Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 2-14-13 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2




BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




Stand for Children’s Litzow is at it again. This time he wants to grade schools…so they can be closed and turned into charter schools « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 minutes ago
Stand for Children’s Litzow is at it again. This time he wants to grade schools…so they can be closed and turned into charter schools « Seattle Education: Stand for Children’s Litzow is at it again. This time he wants to grade schools…so they can be closed and turned into charter schools by seattleducation2011 Stand for Children’s Litzow is at it again. This time he wants to grade schools…so they can be closed and turned into charter schools From the WSSDA Legislative Update - *SSB 5328 would create a pilot program school A-F grading system for the 2013-14 school year, with... more »

Shanker Blog » Revisiting The "Best Evidence" Theory Of Charter School Performance

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
Shanker Blog » Revisiting The "Best Evidence" Theory Of Charter School Performance: Revisiting The “Best Evidence” Theory Of Charter School Performance by Matthew Di Carlo Which, *on the whole*, show modest or no differences in test-based effectiveness between charters and comparable regular public schools. Among the more persistent arguments one hears in the debate over charter schools is that the “best evidence” shows charters are more effective. I have discussed this issue before (as have others), but it seems to come upfrom time to time, even in mainstream media coverage. The ... more »

#commoncore for adults: A new and untapped market? – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago
#commoncore for adults: A new and untapped market? – @ the chalk face: #commoncore for adults: A new and untapped market? by Timothy D. Slekar According to the National Center for Education Statistics adult illiteracy in America is *kind of a problem.* Look at this graphic! [image: Illiterate-America-800 copy] Hey Common Core purveyors! Here’s an untapped market. What are you waiting for? These people need your help! Just use your vast resources and lobby Congress! All you need is a Common Core mandate to experiment on

Report questions impact of Brown’s finance formula on career tech | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 45 minutes ago
Report questions impact of Brown’s finance formula on career tech | EdSource Today: Report questions impact of Brown’s finance formula on career tech ** February 14th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Susan Frey Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services In proposing to give school districts almost all of their money with no strings attached, Gov. Jerry Brown is confident that local school boards and superintendents are best able to make the right decisions so that all students can graduate ready for college and work. A report released today byPolic... more »

On Extremism, Inconsistency, and Uncertainty - Bridging Differences - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 51 minutes ago
On Extremism, Inconsistency, and Uncertainty - Bridging Differences - Education Week: On Extremism, Inconsistency, and Uncertainty by Deborah Meier *This is Alfie Kohn's final post with Deborah Meier on Bridging Differences. A new blogger joins Deborah next week.* Dear Debbie, I'm tempted to continue talking about competition with you, trying to hash out whether it (like conflict) is really inevitable, and asking what message we send to kids when we permit or even endorse activities that pit them against one another. But I was intrigued by your more general comments about consist... more »

The Quick and the Ed » President Obama’s “Fix-It-First” Program: Why We Need Modern Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The Quick and the Ed » President Obama’s “Fix-It-First” Program: Why We Need Modern Schools: President Obama’s “Fix-It-First” Program: Why We Need Modern Schools by Peter Cookson Jr. In his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night President Obama laid out a wide array of programs and initiatives including many in education. Most of them laudable and important, but I must confess one really got my attention. Roughly mid-way through his speech he proposed a *Fix-it-First* program, “to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs.” To get this done he is prop... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Mining: A "Kindler, Gentler Survelliance"?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Mining: A "Kindler, Gentler Survelliance"?: Data Mining: A "Kindler, Gentler Survelliance"? by stlgretchen Your human capital is important to Silicon Valley Data issues and invasion of privacy concerns crop up constantly these days. We hear reports of Anonymous hacking into government websites, credit card information compromised and people are upset their Facebook information gets posted in places unknown to the Facebook user. Quartz (qz.com) asked this question: * **Analysis: Is big data to Barack Obama what big oil was to George W. Bush?* an... more »

The Badger Herald · School vouchers foolishly privatize public education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Badger Herald · School vouchers foolishly privatize public education: School vouchers foolishly privatize public education In recent weeks, Gov. Scott Walker has been pushing for renewed efforts to expand Wisconsin’s school voucher program, without exactly specifying what this program would entail. Walker’s renewed effort to expand the program coincides with the efforts of three former Republican state representatives who are now lobbying for an expanded school voucher program. Wisconsin’s school voucher program is misguided and is ultimately not a good policy for the state. The W... more »

ROSEN: Say no to charter schools | Yale Daily News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
ROSEN: Say no to charter schools | Yale Daily News: ROSEN: Say no to charter schools Looking Left BY DIANA ROSEN STAFF COLUMNIST Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - SHARE - TWEET - DISCUSS The News reported three weeks ago on plans to open new charter schools in New Haven (“State may get new charter schools,” Jan. 23). Over the past several years, charters have been expanding in the Elm City, as well as across the country. My hometown of Chicago has already opened 59 charter schools and has plans to open many more over the next few years. But these paradoxically publicly funde... more »

All Education Matters: Spare Change News: The Student Lending Crisis

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
All Education Matters: Spare Change News: The Student Lending Crisis: Spare Change News: The Student Lending Crisis by Cryn Johannsen I am a regular contributor at Spare Change News. Here's a snippet fro my latest piece about the student lending crisis: On September 17th, 2011, people took to the streets in lower Manhattan as Occupiers to denounce the financial and banking institutions that, as they saw it, caused suffering, economic disaster, and unnecessary harm during and after the financial crisis of 2008. Many of the protesters, Occupiers, asserted — and with solid arguments... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-14-13 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] Did EdWeek Sell Its Soul? by dianerav Timothy Slekar here writes a scathing condemnation of Education Week, our K-12 journal of record, for acting as an uncritical mouthpiece for the Common Core State Standards. Slekar says: “Other than some of the blogs, EdWeek’s so called “news” is nothing more than propaganda for the corporate reformers. I pointed it out before, EdWeek and its reporters either are clueless about the difference between advocacy organizations that push propaganda and peer review research ... more »

Daily Kos: Charles Blow: "The Real Obama"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Charles Blow: "The Real Obama": Charles Blow: "The Real Obama" by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Is this the real Barack Obama? I hope so. I like this one. So begins Charles M. Blow in The Real Obama, his *New York Times* column today. He immediately follows with this paragraph: The president used Tuesday’s State of the Union address to detail a vision of America’s future, and his second term, in which the country is not in perpetual war, government plays an expansive role, Congressional obstruction is named and shamed and he is bold and unapologetically progressive. ... more »

Eugene V. Debs: Statement September 18, 1918 – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Eugene V. Debs: Statement September 18, 1918 – @ the chalk face: Eugene V. Debs: Statement September 18, 1918 by plthomasedd Prompted by Deborah Meier’s “Considering How to Use Competition and Conflict” at Bridging Differences(*Education Week*) and Barbara Madeloni’s brilliant “The emotional violence of the accountability regime: part two” here *@ the chalk face*, as well as my own blog posting, “Lessons from the Zombie Apocalypse,” I am reposting “Statement September 18, 1918″ from Eugene V. Debs, who should serve in this country as a beacon for speaking and *acting* truth to pow... more »

Union wins right to represent Valley charter school - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Union wins right to represent Valley charter school - latimes.com: Union wins right to represent Valley charter school The Los Angeles teachers union announced Wednesday night that it has won the right to negotiate a contract for teachers and counselors at a West San Fernando Valley charter school. The charter, Ivy Academia, operates out of three locations and serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The school has produced consistently high test scores and is known for its focus on encouraging entrepreneurial skills among its students. For the union, United Teachers L... more »

UPDATE: Chicago Public School Closure List Out; More SOTU Preschool Details: Ed Today + Obama Early Education Plan To Be Detailed In Georgia Speech

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Obama Early Education Plan To Be Detailed In Georgia Speech: Chicago Public School Closure List Out; More SOTU Preschool Details: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Chicago School Drama?* Two notable things happened in Chicago Public Schools land on Wednesday. First, 39 or 50 aldermen (code for city councilmen) signed a resolution that calls for a moratorium on charter schoolsnext year. (Sort of similar, ish, to the closure and colocation moratorium several New York City mayoral candidates signed onto.) More controversially, CPS released a list of 129 schools that could be eligible for c... more »

Pass / Fail : LA Unified school board race could break fundraising records | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Pass / Fail : LA Unified school board race could break fundraising records | 89.3 KPCC: LA Unified school board race could break fundraising records by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: MAYOR BLOOMBERG YOUR MONEY Cant Buy My Vote! (LEARN MORE CLICK PICTURE)] *Incumbent LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia at her East LA campaign office. Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC* New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's unprecedented $1 million donation Tuesday to influence Los Angeles school board elections ups the ante in a school board race that is on its way to breaking fundraising records. The 2013 schoo...more »

UPDATE: On Public Integrity and Our Ethics Complaint + Dear Philadelphia: “We are above the law” | Parents United for Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Dear Philadelphia: “We are above the law” | Parents United for Public Education: Dear Philadelphia: “We are above the law” by parentsunitedphila [image: Image] If there’s any question about what’s at stake regarding the lobbying complaint filed last month by Parents United, the Philadelphia Home & School Council, and the Philadelphia branch of the NAACP, read about this move by the William Penn Foundation. Last week, the Foundation announced the suspension of funding to all city agencies, stating that they could not move ahead until the city ethics complaint was resolved. (Read *Ci... more »

Mr. President, My Students Deserve Better | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Mr. President, My Students Deserve Better | toteachornototeach: Mr. President, My Students Deserve Better by aristotlethewise Mr. President, My Students Deserve Better by Randy TurnerIt certainly was depressing last night to discover that the only reason I am standing in front of a classroom of eighth grade students day after day, year after year, is so at some point they can be delivered job ready to some employer. Whatever happened to the loftier goals of teaching young people the thinking skills needed to succeed in life, the ability to function not only as members of a faceless ... more »

Obama visits Decatur pre-k today: A teacher suggests what else he should see | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Obama visits Decatur pre-k today: A teacher suggests what else he should see | Get Schooled: Obama visits Decatur pre-k today: A teacher suggests what else he should see by Maureen Downey [image: President Obama visits a Decatur pre-k today. (AJC photo)]President Obama visits a Decatur pre-k today. (AJC photo) Here is a piece by Robyn Tedder, who taught kindergarten as a Teach For America corps member in Metro Atlanta. She now works on TFA staff to support pre-k and kindergarten and teachers throughout the region. By Robyn Tedder On Tuesday, President Obama called the nation’s atte... more »

School Tech Connect: These Kids Are The 25%, Apparently

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
School Tech Connect: These Kids Are The 25%, Apparently: These Kids Are The 25%, Apparently by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) 129 schools on the hit list in Chicago. You must remember that the de facto superintendent here, the mayor, laid his hand on the table months ago, in a meeting with Karen Lewis: He did say to me that 25 percent of the students in this city are never going to be anything, never going to amount to anything and he was never going to throw money at them." He denied the comment at the time, but I believe her. In the suburbs, no such cynical person would eve... more »

Let’s measure love (just like we measure teachers)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Let’s measure love (just like we measure teachers): Let’s measure love (just like we measure teachers) Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 14, 2013 at 2:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: Lovemeter]If you put together the current obsession with measurement in modern school reform (Bill Gates titled his 2013 annual foundation letter “Measuring Progress”) with the fact that today is Valentine’s Day, you get the following satirical piece by Steve Strieker, a veteran social studies tea... more »

It’s BaaaaAAAAACK! Contradictions, Clowns, Conflicts and All…Parent Trigger Returns | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
It’s BaaaaAAAAACK! Contradictions, Clowns, Conflicts and All…Parent Trigger Returns | Scathing Purple Musings: It’s BaaaaAAAAACK! Contradictions, Clowns, Conflicts and All…Parent Trigger Returns by Bob Sikes I’ve been wondering when we’d see this Vaudeville act again and whether or not it was going to be about stroking Jeb Bush’s ego. (He vowed that it would be back after last year’s defeat in the senate). What better way is there to open this year’s show than to highlight a new twist of irony. SB 862′s sponsor is Sen. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakleland). Who new that Stargel would eve... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-13-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* MONICA GARCIA + L.A. FUND FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION REMOVE OFFENSIVE, ILLEGITIMATE, UNETHICAL & SELF–SERVING BILLBOARDS by smf see: LA GORDA DREAMS BIG: Monica’s Big Big Billboard The utla Arts Education Committee e-mails: The mere threat of our protests was enough. The offensive, illegitimate, unethical billboards have been taken down. They've whitewashed their wrongdoing by covering them up. But, hey, we still have photos. When faced with public denunciation of two protests originally planned later [image: MonicaBillboard] Education T... more »

NYC Educator: Stupid Meetings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
NYC Educator: Stupid Meetings: Stupid Meetings by NYC Educator I'm the UFT chapter leader at my school. It's kind of a crazy job. I get called to go here, do this, or discuss that on a regular basis. But I'm also an ESL teacher, and I almost always teach beginners. One day, the kids asked me why I had to leave a class early. I told them I was the chapter leader. They didn't really understand that. The more I explained, the less they seemed to get it. The next year, a new group of kids asked me the same question. I decided to explain to them in a way they might understand and accep... more »

The emotional violence of the accountability regime: part two – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The emotional violence of the accountability regime: part two – @ the chalk face: [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] The emotional violence of the accountability regime: part two by Barbara Madeloni *You may say to yourself, my god, what have I done?-* * * Talking Heads In the lead up to NCATE at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I was given the job of helping to figure out how the various assessments could be fitted to the structures of the web-based data management system we had purchased. As well, when it came time to teach students, teachers and faculty how to use the sys... more »

The Origin and Purpose of Black History Month - Higher Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
The Origin and Purpose of Black History Month - Higher Education: The Origin and Purpose of Black History Month by cmaadmin Stacy Swimp [image: Stacy Swimp]*History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day. It is also a compass that people use to find themselves on the map of human geography. History tells a people where they have been and what they have been, where they are and what they are. Most important, history tells a people where they still must go, what they still must be. The relationship of history to the people is the same as the relat... more »

You might be a reformer if … | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
You might be a reformer if … | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: You might be a reformer if … by Gary Rubinstein [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] It has been a while since I caught up on some TFA ‘Pass The Chalk’ blog entries. I read two interesting ones, one just published, and one published a few months ago that I must have missed. In “Who are the ‘So-Called Reformers’” staffer Heather Harding writes about how it is too bad that people opposed to the corporate reform strategies sometimes refer to people like Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee, and others as ‘R... more »

Mother Crusader: The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application; New Markets Tax Credits, Part III

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Mother Crusader: The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application; New Markets Tax Credits, Part III: The Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application; New Markets Tax Credits, Part III by darciecima This is Part III of a four part series about the Paterson Collegiate Charter School Application. Part I was about the current state of the New Jersey Department of Education charter application process, and Part II was about Stephen F. Wilson, the lead founder of the charter and also conveniently the founder and president of Ascend Learning, the proposed Charter Management Organ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Pundits: Listen To Teachers!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Pundits: Listen To Teachers!: Pundits: Listen To Teachers! by Duke [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] *Diane Ravitch is one of my heroes. So when she asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I was thrilled and honored. This piece was originally published here, but I wanted to have a copy at my blog as well.* As an American public school teacher, one of my greatest frustrations is how little our debate about education has been informed by the people who actually do the teaching. It's not that I think teachers are the only ones who should have a... more »

Anti-Common Core Bill Almost Ready to Go in Michigan House | Truth in American Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Anti-Common Core Bill Almost Ready to Go in Michigan House | Truth in American Education: Anti-Common Core Bill Almost Ready to Go in Michigan House by Shane Vander Hart [image: MichiganStateCapitol] To our Michigan Readers… Deborah DeBacker, one of our partners in Michigan, said that there is an anti-Common Core bill on the desk of State Representative Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills). He’s looking for co-sponsors and it will be on his desk only tomorrow. You can find your State Representative’s contact info here. Call them, email them and call them again if you need to. The po... more »

CPS chief releases list of 129 schools that could close — most on South and - Chicago Sun-Times

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
CPS chief releases list of 129 schools that could close — most on South and - Chicago Sun-Times: CPS chief releases list of 129 schools that could close — most on South and West sides By Lauren FitzPatrick Education Reporter lfitzpatrick@suntimes.com February 13, 2013 5:32PM 0 1 Share 65 1 [image: Mayor Rahm Emanuel Chicago public schools C.E.O. BarbarByrd-Bennett. FILE PHOTO.. | Al Podgorski~Chicago Sun-Times] Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago public schools C.E.O., Barbara Byrd-Bennett. FILE PHOTO.. | Al Podgorski~Chicago Sun-Times RELATED DOCUMENTS List of 129 CPS schools that rema... more »

Obama Preschool Plan Faces Major Questions Over Cost, Viability

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Obama Preschool Plan Faces Major Questions Over Cost, Viability: Obama Preschool Plan Faces Major Questions Over Cost, Viability from Joy Resmovits by Joy Resmovits Just one day after President Barack Obama unveiled hisbig promise to America's smallest children, both advocates and allies are raising major questions about its prognosis. Obama proposed a major expansion of preschool for all children, but it's unclear if he can deliver on it -- especially in a climate of ever-tightening budgets. Such an ambitious plan would have to clear a Republican-controlled House of Representat... more »

the unthinkable: dreams and nightmares « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
the unthinkable: dreams and nightmares « Deborah Meier on Education: the unthinkable: dreams and nightmares by debmeier We perhaps need utopian and “revolutionary” thinking just to keep ourselves from falling into despair. Reading history helps me too–things could be a lot worse, I remind myself. Yes “our dreams” are better than “their nightmares”–even if less realistic. At times I fall back on hoping for a knight on a white/black/brown et al horse, who sweeps in and rights the ship/school/nation/planet and then gives the reins back to us when the crisis is over. I had an experien... more »

CHECK THIS! Who’s this @alderman_moreno guy? He called himself a “hipster?” Really? – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Who’s this @alderman_moreno guy? He called himself a “hipster?” Really? – @ the chalk face: Who’s this @alderman_moreno guy? He called himself a “hipster?” Really? by Chalk Face, PhD I saw pop up on my Facebook feed a video of some Chicago Alderman getting booed off the stage at a local meeting. Good deal. PopoutYou know, I think I remember a quote from the movie Hunt for Red October. Not worth looking up, but it was something to the effect of, oh hell, wait a minute. All right, here it is:

UPDATE: Common Core Claims Aren't Factual and Questions Remain Unanswered + Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. .

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. .: Common Core Claims Aren't Factual and Questions Remain Unanswered by stlgretchen Diane Ravitch makes some valid points and raises serious questions about Common Core standards and why the business community is so keen on seeing them implemented. The claims are bolded; the questions are highlighted. From 15153: Yesterday, 72 business corporations published a full-page advertisement in the New York Bill Gates, Education Reform and Philanthrocapitalism. . by stlgretchen Joy Pullman of t... more »

OMG Who Knew? #ASKArne :Federal Officials Weigh Action in Florida Tutoring Scandal - Politics K-12 - Education Week

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Federal Officials Weigh Action in Florida Tutoring Scandal - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Federal Officials Weigh Action in Florida Tutoring Scandal By Michele McNeil on February 13, 2013 6:05 PM The *Tampa Bay Times* has an important story about the "crooks" and "cheaters"that are pervasive in the tutoring industry that emerged in Florida under the No Child Left Behind Act. The story uncovers criminals who were making money off of federal Title I funds that are used for supplemental education services, or SES, which is one of the interventions required when schools consisten... more »

How to not close 37 schools: a summary of alternate proposals | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
How to not close 37 schools: a summary of alternate proposals | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: How to not close 37 schools: a summary of alternate proposals by thenotebook *by Bill Hangley Jr.* The School District’s deadline for alternative community proposals for its closure plan has now passed, and all 38 proposals received have been posted on the District’s website. Together, the alternative plans represent a wide range of responses to the District’s recommendations. Some are highly detailed blueprints endorsed by powerful officeholders and complex proposals citing multipl... more »

Modern School: Stealing Candy From Babies in California Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Modern School: Stealing Candy From Babies in California Schools: Stealing Candy From Babies in California Schools by Michael Dunn *"They are literally taking food out of the mouths of kids," *Richard Zeiger, chief deputy superintendent of public instruction. (From the Los Angeles Times) Image from Flickr, by wenews Eight or more California school districts have misused millions of dollars in federal funding earmarked for schools’ free and reduced lunch programs, including Los Angeles Unified School District, according to a state Senate watchdog group. State officials believe the ... more »

Graphic comparison of what #teachers are paid relative to hours work, via @timsmith32 – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Graphic comparison of what #teachers are paid relative to hours work, via @timsmith32 – @ the chalk face: Graphic comparison of what #teachers are paid relative to hours work, via @timsmith32 by Chalk Face, PhD [image: Graphic comparison of what #teachers are paid relative to hours work, via @timsmith32] From multiple countries. We’re #1… in hours worked. You’ll have to scan down on the right to see the relative salary. Yeah, about that. @dfernews @charlesbarone, so I get it, as an educator, I’m the cheeky one. by Chalk Face, PhD Something happened on Twitter last night that remind... more »

District 2 Candidates to Appear at Forum Tonight - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
District 2 Candidates to Appear at Forum Tonight - LA School Report: District 2 Candidates to Appear at Forum Tonight by Samantha Oltman LAUSD Board candidates running for a District 2 seat representing East LA will participate tonight in the final candidate forum hosted by United Way of Greater LA. Most of the candidates — *Annamarie Montanez*, *Maria Cano*, *Isabel Vazquez *, and incumbent LAUSD Board President *Monica Garcia* — are expected to appear at the forum. *Robert Skeels* has not confirmed, having told United Way he has a conflicting event. Many of the same candidates app... more »

Tell ASCD's Educational Leadership Your Story — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Tell ASCD's Educational Leadership Your Story — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Tell ASCD’s Educational Leadership Your Story February 13, 2013 by Klea Scharberg The May 2013 issue of the *Educational Leadership* magazine focuses on "The Faces of Poverty" and will explore how schools must challenge traditional ideas of poverty and formulate new responses. You are invited to share your experiences with this topic by sharing a story about a time when you saw the benefits of socioeconomic diversity in action in your classroom or school. *The deadline ... more »

Pass / Fail : L.A. school board races receive unusual donation: $1m from NY mayor | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Pass / Fail : L.A. school board races receive unusual donation: $1m from NY mayor | 89.3 KPCC: L.A. school board races receive unusual donation: $1m from NY mayor by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] *New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg donated $1 million to committees supporting school board candidates -- in Los Angeles. Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images* A $1 million donation from across the country has upped the ante big time in the three Los Angeles Unified school board races. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a policy ... more »

Sacramento Council of PTAs Speaks Out Against SCUSD School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Sacramento Council of PTAs Speaks Out Against SCUSD School Closures | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: [image: Home] Sacramento Council of PTAs Speaks Out Against SCUSD School Closures by Kate_Lenox February 12, 2013 As we perform our work on behalf of families and communities across the Sacramento City Unified School District boundaries our processes are guided in matters of policy such as school closures by California State PTA's position statements. The California State PTA School Closure Position Statement reads: The California State PTA believes that while s... more »

Stop the $7.6 Million in Cuts to Oakland Schools! Here are 2 ways to act now! « Classroom Struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Stop the $7.6 Million in Cuts to Oakland Schools! Here are 2 ways to act now! « Classroom Struggle: Stop the $7.6 Million in Cuts to Oakland Schools! Here are 2 ways to act now! by ClassroomStruggle We are currently distributing this email blast and flyer around Oakland schools.* You can help stop these cuts too!* There are 2 ways to tap in: 1. Please fill in the cuts your school is facing at the bottom in the comments section. The more we are sharing this info, the more we can organize across different schools. Unity is power. 2. Copy a version of this flyer.... more »

Stop the $7.6 Million in Cuts to Oakland Schools! Here are 2 ways to act now! « Classroom Struggle

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Stop the $7.6 Million in Cuts to Oakland Schools! Here are 2 ways to act now! « Classroom Struggle: Stop the $7.6 Million in Cuts to Oakland Schools! Here are 2 ways to act now! by ClassroomStruggle We are currently distributing this email blast and flyer around Oakland schools.* You can help stop these cuts too!* There are 2 ways to tap in: 1. Please fill in the cuts your school is facing at the bottom in the comments section. The more we are sharing this info, the more we can organize across different schools. Unity is power. 2. Copy a version of this flyer.... more »

UPDATE: Schools Matter: Stop Corporate Takeover of Local School Decision Making in TN

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Schools Matter: Stop Corporate Takeover of Local School Decision Making in TN: Stop Corporate Takeover of Local School Decision Making in TN by Jim Horn From a new grassroots groups in Nashville focused to stop corporate power grab in Nashville and Memphis schools: Power grab on the Hill! CALL TO ACTION!! Today we are seeing an outrageous power grab play out in the Tennessee legislature. Legislation creating a process to circumvent the local school boards of Davidson and Shelby counties that allows charter school applicants to go directly to the state for charter approval was f... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-13-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: What’s Happening in Hawaii by dianerav A reader just informed me about her blog, which describes the changes in Hawaii. Justice Louis Brandeis long ago referred to states as “laboratories of democracy,” where new ideas could be tried out, to succeed or fail. Each state could try out social or economic experiments without peril to other states. Now, a stifling blanket of standardization and conformity is covering the land. Read about Hawaii and you will be shocked and saddened to see the same tired ideas that are in your own state. Big Business and the Com... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Parcing SOTU

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Parcing SOTU: Parcing SOTU by Mike Klonsky "Now, even with better high schools, most young people will need some higher education". Obama refers to the MIDDLE CLASS, 8 times in his SOTU address. WORKING CLASS, zero times. His only other mentions of CLASS are in WORLD-CLASS and CLASSMATES, one each. He actually does use the word POVERTY 4 times and even calls for a raising of the MINIMUM WAGE to $9/hr. Good, but that still leaves millions of full-time workers living far below the poverty line and without benefits. He never mentions the words ... more »

Joy Resmovits: UTLA Can't Count On Money From NEA, Nation's Largest Teachers Union

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Joy Resmovits: UTLA Can't Count On Money From NEA, Nation's Largest Teachers Union: UTLA Can't Count On Money From NEA, Nation's Largest Teachers Union by Joy Resmovits [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)] School board races in Los Angeles are heating up -- and they're getting expensive. The nation's second-largest school district is at the center of a broader battle over the future over education reform. Since 2010, Superintendent John Deasy has run the district, implementing policies consistent with the national "education reform" movement, which ... more »

Steven Speilberg’s ‘Lincoln’: coming soon to a school near you | Movie Talk - Yahoo! Movies

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Steven Speilberg’s ‘Lincoln’: coming soon to a school near you | Movie Talk - Yahoo! Movies: Steven Speilberg’s ‘Lincoln’: coming soon to a school near you By Mark Deming | Movie Talk – Mon, Feb 11, 2013 8:37 PM EST Photo: DreamworksFew recent movies have examined the minutia of a key moment in American history as closely as Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” and the filmmaker and his producers are eager to let educators take advantage of their efforts. Participant Media, the production company who helped bring “Lincoln” to theaters, has announced a “social action campaign” they call “S... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, February 13, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: Mayor Bloomberg Your Money Sucks! (Learn More click picture)]*N.Y. mayor gives $1 million to back L.A. school board slate* Education Headlines *Wednesday, February 13, 2013* Newspaper controversy puts Bear Creek High School in international spotlightThe story in question is that of the high school's principal temporarily confiscating a stack of student newspapers the day before they were meant to go out to students. Bullard group to voice concerns at school board meetingBullard High-area parents who say they are tired of ... more »

College Scorecard | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
College Scorecard | The White House: [image: U.S. Department of Education] [image: College Affordability and Transparency Center] College Scorecards in the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center make it easier for you to search for a college that is a good fit for you. You can use the College Scorecard to find out more about a college’s affordability and value so you can make more informed decisions about which college to attend. To start, enter the name of a college of interest to you or select factors that are important in your college search... more »

WANTED: Schools Wired for Safety — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
WANTED: Schools Wired for Safety — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: John M. Eger]WANTED: Schools Wired for Safety February 13, 2013 by John M. Eger Many years ago John Gage, then chief science officer for Sun Microsystems, had an idea. The idea: "NetDay," a grass roots campaign to wire our schools. Gage, like so many others today, was frustrated that our schools were not getting connected to the Internet fast enough, and that a whole generation of young people would suffer. The NetDay concept has grown and the campaign to wire our schools led to the concept of "sma... more »

Incredible stupidity, stunning arrogance or both… by jonpelto + Malloy says: I know, let’s finish off the effectiveness of the government watchdog agencies… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Malloy says: I know, let’s finish off the effectiveness of the government watchdog agencies… - Wait, What?: Incredible stupidity, stunning arrogance or both… by jonpelto Earlier today, the Global Strategy Group, a political consulting and public relations company released a memo about a public opinion survey that it had conducted for the “education reform” advocacy group, ConnCAN, the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, Inc. According to a Global Strategy Group memo, the poll found that, “Voters see the Governor [Malloy] as a strong advocate for education reform. Voters ... more »

Mother Crusader: New Jersey Charter Schools Association's Carlos Perez Misses The Point Yet Again

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Mother Crusader: New Jersey Charter Schools Association's Carlos Perez Misses The Point Yet Again: New Jersey Charter Schools Association's Carlos Perez Misses The Point Yet Again by darciecima [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] It's tough being the President and CEO of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. A fair number of the headlines about charters in this state seems to be about conflicts like the one in Florence, so this is often when reporters go out to Perez for comment. On the Florence situation, Perez came up a day late and a dollar short. ... more »

Daily Kos: A few well-put words from Eugene Robinson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Daily Kos: A few well-put words from Eugene Robinson: A few well-put words from Eugene Robinson by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) on Marco Rubio, in this brief overview of the SOTU and Rubio's response: Marco Rubio’s GOP response will be remembered for his awkward lunge for the water bottle. That’s a shame, because the speech itself was remarkable. Not in a good way.At a moment when the Republican Party needs rebranding, Rubio offered nothing new. The thrust of his speech was “government bad, capitalism good.” Yet he recounted how beneficial government assistance has been to his o... more »

Introducing: Louisiana Believes Anything « Crazycrawfish's Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Introducing: Louisiana Believes Anything « Crazycrawfish's Blog: Introducing: Louisiana Believes Anything *Posted on January 22, 2013* 28 *DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INTRODUCESLOUISIANABELIEVESANYTHING.COM* BATON ROUGE, La. – In response to the feedback of pro-charter and reform groups, virtual school operators, and testing companies, the Louisiana Department of Education today announced a complete overhaul of its website. The website’s URL has changed tolouisianabelievesanything.com, reflecting the state’s comprehensive plan to ensure every student is fleeced for the maximum state f...more »