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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 1-15-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




Bruce Lesley: 'Our First Task, Caring for Our Children'

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 minutes ago
Bruce Lesley: 'Our First Task, Caring for Our Children': Our First Task, Caring for Our Children' *"This is our first task, caring for our children. It's our first job. If we don't get that right, we don't get anything right. That's how, as a society, we will be judged."* - President Obama at the prayer vigil in Newtown, December 16, 2012 As our nation grieves for the children, the families, the teachers, and the first responders in the tragedy that has befallen Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., many feel utterly helpless or overwhelmed by the complexity of what sho... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. When Growth Isn’t Really Growth Best of the Ed Blogs Matthew Di Carlo January 15, 2013 Denver: So Much Reform. So Little Success. Best of the Ed Blogs Diane Ravitch... more »

Final Thoughts on Expanding Education Opportunity - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
Final Thoughts on Expanding Education Opportunity - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Final Thoughts on Expanding Education Opportunity by Pedro Noguera Dear Deborah, As you know, I am about to take off for a sabbatical leave in South Africa, so I will be away for the next few months and will have to take a break from our correspondence in Bridging Differences. I've enjoyed our exchanges, but I will need to focus my time and energy on the important work occurring in the townships of the Eastern Cape. The Centre for the Community School at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Universi... more »

Parents, teachers, students oppose Crenshaw High restructure plan - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 41 minutes ago
Parents, teachers, students oppose Crenshaw High restructure plan - latimes.com: Parents, teachers, students oppose Crenshaw High restructure plan Parents, students and teachers plan to rally in front of Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters Tuesday in protest of a proposal to restructure low-performing Crenshaw High School. The Board of Education is expected to vote on Supt. John Deasy's plan to close the school next summer and reopen it the following school year in the form of three magnet schools. A couple dozen community members rallied at the school Monday afternoo... more »

Modern School: Pediatricians Call For More Recess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 43 minutes ago
Modern School: Pediatricians Call For More Recess: Pediatricians Call For More Recess by Michael Dunn Recess (Image from Flickr by Sam Pullara) The testing mania that has swept the nation for the past decade has been devastating for children in numerous ways. Testing is stressful for children. It takes away class time from more meaningful content and learning. It undermines creativity, curiosity and critical thinking. It also may be contributing to obesity and other health problems while also impairing cognitive development. In order to increase time in the classroom—a common strat... more »

Blame the Tests « The Core Knowledge Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago
Blame the Tests « The Core Knowledge Blog: Blame the Tests by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. *In Praise of Samuel Messick 1931–1998, Part III* The chief practical impact of NCLB has been its principle of accountability. Adequate progress, the law stated, must be determined by test scores in reading and math. Now, a decade later, the result of the law, as many have complained, has been a narrowing of the school curriculum—with a neglect of the arts and humanities, and even of science and civics, all sacrificed on the altar of tests—and, paradoxically, without any substantial progress nationwide... more »

Paul Vallas: Grow up or get out… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 48 minutes ago
Paul Vallas: Grow up or get out… - Wait, What?: Paul Vallas: Grow up or get out… by jonpelto For the second meeting in a row, Bridgeport Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas stormed out of a Bridgeport Board of Education meeting. Last night, according to the Connecticut Post, “The audience was dwindling. So Vallas and much of his staff got up and left. Vallas said as he left, he wasn’t going to make reports if there was no one there to listen.” Paul Vallas makes $234,000 plus benefits, meaning taxpayers are paying well in excess of a quarter of a million dollars a year for his serv... more »

Shanker Blog » When Growth Isn't Really Growth

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 50 minutes ago
Shanker Blog » When Growth Isn't Really Growth: When Growth Isn’t Really Growth by Matthew Di Carlo Let’s try a super-simple thought experiment with data. Suppose we have an inner-city middle school serving grades 6-8. Students in all three grades take the state exam annually (in this case, we’ll say that it’s at the very beginning of the year). Now, for the sake of this illustration, let’s avail ourselves of the magic of hypotheticals and assume away many of the sources of error that make year-to-year changes in public testing data unreliable. First, we’ll say that this school repo... more »

NYC School Bus Strike: The Impact | Sailling Autistic Seas

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC School Bus Strike: The Impact | Sailling Autistic Seas: NYC School Bus Strike: The ImpactPosted by Miz Kp on Jan 15, 2013 in Blog | 4 comments Every afternoon, Angel’s school bus matron calls to let me know that he will be home in two minutes. She takes the initiative to do this because she knows that his arrival time can vary. I really appreciate this. After Hurricane Sandy, our school bus driver called us the night before schools were scheduled to open to confirm whether Angel would be going to school. I appreciated this also. We have a special relationship with Angel’s schoo... more »

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Failing Report Card

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Failing Report Card: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Failing Report CardMonday, 14 January 2013 14:29By Staff, Center for Economic Policy Research | Report - 22 - font size [image: decrease font size] [image: increase font size] - Print - Email Michelle Rhee gained notoriety as the chancellor of DC's public schools under Adrian Fenty's administration from 2007 to 2011. Her conduct in this position was one of the main reasons he was not re-elected. Among other things, she publicly took pleasure in firing large numbers of t... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-15-13 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] Read Gary Rubinstein’s Open Letters to “Reformers” by dianerav Many people have written to ask for a link to Gary Rubinstein’s “open letters to ‘reform’ leaders.” Those who read them say they are brilliant, and indeed they are. As you may know, Gary was one of the first alums of TFA. He became a career teacher. He teaches mathematics at Stuyvesant High School in New York City. He blogs regularly and whatever he writes is worth reading. He is one of the best informed and reasonable critics of corporate-style... more »

PS The LA Times Has Always Hated Public Schools | California Father

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
PS The LA Times Has Always Hated Public Schools | California Father: [image: California Father] PS The LA Times has Always Hated Public Schools by California Father [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] I am reading Upton Sinclair’s wonderful muckraking book about public education in Los Angeles in the ‘twenties,*The Goslings, a Study of American Schools*. See if any of this sounds familiar (e.g.,teacher bashing by the LA Times, business’ stranglehold on public education): For more check it out on Google. It is the thesis of the business men who run our educational system th... more »

Bien Hecho: Lily Eskelsen - From Lunch Lady to National Education Leader | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Bien Hecho: Lily Eskelsen - From Lunch Lady to National Education Leader | NewsTaco: Bien Hecho: Lily Eskelsen – From Lunch Lady to National Education Leader by Voxxi By Griselda Nevarez, Voxxi Lily Eskelsen went from working in a school cafeteria to becoming a top leader at the nation’s largest advocacy group for public education. [image: LilyEskelsen]She is currently the vice president of the National Education Association and is gearing up to compete for the NEA’s president seat. She will announce her candidacy for president at the group’s annual convention, which will be held in... more »

The Washington Teacher: Mayor Vince Gray = Adrian Fenty on DC School Closures

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Washington Teacher: Mayor Vince Gray = Adrian Fenty on DC School Closures: Mayor Vince Gray = Adrian Fenty on DC School Closures by Candi Peterson By Candi Peterson Ward 8 DC School Board Representative, Trayon White requests that parents, guardians, teachers, students and community members Please Stand With Him and attend a candlelight vigil at the home of DC Mayor Vincent Gray on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 in protest of DC Public Schools closures. Vigil to be held from 6 - 7:30 pm @ 2619 Branch Ave. SE Wash., DC 20020 ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Carrying on Dr. King's great struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Carrying on Dr. King's great struggle: Carrying on Dr. King's great struggle by Mike Klonsky *"... For most of the past decade the field of education has been a battleground in the freedom struggle. It was not fortuitous that education became embroiled in this conflict. Education is one of the vital tools the Negro needs in order to advance. And yet it has been denied him by devises of segregation and manipulations with quality.'* -- Dr. King's acceptance speech upon winning the John Dewey Award in 1964 Today marks the 84th birthday of Dr. Martin Lut... more »

Common Core Standards: arguments against — and for

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Common Core Standards: arguments against — and for: Common Core Standards: arguments against — and for Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 15, 2013 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: common core]In a recent post, Yong Zhao, presidential chair and associate dean for global education at the University of Oregon’s College of Education, asked five key questions about the Common Core State Standards, which are coming to 46 states and the District of Columbia. He concluded: “*The eff... more »

UPDATE: Schools Matter: What decades of research tell us

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schools Matter: What decades of research tell us: Hey, NYTimes: Garfield HS Teachers Made News by Jim Horn From Peter DeWitt's Ed Week Blog: 19 teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington refused to administer the district required Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) to ninth grade students on January 9th. After many years of out of control high stakes testing in the U.S. it was bound to happen sooner or later. It was another example of some strong teachers who are putting the needs of their students first. English teacher Kit McCormick said she "*has no problem with s... more »

Duval Superintendent’s Curious Position on Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Duval Superintendent’s Curious Position on Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings: Duval Superintendent’s Curious Position on Charter Schools by Bob Sikes [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Ron Matus of *redifinED* recently interviewed new Duval school’s superintendent Nikolai Vitti. The former chief academic officer of Dade schools surprised Matus with his position on authorization of charter schools. Vitti also offered a surprising take on who should authorize charter schools. In Florida, only school boards can do so – a situation that charter school... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board of Education Struggles with 1240 Role

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board of Education Struggles with 1240 Role: Board of Education Struggles with 1240 Role by Melissa Westbrook The State Board of Education had a two-day meeting last week in Tumwater to address various issues under their purview. One of them is figuring out their role/duties and the boundaries of both under the newly-passed I-1240 to create charter schools in Washington State. (I was also honored and pleased to meet Jeff Charbonneau, the Washington State Teacher of the Year from Zillah High School. I want to write a separate thread on him and ... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - thepeoplesrecord: Teachers at Seattle school...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
OCCUPY EDUCATION - thepeoplesrecord: Teachers at Seattle school...: thepeoplesrecord: Teachers at Seattle school boycott... thepeoplesrecord: *Teachers at Seattle school boycott standardized tests* *January 13, 2013* Teachers at a Seattle high school, in a rare boycott by educators against a standardized test, are refusing to give students a decades-old reading and math test after the city’s school district decided to factor the exam into the instructors’ evaluations. The 19 teachers at Garfield High School have complained they are unable to adequately prepare

NYC Educator: Teabaggers All

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NYC Educator: Teabaggers All: Teabaggers All by NYC Educator The new line from UFT leadership is that anyone who opposes junk science evaluation, which they helped write into the law, is a Tea Partier. To them, this is code for people who just say no to everything--they are simple-minded, contrarian galoots who speaks only to hear the sound of their own voices, or to create problems for no reason whatsoever. However, by their standard,we are in very good company here. *Diane Ravitch* is a Tea Partier. She's written extensively on why VAM is junk science. Just days ago, she praised... more »

Jersey Jazzman: This Blog Is Subsidized By Your Tax Dollars!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: This Blog Is Subsidized By Your Tax Dollars!: This Blog Is Subsidized By Your Tax Dollars! by Duke It may not be there now, but Success Academies - Eva Moskowitz's famous cream-skimming charter network, beloved by reformies everywhere - *has been putting ads up on this blog*. Eva's schools get their money from huge management fees collected from New York State, millions in grants made possible by tax preferences given for charitable contributions, sweetheart deals involving the use of public property, and, of course, the money that "follows the child" to the charte... more »

The Educated Reporter: Charter Schools Hit Milestone Twenty Years in the Making

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Charter Schools Hit Milestone Twenty Years in the Making: Charter Schools Hit Milestone Twenty Years in the Making by Emily Richmond [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The number of charter schools in the United States has topped 6,000 for the first time since the first independently operated public campus launched 20 years ago. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools points out that the threshold was crossed thanks to the addition of 237 new campuses in five states: California (81); Florida (67); Texas (41); New York (25) a... more »

KICK OFF LAUSD'S BOARD MEMBER MONICA GARCIA- YA BASTA - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
KICK OFF LAUSD'S BOARD MEMBER MONICA GARCIA- YA BASTA - Perdaily.com: KICK OFF LAUSD'S BOARD MEMBER MONICA GARCIA- YA BASTA by Leonard Isenberg [image: Monica Garcia.jpg] *LET'S SPOIL* *Monica García's 2013* Campaign Kick-off Save the Date! Saturday, January 19, 2013 9am-2pm 1260 S. Soto Street #16,Los Angeles, 90023 Please join us as we launch our efforts to condemn Mónica García's attacks on public education BRING PICKET SIGNS This protest event is being sponsored by community activists against privatization of public education for more information: *exposelausd@gmail.com*

Should We Arm School Custodians? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Should We Arm School Custodians? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Should We Arm School Custodians? by Nancy Flanagan A story from early in my first year of teaching, in the 1970s: *A few minutes before the end of last hour, a 7th grader asked if he could use the bathroom. I already knew enough about this kid to know he would leave and not return--so I told him that he could wait, and use the restroom on his way to the bus. After the bell rang, as I was tidying up the room, I noticed an odor reminiscent of the Greyhound station men's room wafting out of the se... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-14-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* One benefit of my musical training by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) just became apparent in a conversation with my brilliant spouse, who told me she could only handle two channels of information at a time. I know I can handle at least four. But then, I grew up playing in string quartets. I have listened to orchestral recordings with a full score since before I was ten. I have conducted *a cappella* choruses. In short, I am used to handling multiple streams of information simultaneously. I can listen to multiple conversations at one tim... more »

SI&A Cabinet Report – Governor’s top school aid named to state board

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: *Governor’s top school aid named to state board* *By Kimberly Beltran* Less than a month after she retired as executive director of the State Board of Education, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday tapped his former top education advisor Sue Burr to fill a vacant seat on the panel that sets state-wide K-12 education policy. It was also expected that Brown would name Burr’s replacement sometime today. Burr retired at the end of December, and just last week, the state board appointed its chief counsel, Judy Cias, to serve as Acting Executive Direc... more »

ACLU blasts proposals to militarize schools with armed police guards | The Raw Story

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
ACLU blasts proposals to militarize schools with armed police guards | The Raw Story: ACLU blasts proposals to militarize schools with armed police guards By Eric W. Dolan Monday, January 14, 2013 19:25 EST [image: Print Friendly] Share on facebookShare on redditShare on diggShare on twitterShare on farkShare on stumbleupon0 [image: Kid in handcuffs (Shutterstock)] Topics: ACLU ♦ american civil liberties union The American Civil Liberties Union has urged Vice President Joe Biden to reject proposals to avert gun violence by placing armed police guards in schools. “Past experience ... more »

Pass / Fail : Parents plan protest of Deasy's plans for Crenshaw High School | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Pass / Fail : Parents plan protest of Deasy's plans for Crenshaw High School | 89.3 KPCC: Parents plan protest of Deasy's plans for Crenshaw High School by Vanessa Romo [image: School Shooting]*Credit: Nick Ut/AP* After months of uncertainty, the future of Crenshaw High School will likely be decided at Tuesday's monthly L.A. Unified school board meeting. The board will vote on whether to approve Superintendent John Deasy’s plan to convert the high school into three separate magnet schools or allow it to continue operating under the Extended Learning Cultural Model. If it passes, i... more »

Oregon Save Our Schools: The Lost Children of the 21st Century

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Oregon Save Our Schools: The Lost Children of the 21st Century: The Lost Children of the 21st Century by Kris Alman *by Kris Alman* * * * * [image: Oregon SOS] * * *In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable and help to change it. *Ernst Fischer Portland is a haven for artists who express themselves through the tools of their trade. Sue Mach is a rare breed.An award-winning playwright, Mach translates the narrative of our time into two theatrical premiers,... more »

Torlakson Congratulates SBE Appointees - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Torlakson Congratulates SBE Appointees - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates State Board of Education Appointees SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated Ilene W. Straus, Sue Burr, and Nicolasa Sandoval on their appointments to the California State Board of Education by Governor Jerry Brown: "I'm extremely pleased that California will continue to be guided by these outstanding policymakers," Torlakson said. "Board member Straus has shown tremendous leadership. I've also had the pleasure of... more »

Joy Resmovits: Arne Duncan To Stay On As Education Secretary For Obama Second Term, AP Follows Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Arne Duncan To Stay On As Education Secretary For Obama Second Term, AP Follows Report: Arne Duncan To Stay On As Education Secretary For Obama Second Term, AP Follows Report by Joy Resmovits A few minutes ago, a wire story was filed quoting an official speaking "on the condition of anonymity because a public announcement has not been made." The official apparently whispered into the ear of the reporter that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan would be sticking around for President Barack Obama's second term. Color us puzzled. Such type of blind sourcing isn'... more »

Teacher stomps U.S. flag to make a point about role of symbols. Should it cost him his job? | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Teacher stomps U.S. flag to make a point about role of symbols. Should it cost him his job? | Get Schooled: Teacher stomps U.S. flag to make a point about role of symbols. Should it cost him his job? by Maureen Downey [image: A teacher took a flag down and stomped it in class to make a point about the role of symbols. He may lose his job as a result. (AP Images.)] If this teacher was aiming to make a vivid and lasting impression, he did. But he may well lose his job as a result. In December, Scott Compton, an honors English teacher at Chapin High in Chapin, South Carolina, was tryi... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: An end to hand-wringing on violence. Stop school closings!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: An end to hand-wringing on violence. Stop school closings!: An end to hand-wringing on violence. Stop school closings! by Mike Klonsky *"It is staggering. This continues to haunt me." *-- Arne Duncan*Michell McNeil'*s EdWeek piece, "Chicago Years Inform Ed. Secretary's Views on Gun Violence", portrays Ed Sec. *Arne Duncan* as a man deeply and personally affected by the Newtown shootings as well as by the epidemic of gun violence sweeping his hometown of Chicago. And knowing Arne, I'm sure he is. *As schools chief in Chicago from 2001 to 2008, he was a... more »

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: The Gulen Movement in Azerbaijan & a quid pro quo?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: The Gulen Movement in Azerbaijan & a quid pro quo?: The Gulen Movement in Azerbaijan & a quid pro quo? by The Perimeter Primate It requires an ongoing effort to even minimally understand the Gulen movement, the secretive and controversial religious group which operates the largest charter school network in the United States. Details about this group's structure, recruitment and control of members, were recently presented by Fuad Aliyev in “The Gulen Movement in Azerbaijan”(12/27/2012). His article appeared in *Current Trends in Islamist Ideology*, a publicat... more »

LAUSD Superintendent Deasy warns suspending standardized tests would hurt at-risk students - LA Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
LAUSD Superintendent Deasy warns suspending standardized tests would hurt at-risk students - LA Daily News: LAUSD Superintendent Deasy warns suspending standardized tests would hurt at-risk students by By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy has fired off a letter to the California schools chief, protesting plans to suspend many standardized exams next year while the state develops a new system of computer-based tests. In a two-page letter dated Friday to Superintendent Tom Torlakson, Deasy said the recommendation to drop English and math tests... more »

This is why… | Connected Principals

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
This is why… | Connected Principals: This is why… by Amber Teamann [image: IMG_1191] Spring time in Texas will test your mettle like no other season. It’s the time of year where people start wondering why we do this thing we call education for. Is it for the testing pressure? Is it for the frustrated parents? Is it for the “what if’s” of the upcoming budget cuts/election/personnel changes? I have a good friend who I walk with in the evenings. During a walk at a particularly trying time, I made the confession that in all my 10 years in education I’d never doubted my career path…bu... more »

Mother Crusader: Big Money Leads To Big Fight At East Brunswick Hebrew Charter

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Mother Crusader: Big Money Leads To Big Fight At East Brunswick Hebrew Charter: Big Money Leads To Big Fight At East Brunswick Hebrew Charter by darciecima It was almost a year ago that my fellow Highland Park residents and I were able to successfully derail the application for the Tikun Olam Hebrew Language Charter High School. Diane Ravitch wrote a post today titled*Do Affluent White Neighborhoods Need Charter Schools?* in which she very matter-of-factly states: There is a charter school for rich white kids in Los Altos (the Bullis School), the Metro Nashville school board ha... more »

Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody | toteachornototeach: Principal, Under Fire For Showing Students ‘Terminator’ Parody by aristotlethewise *Erik Naumann, Everett High School Principal, * *Under Fire For Showing Students Violent ‘Terminator’ Video* [image: terminator_2] Erik Naumann, Everett High School Principal’s attempt to get tough on students by creating a parody of the film “Terminator 2 – Judgment Day” is under fire by parents and public school officials. Apparently, his attempt at being creative is being seen as poor judgment on his part. Consideri... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Joel Klein: As Excellent As He Says He Is? Part IV

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Joel Klein: As Excellent As He Says He Is? Part IV: Joel Klein: As Excellent As He Says He Is? Part IV by Duke *Rochester could turn things around if they buy my software!* *Joel Klein is one of America's foremost proponents of corporate education "reform." He asserts that public education is in such a crisis that it constitutes a national security threat - a threat that can be dealt with by buying technology from the firm he runs for Rupert Murdoch, Amplify. He also believes that the "reforms" he and Mayor Michael Bloomberg instituted in New York City - including... more »

A webinar with Fair Test Monty Neill, United Opt Out’s Tim Slekar and Shaun Johnson with special guest Garfield High School teacher Jesse Hagopian on high stakes testing and opting out | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
A webinar with Fair Test Monty Neill, United Opt Out’s Tim Slekar and Shaun Johnson with special guest Garfield High School teacher Jesse Hagopian on high stakes testing and opting out | Seattle Education: A webinar with Fair Test Monty Neill, United Opt Out’s Tim Slekar and Shaun Johnson with special guest Garfield High School teacher Jesse Hagopian on high stakes testing and opting out by seattleducation2011 [image: test2] The term “high stakes testing” refers to standardized tests that are taken by students and used to evaluate a teacher and/or principal’s performance or that o... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: NJ Charter School Draws Ire of Local Residents by dianerav Mother Crusader is angry again. Despite the success of parents in keeping a Hebrew charter school from opening in Highland Park, one opened in East Brunswick called the Hatikvah International Academy Charter School. Since there was not enough demand in East Brunswick for the school, it draws students from 17 other districts, including Highland Park, which previously rejected a charter. What is striking here is that the new charter is enrolling students who never attended public schools, but the publi... more »

Common Core State Standards - Special Education (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Common Core State Standards - Special Education (CA Dept of Education): Common Core State Standards Resources and guidelines on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for the Special Education Community. ------------------------------ Educational standards describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade. In California, the State Board of Education decides on the standards for all students, from kindergarten through high school. Since 2010, 45 states have adopted the same standards for English and math. These standards are called the Common Core S... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook *Monday, January 14th* Opening day for the Washington State Legislature. Here's where the rubber meets the road on education. For those legislators who don't want to raise taxes, *tell us what you would cut elsewhere. * For those legislators who say we don't need more money for public education, * tell us how you would spend the current dollars better. What would you cut and/or what would you add?* (I'm pretty sure the "private sector could do it better and cheaper" will... more »

Schools Matter: FairTest Urges Nation to Join Seattle in Testing Boycott

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Schools Matter: FairTest Urges Nation to Join Seattle in Testing Boycott: FairTest Urges Nation to Join Seattle in Testing Boycott by Jim Horn NationalCenterfor Fair & Open Testing for further information: Dr. Monty Neill(617) 477-9792 Bob Schaeffer(239) 395-6773 for immediate release Monday, January 14, 2013 *NATIONAL ASSESSMENT REFORM LEADERS ENDORSE * *SEATTLE TEACHERS' SCHOOL TEST BOYCOTT;* *CALL FOR MORE EDUCATORS, PARENTS TO "JOIN IN"* The country's leading testing reform organization today announced its support for the boycott of Seattle Public Schools' Measures of Acad... more »

U-Can ‘Unity Breakfast’ Fundraiser Announced

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
U-Can ‘Unity Breakfast’ Fundraiser Announced: U-Can ‘Unity Breakfast’ Fundraiser Announced January 14, 2013 by Observer Staff Leave a Comment [image: Email] inShare [image: Alan Rowe.86]SACRAMENTO – It takes a village. An area group is helping raise money for local African American students looking to pursue higher education. District 2 Unity in the Community hosts a Unity Breakfast on Saturday, January 19. The event is a fundraiser for the United College Action Network, run by Dr. Alan Rowe. The program, known largely by its acronym, U-CAN, helps students gain exposure to and enrol... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Should Garfield's Teachers Do?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Should Garfield's Teachers Do?: What Should Garfield's Teachers Do? by Melissa Westbrook Superintendent Banda has come out with the district's response to the Garfield teachers' ringing rejection of giving the MAP test. Basically, it's "we're going to talk about issue this spring; you must continue giving the test now." Before the issue was raised by our teachers at Garfield High School, the School Board had already asked for a thorough review of our how we assess student learning, including MAP testing. During an annual report to the Bo... more »

Joy Resmovits: No Labels Reveals 'Problem Solver' Caucus -- But Where Are The Education Legislators?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: No Labels Reveals 'Problem Solver' Caucus -- But Where Are The Education Legislators?: No Labels Reveals 'Problem Solver' Caucus -- But Where Are The Education Legislators? by Joy Resmovits One upon a time, education was known as a bipartisan issue in Congress. The passage of No Child Left Behind, for example, was heralded by Democrats like Ted Kennedy and George Miller, as well as Republicans like John Boehner and former President George W. Bush. That fact was the cause of much nostalgia during the most recent round of No Child Left Behind reauthorization talks -... more »

UPDATE: My Nekritz moment. and Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky: Pat Quinn on Chicago Tonight tonight. Email Carol Marin with a question. by Fred Klonsky Hey pension advocates. Governor Pat “Squeezy” Quinn is on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight. Tonight. This Tweet from Carol Marin: *Carol Marin (@CarolMarin)* 1/14/13, 2:04 PM What should I ask Governor Pat Quinn? He’ll be live on Chicago Tonight@7P! Tony at the Red Line Tap. by Fred Klonsky [image: tonyattheredline] “Got any of that oak aged from Two Brothers?” Marty nodded. “Just got some in,” she mumbled. “I think she’s tired this morning,” said Tony. “Up watc... more »

Part 5: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: The Push Back | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Part 5: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: The Push Back | Seattle Education: Part 5: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: The Push Back by seattleducation2011 *The Push Back: Opting Out* [image: boycott] Parents, teachers, principals, school board members and education administrators are beginning to understand that this excessive focus on testing has hurt their schools and their students. In Seattle, for example, the MAP test is administered twice each school year with the choice for the student to be tested a third time. There is also the statewide Measurement of Student Progres... more »

Hassib Muhammad – Greening Forward bringing youth voices to environmental activism Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Student Voice: Hassib Muhammad – Greening Forward bringing youth voices to environmental activism by admin A couple of weeks ago, I came home from the worst day of practice ever. I was dizzy and dehydrated. My body was sore and had bruises all over. And to top it all off, I had an AP Chemistry test the next day. It made me never want to go back to Math Team practice again. What! Are you kidding me? Great. So naturally, I bolted into my room and did what any productive teenager would do – procrastinate. I found myself flipping through the TV channels. One after another after anot... more »

Four More Years? | The Forum for Education and Democracy

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Four More Years? | The Forum for Education and Democracy: Four More Years? January 14, 2013 - George Wood About this time four years ago I was on my way to Washington to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama. I was looking forward to his administration, hoping that having Linda Darling-Hammond as the leader of his education transition team meant good things for public schools. I have to say I have been disappointed. While there have been some good things, there has been much to puzzle over. I wonder why there has been so much support for Teach for America and so little support ... more »

If We Don't Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
If We Don't Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Bryan Goodwin]If We Don’t Have Time to Do the Standards Right, When Will We Have Time to Do Them Over? January 14, 2013 by Bryan Goodwin As 46 states move to adopt Common Core State Standards, the opportunity may never be better to rethink not only standards themselves, but also how we get students interested in learning. Let's face it. We haven't always done a good job getting kids interested in learning. Studies suggest that the longer stud... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: Upcoming TSJ Events

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Teachers For Social Justice: Upcoming TSJ Events: Upcoming TSJ Events JANUARY 14, 2013 LEAVE A COMMENT Teachers for Social Justice and CORE will be having two joint events in the coming month, both related to the work of Lois Weiner. The first will be a discussion of Weiner's new book, The Future of Our Schools: Teachers Unions and Social Justice. This is an important, short, very readable book. You can buy it from Haymarket Books, (they'll send right out), or email here. We will be discussing Part 1, pp. 3-81, and Chapter 12. Here are details and a link to RSVP: TSJ/CORE Book Di... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. The Next Generation Science Standards: In the Service of the STEM Imperative or Students? Best of the Ed Blogs Jack Hassard January 14, 2013 Teacher Quality Mania: ... more »

The Quick and the Ed » A Comprehensive Review of the MET Project

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
The Quick and the Ed » A Comprehensive Review of the MET Project: A Comprehensive Review of the MET Project by Chad Aldeman On Tuesday the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) Project released its third and final series of reports. The media has reported the main findings: that we can measure and predict effective teaching. And, because the MET Project randomly assigned students to teachers, we can say that there is causality in this relationship, that teachers with high value-added scores in one year *caused* student achievement to rise in the following year. But the reports als... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, January 14, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Fensterwald: California drops to 49th in school spending in annual Ed Week report* Education Headlines *Monday, January 14, 2013* School administrators being 'hyper-vigilant' after Taft shootingOne is erecting extra fences to control access to schools. Another is rethinking what kinds of locks to put on classroom doors. They're all reviewing and emphasizing the importance of safety procedures. Kern teacher pay up, but below state averageKern County teachers earned less than the average salary for their profession statewide last... more »

Modern School: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi—Father of Modern Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Modern School: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi—Father of Modern Education: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi—Father of Modern Education by Michael Dunn Pestalozzi by Francesco Ramos (late 18th-early 19th century, Prado) {{PD-US }} Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (January 12, 1746—February 17, 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and education reformer who believed that every individual had the ability to learn and the right to an education. He was also a strong believer in personal liberty and an advocate for the poor. Many of the principles of modern pedagogy have their roots in Pestalozzi’s philosophy and ... more »

Joy Resmovits: Nevada Gov. Seeks Merit Pay, Wyoming Drama: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Joy Resmovits: Nevada Gov. Seeks Merit Pay, Wyoming Drama: Ed Today: Nevada Gov. Seeks Merit Pay, Wyoming Drama: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Ed Reform In Nevada?* Gov. Brian Sandoval is putting the final touches on his Wednesday State of the State speech, and according to the Las Vegas Review Journal, education will factor high. Merit pay -- a plan in which teachers are paid partially in accordance with their students' test scores -- is looking good to him. "There is money in the budget to ensure we have a fair system by which we're going to measure the performance of teachers," S... more »

Time for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee to probe test tampering - Class Struggle - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Time for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee to probe test tampering - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: Time for Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee to probe test tampering By Jay Mathews Why do I still have hopes for Michelle Rhee, the leading symbol of education reform in America? It’s because of a call from her two years ago telling me she had said something stupid. In March 2011, USA Today reported startling numbers of wrong-to-right erasures on the annual D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System tests in the three years Rhee served as D.C. schools chancellor. The evidence sugges... more »





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