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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 1-16-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




Tucker Takes Zhao in Just One Round « The Core Knowledge Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago
Tucker Takes Zhao in Just One Round « The Core Knowledge Blog: Tucker Takes Zhao in Just One Round by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. Tucker Takes Zhao in Just One Roundby E. D. Hirsch, Jr. *January 16th, 2013* Tags: Common Core State Standards, Marc Tucker Posted in Education Theory, Educational Policy | No Comments » High praise for Marc Tucker’s thoughtful response to Yong Zhao’s well-meaning, but terribly misguided, critique of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Since I’ve decided to judge this boxing match, I’m calling a TKO. Tucker won round one so easily that it would be dangerous for ...more »



Louisiana Educator: Privatizing counseling services?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 36 minutes ago
Louisiana Educator: Privatizing counseling services?: Privatizing counseling services? by Michael Deshotels Jindal & White want to *empower* local school boards to privatize counseling services and library services. The changes in Bulletin 741 proposed by White would have made professional counselors and librarians optional for local school systems and will eliminate the need for public schools to be accredited by outside accrediting agencies such as the Southern Association. It would seem that these two issues are not related but I think they are. You see, accrediting agencies ... more »

A Few Thoughts on MET :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 52 minutes ago
A Few Thoughts on MET :: Frederick M. Hess: A Few Thoughts on MET *by Frederick M. Hess • Jan 16, 2013 at 9:37 am Cross-posted from Education Week* I've been preoccupied the past few weeks while the Gates Foundation issued its big, final Measures of Effective Teaching report. A lot has already been said summarizing and discussing the findings. No need for me rehash all that. Instead, thought I'd just take a moment to offer three thoughts on the whole thing. First, as much fun as it is to pick on Gates, I found MET a pretty exemplary case of strategic foundation investment in scho... more »

Joy Resmovits: Texas Zeroes Out Standardized Testing, Can Tablets Replace Textbooks? Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 54 minutes ago
Joy Resmovits: Texas Zeroes Out Standardized Testing, Can Tablets Replace Textbooks? Ed Today: Texas Zeroes Out Standardized Testing, Can Tablets Replace Textbooks? Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Less Texas Testing?* As Texas prepares its budget, lawmakers in the Lone Star State are trying to make a statement on standardized testing. Currently, KUT News notes, testing is "zeroed out" in the House budget. That means it's still in there, just followed by a bunch of zeroes. "We want to start the conversation on testing," House Budget writer and Republican state representative Jim Pitts...more »

Your Privatization Score Card - 2013 Charter Law Ranking Chart

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 56 minutes ago
2013 Charter Law Ranking Chart:

Modern School: California Flunks Rhee’s Reform Ratings—Badge of Honor?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Modern School: California Flunks Rhee’s Reform Ratings—Badge of Honor?: California Flunks Rhee’s Reform Ratings—Badge of Honor? by Michael Dunn Image adapted from Flickr image by Calsidyrose Michelle Rhee’s Students First advocacy group issued its ratings of state reform efforts last week. California was ranked 41st nationally, with an overall score of F, according to the Los Angeles Times. According to Students First, California has been asleep at the wheel with respect to the “reforms,” failing to limit teacher tenure and require student test scores to evaluate teachers. Richard... more »

Jersey Jazzman: It's Always Good To Be Chris Cerf's Friend!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Jersey Jazzman: It's Always Good To Be Chris Cerf's Friend!: It's Always Good To Be Chris Cerf's Friend! by Duke NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf has a history of taking care of his buddies. He got fellow Broad Superintendents Book Club Academy alumnus Marcia Lyles her job in Jersey City, complete with company car and a hefty relocation bonus. Another fellow Broadie, Mike Myles, was pulling down big bucks as a consultant in Paterson. Broadie Penny MacCormack was getting $1,000 a day as an NJDOE consultant before she was confirmed. Cerf's old pal from NYC and Edison, Joel Ros... more »

CP: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee on Charters, Vouchers and StudentsFirst as a Political Player | Pith in the Wind

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
CP: Michelle Rhee on Charters, Vouchers and StudentsFirst as a Political Player | Pith in the Wind: *CP*: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee on Charters, Vouchers and StudentsFirst as a Political PlayerPOSTED BY STEVEN HALE ON MON, JAN 14, 2013 AT 2:55 PM Over at *The City Paper*, Andrea Zelinski sits down with former Washington, D.C., schools chancellor and StudentsFirst leader Michelle Rhee. Rhee has been a major player in the national education debate for several years, and more recently she has gotten particularly involved in Tennessee, where she is a part-time resident. (Als... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-16-13 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] NC Teacher: This Is How Democracy Ends by dianerav Kris Neilsen wrote an amazing post (“NC Teacher: I Quit“) a few months back, which was opened by 150,000 people, at a minimum. He continues to teach and to write. He has recently written a series called “This Is How Democracy Ends.” In this post, he expresses his profound opposition to the Common Core State Standards. He believes that the corporate reform movement has foisted the Common Core standards on the schools, with Maine Charter School Commission: ... more »

Wall Street Behind Charter School Push | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Wall Street Behind Charter School Push | toteachornototeach: Wall Street Behind Charter School Push by aristotlethewise [image: 4405267323_e29c8d4a7d_o]*Wall Street Behind Charter School Push* by Jason Stanford About a quarter of the kids in the San Antonio Independent School District attend charter schools. Most are the low-income, minority students we think about when we imagine providing innovative opportunities for kids stuck in failing public schools in bad neighborhoods. For a long time, school reform has targeted only kids from poor families. You know, the lucky ones who get ... more »

Daily Kos: So you know what is at stake in Virginia

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: So you know what is at stake in Virginia: So you know what is at stake in Virginia by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) We now know the lay of the land. The only candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor will be Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. The Democratic nominee will be former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe. Many already know about Cuccinelli's extreme positions on abortion, his attempts to oppose scientific research into global climate change, and so on. Perhaps it is time to take a look at who is supporting him financially. This Huffington Post pice provides s... more »

The Innovative Educator: This is how Democracy Ends Part II: Dispelling 6 Common Myths of the #CCSS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
The Innovative Educator: This is how Democracy Ends Part II: Dispelling 6 Common Myths of the #CCSS: This is how Democracy Ends Part II: Dispelling 6 Common Myths of the #CCSS by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) By Kris Nielsen. Originally posted at Middle Grades Mastery. *This is the second installment in the This is How Democracy Ends series. Part one is here. This is How Democracy Ends–Part II –Reality Check–will give an abbreviated version of why the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is worse than we think and why it has been pushed so hard on states, district... more »

Online education: a leg up for high school kids? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Online education: a leg up for high school kids? - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: Online education: a leg up for high school kids? By Katy Murphy Tuesday, January 15th, 2013 at 3:36 pm in Uncategorized. [image: 20130115__sjsuonline~2_300] *photo by Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group* I’ve been at San Jose State today, learning about an online education experiment that could affect high school and college students – and would-be college students – alike. The latest idea is to offer three entry-level or remedial courses online, for CSU credit, at $150 each. S... more »

Pop quiz on standardized testing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Pop quiz on standardized testing: Pop quiz on standardized testing Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 16, 2013 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - *[image: test1]Here’s a short quiz on the latest developments in the world of standardized testing, written by Lisa Guisbond of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, also *known as FairTest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the abuse and misuse of standardized tests. By Lisa Guisbond If you are surprised at the surge of support for S... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: The up and down sides of privatization

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: The up and down sides of privatization: The up and down sides of privatization by Mike Klonsky *“If what gets measured is what gets managed, then what gets managed is what gets done.”* -- From, "The Org: The Underlying Logic of the Office," by Fishman and Ellis. There are instances in which privatization can help achieve broad social goals, writes Eduardo Porter in today's NYT, "When Public Outperforms Private in Services", but while profit is one of the most potent incentives known to man — it also has dangerous drawbacks. Drawing on Fishman &... more »

Rick Scott’s Not Fooling Florida Educators | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Rick Scott’s Not Fooling Florida Educators | Scathing Purple Musings: Rick Scott’s Not Fooling Florida Educators by Bob Sikes *Tampa Bay Times *columnist Steve Bousquet was in the audience when Governor Rick Scott addressed a group of school administrators and he recognized the air skepticism: “Education changed my life,” Gov. Rick Scott said Monday. His young life, yes. His political life? Not yet. Two years in junior college led Scott to the Navy, then a four-year degree on the GI Bill and a law degree led to success in business. “Education was the ticket,” Scott told 200 members... more »

NYC Educator: Inside the Top Secret UFT Evaluation Committee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
NYC Educator: Inside the Top Secret UFT Evaluation Committee: Inside the Top Secret UFT Evaluation Committee by NYC Educator We have come into possession of this top-secret recording and transcribed it for you below. *Please come to order. Thank you. Do I hear a motion to approve the minutes? * * **So moved.* * **Second.* * **All in favor? Opposed? The minutes are approved. Please place them in the shredder, Mike Shulman.* *I'm Mike Shulman, dammit! Mike Shulman used to be vice-president of UFT!* *Thank you for sharing that, Mike. Are there any opening comments? * * **How can we use... more »

Florida – Fund Education !! – Call To Action -> Phone List #CallToday ! « Continuing Change

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Florida – Fund Education !! – Call To Action -> Phone List #CallToday ! « Continuing Change: Florida – Fund Education !! – Call To Action -> Phone List #CallToday ! by gatorbonbc *The House Education Appropriations Subcommittee meets today (1/16) at 9 am. Please call them and give this message:* I am a registered voter in Florida and I respectfully request you fund education in accordance with the Constitution of the State of Florida! *K-12 Subcommittee Chair *** - *Adkins, Janet H.* R (850) 717-5011* ***K-12 Subcommittee Vice Chair *** - *Renuart, Ronald “Doc”** R (8... more »

Privatization: The Black & White of Education in Chicago's Public Schools Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *Privatization: The Black & White of Education in Chicago's Public Schools * *Black & White of Chicago Ed* *FROM http://www.ctunet.com...* The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) released on December 1st 2012 a report on the “underutilization crisis” in the Chicago Public Schools system, a crisis that has been manufactured largely to justify the replacement of neighborhood schools by privatized charters. The study, titled *The Black and White of Education in Chicago’s Public Schools*, analyzes the mechanisms and effects o... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-15-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* LAUSD's Crenshaw High to become three magnet schools Vanessa Romo | January 15th, 2013, 8:14pm [image: Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy sp] AFP/AFP/Getty Images Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy, seen here in a file photo, told Crenshaw parents "the quality of instruction is not what it needs to be.” LA Unified voted Tuesday to revamp Crenshaw High School – one of the worst performing schools in the district. But the plan has some parents and teachers up in arms. Crenshaw’s 1,500 students will be split into three separate magnet ... more »

Poorly Supported Assertions Undermine Report on ‘High-Achieving, High-Poverty Schools’

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Poorly Supported Assertions Undermine Report on ‘High-Achieving, High-Poverty Schools’: Poorly Supported Assertions Undermine Report on ‘High-Achieving, High-Poverty Schools’ by Server Poorly Supported Assertions Undermine Report on ‘High-Achieving, High-Poverty Schools’ *Review of Failure Is Not an Option* *Contact: * Mark Paige, (508) 910-9037, mpaige@umassd.edu William J. Mathis, (802) 383-0058, wmathis@sover.net URL for this press release: http://tinyurl.com/akgwcur BOULDER, CO (January 15, 2013) – A recent report attempts to identify common attributes of successful schoo... more »

H.R.209: To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom... OpenCongress

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
H.R.209: To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom... OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.209 To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom paraprofessionals in order to improve educational achievement for children. To authorize the appropriation of funds to be used to recruit, hire, and train 100,000 new classroom paraprofessionals in order to improve educational achievement for children. Bill Introduced: H.R.86 Cybersecurity Education Enhancement Act of 2013 To autho... more »

If Every Other Word Out Of Your Mouth Is “Common Core”, You’re The Problem | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
If Every Other Word Out Of Your Mouth Is “Common Core”, You’re The Problem | The Jose Vilson: If Every Other Word Out Of Your Mouth Is “Common Core”, You’re The Problem by Jose Vilson [image: Oh come on now! Really, Kentucky? REALLY?!]Oh come on now! Really, Kentucky? REALLY?! Do me a favor and stop it. Just stop it, you. Yes, you. You’re ridiculous now. Every other word out of your mouth is “Common Core.” That’s enough out of you. I’m all for people having a voice, a seat at the table, and entitlements to opinions and such, but you’re not going to sit there and use the words “Comm... more »

New Board Executive Director Appointed - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
New Board Executive Director Appointed - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates Governor's Nominee to State Board of Education Executive Director Post SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated Karen Stapf Walters on her nomination by Governor Jerry Brown to the position of Executive Director of the California State Board of Education: "It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Karen Stapf Walters on her nomination to direct the Board of Education," Torlakson said. "For many years, she has been... more »

Daily Kos: Why Not Ask Teachers How They Would Improve Our Schools?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Daily Kos: Why Not Ask Teachers How They Would Improve Our Schools?: Why Not Ask Teachers How They Would Improve Our Schools? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) *crossposted from Our Future*. We were sitting in a Starbucks in Arlington, Va. It was our first meeting. Previously, Iowa governor Tom Vilsack and I had talked by phone and exchanged blog posts on education. His campaign staff had reached out to a number of educational bloggers, as he was seriously considering running for president and thought education was a good issue for him. Since he was going to be in my neighborhood, ... more »

Contact Mayor Bloomberg today at 1-888-833-7428. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Contact Mayor Bloomberg today at 1-888-833-7428. « Fred Klonsky: Contact Mayor Bloomberg today at 1-888-833-7428. by Fred Klonsky Popout

Jersey Jazzman: Charter Schools: The Best Way To Destroy Your Community

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Charter Schools: The Best Way To Destroy Your Community: Charter Schools: The Best Way To Destroy Your Community by Duke [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] There is a heck of a fight brewing in East Brunswick, NJ, over a "Hebrew immersion" charter that wants to move to an industrialized zone some residents say is inappropriate for a school. The school, Hatikvah, was granted a variance by the local zoning board, but that was overturned by the township council. Supporters of the school say the fight isn't really about zoning; it's about wheth... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates and Events

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates and Events: Updates and Events by Melissa Westbrook In what is an interesting coincidence of stories, I learned today that Rainier Beach High School, after three long years of work, is on the cusp of receiving their endorsement to be in IB school. Good for them. That now makes three Seattle public high schools with IB; Ingraham, Chief Sealth and RBHS. What is the coincidence is that tonight, at 7 p.m., the Lakewood/Seward Park Community Club is having a forum about education featuring discussions of the RBHS IB program and charter scho... more »

Diane in the Evening 1-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Philly Youth Do Zombie Flash Dance to Protest Closings by dianerav Members of the Philadelphia Student Union performed a Zombie flash dance in front of school district headquarters to protest school closings. The district leadership insists it needs to save money by closing Matt Damon and Nancy Carlsson-Paige to Garfield Teachers! by dianerav This is a personal message from actor Matt Damon and early childhood educator Nancy Carlsson-Paige, addressed to the teachers of Garfield High: *We are writing to support all of the teachers at Garfield High School. ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: An assault weapons ban for Arne's Army?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: An assault weapons ban for Arne's Army?: An assault weapons ban for Arne's Army? by Mike Klonsky Arne bought 27 of these military-order, Remington Model, 870 police 12/14P Mod GRWC XS4 KXCS SF. RAMAC #24587 GAUGE: 12 BARREL: 14" - Parkerized choke: modified sights: Ghost ring rear, WILSON COMBAT shotguns in 2010.*Arne Duncan* using his bully pulpit to call for an assault weapons is a hopeful sign. For one thing, while he's busy rallying the gun-control troops, he's got no time to think of new ways to close neighborhood schools, or to fire teachers in ... more »

The Missing Memo | Taking Note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
The Missing Memo | Taking Note: The Missing Memo by John Merrow What follows is the story of a missing memo, numerous attempts to unearth it using the Freedom of Information Act, confidential sources, apparently lost email, and new questions about Michelle Rhee’s decision not to investigate widespread erasures on an important standardized test during her first year in Washington, DC. Readers of this blog know that our Frontline film, “The Education of Michelle Rhee,” has stirred up the conversation about Chancellor Rhee’s tenure in Washington, DC. Debate continues about the ‘wr... more »

Remembering Dr. King on his birthday. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Remembering Dr. King on his birthday. « Fred Klonsky: Remembering Dr. King on his birthday. by Fred Klonsky My latest retirement project is volunteer teaching ukulele to a mixed kindergarten and first grade class at a public school in Chicago’s Little Village. Once a week on a Monday for about an hour. More fun than anything else. I’m an art teacher, not a music teacher. But I know kindergarten and first grade. I taught those kids for nearly three decades. We take small steps: Which direction the neck of the uke goes. Strumming in a pattern together. I bought a pack of little color... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 1-15-13: Plan for today and plan ahead

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 1-15-13: Plan for today and plan ahead: PSAT for 1-15-13: Plan for today and plan ahead by admin *Plan for today:* In honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Kuther King, Jr..s birthday, please join the Journey to Justice 2 webinar featuring colleagues Jitu Brown of KOCO, Karran Harper Royal of Parents Across America, and NYC organizer Zakiyah Ansari. Tuesday, January 15, 2013 8:30 PM Eastern Time [ET]. Register here. A growing alliance of Grass-roots Community, Youth and Parent driven organizations successfully petitioned the... more »

Daily Kos: What Do International Tests Really Show About U. S. Student Performance?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Daily Kos: What Do International Tests Really Show About U. S. Student Performance?: What Do International Tests Really Show About U. S. Student Performance? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) That is the title of this report, being released at Noon today by the Economic Policy Institute and co-authored by Martin Carnoy and Richard Rothstein. I was allowed to see an embargoed version of the report ahead of the official release in order to draft this post about it - I will be teaching when the embargo is lifted, and this is scheduled to go live automatically. I asked to see the repo... more »

The Liftin’ O’ the Cap | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
The Liftin’ O’ the Cap | EduShyster: The Liftin’ O’ the Cap by edushyster2012 The storied halls of Beacon Hill will soon be filled with little lobbyists, demanding the lifting o’ the charter school cap. That nip o’ green in the air can only mean one thing lasses and lassies. It’s that time of year again, in which the masses rise up to demand an end to the artificial constraints on excellence and innovation, other wise known as the charter school cap. Perhaps in your state this annual celebration of obfuscation wears a different label—the Texan tip’ o’ the 10 gallon? The NYC fedora ... more »

New study says U.S. peers are not lagging international peers. Data “misleading and exaggerated.” | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
New study says U.S. peers are not lagging international peers. Data “misleading and exaggerated.” | Get Schooled: New study says U.S. peers are not lagging international peers. Data “misleading and exaggerated.” by Maureen Downey I am listening to a media call on this new report by the Stanford Graduate School of Education and the Economic Policy Institute. On the call, Richard Rothstein, a research associate at the Economic Policy Institute, calls the use of international test data to vilify U.S. student performance has been “misleading and exaggerated.” He and Martin Carnoy, a p... more »

Deellan Kashani – Standardized Tests vs. Deellan Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Student Voice: Deellan Kashani – Standardized Tests vs. Deellan by admin The key to doing well on tests is knowing what you’re being asked. This was the mantra of my middle school humanities teacher. “Know what you are being asked.” What the fuck is so special about that? Shouldn’t everyone taking the test know what they’re being asked when they read the question? If that were true, we wouldn’t see such variation in test scores between students with the same GPA. Aside from the racial and socio-economic ways that standardized testing stratifies students, it also divides them by in... more »

UPDATE: Joy Resmovits: Iowa Education Reform Plan, Texas Budget Fight: Ed Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: Iowa Education Reform Plan, Texas Budget Fight: Ed Today: Michael Bloomberg's Rough Week With Labor, Graduation Rate Increases: Ed Tonight by Joy Resmovits *A Somewhat Happy Education Headline?* America's students are graduating high school at higher rates, according to a new Harvard report (via the Wall Street Journal.) In 2000, researchers found, 77.6 percent of Americans ages 20-24 had high school diplomas; 10 years later, 83.7 percent of that same group held diplomas. "The improvement was particularly sharp among blacks and Hispanics," WSJ reports. "For instance... more »

Estimating the Costs and Benefits of Educational Testing Programs

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Estimating the Costs and Benefits of Educational Testing Programs: *Estimating the Costs and Benefits of Educational Testing Programs* * * *In the early 1990s, the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation, and Educational Policy (CSTEEP), at Boston College, calculated a "high" estimate of $22.7 billion spent on standardized testing per year. U.S. schools, the CSTEEP report claimed, suffer from "too much standardized testing" that amounts to "a complete and utter waste of resources." Their estimate breaks down to about $575 per student per year.* By Richard Phelps, Ph.D. Econom... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, January 15, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Under-enrolled Sacramento distict may close multiple city schools* Education Headlines *Tuesday, January 15, 2013* Suspect in Taft Union High shooting charged as adultThe suspect in last week’s shooting at Taft Union High School entered a not guilty plea at an arraignment Monday in Kern County Superior Court, where he is being tried as an adult. Under-enrolled Sacramento distict may close multiple city schoolsTrustees in the Sacramento City Unified School District will begin discussions this week on closing what one official sai... more »

How to get high school dropouts into 'recovery'? Ideas bloom across US. - CSMonitor.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
How to get high school dropouts into 'recovery'? Ideas bloom across US. - CSMonitor.com: How to get high school dropouts into 'recovery'? Ideas bloom across US. Innovative programs across the US are finding some success in reengaging high school dropouts. They strive to target 'disconnected' youths – those not in school and not working, who are a costly burden for taxpayers. By Stacy Teicher Khadaroo, Staff writer / January 15, 2013 - Kassandra Diaz, age 19 (l.), and Medina Phillips, 21, who dropped out of high school, study at the Boston Re-Engagement Center to earn high schoo... more »

Algorithms, Accountability, and Professional Judgment (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Algorithms, Accountability, and Professional Judgment (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Algorithms, Accountability, and Professional Judgment (Part 3) by larrycuban So much of the public admiration for Big Data and algorithms avoids answering basic questions: Why are some facts counted and others ignored? Who decides what factors get included in an algorithm? What does an algorithm whose prediction might lead to getting fired actually look like? Without a model, a theory in mind, every table, each chart, each datum gets counted, threatens privacy, a... more »

School discipline reform groups question plans for armed security | California Watch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
School discipline reform groups question plans for armed security | California Watch: School discipline reform groups question plans for armed security Susan Ferriss Nick Ut/Associated Press Los Angeles police Sgt. Frank Preciado and Officer Wendy Reyes watch children arriving at Main Street Elementary School. As the White House considers proposals to allocate federal money for armed guards in schools, prominent school discipline reform groups have issued a report denouncing the idea as a misguided reaction to the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. “Placing more police in schools ha... more »

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 - 1 day 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 »






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