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Friday, September 21, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 9-21-12 #SOSCHAT #CTUSTRIKE


Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE




A College Graduate and Among the Working Poor

A reader comments:
As the first woman in my family to graduate from college, I am still the working poor, with no health insurance (and several physical ailments) and no pension. It is extremely stressful and disconcerting to have multiple college degrees and still be in poverty. I’m in my 60s and I will never be able to afford to retire, so I have no choice but to work until I die.


Teaching Philosophy in Middle School

Diana Senechal, the author of “Republic of Noise,” describes the resources and methods she used to teachphilosophy to students in a New York City middle school.
Students read “The Book of Job,” Plato, Orwell, and other classics and discuss their meaning. It is very satisfying to think that teaching of this quality still survives in the age of teach-to-the-test. Job is never on the test. Just part of life.


  • Primeros pasos hacia el éxitoNo te pierdas el programa especial en Univision donde se hablará de las herramientas necesarias para el futuro de tus hijos.

Un 'dreamer' recibió la mejor noticia de su vida, al recibir su permiso de trabajo Carlos Martínez recibió sus papeles para estar legal en Estados Unidos luego de más de 20 años de estudiar sin tener permiso de inmigración. 09/21/12 | 01:44



Chicago teacher-parent alliance highlighted key parent issues

As a nationwide parents group, Parents Across America (PAA) does not take a stand on union issues. We regret that Chicago families had their schedules disrupted and Chicago children lost valuable learning time during the recent Chicago strike. However, the teachers in Chicago have highlighted important challenges in public education that resonate with families and communities across the country. In addition to issues of pay and benefits, Chicago teachers chose to spotlight flawed policies that are hurting students in our … 

In the Education Wars, Reason Dies

I've written before about the disturbing trend of "data abuse" we've seen in both Jersey and the nation during our protracted education wars. A few more examples came up this week; let's start with Mike Paarlberg's takedown of the Washington Posts's Dylan Matthews:
In a Sept. 14 post, Matthews argued that union seniority rules for teachers (the "last in, first out" rule for layoffs) hurt student achievement. This is a mantra of school-reform proponents, who argue seniority protects bad teachers. Teachers unions see the push to end seniority as a pretext for budget-slashing school boards to get rid of the most experienced teachers, good or bad, since senior teachers earn higher salaries and cost 

Charter schools suspend, expel students at widely varying rates

D.C. charter schools suspended and expelled students at widely varying rates in 2011-12, according to data released Thursday by the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
While the majority of charters did not expel any students, others kicked out dozens. And while some schools suspended only a handful of kids, others suspended more than 100 — more than half the student body, in a couple cases.
Read full article >>

The in box. Coming Home.


CPS teacher, Xian Barrett. Silenced no more. Photo: Fred Klonsky
By Xian Barrett, CPS teacher
In a few minutes, like 3.8 million other educators nationwide, I will enter my classroom to teach a handful of the 55 million students in our country’s education system. Our motives and focus will be the same–to deliver the best future for the students we teach.For the last week and a half, that mission hasn’t changed, but for 25,000 Chicago educators, we chose a more unconventional route to fight for that mission–we went on strike. We decide that the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education had treated our students and ourselves so poorly, that the most prudent way to earn the best future for the students we teach was to leave our classrooms.Looking at the final outcomes, and how far the Board moved, I’m proud to say we accomplished 

Send a Teacher a Care Package or an Inspirational Note



The Lessons Learned in School are Outdated Long Before We are Done With Our Careers. What Can We do About It?



What Mitt Romney Really Represents



Two Wolves

 


One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between 2 “wolves” inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy,sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:  “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”