people start to think I’m obsessed or something.  I’ve already previously diagnosed her as a full-blown addict.  That was kind of fun.  Then, I went ahead and wrote Arne Duncan’s resignation letter for him, since I know how busy he is pretending to do important stuff and taking heartwarming photos and playing basketball and whatnot.

Public ed heroes of the day: School closings | Parents United for Public Education

Public ed heroes of the day: School closings | Parents United for Public Education:

Public ed heroes of the day: School closings

by helengym

Photos via philly.com, Joseph Dworetzky, Research for Action, Media Mobilizing Project

History is not made only by those with titles and power. It is defined and understood through the heroic actions of many. Here are a few public ed heroes who stood out for us during the school closings vote:
Media Mobilizing Project and the public education testimonials of #phillyeducation #underattack

School closings are dehumanizing. The rhetoric around them – “failing schools” “seat capacity” “facilities utilization” – strip any reference to the communities, children and loving adults who make education meaningful. 

ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1 | InterACT

ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1 | InterACT:

ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1

by David B. Cohen

What a busy day! There are 10,400 participants in this conference, hundreds of sessions, in a facility that seems like a whole campus. Lots here to write about in greater depth, but here are my highlights from Day 1.

Freeman Hrabowski

Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III was the keynote speaker this morning. His speech offered some inspirational examples of what’s possible when children have the support, expectations, structures, and nurturing that they need. Sometimes the tone of such speakers can seem like a challenge: if you cared more and worked harder, you’d be able to save more kids from bad outcomes. Hrabowski wasn’t suggesting that, but rather, trying to inspire the audience to believe that relationships make a difference. The most interesting take-away for me was the idea of having students involved in conversations about school improvement. I think that happens sometimes, but I expect there are opportunities to turn even more to our children for their perspectives and insights.
The morning’s general session also included the presentation of ASCD’s Outstanding Young Educator Awards. I 

John Thompson: Documentarians Uncover the Trauma in Urban Schools - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

John Thompson: Documentarians Uncover the Trauma in Urban Schools - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

John Thompson: Documentarians Uncover the Trauma in Urban Schools

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by John Thompson.

Brilliant documentaries, such as PBS Frontline's "Dropout Nation" and This American Life's "Harper High School" do what "reformers," who mostly lack knowledge of teaching and learning, should have done. They go into troubled schools without preconceived notions, and document what they find.

"Dropout Nation" covers the School Improvement Grant (SIG) "turnaround" of Sharpston High School in Houston. It centers on a Campus Improvement Coordinator's, two deans' and a principal's efforts. Even though the cornerstone of SIG turnaround was the replacing of half of its teachers with young idealists with "High Expectations!" So when these new teachers are largely invisible in this powerful documentary, education wonks should take notice. It is a reminder that schooling is a team sport.

Superintendent Terry Grier conceived of the Houston experiment without taking the time to study the social science on urban education. Confident that we know how to fix failing schools using instruction-driven methods, Grier deputized teachers to reverse the effects of extreme poverty. But, in "Dropout Nation," the heroic non-teachers featured in the documentary went on record repudiating his fundamental assumption. One dean pushes 

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky:

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

In Chicago it is a damp and cloudy Saturday.
The river is green for the Saint Patrick’s day parade.
It is best not to drive on the north side tonight. Last year Anne and I went to dinner in Wrigleyville to celebrate her birthday, forgetting it was Saint Patrick’s day. As we drove down Halsted Street, young green-shirted twenty-something boys literally fell forward – face down drunk – in front of our car. Several times.
This week Chicago has seen a performance of send in the clowns.
It began with the announcement that the union-hating, tax-evading Hyatt Hotel heiress Penny Pritzker was abruptly resigning from the Chicago board of education to go work as Commerce Secretary.
What does a Commerce Secretary do?
I don’t know.
Word on the street was that Pritzker, who served as chief fund-raiser for Obama when he ran in 2008, was kept

Ten minute drawing. Chicagopolis.

by Fred Klonsky

The Weekly Cheddar : blue cheddar

The Weekly Cheddar : blue cheddar:

The Weekly Cheddar

by bluecheddar

March 10 - 16, 2013

Here’s my weekly round-up of political news from Wisconsin. I added a selection of coming events to the end. As always, if I forgot something ultra-important, leave me a comment about it.

About Voucher Schools in Wisconsin…

I hope you’ll read and then come back to this post:
Take Action: Five Things You Can Do to Fight Voucher Schools – from ACLU

A Peek Into the World of Publicly Funded Private Schools – Wisconsin Soapbox – MARCH 12

Walker’s budget means millions in cuts, Madison superintendent says
Madison district projects $8 million in cuts next year
- Mar 14 Channel3000

Racine’s Newest Voucher School Owner Already Declares Bankruptcy – Root 

Diane in the Evening 13-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Book Banning in Chicago

by dianerav

Since I wrote a book a decade ago called “The Language Police,” I can’t pretend to be shocked that a book was pulled, removed, or censored by the Chicago Public Schools.
Jersey Jazxman sums up the controversy here.
It is no consolation, perhaps, to know that school boards–state and local–have been censoring books for many

My Debate in Louisiana

by dianerav

Last Thursday I flew to Louisiana for a lunch debate with Chas Roemer, who is chairman of the state board of education.
Before the debate, I read online about his strong support for vouchers, charters, evaluation of teachers by test scores. Knowing this, I used my time to demonstrate the poor results of what I expected he would say.
Chas responded that he would not contest anything I said, as there was already too much tit for tat in politics. 

Help Save Washington Irving HS

by dianerav

Help stop co-location of rich charter school in free public space. Join others to demand improvement, not privatization.
CONCERNED PARENTS
CONCERNED STUDENTS
CONCERNED TEACHERS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE CO-LOCATION OF A NEW
SUCCESS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
AT THE WASHINGTON IRVING HS CAMPUS?
WANT TO HEAR ABOUT A POSSIBLE LEGAL CHALLENGE TO THE PLAN?
MEET WITH ATTORNEYS FROM
ADVOCATES FOR JUSTICE
THE PUBLIC INTEREST LAWYERS WHO SUED TO KEEP SUCCESS ACADEMY
OUT OF BROWNSVILLE ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL
AND WON!
THURSDAY APRIL 4
5PM – 6PM
SEAFARERS HOUSE
123 EAST 15th STREET
WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT FOR QUALITY EDUCATION AT OUR SCHOOLS!
For more information call 212-285-1400 and ask for Laura Barbieri or send an email to LBarbieri@advocatesny.com
.
__,_._,___

TFA Alum: Is It Time for TFA to Fold?

by dianerav

Matt Barnum, a TFA alum (2010), asks whether TFA has run its course. Now a law student, he is glad that he joined TFA, and he thinks it had a very important original mission. But now that districts are hiring TFA youngsters to replace inexperienced teachers, he is worried about the role that TFA is playing. The very existence of TFA, he opines, makes it easy for districts to ignore the necessity of developing career talent and holding on to experienced teachers. He has more to say that makes for provocative reading.
For example:

“The other problem is the wasted investment a school makes in a teacher who leaves after just a few years. 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Who Is the Most Incoherent Ex-Governor in America? by dianerav Jersey Jazzman knows. Read here. Bill Gates “Loans” $10 Million to Central Falls, RI by dianerav This is an odd story Bill Gates is “loaning” $10 million to Central Falls, Rhode Island, to expand and repair “high-performing” public and charter schools. If you recall, Central Falls is the tiny district where the district superintendent announced her intention to fire the entire staff of the high sch... more »

“But no one…” | Deborah Meier on Education

“But no one…” | Deborah Meier on Education:

“But no one…”

by debmeier

When I first came to NYC with three school-age children I was confronted by a near consensus view from old friends…”but no one sends their children to public school in NYC.” Followed by other suggestions. But, I stammered, there are more than a million children in NYC’s public schools…. Silence, embarrassed expressions. I felt naughty saying this.
But it wasn’t unanimous. Among the standouts was my friend Rochelle (Ricky) Flanders whose three children were attending NYC public schools!! I thought all three of her children were terrific, although they all had their share of complaints about schools, but also their share of good stories about teachers and friends. My children and I took their advice.
Both the naysayers and “sayers were right in their way,of course. Our public schools were not nearly as good as they needed to be. But it was that “no one” that was the clincher. I wanted my children never to think about 

Well, shit…THAT didn’t work. Now what? | Mr. Teachbad

Well, shit…THAT didn’t work. Now what? | Mr. Teachbad:

Well, shit…THAT didn’t work. Now what?

by teachbad

This is stunning.

You remem­ber Michelle Rhee, right? She came to turn the DC pub­lic school sys­tem around. In 2007 she grabbed this city by the throat and shook it into sub­mis­sion.  Teach­ers were fired by the hun­dreds and prin­ci­pals by the dozens. Thou­sands have left the sys­tem because they did not want to work under the con­di­tions Rhee and Jason Kam­ras, her chief teacher tech­ni­cian, were imposing.

That was fine with her. Screw ‘em.  She would find new peo­ple who were will­ing to work hard and believed in chil­dren. Mil­lions upon mil­lions of new dol­lars were found and spent on telling teach­ers how to teach, reward­ing the lap­dogs and fer­ret­ing out the infidels.

Big change never comes easy. You can’t make an omelet with­out break­ing some eggs, etc. But if the right peo­ple have 

Okay boys and girls, time to learn how to take a test. – @ the chalk face

Okay boys and girls, time to learn how to take a test. – @ the chalk face:

Okay boys and girls, time to learn how to take a test.

by Chris Cerrone

I have some recollection of kindergarten many years removed.  Mrs. Pongo was a venerable institution at Abbott Road Elementary School.    We had a half-day session full of sharing, letters, numbers, songs, and movement.
I do not remember anything such as this:

This McGraw-Hill workbook page is assigned in September when some students are four years old.
Follow the author on twitter : https://twitter.com/Stoptesting15

Can We Build Schools Better, Faster, and Cheaper? | PWC Education Reform Blog

Can We Build Schools Better, Faster, and Cheaper? | PWC Education Reform Blog:

Can We Build Schools Better, Faster, and Cheaper?

by pwceducationreform

Parents have raised concerns in recent weeks about the projected construction costs of Prince William County’s 12th high school.  The school, which is set to open in September 2016 in the Independent Hill area of Prince William County, has a projected construction cost of $110,943,000.  Of particular concern to some parents are the school division’s plans to include a pool in the 12th high school.

The projected cost of this school has many county residents asking if PWCS is building schools that are more expensive than they should be.

As luck would have it, both Loudoun and Prince William County opened new high schools between 2010 and 2012.  How do the costs compare?

Loudoun opened Tuscarora High School in September 2010, Prince William opened Patriot High School in September 2011, and Loudoun opened Champe High School in September 2012.  All three schools are used energy efficient designs, materials, and systems and are LEED certified.  Loudoun builds schools in 18 months while Prince William builds schools in 24 months.

County	High School	Bid Awarded	Fall Opened	Construction Cost	Square Footage	Cost Per Sq Ft	Student Capacity	SQ Ft Per Student
Loudoun	Tuscarora	2009	2010	60,627,353	285,000	213	1,800	158
PWCS	Patriot	2009	2011	70,700,000	318,000	222	2,053	155
Loudoun	Champe	2011	2012	60,762,000	285,000	213	1,800	158

The Folly of Defunding Social Science | toteachornototeach

The Folly of Defunding Social Science | toteachornototeach:

The Folly of Defunding Social Science

by aristotlethewise

The Folly of Defunding Social Science 

by Scott Atran
With the so-called sequester geared to cut billions of dollars to domestic programs, military funding, social services, and government-sponsored scientific research — including about a 6 percent reduction for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation — policymakers and professionals are scrambling to stave off the worst by resetting priorities. One increasingly popular proposal among congressional budget hawks is to directly link federal funding of science to graduate employment data that seriously underestimates the importance and impact of social sciences to the nation at large, in order to effectively justify eliminating social science from the federal research budget. For example, federal legislation introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), would require states to match information from unemployment insurance databases with individual student data and publish the results, which would show earnings by program at each institution of higher education. But educators and economists note that measuring return on investment via 

Where do we go from here? | Parents United for Public Education

Where do we go from here? | Parents United for Public Education:

Where do we go from here?

by helengym

Hundreds of Philadelphians gathered on March 7th to oppose school closings. (Photo by Bill Hangley. Used with permission)

After last week’s vote in the School Reform Commission, which closed down 23 schools in Philadelphia creating education deserts in communities already suffering from public disinvestment, I went home, turned out the lights and buried my head under the covers. The past week has felt like a collective sense of mourning for our schools and a sobering realization of the scale of struggle Philadelphians face as we fight for public schools and for our communities.
Public education under attack is nothing new in Philadelphia. But the crisis this time around is far greater than even the 2001-2002 state takeover of the Philadelphia public schools, which mobilized thousands of people to take collective action. Back then, the state’s attempt to privatize the public schools was clearly defined as Harrisburg vs. Philadelphia, right-wing Republican privatizers vs. a moder politically moderate public, the for-profit Edison Schools Inc. vs. the public interest.
We won incredible victories during the state takeover. Not only did we succeed in beating back a political and monied effort around wholesale privatization; the struggle brought renewed life to activist organizations like the 

It’s Time to Call the FLDOE and the Bush Foundation on Their Latest Charter School Study | Scathing Purple Musings

It’s Time to Call the FLDOE and the Bush Foundation on Their Latest Charter School Study | Scathing Purple Musings:

It’s Time to Call the FLDOE and the Bush Foundation on Their Latest Charter School Study

by Bob Sikes

I have no idea why Foundation for Excellence in Education (FEE) writer Mike Thomas is whining about the lack of media coverage on the latest FLDOE study which found that Florida’s charter schools are outperforming public schools in just about every category imaginable. A Google search for news found over 4000 references. I suppose Thomas expects this  latest study to give the Florida media some sort of tingle up the leg.
My colleague, Chris Guerrieri engaged redefinED writer Ron Matus in a healthy back and forth on some of the study’s vagueness. Like Chris, I’ve been hesitant to criticize the report. Diane Ravitch has no such reservations. She writes:

One of the saddest consequences of the merger of education with partisan politics is that we now no longer can trust pronouncements from many of our state and local departments of education. Instead of accurate data, we are apt to get spin, hype, distortion, and outright lies, all in the service 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and Arts Education

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and Arts Education:

Seattle Schools and Arts Education

by Melissa Westbrook

Precisely what I thought might happen with the Wallace Foundation grant to develop a plan for arts education in Seattle, did happen.

The district received about $1M to develop this plan about 18 months ago.  At the time I thought, well, great but what if you plan and don't get any money to carry it out?

Yesterday it was announced that the Wallace Foundation declined to fund the SPS plan.  The district's communication says:

While we’re disappointed that Seattle did not fit the Foundation’s research criteria and needs, we know this plan is right for our community.

That's a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.  While the district forges ahead with a pilot, the fact remains there is no money to follow-thru district-wide.  Why didn't the district create the plan to meet the criteria and needs even if it

Joseph Campbell - Mythologist and Storyteller

by Melissa Westbrook

PBS has audio downloads of the six-part series from 1988 with Bill Moyers interviewing Joseph Campbell.  Mr. Campbell is an amazing thinker about myths and their power.  His thinking was George Lucas' inspiration for the Star Wars series.

Might be something a teen might get into listening.

Teachers v. billionaires | Dangerously Irrelevant

Teachers v. billionaires | Dangerously Irrelevant:

Teachers v. billionaires

by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod)

David Sirota says:

The pervasive media mythology tells us that the fight over the schoolhouse is supposedly a battle between greedy self-interested teachers who don’t care about children and benevolent billionaire “reformers” whose political activism is solely focused on the welfare of kids. Epitomizing the media narrative, the Wall Street Journal casts the latter in sanitized terms, reimagining the billionaires as philanthropic altruists “pushing for big changes they say will improve public schools.”
The first reason to scoff at this mythology should be obvious: It simply strains credulity to insist that pedagogues who get paid middling wages but nonetheless devote their lives to educating kids care less about those kids than do the Wall Street hedge funders and billionaire CEOs who finance the so-called reform movement. Indeed, to state that pervasive assumption out loud is to reveal 

One Teacher's Perspective: A Biased Letter From a Public School Product

One Teacher's Perspective: A Biased Letter From a Public School Product:

A Biased Letter From a Public School Product

by Imagine Wisconsin

Jenni Dye, an attorney and a Dane County Board Supervisor, let me republish below her open letter to the Janesville Board of Education. She blogs regularly at More Fine Print*. 

A Biased Letter

I submitted this letter today, with tears in my eyes and hope in my heart. I am sharing it with you because I am truly saddened by what things have come to in Wisconsin and because I think as we deal with contracts, and are often caught up in their financial components, we shouldn’t lose sight of 

Tim Furman gave me the Flu!

Tim Furman gave me the Flu!

You Shouldn't Blog When You Are Sick!


http://www.schooltechconnect.com/

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 3-16-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Who Is the Most Incoherent Ex-Governor in America? by dianerav Jersey Jazzman knows. Read here. Bill Gates “Loans” $10 Million to Central Falls, RI by dianerav This is an odd story Bill Gates is “loaning” $10 million to Central Falls, Rhode Island, to expand and repair “high-performing” public and charter schools. If you recall, Central Falls is the tiny district where the district superintendent announced her intention to fire the entire staff of the high sch... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: School Closings Fact Sheets

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago

Teachers For Social Justice: School Closings Fact Sheets: School Closings Fact Sheets by sarah-ji [image: OccupyCityHall047] A TSJ working group/task force has created a series of Popular Education Pieces on school closings. Please download and share these fact sheets widely! - School Closings and Who Decides - School Closings and Testing - School Closings and Racism - School Closings and Charter Schools - School Closings and UNO Help Organize Against School Closings! by sarah-ji * * *Join TSJ, GEM, and CTU in organizing against school closings. * *Help us gather TSJ... more »

Parents, Teachers and Unions: Can’t We All Just Get Along? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago

Parents, Teachers and Unions: Can’t We All Just Get Along? | toteachornototeach: Parents, Teachers and Unions: Can’t We All Just Get Along? by aristotlethewise *Parents, Teachers and Unions: Can’t We All Just Get Along?* by Susan Naimark Widespread shuttering of public schools has filled the news this month — from New York to Chicago, Philadelphia to Birmingham, Ala. Triggered by a convergence of forces, including the growth of charter schools, new accountability systems, and dwindling state budgets, the atrophying of our nation’s public education systems should be cause for alarm... more »

Right Wing Takeover of New Zealand Education – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago

Right Wing Takeover of New Zealand Education – @ the chalk face: Right Wing Takeover of New Zealand Education by Activism in paradise - Voices from down under New Zealand teacher ‘Boonman’ wrote the following article on his blog http://boonman.wordpress.com . I felt that this provided another insight into the mad rush to ‘reform’ and privatise New Zealand education. I’ve added explanatory notes in italics. Allan ———– The Right Doesn’t Know What the Right Hand is Doing Hello y’all. This week has been pretty cool. As a teacher that is. It’s been the first week of the year (yes, that’... more »

Now We Know Why Obama Doesn’t Understand VAM | deutsch29

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago

Now We Know Why Obama Doesn’t Understand VAM | deutsch29: Now We Know Why Obama Doesn’t Understand VAM by deutsch29 In order to truly understand value added modeling (VAM), forget the likes of me and of others who hold degrees in mathematics, or statistics, or measurement. Forget that we offer solid, detailed discussions of the problems of VAM. Forget also that those who formerly promoted VAM, like Louisiana’s George Noell, are mysteriously ”no longer associated with the project.” According to Michael Bloomberg, just ask a banker. That’s right. Banker and former director of the Off... more »

Daily Kos: A reflection on work and age

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 minutes ago

Daily Kos: A reflection on work and age: A reflection on work and age by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I may not still be in a classroom, but Saturday morning remains a time of reflection for me. Today as was often the case while still in the classroom, I sit in my local Starbucks and try to put some thoughts together. In a bit over two months I will hit 67. I would, when Leaves on the Current no longer needs so much attention from me, like to return to working in some fashion. I would love to teach in the right setting, and if I could make enough money (does not have to be m... more »

NYC Educator: Cruisin' the Net--Two Weeks in Review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

NYC Educator: Cruisin' the Net--Two Weeks in Review: Cruisin' the Net--Two Weeks in Review by NYC Educator Leonie Haimson and friends just held a press conference to keep data on students and teachers private. Next year, when we're being judged by junk science VAM, you won't want the New York Post getting hold of bad data. They've already used it to call a working teacher the worst in NYC. Windows 8 isn't working any better than Bill Gates' education programs. Looks like Eva Moskowitz schools are not the panacea she says they are after all. South Dakota teachers will now be able ... more »

What school choice means to parents with ‘bad’ kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago

What school choice means to parents with ‘bad’ kids: What school choice means to parents with ‘bad’ kids Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 16, 2013 at 9:30 am 2 Comments More [image: SchoolChoice]What rights do kids have in schools? This is one of the poignant questions asked in this hard-hitting post by Natalie Hopkinson, who looks at what happens to kids in charter schools who have discipline problems. Hopkinson is a contributing editor to The RootDC. E-mail her at NHopkinson@hotmail.com (and join her and The Root DC for a discussion on Saturday, March 16, from 1-3 p.m. at THEAR... more »

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Sacramento Teacher Lay Offs Decline

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 38 minutes ago

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Sacramento Teacher Lay Offs Decline: Sacramento Teacher Lay Offs Decline by Duane Campbell Excellent news. Teachers lay offs have declined. Only 2,900 teachers received these notices this week in time for the mandatory lay off notices. Less than 350 teachers received these notices in Sacramento county. How did this happen? WE – the voters- passed Proposition 30 and to a lesser extend Prop. 39 in the 2012 elections. If you didn’t vote- you did not contribute. Voting makes a difference. Working together we passed Prop. 30, to fund schools, uni... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-16-13

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 38 minutes ago

*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* IMPROVING MORALE: A MORAL IMPERATIVE smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 hour ago From the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Update/Week of March 18th. | http://bit.ly/YCMscQ 14 March, 2013 :: Employee morale can be defined as the employee's outlook, optimism, self - concept and belief in themselves and their organization, its mission, goals, defined path, daily decisions and employee appreciation. Employee morale describes the overall outlook, attitude and UC REGENT...more »

Top Content this Week - 3-16-13 The Educator's PLN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago

Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: 1[image: Why Twitter is the hub of my personal learning network]Why Twitter is the hub of my personal learning network Added by Jennie Snyder on January 23, 2013 2[image: Response to lack of interest in classrooms]Response to lack of interest in classrooms Added by Sara Rosentreter on March 4, 2013 3[image: What does inclusion look like in your school for the student, the special educator and gen ed teacher?]What does inclusion look like in your school for the student, the special educator and gen ed teacher? Posted by Marcy J. Perry on Ju... more »

This Week's Education Research Report 3-16-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 54 minutes ago

Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * How can we stlil raed words wehn teh lettres are jmbuled up? Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 12 minutes ago Researchers in the UK have taken an important step towards understanding how the human brain 'decodes' letters on a page to read a word. The work, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), will help psychologists unravel the subtle thinking mechanisms involved in reading, and could provide solutions for helping people who find it difficult to read, for example in conditio... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Speak Out Against Common Core Survey for Teachers/Administrators

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: Speak Out Against Common Core Survey for Teachers/Administrators: Speak Out Against Common Core Survey for Teachers/Administrators by stlgretchen Are you a teacher or administrator who would like to speak out against Common Core but fear backlash from your state agency, school or the union? Here is a way for your opinion to be heard in Missouri. Take this survey here. Your identity will not be disclosed, unless you specifically allow it. We do request you inform us in which county you live so we can forward comments to legislators in that county. ... more »

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Information about charter school authorizers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Information about charter school authorizers: Information about charter school authorizers The charter school authorizer is the agency which receives a charter school application, reviews it, and then ultimately determines if the proposed charter school will open, or not. The authorizing agency is also tasked with providing some measure of oversight during the term of the charter school’s contract; it is sometimes referred to as the *sponsor*. One concern which has arisen in this era of rapid charter school expansion is inadequate staffing of those agencies... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 3-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago

*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Speak Out Against Common Core Survey for Teachers/Administrators by stlgretchen Are you a teacher or administrator who would like to speak out against Common Core but fear backlash from your state agency, school or the union? Here is a way for your opinion to be heard in Missouri. Take this survey here. Your identity will not be disclosed, unless you specifically allow it. We do request you inform us in which county you live so we can forward comments to legislators in that county. They pay very close attentio... more »

NPE News! The Network For Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

NPE News!: *Greetings!* Welcome to the first edition of the NPE News! We plan to send you regular news of the work we are doing, and ways that you can get involved. We hope to build connections and awareness as we grow. *Note from Diane* *We Will Stand Up to the Billionaires* The organizers of the Network for Public Education are thrilled by the wonderful response from parents, teachers, students, and concerned citizens who have joined us as members and allies. We received excellent press coverage, and the word of our existence is spreading across the nation. We will help... more »

Blogging from Chicago: ASCD Conference | InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Blogging from Chicago: ASCD Conference | InterACT: Blogging from Chicago: ASCD Conference by David B. Cohen image from conference web app [image: ascd chicago]I’ve just arrived in rainy and cloudy downtown Chicago for the annual ASCD Conference, and I’ll be blogging about the conference for the next few days. In addition to writing blog posts, I’ll be tweeting from both @CohenD and @AcmpCA_Teachers - and the twitter hashtag for the conference is #ASCD13. I’m excited to be here for a few reasons. First, I love Chicago, and I’m expecting to get out and about a little while I’m here. M... more »

Parent Trigger Opponent Proposes Real Common Ground on Education Reform | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago

Parent Trigger Opponent Proposes Real Common Ground on Education Reform | Scathing Purple Musings: Parent Trigger Opponent Proposes Real Common Ground on Education Reform by Bob Sikes Carlos Mendoza served with distinction and was wounded on the front line of education reform. As president of the California school board tasked with dealing with a Parent Trigger application in tiny Adelanto, Mendoza was the first to experience the full force of the charter school industry backed by billionaire bucks. The paid organizers of Parent Revolution rented a home near Desert Trail Elementa... more »

UPDATE:Award-winning book ‘recalled’ from some Chicago school classrooms

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

Award-winning book ‘recalled’ from some Chicago school classrooms: Acclaimed book ‘recalled’ from some Chicago school classrooms (update) by Valerie Strauss (U[pdate: Book publisher issues statement criticizing Chicago Public Schools) An award-winning graphic novel about a girl coming of age in Iran — which is also a Common Core literary text for seventh grade — was ordered removed from some Chicago … Continue reading → Award-winning book ‘recalled’ from some Chicago school classrooms Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 15, 2013 at 5:27 pm 0 Comments More [image: perspeolis]An aw... more »

CACFP Day Care Home Sponsors and Center Sites - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

CACFP Day Care Home Sponsors and Center Sites - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Updated Lists of Sites Serving Nutritious Meals to Low-Income Children *Federal Government Updates Income Eligibility Levels* SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced newly updated Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Day Care Home Sponsors and 2012-13 CACFP Center Sites lists are available, showing low-income families where they may seek low-cost or no-cost meals for children. "Too many disadvantaged familie... more »

NYC Educator: Mulgrew Asks for Changes He Claimed We Already Achieved in 2009

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago

NYC Educator: Mulgrew Asks for Changes He Claimed We Already Achieved in 2009: Mulgrew Asks for Changes He Claimed We Already Achieved in 2009 by NYC Educator I was a little confused by a quote from Unity/ New Action presidential candidate Michael Mulgrew. Mulgrew says he does not want to go backto the school board system: *Instead, he said, the union just wants checks and balances on the mayor’s power. In other cities with mayoral control, he said, “Everybody else figured out you needed checks and balances.”* In fact, I'm more than a little confused by that. That's because in 20... more »

Malloy nominates charter school corporate officer to Connecticut State Board of Education - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago

Malloy nominates charter school corporate officer to Connecticut State Board of Education - Wait, What?: Malloy nominates charter school corporate officer to Connecticut State Board of Education by jonpelto (Written by Jonathan Pelto and Wendy Lecker) A Conflict of Interest: A situation in which a public official’s decisions are influenced by the official’s personal interests. From 2009 to 2011 she served as community outreach director for Achievement First, the large charter school management company co-founded by Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor. In 201... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Reform = Repression

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

Jersey Jazzman: Reform = Repression: Reform = Repression by Duke Anyone surprised that *adherents of the reform "movement" are now banning books* has not been paying attention: Is there a free speech storm brewing at Lane Tech? Here is what I am hearing. *CPS suits apparently sent a directive to Lane (and how many other high schools?) on March 13th, 2013 to remove copies of the graphic novel, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.* *Persepolis* deals with the Iranian Revolution and issues of intolerance. The author wrote a sequel. An award winning animated movie was made in 2007. But the ... more »

American Library Association requests explanation for CPS book banning. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago

American Library Association requests explanation for CPS book banning. | Fred Klonsky: American Library Association requests explanation for CPS book banning. by Fred Klonsky *Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Chief Executive Officer for Chicago Public Schools* *David Vitale, President of the Chicago Board of Education* *Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago* *March 15, 2013* *Dear Ms. Byrd-Bennett, Mr. Vitale, and Mayor Emanuel:* *On behalf of both the American Library Association (ALA) and its First Amendment legal arm, the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), I am writing to express our organizatio... more »

North Forest, TEA debate order to close district | K-12 Zone | a Chron.com blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

North Forest, TEA debate order to close district | K-12 Zone | a Chron.com blog: North Forest, TEA debate order to close district by Ericka Mellon AUSTIN – Texas Education Agency officials on Friday made their final case for closing North Forest ISD, while district leaders countered that the school system has improved but is being held to an unfair standard. The TEA’s chief deputy commissioner, Lizzette Reynolds, will issue a final ruling April 1 on whether to annex the 7,000-student North Forest Independent School District into neighboring Houston ISD. Chris Tritico, an attorney... more »

Persepolis. It wasn’t just a bureaucratic mistake. Byrd-Bennett really banned the book. On purpose. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Persepolis. It wasn’t just a bureaucratic mistake. Byrd-Bennett really banned the book. On purpose. | Fred Klonsky: Persepolis. It wasn’t just a bureaucratic mistake. Byrd-Bennett really banned the book. On purpose. by Fred Klonsky A reporter from a national publication called and asked why I thought this was all happening. Echoing the views of many CPS teachers, I said that it is so dumb that it must be the typical bureaucratic crap that goes on in CPS all the time. But I was wrong. CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett actually banned the book. On purpose. With intent. Chicago Public Sc... more »

Diane in the Evening 3-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: New Florida Law=$$ for For-Profit Charters by dianerav Coach Bob Sikes reports: “Floridians have not witnessed such an avalanche of legislation intended to shift tax payer dollars which once went to public schools to the education for profit industry.” Charter industry supporters said they wanted to “ease the financial burden on charter schools.” State funding will be very generous to for-profit charter corporations. One of the most successful at winning Paul Thomas: Ravitch Right, Tucker Wrong by dianerav Paul... more »

Gobsmacked by PWCS | PWC Education Reform Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Gobsmacked by PWCS | PWC Education Reform Blog: ' Gobsmacked by PWCS by pwceducationreform *Completely dumbfounded, shocked. From the Irish word "gob" meaning "mouth". * School board members Gil Trenum, Alyson Satterwhite, Lisa Bell and Steve Keen recently shook the foundations of the school division by having the audacity to form citizen budget committees to review and evaluate the school division’s budget. The school division is so offended by the thought that mere citizens are asking questions about their budget that they have refused to answer any questions provided by the co... more »

Friday Roundup | Professor Assaults Activist Students

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago

Friday Roundup |: Professor Assaults Activist Students During Bizarre Tirade at Demonstration by Angus Johnston A man who has been identified as James Olmsted, an adjunct professor of law at the University of Oregon, instigated a bizarre confrontation with UO student activists Wednesday, in the course of which he shoved one student and snatched another’s cell phone. Videos of the incident — including one recorded on the stolen phone— have gone viral in recent hours. In the video taken on the stolen phone, Olmsted is first seen aggressively lecturing a group of female activists about... more »

Test-Based Accountability, International Comparisons, Standards-mania: Lessons Ignored – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Test-Based Accountability, International Comparisons, Standards-mania: Lessons Ignored – @ the chalk face: Test-Based Accountability, International Comparisons, Standards-mania: Lessons Ignored by plthomasedd [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Marc Tucker confronts Diane Ravitch‘s recent stance against the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), not surprisingly in an *EdWeek* blog. To understand why Tucker is wrong, and Ravitch is right, consider this reposting of a piece of mine challenging Tucker (*Daily Censored*, July 7, 2011): The historical and current focus on test-based account... more »

Carrying Our Candles Through the Wind | The IDEA Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Carrying Our Candles Through the Wind | The IDEA Blog: Carrying Our Candles Through the Wind Posted by Dana Bennis on Mar 15, 2013 - 09:13 AM *There is deep value in sharing our stories, our successes, and our struggles in the work for education that creates a more just and sustainable society. In that light, here is a guest post from Darcy Bedortha, IDEA Senior Fellow of the Oregon Place-Based Team.* I’ve been in a reflective mood lately. I find myself at a crossroads, a wagon wheel actually, with spokes of opportunity beckoning me to follow them in a multitude of directions... more »

SES IS A MESS: Read Dallas, Garland and San Antonio ISD complaints about tutoring companies | Education Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Read Dallas, Garland and San Antonio ISD complaints about tutoring companies | Education Blog: Read Dallas, Garland and San Antonio ISD complaints about tutoring companies By Holly K. Hacker hhacker@dallasnews.com 12:40 pm on March 15, 2013 | Permalink We reported today that the Texas Education Agency booted two Hurst companies from the state’s approved list of tutoring providers. TEA determined that the companies, Avenue Academy and Boost Academy, provided false taxpayer identification numbers in their applications last year. The education agency is still investigating other compl... more »

This Week In Education: Thompson: Trauma Treatment At Heart Of "Harper High"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

This Week In Education: Thompson: Trauma Treatment At Heart Of "Harper High": Thompson: Trauma Treatment At Heart Of "Harper High" by john thompson *[image: Thisamerican life]*This American Life's brilliant radio documentary about Harper High School describes a "Turnaround" school as it comes off a year in which 29 current and recent students were shot. Eight died, and there were dozens of other incidents where bullets were thrown. Reporter Alex Kotlowitz, author of the masterpiece, There Are No Children Here, reporting with Linda Lutton, Ben Calhoun, and Ira Glass, spent five mont... more »

Raise Your Voice for Healthy Food in Schools « MomsRising Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Raise Your Voice for Healthy Food in Schools « MomsRising Blog: Raise Your Voice for Healthy Food in Schools Lisa Sharma Creighton at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago These days there is a lot of talk about why we should have healthier food in schools –from childhood obesity prevention to positive nutrition messaging to the connection between healthy diet and academic performance. These are all great reasons, but for me it really boils down to that offering healthy food choices is the right [...] MomsRising.org Food Power! Conference Recap Nellie Acevedo at MomsRising Blog - 57 minu... more »

UPDATE: Words of Wisdom on Ed Reform Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread: Words of Wisdom on Ed Reform by Melissa Westbrook It is sad that we had such a plethora of smart people in the last School Board election who didn't win. One who comes to mind is Jack Whelan who would have been the thinking person's Board Director. He wrote this comment at the thread about Ron Sims and it's worth reprinting in case you missed it. His words are the canary in the coal mine to what I believe will happen when the weight of ed reform starts to collapse on itself in about 10 years. He doesn't mention Obama but he m... more »

UPDATE: The idiocracy at CPS. A hat trick. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

The idiocracy at CPS. A hat trick. | Fred Klonsky: The idiocracy at CPS. A hat trick. by Fred Klonsky [image: chi_g_pkane1_600] Y’know, it’s not like I’m paid for this. I have other responsibilities. Even though I’m retired. But some days, there is just too much to cover. Like yesterday. - Millionaire heiress, union-buster, school-closer, tax-cheat Penny Pritzker resigns from the CPS board to go work for Obama in DC as Commerce Secretary (it is rumored). - In spite of thousands of people turning out at city-wide hearings opposing school closings, CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-B... more »

UPDATE: Byrd-Bennett says yes to book banning Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: How many more reasons do you need?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: How many more reasons do you need?: Byrd-Bennett says yes to book banning by Mike Klonsky Today at Lane TechIn this morning's post, I greatly underestimated the arrogance and stupidity of the CPS autocrats. That's a sin that someone with my experience should never commit. I assumed that the outrageous banning of the graphic novel Persepolis was the move of some misguided middle-level bureaucrat. But by this afternoon, CEO*Byrd-Bennett* had not only taken credit for the banning, she had doubled-down by declaring the book to be inappropriate for seventh... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: [image: Home] Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. Argue with Some of the Logic?: The Expertise Gap Best of the Ed Blogs P.L. Thomas March 15, 2013 Boxed In: How the NGSS Impedes Science Teaching Best... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, March 15, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Parent volunteers help kids get safely to school after crossing guards cut* Education Headlines *Friday, March 15, 2013* Students protest at Coachella Valley Unified School District board meetingDozens of protesters gathered at tonight’s Coachella Valley Unified School District board meeting, but there wasn’t enough room for them inside the board room. Madera Unified issues notices to cut 36 positionsMore than three dozen Madera Unified teachers have received layoff notices, notifying them that their jobs could be in jeopardy fo... more »

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