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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 7-12 AM Posts #soschat #edreform



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

What Is the Boston Consulting Group? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago
What Is the Boston Consulting Group? « Diane Ravitch's blog: What Is the Boston Consulting Group? by dianerav There is a new scandal in New York City. It seems the New York City Housing Authority paid $10 million to the Boston Consulting Group to write a report that is not available to the public that paid for it. According to the article in the *New York Daily News*, the report was commissioned by someone at the Housing Authority who used to work for the Boston Consulting Group. Now, readers of this blog may recall that the Boston Consulting Group was paid over $1 million in pri... more »

Parents describe Chicago Board of Education disrespect Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 minutes ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Parents describe Chicago Board of Education disrespect: Parents describe Chicago Board of Education disrespect by admin Today’s Chicago Sun-Times editorial by 19th Ward Parents leader Becky Malone describes in infuriating detail the disrespect that parents and others experience every time they go to a Chicago Board of Education meeting to speak up for their children’s education: “On many occasions we have gotten into line by 6 a.m. to wait for two hours hoping to get the golden ticket that would allow us an audience with the ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Virtual Rip-Off

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Virtual Rip-Off: Virtual Rip-Off by Duke Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... The questions about virtual charter schools continue to pile up. One proposed charter is especially troubling, because it looks to more than double its costs to the taxpayers for no apparent reason. NJ Spotlight reports on the application: A fourth school that K12 is involved with, the New Jersey Virtual Charter School, an online high school for at-risk students in Monmouth County, is asking the state for another year to recruit students before it... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, July 12, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Stockton, California* Education Headlines *Thursday, July 12, 2012* Lodi and Galt school districts could face more cutsIf the November tax initiative is passed, the state budget and education funding will remain as is. If the initiative fails, up to $460 per student per year will be withheld from Lodi Unified, or about $12.3 million. Galt high school district hires Michael Roberts as new superintendentMichael Roberts has been chosen as the new superintendent of Galt Joint Union High School District and will earn $139,382 annually. ... more »

The Common Core Standards: I Remain Agnostic « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago
The Common Core Standards: I Remain Agnostic « Diane Ravitch's blog: How to Create Throwaway Teachers by dianerav A teacher writes in response to the Match guide for teaching: *As a teacher of 23 years, I find this is absolutely an appalling disregard for the professionalism of the profession of education. It is also a very scary notion for teacher preparation. These authoritative, autocratic beliefs are not what makes for good teaching and classroom management. Teaching in the manner described above will elicit fear in students, not learning. When individuals (including kids) ... more »

Shanker Blog » A Chance To Help Build Grassroots Democracy In China

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago
Shanker Blog » A Chance To Help Build Grassroots Democracy In China: A Chance To Help Build Grassroots Democracy In China by Han Dongfang *Our guest author today is Han Dongfang, director of China Labor Bulletin. You can follow him on Weibo in Chinese and on Twitter in English and Chinese. This article originally appeared on the China Labor Bulletin, and has been reprinted with permission of the author.* The first of February this year was a historic day in the Chinese village of Wukan. Several thousand villagers, who had chased out their corrupt old leaders, went to the polls to d... more »

Another Republican Touts the Florida Education Way; Meanwhile Another Report Shows Why They’re Wrong | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago
Another Republican Touts the Florida Education Way; Meanwhile Another Report Shows Why They’re Wrong | Scathing Purple Musings: Another Republican Touts the Florida Education Way; Meanwhile Another Report Shows Why They’re Wrong by Bob Sikes Former House Speaker Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park) became the second power republican legislator to celebrate Florida’s test-dominated education system. Cannon takes to the pages of the *Orlando Sentinel *this morning: Florida received some good news recently. Education Week reports that Florida’s African-American and Hispanic students are mo... more »

Continuing the Discussion of Gifted Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 59 minutes ago
Continuing the Discussion of Gifted Education: Continuing the Discussion of Gifted Education by Rick Last week’s post began an important conversation about gifted education. Let it continue. Project Bright Idea is showing that gifted education works for all children. The moral of the story is: “Treat students as if they are gifted and they will show up as gifted.” Take a look at the video and see what you think. Popout “All students can learn gifted behaviors?” “All kids can be taught to be smart?” Do you agree? PS and BTW: My publisher tells me that “The Genius in Every Child: E... more »

Should States Be Sued for Providing Low-Quality Schools?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Should States Be Sued for Providing Low-Quality Schools?: Should States Be Sued for Providing Low-Quality Schools? by Sam **How’s this for a summer blockbuster – the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state of Michigan in general, and one local school district in particular, for violating the “right to learn” of all Michigan children, a right that is guaranteed under an obscure state law stating that any “pupil who does not score satisfactorily on the 4th or 7th grade . . . reading test shall be provided special assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring ... more »

Is This a Good Guide for Teaching? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Is This a Good Guide for Teaching? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Is This a Good Guide for Teaching? by dianerav I am a historian, I have spent years (decades) studying and writing about American education. I know my limitations. Aside from teaching graduate students in courses about the history of education and controversies in current education policy, I have not been a classroom teacher. That may be why I respect classroom teachers so much. I can’t do what they do. I would not know how to control students who are bored and don’t want to be there. I would not be able to teach a classro... more »

Democurmudgeon: Poor Republican Public School Teachers, Victimized by All.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Democurmudgeon: Poor Republican Public School Teachers, Victimized by All.: Poor Republican Public School Teachers, Victimized by All. by Democurmudgeon Poor Republican teachers, it all start out so innocently: *Thousands pack(ed) a convention center, Barack Obama T-shirts, videos celebrating the health care law … But this Obama love fest in Washington (saw) nearly 9,000 gathered were teachers in town for the National Education Association's weeklong annual convention.* Get out the crying towel, here come the “victimized” Republican teachers comments: *Edweek: For the Republican ... more »

An Exchange with a Reader about Charter Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
An Exchange with a Reader about Charter Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog: An Exchange with a Reader about Charter Schools by dianerav [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] An exchange with a reader this morning: *Diane, I thank you for calling attention to the challenges of public schools working well with public charter schools. (when i say public charters, i’m referring to those I’m familiar with where the local school district is the authorizor and the transparency and accountability measures are in place).**As a strong supporter of teachers, i’m surprised ... more »

U.S. News Discusses Best High Schools Rankings at Ed Department Meeting - Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings (usnews.com)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
U.S. News Discusses Best High Schools Rankings at Ed Department Meeting - Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings (usnews.com): U.S. News Discusses Best High Schools Rankings at Ed Department MeetingJuly 12, 2012 RSS Feed Print [image: computer, ranked high schools, rankings, government, data] Government data quality issues affected a small number of ranked high schools. Soon after the *U.S. News* 2012 Best High Schools rankings were published in May 2012, it became clear that there were errors in the 2009-2010 enrollment data used in the calculations. The data came from the U.S. D... more »

About Those Minnesota Charter Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
About Those Minnesota Charter Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] About Those Minnesota Charter Schools by dianerav Joe Nathan, who was a leading figure in the development of the charter movement, has spiritedly defended charters on this blog. He points to charters in Minnesota to show that the original ideals of the movement survive there. Unlike New York City, for example, where the charters are aggressively entrepreneurial, glory in pushing public schools out of their space, spend more than the neighborhood public school, and cro... more »

Community colleges move closer to rationing enrollment | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Community colleges move closer to rationing enrollment | EdSource Today: Community colleges move closer to rationing enrollment ** July 11th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services With so many students vying for a shrinking number of classes at community colleges, theCalifornia Community Colleges Board of Governors is on its way to offering priority registration as a way of motivating students to develop and pursue an educational goal. At a public hearing in Sacramento this week, the Boar... more »

Arne Duncan To Report College Completion Rates Rise By Half A Percentage Point

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Arne Duncan To Report College Completion Rates Rise By Half A Percentage Point: Arne Duncan To Report College Completion Rates Rise By Half A Percentage Point by Joy Resmovits [image: poc.college] The number of Americans with college degrees is inching up slowly, with about 100,000 more students holding post-secondary degrees in 2010 than the year before, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan plans to tell the National Governors Association's annual gathering in Williamsburg, Va., on Friday. â�œEvery capable, hard-working, and responsible student should be able to afford to g... more »

Why Do Kids Hate Math? Probably Because of Incoherent Curriculum | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Why Do Kids Hate Math? Probably Because of Incoherent Curriculum | Truth in American Education: Why Do Kids Hate Math? Probably Because of Incoherent Curriculum by Shane Vander Hart *USA Today* had an article entitled, “Why Kids Hate Math?” A friend of TAE, Niki Hayes, responded saying the column’s author, Patrick Welsh who teaches at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA, missed the larger point of why kids struggle in math: The huge elephant in the room with failing math students is the incoherent curriculum that has been produced since the advent of the 1989 National Co... more »

Attention Grows About “Education Reformer's” Faux Technique to Push Up Test Scores - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Attention Grows About “Education Reformer's” Faux Technique to Push Up Test Scores - Wait, What?: Attention Grows About “Education Reformer’s” Faux Technique to Push Up Test Scores by jonpelto The CTMirror ran a story yesterday about how some school districts have figured out that if you shift lower performing students to a Modified Assessment Test instead of the Connecticut Mastery Test, you test scores will go up, and people will think that you are” improving the quality of education” in that community. Readers will recall that about four months ago, we examined how Hartford’s ... more »

The Innovative Educator: Common Core State Standards - The precursor to testing the crap out of kids

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Innovative Educator: Common Core State Standards - The precursor to testing the crap out of kids: Common Core State Standards - The precursor to testing the crap out of kids by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) Educators are becoming more and more familiar with and learning about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). What they might not realize that CCSS is really code for constantly testing the crap out of kids. As a result those who designed them publishers and politicians reap the rewards. The politicians have pretty charts and numbers they can use as talking points and... more »

Is Khan Academy a real ‘education solution’? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Is Khan Academy a real ‘education solution’? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Is Khan Academy a real ‘education solution’? By Valerie Strauss The Khan Academy has been in the education news lately but it’s not the kind of publicity that its founder, Salman Khan, would have chosen if given a choice. The academy is a nonprofit organization started by Khan, a former hedge-fund manager, that offers free lessons in math and other subjects via videos posted on the Khan Academy Web site. Last month, two associate professors from Grand Valley State Salman Khan, founder of the Khan... more »

solidaridad: Robert D. Skeels, a Social Justice Schoolboard Candidate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
solidaridad: Robert D. Skeels, a Social Justice Schoolboard Candidate: Robert D. Skeels, a Social Justice Schoolboard Candidate by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene [image: Robert D. Skeels, a Social Justice Schoolboard Candidate] From my official LAUSD Campaign website: Robert D. Skeels, a Social Justice Schoolboard Candidate My name is Robert D. Skeels. Over the course of many years as an education activist and a social justice writer, I've witnessed many grave injustices perpetrated by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) on our community. Sadly, a primary reason for this i... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Private Public Meeting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Private Public Meeting: Private Public Meeting by Charlie Mas There will be a public meeting tomorrow evening at which Seattle Public Schools will present, jointly with the Downtown Seattle Association, a study showing the need for a downtown elementary school. The District has made no announcement of this meeting, but KOMO News reported it. Here's the entire story by KOMO News Communities Reporter Michael Harthorne: Facing overcrowding and growing numbers of children living downtown, Seattle is considering building anew elementary school in north d... more »

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Republicans sell off public schools - Thom Hartmann

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Republicans sell off public schools - Thom Hartmann: Republicans sell off public schools - Thom Hartmann by Duane Campbell Popout

Modern School: Incompetent Administrators, Not Unions, Keep Molesters in the Classroom

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Modern School: Incompetent Administrators, Not Unions, Keep Molesters in the Classroom: Incompetent Administrators, Not Unions, Keep Molesters in the Classroom by Michael Dunn “The standard here is low—reasonable suspicion. The obligation is mandatory reporting, not mandatory investigation on your own.”—Alison Filo, Deputy District Attorney in San Jose, California, quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle. Filo’s comments were in reference to the recent filing of charges against Lyn Vijayendran, principal of O.B. Whaley Elementary School in Santa Clara County, for failing to report ... more »

Louisiana Educator: Spin on Voucher Applications

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Spin on Voucher Applications: Spin on Voucher Applications by Michael Deshotels Lance Hill of the Southern Institute for Education and Research has a slightly different take about the success of the new Jindal voucher program than that of the *Baton Rouge Advocate*. State Superintendent John White and the Education Department announced yesterday in a press release that over 10,300 applications for vouchers had been received this year. This was presented as a major success of the program. Last year, there were about 2,000 vouchers that had been limited to the ... more »

Teachers Working with Teachers: The Fragility of School-wide PLCs (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Teachers Working with Teachers: The Fragility of School-wide PLCs (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teachers Working with Teachers: The Fragility of School-wide PLCs (Part 2) by larrycuban Some elementary grade-level teams and secondary academic departments grew into school-based communities —even before the phrase “professional learning communities” was invented. Exemplars come from the alternative schools of the 1970s, the Effective Schools movement in the 1980s, and the Coalition of Essential Schools in the 1990s. For example, Deborah Meier founded ... more »

Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky: Tony at the Red Line Tap. by Fred Klonsky “School budgets,” I say to Tony as I grabbed the stool. “Is that the topic of the day?” “Yes,” I said. Two tattooed Loyola students walked in and sat on the far end of the bar and ordered a couple of PBRs. One got up, walked over to put some noise on the juke box. I say “juke box,” but maybe they’re called something else these days. “White Rabbit,” said Marty from behind the bar. “What?” “White Rabbit. That’s the name of the band.” “How can you tell?” asks Tony. “Because I’m not old, like you two *ja... more »

How Standardized Testing Damages Education (Updated July 2012) | FairTest

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
How Standardized Testing Damages Education (Updated July 2012) | FairTest: How Standardized Testing Damages Education (Updated July 2012) [image: Home] Submitted by fairtest on August 28, 2007 - 11:04am - fact sheets - k-12 *HOW STANDARDIZED TESTING DAMAGES EDUCATION* *How do schools use standardized tests?* The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era has seen an unprecedented expansion of standardized testing and test misuse. Despite ample evidence of the flaws, biases and inaccuracies of standardized exams, NCLB and related state and federal policies, such as Race to the Top (... more »

Schools Matter: Cigarettes : Nicotine :: Common Core Standards : High-Stakes Testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Schools Matter: Cigarettes : Nicotine :: Common Core Standards : High-Stakes Testing: Cigarettes : Nicotine :: Common Core Standards : High-Stakes Testing by Jim Horn Posted at CommonDreams.org: Addiction to High Stakes Testing is Killing US Education by Jim Horn Diane Ravitch, for whom I have a great deal of respect for leading the charge against the Billionaire Boys’ Club in recent years, has written on her blog that she is agnostic on the national curriculum standards project known as the Common Core. Ravitch reasons that I have neither endorsed nor rejected the Common Core nati... more »

Same Conversation, Different Location, Greater Impact — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Same Conversation, Different Location, Greater Impact — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Sean Slade]Same Conversation, Different Location, Greater Impact July 11, 2012 by Sean Slade *This post is the third in a series about the need to create connections with our students and see things from their perspective. Read "The Unknown Students" and "What the Kids Think."* "Get to know our stories." This was the most common response provided by kids when asked how teachers can show they care about their students (PDF). Other responses included - "Be there for us." ... more »

Are charter schools the answer to – or one reason for – Chicago’s violence? Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Are charter schools the answer to – or one reason for – Chicago’s violence?: Are charter schools the answer to – or one reason for – Chicago’s violence? by admin Twenty-four students were fatally shot during the school year that ended June 15, four fewer than in the 2010-11 year. But the overall shooting toll — 319 — was the highest in four years and a nearly 22 percent increase from the previous school year. The rise in shootings of CPS students compounds concerns over an alarming increase in the city’s homicide rate. Throu... more »

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. This doubling of the murder rate is killing the convention business. That’s what they’re worried about. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Life in Rahm’s Chicago. This doubling of the murder rate is killing the convention business. That’s what they’re worried about. « Fred Klonsky: Life in Rahm’s Chicago. This doubling of the murder rate is killing the convention business. That’s what they’re worried about. by Fred Klonsky Chicago’s chief of tourism let the cat out of the bag. The city is worried about the spike in the murder rate that is double that of last year and is leaving a trail of mother’s tears across this city’s poorest neighborhoods. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office swung into full damage-control mode Wednesday ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Thanks for the SOS plug, Diane Ravitch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Thanks for the SOS plug, Diane Ravitch: Thanks for the SOS plug, Diane Ravitch from Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog by Mike Klonsky See what Diane Ravitch blog reader and others have to say about SOS and our upcoming conference in D.C. *I also look forward to hearing Jonathan Kozol speak. I believe the issue of civil rights is at the very core of education reform and Jonathan’s work will lead us to create a 21st century model that puts civil rights in the driver’s seat. While corporate reformers tout their ideas as a means of achieving civil rights, the... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: How Much Did It Cost To Get I-1240 on the Ballot?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: How Much Did It Cost To Get I-1240 on the Ballot?: How Much Did It Cost To Get I-1240 on the Ballot? by Melissa Westbrook That would be about *$2.1M*, most of it going to a consulting company in California for "petition services." Yes, all very grassroots. Nearly $2,000 was spent on "meeting services" at the Washington Athletic Club. Because, of course, you want to meet somewhere nice (but couldn't Gates have offered up space for free at the Gates Foundation?) Understand, all the money that Gates and his wealthy friends have given? It's mostly ... more »

First Lady Michelle Obama's Summer Appearance at a School Sends GOP Partisans Over the Cliff | K-12 News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
First Lady Michelle Obama's Summer Appearance at a School Sends GOP Partisans Over the Cliff | K-12 News Network: First Lady Michelle Obama’s Summer Appearance at a School Sends GOP Partisans Over the Cliff by admin Today, First Lady Michelle Obama appeared at a Get-Out-the-Vote and voter registration event that happens to take place at a Miami-area high school — and it’s sent some GOP partisans into high dudgeon. Mind you, it’s summer. The school facilities are empty. The campaign is paying for the use of the space, not the school distrct. And, as the Miami Herald and the Interna...more »

OMG: Texas Charter Schools Allegedly Funneling Religion Into Lessons | TPMMuckraker

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Texas Charter Schools Allegedly Funneling Religion Into Lessons | TPMMuckraker: *Texas Charter Schools Allegedly Funneling Religion Into Lessons* [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Claiming that God “has given [her] the jurisdiction to operate with dominion” and that running schools was “a divine assignment,” Cheryl Washington has, according to the *San Antonio Current*, channeled millions in both federal and state funds into building the Shekinah Learning Institute, which she founded in 1996. The SLI now comprises 13 taxpayer-funded schools across the stat... more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: The "Teacher In Me"!: It's So Hard to Turn It Off!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: The "Teacher In Me"!: It's So Hard to Turn It Off!: The "Teacher In Me"!: It's So Hard to Turn It Off! by Lisa M The other day my teacher-friend and I headed down to the beach. We make the journey once a week to sit on the beach and relax, enjoying the view of the ocean and the warmth of the sun. During the week, it's not too crowded, but people still have to sit pretty close to each other. We left the beach to grab some lunch, and by the time we returned, the family that was in front of us had been replaced. It was a family group, the grands, th... more »

Bill Gates Talks Teacher Evaluation, Common Core at ECS Forum - State EdWatch - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Bill Gates Talks Teacher Evaluation, Common Core at ECS Forum - State EdWatch - Education Week: Bill Gates Talks Teacher Evaluation, Common Core at ECS Forum By Andrew Ujifusa on July 11, 2012 12:46 PM Among the elements of a good teacher evaluation system, some of the "most surprising" results can come from what students say about their teachers on surveys, said Microsoft founder Bill Gates, speaking at the Education Commission of the States' National Forum on Education Policy in Atlanta today. Delivering the keynote speech on support for high-quality teachers, Gates said, "Askin... more »

Moneyball, Superman, Angry Royals Fans and Education Reform? « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Moneyball, Superman, Angry Royals Fans and Education Reform? « School Finance 101: Moneyball, Superman, Angry Royals Fans and Education Reform? by schoolfinance101 These past few days have been interesting, as I’ve followed more than usual, the festivities around the Major League Baseball All Star Game. I’ve followed the festivities in part because the game was in Kansas City this year and I lived in the Kansas City ‘burbs for 11 years up until 2008. I’m an east coast guy – born & raised Vermonter, livin’ in Jersey – college in PA, masters in CT, Doc in NYC… also taught in NH. I l... more »

Jersey Jazzman: A Nuclear Bomb Detonates in Perth Amboy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: A Nuclear Bomb Detonates in Perth Amboy: A Nuclear Bomb Detonates in Perth Amboy by Duke Holy cow: Watch Perth Amboy Superintendent Defends Actions, Will Stay in Job on PBS. See more from NJToday. I don't think I've ever seen a war between a superintendent and a school board like this one. It's incredible. So far, Caffrey has not been specific about how exactly she was pressured and for what positions. Personally, I see a difference between instructional and non-instructional jobs. If a school board says, "We want you to hire locally for bus drivers," I think th... more »

Aaron Sorkin Bungles the Sixties « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Aaron Sorkin Bungles the Sixties « Student Activism: Aaron Sorkin Bungles the Sixties by Angus Johnston Last Sunday on The Newsroom Aaron Sorkin’s anchor-hero Will McAvoy offered up a whirlwind tour of the history of Students for Democratic Society, the Yippies, and the Vietnam antiwar movement that managed to get pretty much everything completely wrong in the service of an analogy that made no sense. Here’s my take, because when else am I going to get a chance like this? • • • *“Back in 1968 when Rennie Davis and Hayden and their guys organized the SDS,* SDS was... more »

The Partnership for 19th Century Skills « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The Partnership for 19th Century Skills « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Partnership for 19th Century Skills by dianerav Yesterday the National Research Council released a report supporting the need to develop what it calls “deeper learning,” drawing on cognitive skills, interpersonal skills, and interpersonal skills. All of this sounds swell, excellent, worthy of doing and endorsing. I’m for it. Yes, yes, yes. But I could not help but be reminded of something I wrote a few years ago. It was in response to a great hullaballoo about 21st century skills. The hullaballoo grew so insistent ... more »

First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Winners of Let’s Move! Video Challenge | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Winners of Let’s Move! Video Challenge | The White House: First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Winners of Let’s Move! Video Challenge *Faith and Community Leaders From California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee chosen for work to solve childhood obesity* WASHINGTON—First Lady Michelle Obama today announced the winners of the *Let’s Move!* Communities on the Move video challenge, which invited faith and community leaders to share their stories about their efforts to promote wellness and solve the problem of ch... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Student Surveys Have LIMITED Value

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Student Surveys Have LIMITED Value: Student Surveys Have LIMITED Value by Duke The Center For American Progress, liberal bastion of public school bashing, released a report purporting to show that American schools are too easy. Over at Diane Ravitch's blog, Ed Fuller pretty much destroys the methodology and conclusions of the report, and then bemoans the fact that this poor piece of research is sadly all too typical. It's worth mentioning that Bruce Baker's done plenty of work about CAP and how truly awful some of their work is. But there's one point I would like ... more »

Update: Gerard Robinson Repeats Scott’s Evasive Talking Points on High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Gerard Robinson Repeats Scott’s Evasive Talking Points on High-Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Gerard Robinson Repeats Scott’s Evasive Talking Points on High-Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes From *Florida Times-Union *reporter, Kristopher J. Brooks: Florida’s top education official told a Jacksonville audience Tuesday that he knows changes in statewide testing have been a headache for local educators, but tweaking the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test was necessary. “We haven’t changed the FCAT in 10 years,” Gerard Robinson told an audience at City Hall. “We know it’... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Darling-Hammond responds to report on 21st Century Learning

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Darling-Hammond responds to report on 21st Century Learning: Darling-Hammond responds to report on 21st Century Learning by Mike Klonsky Darling-HammondA special report released yesterday by the National Research Council of the National Academies of Science in Washington was intended to define just what researchers, educators and policymakers mean when they talk about "deeper learning" and "21st-century. The committee found these skills generally fall into three categories: Cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and analytic reasoning; interpers... more »

Comments: The Save Our Schools March « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The Save Our Schools March « Diane Ravitch's blog: *[image: Ravitch]**LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH* Thank you, Diane, for taking the time to tell your readers about the Save Our Schools People’s Convention. I will be attending the Save Our Schools People’s Convention in Washington, DC again this year. One of the highlights last year was listening to you speak. You will be sorely missed this year AND we can hardly wait to read your new book! I also look forward to hearing Jonathan Kozol speak. I believe the issue of civil rights is at the very core of education reform and Jonathan’s work... more »


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