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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 10-31-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


Seattle Schools Community Forum: Conversion Charter Ambiguities

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 29 minutes ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Conversion Charter Ambiguities Conversion Charter Ambiguities by Charlie Mas [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] Initiative 1240's rules for conversion charters has some clarity, some flexibility, and some elements that make no sense at all. To follow along you'll want quick access to the text of the initiative. A few things are clear: 1. The District retains ownership of the building - the charter school can't sell it, they are only leasing it. 2. Per Section 223(5) The District retains the "major repairs and safety upgrades that may... more »

Proco, the Hipster Alderman, endorses Obama but voices his disappointment. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 32 minutes ago
Proco, the Hipster Alderman, endorses Obama but voices his disappointment. « Fred Klonsky Proco, the Hipster Alderman, endorses Obama but voices his disappointment. by Fred Klonsky For you out-of-towners, “Proco” Joe Moreno is the Alderman of the first ward. I don’t live in the first ward. I’m in the 35th. Our alderman is Rey “the invisible” Colon. Colon is considered an independent, That is because he is independent of taking any position on any issue facing the citizens of this city. The first ward is just a few blocks away from my house. In fact, as a result of the last redistri... more »

Daily Kos: Observation(s) about Q poll & Detroit News Poll & UPDATE on PPP

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 33 minutes ago
Daily Kos: Observation(s) about Q poll & Detroit News Poll & UPDATE on PPP Observation(s) about Q poll & Detroit News Poll & UPDATE on PPP by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Quinnipiac polling (for NY Times & CbS) was completed October 28th - Sunday. That means it does NOT include any reaction by those surveyed to how Obama performed on Hurricane Sandy, or positive remarks about that handling by Chris Christie (and now also Bob McDonnell of VA). The did not interview in Spanish - that might make a small difference in VA, more of a difference in FL, almost none in OH. There would be... more »

Modern School: California’s Cheating Scandal: NCLB-Gate, Yet Again

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago
Modern School: California’s Cheating Scandal: NCLB-Gate, Yet Again California’s Cheating Scandal: NCLB-Gate, Yet Again by Michael Dunn First there was Michelle Rhee’s cheating scandal in D.C. Then there was the Georgia cheating scandal. Since then, there have been numerous other cheating scandals across the nation, all driven by the same force—No Child Left Behind (NCLB). With the threat of slashed federal revenues, school closures, mass firings of teachers, compulsory conversion to charter schools and numerous other onerous consequences, schools, districts and entire states are un... more »

10 Tips to Finding Your Political Voice | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago
10 Tips to Finding Your Political Voice | Maria Shriver | The Open Field Network 10 Tips to Finding Your Political Voice By Tabby Biddle *Image credit: onered on Etsy* Women on a path of personal growth have not been that interested in getting themselves out in front as political leaders. I count myself among them. While we may be activists for one cause or another, we still hide out on the sidelines when it comes to politics. If you’ve been watching the presidential debates, you might agree with me that we no longer can afford to sit on the sidelines. It’s time to find our politica... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Redistributive Halloween

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 53 minutes ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: A Redistributive Halloween A Redistributive Halloween by Anngie In school we teach the importance of the equal sign. Our equations must balance whether in math, or chemistry or physics. Over in Language Arts the progressives teach that fair and equal are synonyms. In order to be fair we must be equal: equal schools, equal outcomes etc. But alas, America's schools are failing. Our kids understand "equal" in math and science, but we have not been successful in teaching the synonyms of equal and fair. Just watch Steven Crowder try to apply the lesson. ... more »

What would charter school Initiative 1240 mean for Catholic schools? | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
What would charter school Initiative 1240 mean for Catholic schools? | Seattle Education: What would charter school Initiative 1240 mean for Catholic schools? by seattleducation2011 [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] *This post was provided by a guest columnist.* *Some Questions & Answers About This Initiative* *Q: What would happen to Catholic schools in Washington State if I-1240 passes?* A: No one knows for certain. But Catholic school enrollment has significantly declined in every other state that has approved charters. In many states, the number of Catholic schools are le... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee funds Ohio Republicans, campaigns against Ohio Teacher of the Year

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee funds Ohio Republicans, campaigns against Ohio Teacher of the Year: *Michelle Rhee funds Ohio Republicans, campaigns against Ohio Teacher of the Year* *by Greg on October 30, 2012 · 1 Comment* * * ** Michelle Rhee is the national education reformer most well-known for her cross-country tour promoting the anti-public education film “Waiting for Superman”, including an appearance at a screening with Ohio’s own John Kasich. Prior to that, Rhee spent a couple of years at the head of the D.C. Public Schools, a couple of years promoting Teach for Amer... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-31-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] School Libraries Matter! by dianerav Read here about the “Manchester Miracle,” about an elementary school in Pennsylvania that had only 40 fiction books on its shelves. The community came together, renovated the library, and stocked its shelves with books. And then there is the bad news. In Pittsburgh, only 14 of 51 schools have a full-time librarian. Most librarians spend only one day a week at each school. This is the part I don’t understand. When I went to public school in Houston many years ago, every sc... more »

“I don’t love teaching because my job is no longer teaching.” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
“I don’t love teaching because my job is no longer teaching.” | Get Schooled: “I don’t love teaching because my job is no longer teaching.” by Maureen Downey North Carolina teacher Kris Nielsen wrote a provocative and lengthy essay for his blog Middle Grades Mastery. It begins: “I love teaching. Or, I *did *love teaching. I loved teaching when my job was to teach. Now, I don’t love teaching, because my job is no longer teaching.” Nielsen began teaching in 2006. He taught sixth grade earth science, writing, “I created my own curriculum, based loosely on the New Mexico state standa... more »

Changes to Common Application questioned

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Changes to Common Application questioned: Changes to Common Application questioned Posted by Valerie Strauss on October 31, 2012 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » www.commonapp.org For those who don’t know, the Common Application is a not-for-profit organization that provides an admission application that students may submit to any of the more than 450 member colleges and universities that accept it. It was developed in 1975 to help cut down on the number of separate applications and e... more »

San Jose Unified, teachers reach breakthrough evaluation, pay plan | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
San Jose Unified, teachers reach breakthrough evaluation, pay plan | EdSource Today: San Jose Unified, teachers reach breakthrough evaluation, pay plan ** October 31st, 2012 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services The superintendent of San Jose Unified and leaders of the district’s teachers union have agreed on an innovative evaluation and compensation system that, if implemented, would be significantly different from any in California. With education groups in Sacramento and legislators still... more »

Measuring the worth of a teacher? | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Measuring the worth of a teacher? | toteachornototeach: Measuring the worth of a teacher? by aristotlethewise *Measuring the worth of a teacher?* *L.A. Unified School District’s Academic Growth Over Time measurement system, based on students’ progress on standardized tests, spurs debate over fairness, accuracy.* By TeresaWatanabe How tomeasure the worth of Los Angeles math teacher Kyle Hunsberger? The teacher at Johnnie Cochran Jr. Middle School works 60-hour weeks, constantly searches for new teaching ideas and makes every minute count in class. During a fast-paced review of square ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Disaster politics

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Disaster politics: Disaster politics by Mike Klonsky The most compelling Tweet this morning comes from*Chris Policano* ‏@cdpolicano: *The government. Hated by conservatives. Until suddenly it isn't. #FEMA”* No one knows for sure how Sandy will affect polling says pollster supremo *Nate Silver*. How any of those 50 million people (voters?) whacked by Sandy could support the candidate who calls for the liquidation and privatization of FEMA and who mocks the idea of climate change, boggles the mind. Conciliating Dems are also proposing big cuts in FEMA ... more »

School Tech Connect: Thoughts on Obedience

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Thoughts on Obedience: Thoughts on Obedience by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) *I vant to eat a bone.* I just had a moment to read this address, *Against Obedience,* by Susan Ohanian from earlier in the year, over at*Critical Education*. It's the text of the remarks she gave over the summer at the Rouge Forum in Ohio. It's worth your time. I'm not going to lie-- I left the classroom because it was just too depressing, trying to be an English teacher in Arizona during the rise of the meaningless data obsession. I was the chair of an English department, and m... more »

Media spotlight: State Superintendent Tom Torlakson visits Cleveland High's Media Academy in Reseda - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Media spotlight: State Superintendent Tom Torlakson visits Cleveland High's Media Academy in Reseda - LA Daily News: Media spotlight: State Superintendent Tom Torlakson visits Cleveland High's Media Academy in Reseda by By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer State Superintendent of SchoolsTom Torlakson talks with Academy of Arts and Technology student Ciana Graham on the media set at Cleveland High on Oct. 30,2012. (David Crane/Staff Photographer) RESEDA -- Aspiring newscaster Ciana Graham didn't have even a moment to prepare for her interview Tuesday with state schools Superintendent T... more »

Daily Kos: A brief presidential comparison

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Daily Kos: A brief presidential comparison: A brief presidential comparison by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) BUSH OBAMA August 6 PDB Bin Laden dead Bin Laden Strikes in US Bin Laden escapes from Tora Bora Starts two wars, not paid for Ends Iraq Ending Afghanistan Financial Collapse Wall Street recovered 800K/mo job loss 30+ consecutive months private sector ... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week Eight 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week Eight 2012: Week Eight 2012 by alicemercer [image: Number 8 on 08-08-08-F8-8th sec-ISO 800] Once again, I’m not keeping up with my work life online. Part of this is because I’m spending more time staying in touch with parents this year, so I thought I’d start this week’s report by sharing how I’m doing that. First, I am using the Googles to simplify my life in a couple of ways. I started a Gmail account for class administrivia last year, and I’ve carried it over to this year. When I got my class list, I looked up all my parents’ email ad... more »

Hurricane Attention Whoring With Educators4Excellence.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Hurricane Attention Whoring With Educators4Excellence by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) With the last two days off because of Hurricane Sandy, so many thoughts raced through my mind. One of them was how after watching the Tigers get swept by the Giants how did the Yankees get swept by the same team. Another thought took me back to the last hurricane to hit here, Irene and how Educators4Excellence made the death and destruction all about them. I wondered if this time would E4E show some humility and somehow not take to attention whoring themsel... more »

Complaint Filed for Violation of Wisconsin Election Law by CEO « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Complaint Filed for Violation of Wisconsin Election Law by CEO « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Complaint Filed for Violation of Wisconsin Election Law by CEO by millerlf *On Monday I participated in a news conference as a plaintiff in a complaint against Rite-Hite corporation CEO Michael White for violation of Wisconsin election law. To see the Fox 6 report on the news conference go to: * http://fox6now.com/2012/10/29/complaint-filed-against-rite-hite-ceo-for-alleged-election-law-violation/ MILWAUKEE — Faith and community leaders filed a formal complaint with the Go... more »

My schools GSA letter to East Aurora School District 131 « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
My schools GSA letter to East Aurora School District 131 « Cooperative Catalyst: My schools GSA letter to East Aurora School District 131 by Jabreel Chisley Ohio Virtual Academy/ Gay-Straight Alliance From: Ohio Virtual Academy High School Gay Straight Alliance 1655 Holland Road Suite F Maumee, Ohio 43537 October 22, 2012 To: East Aurora School District 131 417 Fifth Street Aurora, Illinois 60505 ATTN: Mary Anne Turza Stella Gonzalez Annette Johnson Richard Leonard Raymund Hall Anita Lewis Ignacio Cervantes Dear East Aurora School District 131: The actions in which your Board of... more »

tomhayden.com - Home - Personal Statement: Fifty years later, still making a statement

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
tomhayden.com - Home - Personal Statement: Fifty years later, still making a statement: PERSONAL STATEMENT: FIFTY YEARS LATER, STILL MAKING A STATEMENT [image: Date]THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012 AT 4:16PM | [image: Print Article]PRINT ARTICLE | [image: Email Article]EMAIL ARTICLE | [image: Comment]POST A COMMENT (Photo: The Michigan Daily) *This article appeared at The Michigan Daily on October 25, 2012.* Few Ann Arbor residents know that The Statement, the Daily’s weekly news magazine, is named in memory of the Port Huron Statement, drafted by myself as the founding document of Studen... more »

Occupy and Sandy Storm Recovery Resources | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Occupy and Sandy Storm Recovery Resources | OccupyWallSt.org: Occupy and Sandy Storm Recovery Resources by OccupyWallSt [image: manhattan under water]Occupy Wall Street & 350.org have teamed up withRecovers.org – a people-powered disaster relief platform – to help coordinate response to Hurricane Sandy in NYC. At Recovers.org we are launching support pages where people can GIVE help or post a NEED. For ongoing updates and info about this evolving relief effort, and to find out how you can help, be sure to sign up and stay informed at the Occupy Sandy Hub! http://interoccupy.net/occ... more »

CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS STRUGGLE IS ABOUT « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS STRUGGLE IS ABOUT « Teachers Fight Back: CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS STRUGGLE IS ABOUT by alkleen The Chicago Teachers’ Union has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the pension reform law enacted earlier this year by the Illinois General Assembly. That law targeted labor leaders who were teachers or public workers who received large public pensions based on their union salaries which were higher than their normal salaries. No other unions dared to challenge this law as it passed almost unanimously and the Tribune and ...more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – SBE’s charter network struggles like other schools with federal AY

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: SBE’s charter network struggles like other schools with federal AYP *By Tom Chorneau* Tuesday, October 30, 2012 A new report on the performance of the sprawling network of charter schools under the management of the California State Board of Education found most made progress last year – although like the majority of all other schools statewide, most board-authorized charters also failed to meet federal benchmarks. The state board is empowered to authorize new charter schools, under certain conditions. Currently, the SBE has oversight of ... more »

The in box. Letter to the editor from the CTU Pension Chair. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
The in box. Letter to the editor from the CTU Pension Chair. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Letter to the editor from the CTU Pension Chair. by Fred Klonsky *Dear Editor:* *For years millionaires and billionaires from the Commercial Club of Chicago, such as Bruce Rauner and Ty Fahner, have misrepresented the real cause of our state’s pension crisis. While public employees such as police officers, fire-fighters, teachers and others have dutifully paid employee contributions for decades, the recent manipulation of financial markets by banks and hedge fund operators has placed the reti... more »

Kimble's Corner: How the Jack O'Lantern Saved Christianity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Kimble's Corner: How the Jack O'Lantern Saved Christianity: How the Jack O'Lantern Saved Christianity by Representative Kimble My friends, I don't mind telling you that we find ourselves in a culture war. The forces of radical atheism again threaten to rob this great country of the symbols of it's freedom and it's proud Christian heritage. If these people have their way all traces of Halloween's Christian roots would be erased and all references to Jesus would be stricken from Halloween parades, store displays, and the hopeful mouths of trick or treating Christian children. ... more »

Dust in the wind

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago

Modern School: Former Porn Actress Appealing Her Firing as a Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Modern School: Former Porn Actress Appealing Her Firing as a Teacher: Former Porn Actress Appealing Her Firing as a Teacher by Michael Dunn Stacie Halas was a science teacher at Richard B. Haydock Intermediate School, in Oxnard, California, until she was fired for having once been a porn actress. Her school board argued that her past was disruptive to the teaching environment. Halas is now appealing her dismissal. Halas acted in pornographic films for 8 months from 2005 to 2006 because of financial duress, her attorney told a panel of judges last week, but she never acted in any... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Who's In?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Who's In?: Who's In? by Melissa Westbrook It's an interesting thing to see who has endorsed which campaign around I-1240. First, you can thank me for the Yes side even *having* an endorsement page because they didn't have one for months. But I kept calling it out at debates and I guess they got embarrassed. What is kind of cute is the little mini-bios they have for every single person listed (but it does make the page look longer). For variety, there isn't a lot of comparison. The Yes is a lot of business groups/ed reformers and, for the elec... more »

‘Open’ and ‘closed’ education: In between face-to-face and online learning | Education | M.A.Escotet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
‘Open’ and ‘closed’ education: In between face-to-face and online learning | Education | M.A.Escotet: ‘Open’ and ‘closed’ education: In between face-to-face and online learning by Miguel Angel Escotet Open *education *is particularly characterized by the removal of restrictions, exclusions and privileges; by the accreditation of students’ previous ex­perience; by the flexibility of the management of the time variable; and by substantial changes in the traditional relationship between professors and students. On the other hand, *distance or virtual education *is a modality which p... more »

Charter school Initiative 1240: A video | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Charter school Initiative 1240: A video | Seattle Education: Charter school Initiative 1240: A video Posted on October 30, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)]

Single White Female | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Single White Female | EduShyster: Single White Female by edushyster2012 Many studies show that young white teachers are fresher and more innovative than their LIFO lifer peers of other races. The achievement gap is the civil rights issue of our time—which is why it may be necessary for us to destroy a large part of the Black middle class in order to achieve our goal of closing said gap. No doubt you think I’m being all hyperbolick-y up in here but allow me to explain. During the Chicago Teachers Union strike I encountered a stunning statistic. Since education reform arrived in Chica... more »

So Much On My Mind That I Can’t Recline [On Hurricane Sandy] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
So Much On My Mind That I Can’t Recline [On Hurricane Sandy] | The Jose Vilson: So Much On My Mind That I Can’t Recline [On Hurricane Sandy] by Jose Hurricane Sandy Hits South Carolina Beach *The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis,* *Shinin’, like “Who on top of this?”* - Mos Def in Blackstar’s “Respiration” Flashlights. Bottles of water. Cereal. Baby food. Milk. Batteries. Charged devices. Landline phone on deck. Ready-to-eat foods. As we went through the list at the supermarket, I found myself feeling stupid for thinking it wasn’t going to be that bad. Chalk it up to... more »

Newsflash: The Vallas Group and Cambium Education in Divorce proceedings? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Newsflash: The Vallas Group and Cambium Education in Divorce proceedings? - Wait, What?: Newsflash: The Vallas Group and Cambium Education in Divorce proceedings? by jonpelto In June, Wall Street investors were told the “Cambium Learning® Group, the nation’s leading educational provider focused primarily on serving the needs of at-risk and special student populations, announced an exclusive partnership with The Vallas Group, Inc. to bring nationally known education reform leader Paul Vallas’ unique school improvement model to struggling schools across the nation.” Weeks later came...more »

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Some "Truths" About Teaching!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Some "Truths" About Teaching!: Some "Truths" About Teaching! by Lisa M Source: elementary-teacher-resources.com via TeachHUB.com on Pinterest Since I'm not at work because of Hurricane Sandy, it gave me some time to peruse Pinterest, and I came across this poster. I think it's funny.:) It also made me think about some of the "truths" about teaching, especially if someone is choosing to go into this profession now. So, here are my "truths." - You can not go to the bathroom whenever you want. You will have to either hold it, or get someone ... more »

Daily Kos: Frank Schaeffer is on fire today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Daily Kos: Frank Schaeffer is on fire today: Frank Schaeffer is on fire today by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) as I discovered by following his Twitter feed where he is laying it out bluntly for White Evangelicals who say they are voting for Romney, with tweets like these: point out they are working to elect a job-destroying tax-avoiding lying flip-flopping Swiss bank account collecting draft dodger who is running with a disciple of the God-hating, Jesus-mocking hater-of-the-poor Ayn Rand, for their presidential candidate and these back to back: at the very same time as Frankl... more »

The No on Initiative 1240 campaign needs YOU | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
The No on Initiative 1240 campaign needs YOU | Seattle Education: The No on Initiative 1240 campaign needs YOU Posted on October 30, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] From the No on Initiative 1240 campaign: Last week an unprecedented 20,000 Washington voters joined a state wide conference call to learn about the damaging effect I-1240 would have on our public schools. Despite a $9 million advertising blitz in support of I-1240, an overwhelming majority of voters on the call said that they preferred reducing classroom size over fundi... more »

Schools Matter: A Lesson In Thinking About Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Schools Matter: A Lesson In Thinking About Education: A Lesson In Thinking About Education by Storm I imagine too few of us know well Mill's *On Liberty. *Let me press you to read it at the first opportunity, no, make an opportunity to read it now. (There is a good audio version available as well.) What is this essay about but the education of the human species and the role of social management in that education? I hope you can at least find the time to bear with this excerpt as it seems to me most pertinent for this audience of readers and bloggers. I am not comfortable with... more »

Shanker Blog » Surveying The Teacher Opinion Landscape

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Surveying The Teacher Opinion Landscape: Surveying The Teacher Opinion Landscape by Matthew Di Carlo I’m a big fan of surveys of teachers’ opinions of education policy, not only because of educators’ valuable policy-relevant knowledge, but also because their views are sometimes misrepresented or disregarded in our public discourse. For instance, the diverse set of ideas that might be loosely characterized as “market-based reform” faces a bit of tension when it comes to teacher support. Without question, some teachers support the more controversial market-based poli... more »

Diane in the Evening 10-30-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Teacher Who Said “I Quit” Responds to Some Critics by dianerav Kris Neilsen is the teacher who wrote the post explaining why he quit in North Carolina. His post went viral. He has posted several comments on the blog. Here is one of them: *Victims are the ones who stay, play by the crushing rules, and churn out students who are good at passing tests.* *I am not that. I am an activist. I got the attention of the leadership in my state, and I plan to engage them over * Is Rocketship the Wave of the Future? by dianerav Experienced journalist Tom Toch visited a... more »

7 Days Until the Election, Polls Show Youth Still Need Basic Info. on Voting

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
CIRCLE » Knowledge about Voter Laws Still Lacking: Knowledge about Voter Laws Still Lacking *Over 40% of young Americans “don’t know” key information about voting process* On Monday, CIRCLE released a groundbreaking poll of young people’s views of the election. The survey, commissioned by the Youth Education Fund, is unique in that it polled 1,695 youth (ages 18-29) in June/July and 1,109 of the same youth between October 12 and 23. Surveying the same people twice provides powerful evidence of change over time. *State of Young American’s Voter Law Knowledge* State voting and registr... more »

PSAT for 10-30-12: Boycott Amazon? Parents United for Responsible Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 10-30-12: Boycott Amazon?: PSAT for 10-30-12: Boycott Amazon? by admin [image: No on 1240 (click on picture)] I try to use the first PSAT of the month (when I remember) to identify some of the worst enemies of public education for us to boycott. So far, I’ve gleefully picked on Bill Gates,Penny Pritzker, Bruce Rauner and Walmart, and generally followed my own advice. I’m doing November’s entry a week early to highlight a ballot proposition in Washington state that will be decided next Tuesday. And this time I hav... more »

UPDATE: Should a teacher lose job for urging kids to check answers? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Should a teacher lose job for urging kids to check answers? | Get Schooled: Should a teacher lose job for urging kids to check answers? 11:05 am October 30, 2012, by Maureen Downey [image: Precious Moon, APS tribunal photo] Kent D. Johnson, kdjohnson@ajc.com Precious Moon testifies during her tribunal Oct. 29, 2012. Moon, a teacher and CRCT test administrator at M.A. Jones Elementary School, is accused of prompting students to change the answers on their tests when she knew they had marked an incorrect answer. She also allegedly provided the students with the correct answers on the t... more »

Please Vote For President Obama because Uh Oh, Ann Romney Wants to Champion Education | Education on GOOD

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Uh Oh, Ann Romney Wants to Champion Education | Education on GOOD: Uh Oh, Ann Romney Wants to Champion Education [image: ann.romney] It's become a tradition for the First Lady to become an advocate for an issue most Americans can get behind. With her "Let’s Move!" childhood obesity campaign, First Lady Michelle Obama's brought some fun to healthy eating healthy and getting fit—she got Beyoncé on board and Mrs. O actually did the Dougie with middle schoolers in Washington D.C. last spring. Well, it turns out that if she becomes First Lady, Ann Romney wants to be involved with school... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, October 30, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: DR. AMI BERA | BERA FOR CONGRESS [image: Dr. Ami Bera | Bera for Congress] Making Washington Work Sacramento County needs a bold leader who sees Congress as an opportunity to serve. Like the oath I took to become a Doctor, I take another solemn oath to put people first. In Congress, I pledge: Education Headlines *Tuesday, October 30, 2012* New charter school proposed in YrekaHope Charter School would hold classes three days a week from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. for instruction on the core subjects – mathematics and language arts. One ... more »

Modern School: California Schools Not Providing Free, Safe Drinking Water

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: California Schools Not Providing Free, Safe Drinking Water: California Schools Not Providing Free, Safe Drinking Water by Michael Dunn Several recent state and federal laws now require schools to provide free, fresh drinking water wherever meals are served or eaten. Free water in meal areas not only benefits students who cannot afford flavored beverages or who do not like milk, it encourages all students to drink water, which is a healthier choice than juice or soda. While providing free, fresh water in meal areas seems like a no-brainer, 25% of California school... more »

UPDATE: Everyone in my Brooklyn family is okay this morning. I’m thinking of the others who may not have fared so well. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Everyone in my Brooklyn family is okay this morning. I’m thinking of the others who may not have fared so well. « Fred Klonsky: CTU challenges the slow chipping away at the pension protection clause of the state constitution. by Fred Klonsky Let’s consider this scenario: A school district employee works as a teacher for 20 years. She pays into the state’s retirement system 9.4% of her salary every paycheck as she is required to do. Let’s say that her salary after 20 years and having moved through all her possible professional growth lanes is now around $80 or 90 K. By the way, ov... more »







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