Sunday, March 17, 2013

College student leads fight against anti-evolution teachings in schools

College student leads fight against anti-evolution teachings in schools:

College student leads fight against anti-evolution teachings in schools

Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 17, 2013 at 10:05 am

Zach Kopplin (billmoyers.com/)

Going to college is tough enough without leading a campaign to stop creationism from being taught in school as an alternative to evolution, but that’s whatZach Kopplin, 19, has been doing for several years.

He began by taking on the badly named Louisiana Science Education Act, which actually allows teachers in science classrooms to discuss creationism as a way to question evolution. He even persuaded 78 Nobel laureates to sign onto to his effort. Now he has expanded his work to publicize creationist private schools that receive public money through school vouchers. His work earned him the first ever $10,000 “Troublemaker of the Year” given by an entrepreneur who wants to honor young people who make a lot of noise fighting for a good cause.

Evolution is, of course, the central principle around which all of the biological sciences revolve, and creationism is not a scientific alternative. But religious fundamentalists continue to push for creationism to be taught in schools. Here’s what cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham wrote about teaching creationism in this post:

Why shouldn’t science teachers “teach the controversy?” Isn’t it the job of teachers to sharpen students critical thinking skills? Isn’t it part of the scientific method to evaluate evidence? If evolution proponents are so sure their theory is right, why are they afraid of students scrutinizing the ideas? Imagine this logic applied in other subjects. Rather than just reading Shakespeare and assuming he’s a great playwright, why not ask students to read Shakespeare and the screenplay to Battlefield Earth [a science fiction film starring John Travolta based on a novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard], and let students decide? And hey, why is such deference offered to Euclid? My uncle Leon has an alternative version of plane geometry and it shows Euclid was all wrong. I think that theory deserves a hearing.

Now Kopplin’s work against the Louisiana law has led him to expand his research to include creationist schools in Louisiana and in other states that are receiving public money through school vouchers. He now has a database of more than 300 schools, which you can find

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Mayor Bloomberg’s Chaos Theory

by dianerav

This article in the New York Times describes how one large high school now houses nine small schools. Some succeed, some fail, some statistics are better, some are worse or no different. Some statistics are undoubtedly inflated by credit recovery and other tricks to game the system. One thing is clear: a building that once had one principal now has nine.
It is not clear that the nine schools are doing a better job than the one old school in meeting the needs of the

Louisiana Blogger Wants Chas Roemer to Answer His Question

by dianerav

Forgive me if I seem to be focusing quite a lot of space on Louisiana, but please understand that the state is now a Petri dish for privatization of public education on a massive scale. To keep costs down, the state is doing its best to drive out experienced teachers and replace them with TFA.
Another reason I post often about Louisiana is that it has so many excellent bloggers. They are smart, fearless, and relentless. They help the rest of us understand the systematic destruction of public education (a process now called “reform”).
When I spoke in Baton Rouge last Thursday, I debated the president of the state board of education, Chas Roemer. Chas described himself as “a redneck from northern Louisiana,” but Locals know that his father was governor, he graduated from Harvard, he is an avid supporter of choice, and his sister heads the state charter

Data-Driven Teacher: I Will Not Quit

by dianerav

A letter from a NYC teacher:
I am a Nationally Board Certified Teacher (2003, 2013) teaching in NYC. Two years ago, I was intimidated to leave my first NYC school due to test scores on the grade 8 ELA exam. My students passed but didn’t make enough progress. This school was an “A” school in a very depressed neighborhood. Unfortunately, I did not love data enough and I refused to view multiple-choice questions as text.
I chose to assess my students differently: Where are they now? Where are they going? What do they need to know to get there? How can I help them reach their goal? I asked myself these questions daily. I chose community texts, intensive writing workshops, and art to help my students reach their goals. More than

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Collection Gets High Tech and Personal

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Collection Gets High Tech and Personal:

Data Collection Gets High Tech and Personal

by Anngie

How many of us heard, as a child growing up, that we were not living up to our potential? I remember taking some comfort in the belief that the person doing the chastising had no idea what my potential was and that I was perfectly happy with my level of performance. A young child's world of rationalization, true, but it was based in my following my definition of happiness. Like most kids I resisted efforts to push my performance beyond levels I felt I was ready for. Like most kids I pushed myself when I was finally physically, intellectually and emotionally ready to do so and I achieved some level of success that ultimately made me happy.

The US Department Of Education released a draft report last month that arrogantly says they believe they can determine what your success looks like and therefore what potential you must reach in order to be deemed

Ed Notes Online: Karen Lewis and Mike Mulgrew at Left Labor Project

Ed Notes Online: Karen Lewis and Mike Mulgrew at Left Labor Project:

Karen Lewis and Mike Mulgrew at Left Labor Project

by ed notes online

The panel. Darn, wish I had cropped out that balding guy on the right.

Saturday, March 16, 7 AM.

Just racing off to NYCORE but I wanted to share some quick views of last night's LEFT Labor Project event at the UFT. Given the background and connections of some of the people in the LLP and the willingness of Mulgrew to host and support this event, I found the evening somewhat remarkable, especially given that this was right outside the Shanker hall. Did they turn that noted anti-Communist fighter's pictures to the wall?

Anyway, bringing Mulgrew together with Karen Lewis was a positive thing. The head of the LLP Larry Moskowitz (no, not a relation to evil), Lorraine Chavez, an organizer in Chicago who works with the CTU and CORE and the UFT's community Liason, Anthony Harmon made for an interesting mix.

[I had to leave before finishing this].

Sunday, March 17, 10 AM.
I return with some better perspectives after spending a full day at NYCORE and taping Karen's full 30 minute presentation (posted later). We had a MORE crew there - John A, Joan, Gloria, Pat, David, Brian and Megan. I

Jersey Jazzman: The Rhee-al World

Jersey Jazzman: The Rhee-al World:

The Rhee-al World

by Duke

You'll see the data that I say you can see!

The Rhee-al World, as described by Michelle Rhee on Real Time with Bill Maher:

MAHER: I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I hear that all the time: "closing down schools." Where do the kids go then?

RHEE: Well because the district had done such a poor job of education kids for a very long time, kids were sort of fleeing the district. So we were running the same number of schools, but just with fewer kids. So you can close down the low-performing schools, and then, hopefully, send the kids to somewhat higher-performing schools. [emphasis mine]

The real world:

Former schools chancellor Michelle Rhee’s decision to close 23 D.C. public schools in 2008 cost the city far more than previously reported, according to the

State files charges against Phila. charter that opened in September - Philly.com

State files charges against Phila. charter that opened in September - Philly.com:

State files charges against Phila. charter that opened in September

By Martha Woodall, Inquirer Staff Writer

POSTED: March 16, 2013

The Solomon Charter School only opened in September, but Pennsylvania's secretary of education filed charges Friday to revoke the operating charter of the Philadelphia-based cyber school for violating its charter and state law.

Secretary Ron Tomalis said the cyber school based at 1209 Vine St. was not meeting the requirement of offering a significant portion of its instruction to students online.

"Since opening its doors in September 2012, Solomon has primarily operated as a brick-and-mortar charter school, circumventing the brick-and-mortar charter school authorization process and negating the essential basis on which the charter was granted - that the school would provide a 'cyber' education to its students," Tomalis said in a statement.

He said Education Department officials visited the Vine Street headquarters three times. Each visit confirmed that Solomon was operating a regular charter school, and serving lunch and providing

Tea Party explains its opposition to Cobb education SPLOST vote on Tuesday | Get Schooled

Tea Party explains its opposition to Cobb education SPLOST vote on Tuesday | Get Schooled:

Tea Party explains its opposition to Cobb education SPLOST vote on Tuesday

by Maureen Downey

J.D. Van Brink is a Cobb County resident, businessman and chairman of the Georgia Tea Party, Inc. In this essay, he explains the Tea Party’s opposition to the Cobb Education SPLOST IV referendum.
On Tuesday, Cobb taxpayers will decide whether to renew a 1 percent special sales tax.
The special purpose local option sales tax was created in 1996 as a way to fund capital projects. Of the 562 education tax referendums held statewide since 1996, 94 percent have been approved by voters, according to the AJC.
While Cobb’s first proposal for an education sales tax failed, the three campaigns since have been successful. Cobb voters passed their last SPLOST in 2008 with 60 percent approval.

Louisiana Educator: Muddying the Narritive on VAM

Louisiana Educator: Muddying the Narritive on VAM:

Muddying the Narritive on VAM

by Michael Deshotels

In the old days before the Jindal reforms, educators could count on our State Department of Education to provide us with the facts about various education programs. If a program was new and needed to be evaluated to see if it was really working, we could generally count on our DOE to give us a legitimate evaluation, without bias and spin. Sadly this is no longer the case. John White set the standard last year around the time of his confirmation hearings when it was discovered by Monroe News Star reporter, Barbara Leader that there were no standards at all originally for the approval of the new voucher schools. She next uncovered secret emails between White and Jindal's staff where White suggested that steps should be taken to "muddy the narrative".

More recently the State Department and BESE are required to make a report to the Legislature on the new teacher evaluation program which includes the controversial VAM component. Last year the report appropriately described the stability or reliability of VAM by giving statistics on how consistent the VAM was in identifying teachers as being ineffective from year to year. The data showed huge changes from year to year even if teachers taught exactly the same way each year. Now the new report approved this month by BESE muddies the narrative by changing the report to include irrelevant data. Here is an

NYC Public School Parents: A St Patrick's Day Salute to Brave Educators Everywhere

NYC Public School Parents: A St Patrick's Day Salute to Brave Educators Everywhere:

A St Patrick's Day Salute to Brave Educators Everywhere

by Patrick J. Sullivan

In the arts section of today's print edition, the NT Times ran a full copy of the Easter Proclamation, the document announcing the formation of an independent Irish Republic in 1916. Along with its political importance, the Proclamation is recognized for its literary qualities. Those qualities are due to its authorship by teacher, school principal and poet Patrick Pearse. He had founded a school to teach the Irish in their own language.

Pearse read the Proclamation to a small crowd at the start of a rebellion to establish independence. He was executed at the conclusion of the failed rebellion by a British firing squad. The outrage that followed the executions of the leaders of the independence movement led to a war with Britain that eventually produced the Republic of Ireland.

Rereading the short document, I was reminded of the importance of being able to express what's most essential to us, in this case, that all people

Jersey Jazzman: Rhee Knows Nothing About Inequality

Jersey Jazzman: Rhee Knows Nothing About Inequality:

Rhee Knows Nothing About Inequality

by Duke

I finally got around to watching failed author Michelle Rhee's appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher from last night. Maybe I'll say more about it later, but I wanted to get to one of the little data points she threw out last night:

MAHER: "I have some statistics here on studies they have done on schools here in America, and it doesn't really indicate that it's the schools that is the problem. I mean, we hear all the time that America is falling behind, but in three major international tests - there's the one, Progress of International Reading and Literacy Study - I'll just give the two - the Trends in International Math and Science...

Students in U.S. schools where the poverty rate is less than 10% are first in reading and science in the world."

RHEE: "Compared to the average kids in the other countries - you can't do an apples to oranges comparison. If you look at the top quartile of kids in our country by income level - right, so the most privileged kids - and you compare them internationally to the top quartile of other countries, they rank 23rd."

My ears pricked up at this one, because I wrote a series of posts last year about this very topic: here, here, hereand here. Let me summarize:

In 2009, the National Center for Education Statistics released a report that included this table:

That score of 551 was higher than any other country in the world - including countries where the child poverty rate is way under 10%. Mel Riddile pointed out than most developed countries have child poverty rates

NJ Teacher Evaluation: Math Fail #2

by Duke

I ask again, as I did before:

Do the Broad-funded interns at the New Jersey Department of Education understand math?

When the NJDOE rolled out their new teacher evaluation system, ~~Operation Hindenberg~~ Achieve NJ, theyincluded a slideshow to help explain how their proposals would work.

Slide 14 (annotations mine):

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 3-16-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best:

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

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago

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.... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago

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.*) [image: "Hey, everyone! Watch me school this kid before I close his school!"]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 ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 minutes ago

Public ed heroes of the day: School closings | Parents United for Public Education: Public ed heroes of the day: School closings by helengym [image: Photos via philly.com, Joseph Dworetzky, Research for Action, Media Mobilizing Project] 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 testim... more »

ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1 | InterACT

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 minutes ago

ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1 | InterACT: ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1 by David B. Cohen [image: Freeman Hrabowski] 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. Sometim... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago

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) "tu... more »

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Saturday coffee. | Fred Klonsky: Saturday coffee. by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_0106] 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 time*s. This week Chicago has seen a performance of *send in the clowns.* It began wit... more »

The Weekly Cheddar : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

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 superintende... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

“But no one…” | Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

“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 h... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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: [image: 313307_10200598451512579_347010857_n] This McGraw-Hill workbook page is assigned in September when some students are four years old. Follow the author on twitter : https://twi...more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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... more »

The Folly of Defunding Social Science | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

The Folly of Defunding Social Science | toteachornototeach: The Folly of Defunding Social Science by aristotlethewise *The Folly of Defunding Social Science* by Scott Atran [image: ban]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 pr... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Where do we go from here? | Parents United for Public Education: Where do we go from here? by helengym [image: Image]Hundreds of Philadelphians gathered on March 7th to oppose school closings. (Photo by Bill Hangley. Used with permission) [image: 10sept]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 ... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and Arts Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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 ... more »

Teachers v. billionaires | Dangerously Irrelevant

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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 chan... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

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 f... more »

Tim Furman gave me the Flu!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago

*Tim Furman gave me the Flu!* *You Shouldn't Blog When You Are Sick!* * *[image: School Tech Connect] *http://www.schooltechconnect.com/*

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 - 8 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 - 9 hours 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 »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours 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 - 20 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 - 20 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 - 20 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 - 23 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 »