Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, May 18, 2012

Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 5-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE


If I have to take one more of these frigging standardize test, I think my head will explode
GO TO 

Teachers Cannot Be Bystanders to Walker’s Bullying


I have had my share of regretful experiences in my life. One of my high school era regrets was an incident where I stood as a petrified bystander while a bully punched my unsuspecting, younger brother in the head from behind. My guilt still festers deep inside.
Anti-Bullying Efforts in Wisconsin

Over a year ago, Governor Walker and his Republican/Tea/Libertarian Party cronies coldcocked unsuspecting Wisconsin teachers and public workers from behind with his union-busting initiatives. This blow to the heads, hearts, and pocketbooks of tens of thousands of public servants admittedly knocked us to the grass. From the grassroots, however, a million of ushave pulled ourselves up to stand against Walker’s divisive ways and petition for his recall.

I am proud that I have not been a bystander in response to this attack. I 

‘Metrosexual Black Abe Lincoln’

is how this Saturday column by Charles Blow is titled.
As is always the case with Blow, very worth reading.
it is his dissection of the plan to attack Obama presented to billionaire Joe Ricketts, attempting to resurrect Rev. Jeremiah Wright as an issue with which to smear President Obama.  Of course, one problem is, as was noted inthis New York Times story on the plan,
voters “still aren’t ready to hate this president,”
which means they have to first turn people against a President that most Americans seem to like as a person, 

Weighed, Measured, and Found Wanting

I've received a nice email from my state representative, Kelly Cassidy, responding to my highly public ululations about the pensions. I'm not going to quote from it, but I will just say that she goes a hell of a lot further than some of these representatives who fall back on "I haven't seen a bill." She even gave me her analysis of Madiar, which means she's done more research than 90% of her colleagues who will vote on the issue.

Shame on those people.

Anyway, from what Kelly has said to me, I would anticipate that if some proposal gets rammed through, and the unions haven't agreed to it, then she would not vote for it. I'm  putting words into her mouth there -- she didn't actually say this-- but I think I'm right. I don't think many of her colleagues feel this way, though.

The questions still remain about just exactly how much has already been given away, who's entitled to represent whom, and what pension system members are getting in return other than another empty promise to pay what's 


Lessons Learned


As I complete my thirteenth year as an educator, I would like to share thirteen lessons learned throughout my time as a teacher and/or principal.
1.
 I’ve come to realize great educators take responsibility for their own learning rather than waiting for the school district to tell them when and what to learn.
2. Great educators take responsibility for student learning and believe wholeheartedly that failure to reach mastery is not an option. By the same token, they understand that failure is a success in learning.
3. Great educators continuously rethink the way in which they learn and are comfortable with being uncomfortable. They work to remain intellectually curious inside and outside the classroom.
4. Great teachers never fail to plan and understand that 90% of differentiation happens before the students ever 

To Teach: The Journey, in Comics




There Are Some Dangerous People Out There

These are people who want our country to be shaped the way THEY want it.  They are either so full of money that it doesn't occur to them that they live in a democracy or they just wish to control the system from within.

At lot of this in-fighting within parties might be ended if we didn't have a two-party system.  I wish we had several more parties so that coalitions could be made.  I think most of us would feel part of something we truly believe in rather than lukewarm support we sometimes feel (and could not fathom supporting the other side).

But we don't.  We are allowing our country to devolve into one where someone like Romney can honestly say he will run a clean campaign (but he's fine if others can do the dirty work during it).   Meaning, we have some PACS, some groups that are just going to grind everyone else into the ground, either through death by a thousand paper cuts (see: the teachers unions) or by the might of their money (see: candidates who need dough to run for office).

To whit; ALEC.   Yes, I know many of you have spoken of this group and I've been listening and reading all 


The Cubberley Tradition Continues at Stanford and Pearson

One of the classics in the history of American education is Raymond Callahan's 1962 EDUCATION AND THE CULT OF EFFICIENCY.  In the free Chapter 5 available here, you can read about the various strategies and tactics that were devised a hundred years by the social control and social efficiency zealots who were attempting to take over American schools and run them like Henry Ford's assembly lines.  That's right--they largely succeeded.


If you have not read the history of American education, anyone could end up believing there is something new or reformy in the endless stream of corporate edu-solutions and testing insanity--when, 

Child care cuts and kindergarten readiness

Friday, May 18th, 2012 at 6:14 pm in
photo by Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group
Readers, how I’ve neglected you this week… I blame the impossibly complex nature of California’s child care system, which faces a 20 percent cut for the upcoming fiscal year.
I’ve spent the last 48 hours trying to figure out what the governor’s May budget revision would mean for working families (mostly single parents and their kids) and the system as a whole, how it differs from the original budget 


Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-18-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

A Big Education Ape Nite Cap


Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 5-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] Teachers Teach the Test When the Test Tests Teachers by Duke This morning, the Star-Ledger gave me a gift: the perfect reformy op-ed. I say "perfect" because this piece brings together pretty much every ill-informed and poorly conceived argument for using standardized tests as part of a teacher's evaluation into one place. It's like a Rosetta Stone of reforminess. The author, Marcus Winters, is a think-tanky type, but he has some serious credentials. That says to me that this i... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-18-12 #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


Foiled Again: An Inside Look At Joel Klein’s War Against Public Schools And Teacher Unions | Edwize

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Foiled Again: An Inside Look At Joel Klein’s War Against Public Schools And Teacher Unions | Edwize: Foiled Again: An Inside Look At Joel Klein’s War Against Public Schools And Teacher Unions by Leo Casey Over a year ago, the UFT submitted a Freedom of Information request for emails between Joel Klein and other top DoE brass, on the one hand, and the leaders of the New York City Charter School Center, the New York Charter School Association, Democrats for Education Reform and other leading supporters of corporate education reform. As it does with FOIL requests that do not suit t... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Nurses rally and play Robin Hood

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Nurses rally and play Robin Hood: Nurses rally and play Robin Hood by Mike Klonsky Demand a *Robin Hood Tax* to pay for health care. New police SUVsThousands of police and Sheriff's deputies occupied the loop area, their sparkling new SUV stretching for blocks along downtown streets while nurses and their supporters filled Daley Plaza this afternoon. There was a great atmosphere of militant solidarity as speaker after speaker denounced the NATO Summit and austerity measures and budget cuts to health care, education and other social services and dema... more »

Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers 2012-2013 – Zinn Education Project

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers 2012-2013 – Zinn Education Project: Planning to Change the World: A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers 2012-2013 Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on printMore Sharing Services Teaching guide. Edited by Tara Mack and Bree Picower. 2012. 160 pages. Plan book designed to help teachers translate their vision of a just education into concrete classroom activities. Order plan book online. *Planning to Change the World*:* **A Plan Book for Social Justice Teachers 2012-2013** *is a plan book for educators who beli... more »

Teacher Appreciation Song: A Song for Teachers - You Have Made A Difference

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Go to www.brianasselinmusic.com to download the song, a karaoke version, or the sheet music. This is a song that is dedicated to teachers and how they inspire their students everyday. If I can be half the teacher to my students as my teachers were to me, I would have feel that I have made a difference. THANK YOUR TEACHER!! Written by Brian Asselin and Eric Disero [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch]

RheeFirst! » Rhee’s NJ frontman and hedge fund billionaire endorses Romney. See his personal income

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
RheeFirst! » Rhee’s NJ frontman and hedge fund billionaire endorses Romney. See his personal income: Rhee’s NJ frontman and hedge fund billionaire endorses Romney. See his personal income by admin Recently, Rhee’s NJ frontman and hedge fund billionaire, David Tepper, endorsed Mitt Romney. He also said that there was no limit to the amount of money he was giving Rhee for her war on teachers. Not a single penny goes into the classroom to help students. It’s being spent to buy ads, pricey lobbyists and politicians. Students first? Not by a long stretch. Written by Les Leopold... more »

Robert Reich (The Commencement Address That Won't Be Given)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Robert Reich (The Commencement Address That Won't Be Given): The Commencement Address That Won’t Be Given FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2012 *You’re f*cked.* Members of the Class of 2012, As a former secretary of labor and current professor, I feel I owe it to you to tell you the truth about the pieces of parchment you’re picking up today. You’re f*cked. Well, not exactly. But you won’t have it easy. First, you’re going to have a hell of a hard time finding a job. The job market you’re heading into is still bad. Fewer than half of the

New Coalition Will Challenge Bloomberg’s Education Policies - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
New Coalition Will Challenge Bloomberg’s Education Policies - NYTimes.com: New Coalition to Challenge Bloomberg’s Education PoliciesBy MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUMPublished: May 17, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - EMAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - A coalition of labor unions and liberal advocacy groups is planning an ambitious effort to support mayoral candidates who pledge to reverse some of the Bloomberg administration’s more-contentious public education policies. - City Plans to Offer Buyouts to Idled Teachers (May 18, 2012) Connect with NYTMetro [ima... more »

Ghost roads and union cards. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ghost roads and union cards. « Fred Klonsky: Ghost roads and union cards. by Fred Klonsky It’s only a 9 mile drive from my school to my front door. But on a Friday afternoon the inbound commute on the Kennedy Expressway can take any where from 60 to 90 minutes. I’ve tried many alternate routes. But that’s the commute time on a Friday afternoon But not today. Since Mayor Emanuel turned downtown Chicago into a police state for the NATO meeting, many folks stayed home today. NATO turned the Kennedy into a ghost road. I was home in 15 minutes flat. I heard a funny story for the first t... more »

Activists Raided & Arrested Ahead of NATO Summit Continue To Be Held Without Charge | The Dissenter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Activists Raided & Arrested Ahead of NATO Summit Continue To Be Held Without Charge | The Dissenter: Activists Raided & Arrested Ahead of NATO Summit Continue To Be Held Without Charge by Kevin Gosztola CPD raid apartment in Bridgeport Five activists raided and arrested in an apartment in Bridgeport on the south side of Chicago continue to be held without charge. They were arrested during the night around 1 am on May 17, along with four other activists who have since been released, they were also held without charge. The National Lawyers Guild reports the activists were “taken to... more »

Schools Matter: Yogi Berra reveals a problem with standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Schools Matter: Yogi Berra reveals a problem with standards: Yogi Berra reveals a problem with standards by skrashen Submitted to Florida Today, May 18, 2012 US Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged Florida to adopt new textbooks, because “content is changing not annually but weekly if not daily.” (“Florida's education secretary questions state's textbook plans,” May 18). In other words, Secretary Duncan agrees with Yogi Berra: "It's hard to predict, especially about the future." If this is true, why is the Secretary insisting on common standards that lock a curriculum in place for... more »

The Hard But Rewarding Job of Saving Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
The Hard But Rewarding Job of Saving Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog: The Hard But Rewarding Job of Saving Schools by dianerav Those pesky public schools! They get reformed, and they don’t stay reformed! They get saved, and they don’t stay saved! What gives? Take Chicago: First, Chicago was saved first by Paul Vallas in the 1990s; President Clinton congratulated Vallas for raising test scores and all sorts of innovative reforms. Then came Arne Duncan to lead the Chicago school system, and he developed a new plan to save the schools, called Renaissance 2010. Under this plan, 100 or... more »

The Cleburne News - Seven reasons to say no to charter schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
The Cleburne News - Seven reasons to say no to charter schools: Seven reasons to say no to charter schools 1 day 1 hr ago | 151 views | 0 [image: 0 comments] | 2 [image: 2 recommendations] | [image: email to a friend] | [image: print] Former Washington D.C. school chancellor Michelle Rhee has sent her followers to Alabama to promote charter schools, but Alabama should say “no, thanks.” The District of Columbia is no model for school reform. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is the gold standard of education testing, shows that D.C. has the biggest achievement... more »

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break 5-18 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law « Student Activism coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law « Student Activism: Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law by Angus Johnston Quebec’s legislature, shaken by the province’s ongoing student strike, is now debating passage of an emergency anti-protest law that the chair of the Quebec bar association calls “a breach to the fundamental, constitutional rights” of its citizens. The legislation, kn... more »

Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law « Student Activism: Quebec Moves Toward Passage of Sweeping Anti-Protest Law by Angus Johnston Quebec’s legislature, shaken by the province’s ongoing student strike, is now debating passage of an emergency anti-protest law that the chair of the Quebec bar association calls “a breach to the fundamental, constitutional rights” of its citizens. The legislation, known as Bill 78, would mandate an end to the strike, impose extraordinary restrictions on demonstrations and impel local student associations to prevent their members ... more »

Twitter Ties « My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Twitter Ties « My Island View: Twitter Ties by tomwhitby For the “Connected Educator” Twitter can be a mainstay for information and sources. In order to build up a steady flow of information and sources, one need only to establish a list of people to follow on Twitter who put out the tweets, or messages, that contain links, URL’s, to that information or source. In Twitter terms these people are called “Follows”. They are the people one follows. An educator using Twitter for professional reasons would follow educators, since they put out education information. I follow over 1,60... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Crowd-sourcing the up-till-now secret DOE/charter lobby emails

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: Crowd-sourcing the up-till-now secret DOE/charter lobby emails: Crowd-sourcing the up-till-now secret DOE/charter lobby emails by Leonie Haimson *Have you ever wondered how what Joel Klein was busy writing on his Blackberry during meetings? * Or how closely he worked with the charter lobby to get the charter cap lifted and on other issues? Now’s your chance to find out. The UFT FOILed emails between DOE and the charter lobbyists and got a large bunch of messages after long delay and obstructionism from DOE. Apparently more emails are coming. Reporte... more »

Weekly Update: A charter school bill dies in Alabama and more testing pushback | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Weekly Update: A charter school bill dies in Alabama and more testing pushback | Seattle Education: Weekly Update: A charter school bill dies in Alabama and more testing pushback by seattleducation2011 *Note: Some extraneous links have mysteriously appeared in this post that I am not able to get rid of. I apologize for this annoyance and am working to rectify this issue.* Alabama, as Washington, does not have charter schools and for several very good reasons. See The Charter School Myths. One of the reasons that Alabama opposes charter schools was stated by a member of the Alabama... more »

Video: “Shock doctrine” used to privatize Philadelphia public schools « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Video: “Shock doctrine” used to privatize Philadelphia public schools « Parents Across America: Video: “Shock doctrine” used to privatize Philadelphia public schools by leoniehaimson Philadelphia parents, students and activists protest the radical restructuring and privatization of their public schools. Helen Gym, Parents Across America member, points out how these proposals are an example of the “shock doctrine” — using the fiscal crisis as an excuse to hand over public goods to private hands, for their own financial gain.

VIDEO: Council Candidate Lucas Frerichs Gets Dunked by Young Davisite - Davis, CA Patch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
VIDEO: Council Candidate Gets Dunked by Young Davisite - Davis, CA Patch: VIDEO: Council Candidate Lucas Frerichs Gets Dunked by Young Davisite This kid won't be able to vote for many years. For now, he lets his arm do the talking. - By Justin Cox - Email the author - 10:18 am Many local public figures were invited to participate in a dunk tank at Celebrate Davis! yesterday. Among them were the five city council candidates. While I spent most of the day working the Davis Patch booth, I took a quick stroll around the park to snap some photos. I showed up at the dunk tank j... more »

Schools Matter: Krash Course #9: Accountability: A Quiz

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Schools Matter: Krash Course #9: Accountability: A Quiz: Krash Course #9: Accountability: A Quiz by P. L. Thomas Comments posted on my recent piece at The Answer Sheet, "What teachers don’t need (but are getting anyway)," include a typical refrain best confronted by this posting from jdman2: "Doesn't it seem strange that the issue always degenerates into the question of 'accountability' when those that do the questioning will never be held accountable if their --opinion-- is proved wrong?" In fact, another posting, from WashingtonDame, directly accused me of calling for no teach... more »

Engaging Parents In School… » Mayor Bloomberg Insults Parents — Again

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Engaging Parents In School… » Mayor Bloomberg Insults Parents — Again: Mayor Bloomberg Insults Parents — Again by Larry Ferlazzo New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in the news for once again insulting parents (you can read about his multiple previous efforts at New York City Mayor Insults Parents — Again). I learned about Boomberg’s newest comments from blogger Walt Gardner, with whom I usually agree. Not this time, though. Gardner supports the Mayor’s critique of some parents “who don’t care.” Unfortunately, though, I think Gardner misses the main point. Of course some pare... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, May 18, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Friday, May 18, 2012* Labor negotiations in Rio School District move to fact-findingA yearlong labor dispute in the Rio School District remains unresolved, as officials move into the next stage of impasse, called fact-finding. The Rio teachers' contract expired June 30, 2011. Negotiations began in February 2011, but the district declared impasse soon after. Schools revamp menus ahead of new lunch mandatesUnder new standards by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, schools will have to serve more than twice as ... more »

The IEA declares raising the teacher contribution “not a benefit” and not covered by the constitutional clause? « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The IEA declares raising the teacher contribution “not a benefit” and not covered by the constitutional clause? « Fred Klonsky: The IEA declares raising the teacher contribution “not a benefit” and not covered by the constitutional clause? by Fred Klonsky I always worry when IEA leaders claim they are at the table. I worry about being the first course. Reports are that IEA and IFT leaders are involved in pension talks. And the reports aren’t reporting anything that would make a member happy. The IEA leadership said that they would NEVER agree to anything that violated the Illinois ... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: ALEC to Ravitch: Why pick on us?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: ALEC to Ravitch: Why pick on us?: ALEC to Ravitch: Why pick on us? by Mike Klonsky In an interesting response to a Diane Ravitch piece in Edweek ("What You Need To Know About ALEC"), Adam Peshek, ALEC's ed director, asks: Why pick on us? Obama agrees with ALEC, claims Peshek, who has nothing but praise for the administration. Peshek has a good point. How about a response, Mr. President or Sec. Duncan. Writes Peshek: *In reality, we are far from alone in this effort. There are dozens of organizations on both sides of the political spectrum that h... more »

S.Res.461: A resolution recognizing the teachers of the United States for their contributions to the development... OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
S.Res.461: A resolution recognizing the teachers of the United States for their contributions to the development... OpenCongress: S.Res.461 - A resolution recognizing the teachers of the United States for their contributions to the development and progress of our Nation.view all titles (1) - Overview - Actions & Votes - News (1) & Blogs (0) - Comments (0) Bill's Views - Today:20 - Past Seven Days:21 - All-Time:21 Introduced Senate Passed Resolution Passed *05/14/12* *05/14/12* *05/14/12* Official Bill TextComment on about 1 Pages Sponsor Senator Frank Laut... more »

Critical Questions about the Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Critical Questions about the Common Core - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Critical Questions about the Common Core by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody Educators in the United States are once again headed for a very big trap. We are being seduced by the idea that a common set of standards and assessments to match will deliver equitable outcomes from our schools. This is the siren call that draws us into endless top-down reforms that never work, but never stop promising that the next time, we will get it right, and ALL students will achieve at high le... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-18 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from the war zone coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 minutes ago Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from the war zone: News from the war zone by Mike Klonsky As I'm getting ready to head downtown to support the nurse's protest rally at Daley Plaza, I'm struck by the front page headline in the Sun-Times. Remember Rahm had promised that the city would be "open for business." That the gathering of the NATO war machine would put Chicago on the world map, make it more of a target destination for tourists and... more »

Shanker Blog » Quality Control In Charter School Research

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Quality Control In Charter School Research: Quality Control In Charter School Research by Matthew Di Carlo [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] There’s a fairly large body of research showing that charter schools vary widely in test-based performance relative to regular public schools, both by location as well as subgroup. Yet, you’ll often hear people point out that the *highest-quality* evidence suggests otherwise (see here, here and here) – i.e., that there are a handful of studies using experimental methods (randomized controlled trials, o... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from the war zone

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: News from the war zone: News from the war zone by Mike Klonsky As I'm getting ready to head downtown to support the nurse's protest rally at Daley Plaza, I'm struck by the front page headline in the Sun-Times. Remember Rahm had promised that the city would be "open for business." That the gathering of the NATO war machine would put Chicago on the world map, make it more of a target destination for tourists and shake loose from our "Al Capone" image. The mayor even went so far as to proclaim NATO as a peace group, and the Summit as the scene of the "C... more »

Glen Ford: Corporate Assault on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
In the space of less than 20 years, the public school privatization movement has emerged from the narrow, right wing fringes to dominate both major political parties. From vouchers to school choice to charter schools, the issue has divided even Black Americans, who were once public education's most fervent supporters. Glen Ford explains how this came about by wealthy individuals buying black politicians and promoting their careers, particularly Corey Booker. Glen Ford is a veteran of more than 40 years in broadcast, print and Internet journalism. A former Washington Bureau Chief a... more »

Modern School: What Kind of Union Asks for 10 Furlough Days?—UTLA Does

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Modern School: What Kind of Union Asks for 10 Furlough Days?—UTLA Does: What Kind of Union Asks for 10 Furlough Days?—UTLA Does by Michael Dunn There is no question that Los Angeles Unified School District is facing a serious financial crisis. They are millions of dollars in the hole and trying to recoup that money on the backs of teachers. In a particularly audacious attack, they demanded that United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) accept 20 furlough days next year (see 4LAKids Blog), which amount to the loss of nearly a month’s pay or an 8% pay cut. It is easy to appreciate UTLA’... more »

Cullerton threatens retiree benefits in order to prevent a “flood of retirements.” « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Cullerton threatens retiree benefits in order to prevent a “flood of retirements.” « Fred Klonsky: Cullerton threatens retiree benefits in order to prevent a “flood of retirements.” by Fred Klonsky *Democratic Senate President John Cullerton.* If as a retired teacher you think the current pension debate doesn’t impact you an any immediate sense, *think again.* You are so wrong, according to Democratic Senate President John Cullerton. Go to 2:26 of the video. Speaking in this interview on pension reform last Tuesday, Cullerton expresses concern that changes to the

School Tech Connect: Cullerton on Pensions

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Cullerton on Pensions: Cullerton on Pensions by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Via Glen Brown, via Mike Ellberg: Popout The whole "these people aren't even state employees" fits nicely into the anti-teacher sentiment that's been fanned by Arne Duncan, Jonah Edelman, et al. It's all the rage. The individual sign-up thing is interesting, but I'm still pretty confident that it won't "stand up to constitutional pressure" if it's one of these "sign up and we'll continue to send you checks" type of non-deals.

“Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus « Student Activism

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
“Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus « Student Activism: “Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus by Angus Johnston On Monday evening a group of six seniors snuck into their Indiana high school. Armed with stationery supplies and a borrowed key, they proceeded to redecorate the place. Nobody was harmed, no actual damage was done. They just slapped up a few thousand Post-Its. The pranksters included the school’s valedictorian, salutatorian, and senior class president. The key came from the mother of one of the students, who w... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover: Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover by Anngie David Clemens of the National Association of Scholars has a great piece about the new "data driven" culture in education. Like him, I think if I hear one more person tell me that their process is data driven I am going to scream. Data, on it its own, is like the wind for a sailboat. It can be used to move you, but without sophisticated equipment and navigation knowledge it tends to just push you in one random direction. Like the wind, data can be manipulat... more »

L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests - latimes.com: L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests [image: Eyeballs] About two dozen teachers and their students assembled Thursday after school near downtown to demonstrate academic prowess beyond a standardized test score. Preschoolers from MacArthur Park Primary Center, for instance, had prepared watercolors based on Kandinsky. Dahlia Heights fifth- and sixth-graders demonstrated robotic engineering with Legos. And seventh-graders from Julie Van Winkle’s class at Logan Elementary dissected cow eyeballs.... more »

LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law — Los Angeles County Democratic Party

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law — Los Angeles County Democratic Party: LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law May 17, 2012 By clarklee Comments (0) [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] *LOS ANGELES* – Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement reaffirm...more »

Daily Kos: "... we do not have a sustainable society"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Daily Kos: "... we do not have a sustainable society": "... we do not have a sustainable society" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) when too few have too much and too many have too little, we do not have a sustainable society The words are from Bernard Rapoport, known to his friends simply as B. I have been reflecting upon them for the past few days, because of having attended his memorial on Tuesday, about which I wrote yesterday in this post, which I think may be as important as anything I have ever posted here. We are seeing the continued development of an America were too few ... more »

Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings | Thoughts on Public Education: Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The Education Coalition, the organization that represents mainstream education groups, announced its opposition Thursday to Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to require a school district to offer charter schools any building that it decides it no longer needs. The proposal is one of several that the governor included in his May budget ... more »

School Tech Connect: What Can You Do?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
School Tech Connect: What Can You Do?: What Can You Do? by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) From Bob Haisman: What can you do? You don't have to do all - pick one! or two or three! 1. Keep it up! Send another E-mail. Call again. and again and again! 2. Contact five teachers who might be clueless or uninformed or in denial . Convince them, urge them to send an E-Mail! Help them call their legislators. Help them use the ..... "We Are One" ( http://www.weareoneillinois.org/) automated contact system or the IEA system (WWW.IEANEA.ORG)! Legislative staffs are counting the number of ... more »

The Innovative Educator: What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
The Innovative Educator: What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!": What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!" by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) *Guest post by Irene, High School Junior* * My old Language Arts teacher never smiled. She kept the blinds closed to keep the sunlight out. She often professed her raging dislike for the art of writing, yet she droned on class after class on the correct format of an outline. I often entertained thoughts that she was an evil witch who fed upon the souls of children. Therefore, you may imagine that after my expe... more »

hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business” | The G Bitch Spot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business” | The G Bitch Spot: hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business” by G Bitch originally posted May 8, 2009 The more time you spend in school, the more you see the influence of business practices. … The corporate bible *Good to Great *sits on the bookshelf of nearly every principal, and a lot of Stephen Covey gets quoted at education conferences (98). Jim Collins, the author of *Good to Great*, published a monograph after learning that so many educators and other social service providers were relying on his book. In *Good to Great and the Social S... more »

- The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
- The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: How standardized tests are affecting public schools by Valerie Strauss Florida’s standardized testing program is being misused and has “severely impacted student learning,” according to a new white paper that says that school districts in the state are required to give as many as 62 tests a year to some students. Read full article >> Why college tuitions are rising: A contrarian view Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 hours ago This *was written by Gary C. Fethke, professor and former dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at th... more »

Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice” | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice” | Scathing Purple Musings: Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice” by Bob Sikes Influential public school advocacy group Parents Across America weren’t invited to Rep. Duncan Hunter’s House Education and Workforce sub-committee hearing on “Exploring State Success in Expanding Parent and Student Options.” No surprise there. PAA explains why: Yesterday, a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing which was promoted as a discussion on “state efforts to ex... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Jobs for Adults and Teens

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Jobs for Adults and Teens: Jobs for Adults and Teens by Melissa Westbrook From City Year, jobs for adults: It’s an exciting time for City Year Seattle/King County. We are growing, and we are looking for the best talent around to join our team, and we need your help to do so. We are hiring for four different positions: · *Director of Impact,* who will powerfully lead our entire effort and our team in our mission to maximize the number of at-risk kids we bring back on track to graduate. · *Training and Events Senior Manager*, who wi... more »

NYC Educator: Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
NYC Educator: Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom: Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom by NYC Educator Hi, it's me, your old buddy Dennis "Waffles" Walcott. I've just made a tough statement about teachers, because Mayor Bloomberg thinks the way to support our hard-working staff is to let them know we're working on new ways to fire them, and I agree completely. From now on, get two U-ratings and we'll try to remove you from your job, whether or not your principal thinks it's a good idea. This may be tough, since some of our principals give U-ratings for arbitrary and frivolous reasons, ... more »

Naperville teachers rally. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Naperville teachers rally. « Fred Klonsky: Naperville teachers rally. by Fred Klonsky From the speech by Roger Sanders at the Naperville pension rally Thursday. What needs to be done: First, the Governor needs to get off the corporate welfare wagon, and stop giving millions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations. Second, the General Assembly needs to take a critical look at the state’s tax structure. Third. the General Assembly and the Governor need to get real about spending priorities. Fourth, the General Assembly and Governor need to be serious about reforming the culture of ... more »

Parents sign petition against use of FCAT - Schools - MiamiHerald.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Parents sign petition against use of FCAT - Schools - MiamiHerald.com: Parents sign petition against use of FCAT The petition, gaining traction in parts of Florida and around the country, urges education administrators to rely less on standardized tests and use other measures to evaluate students, schools and teachers. Related Content - FCAT writing scores plummet WEB VOTEMiami-Dade commissioners have agreed to lift the no-housing restriction outside the Urban Development Boundary. Is this a good idea? Yes No MORE INFORMATION TO LEARN MORE Find the resolution here BY LA... more »

Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide | OccupyWallSt.org: Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide by OccupyWallSt [image: Chicago Spring Map] via Occupy Chicago: To better empower travelers and Chicagoans new to Occupy Chicago, we are releasing the Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide. This guide: -Provides travelers with information they need when coming into Chicago, such as how to find housing and food resources -Provides protestors details on their legal rights, a bank of information on all the actions of Occupy Chicago's Ten Days of Action, points of contact useful to protestors, and more. -Presents inform... more »

Big Education Ape Nite Cap UPDATE 5-17-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
*UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] Teachers Teach the Test When the Test Tests Teachers by Duke This morning, the Star-Ledger gave me a gift: the perfect reformy op-ed. I say "perfect" because this piece brings together pretty much every ill-informed and poorly conceived argument for using standardized tests as part of a teacher's evaluation into one place. It's like a Rosetta Stone of reforminess. The author, Marcus Winters, is a think-tanky type, but he has some serious credentials. That says to me that this i... more »