Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 4-3-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."

A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP





NYC Educator: Gotham Schools Compares Apples to

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
NYC Educator: Gotham Schools Compares Apples to: Gotham Schools Compares Apples to by NYC Educator * When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.* * **~Jonathan Swift.* I'm very disappointed when I read something like this from Leonie Haimson. Apparently Gotham Schools has seen fit to compare her to Michelle Rhee. This is because she, like Rhee, has chosen to place one of her children in private school. In this space, you have not seen criticism of people for choosing private school for their children. You have... more »

Teachbad, Rhee and Art: A Short Documentary | Mr. Teachbad

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Teachbad, Rhee and Art: A Short Documentary | Mr. Teachbad: [image: Logo Mr. Teachbad] Teachbad, Rhee and Art: A Short Documentary by teachbad Popout In this stunning new documentary short film, Mr. Teachbad discusses whether or not he is a visionary, his formal musical training, and the making of “Rhee Came Down the Mountain” with rehearsal outtakes.

Leonie Haimson exits public school parenting but not advocacy | GothamSchools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Leonie Haimson exits public school parenting but not advocacy | GothamSchools: Leonie Haimson exits public school parenting but not advocacy by Geoff Decker [image: DSC_0448EDt] Leonie Haimson’s career as a New York City education activist started when her older child was assigned to a first-grade class with 28 other students. That was in 1996, and since then, Haimson has advocated for public school parents — through her organization, Class Size Matters; the blog and online mailing lists she runs; and the national parent group she helped launch. But her personal stake changed last... more »

If Twitter Is Not PD, What Is It? | My Island View

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
If Twitter Is Not PD, What Is It? | My Island View: If Twitter Is Not PD, What Is It? by tomwhitby I was recently contacted by Barbara Madden, a Missouri educator with a Mississippi dialect, who is conducting a survey of educators, who use Twitter for Professional Development asking for some feedback. Barbara had been in contact with a college professor who wanted to know the effect of Twitter as PD and it’s effect on student outcomes. That really got me thinking about PD and Twitter. I have heard many, many educators claiming that Twitter is the best PD that they have ever had. ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Why Worry About Student Internet Access? Let Them Stream Whatever They Want.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Why Worry About Student Internet Access? Let Them Stream Whatever They Want.: Why Worry About Student Internet Access? Let Them Stream Whatever They Want. by stlgretchen It's just maddening. *There's too much disconnect between being concerned about what kids access on the internet with no parental oversight...while there is no concern from these same school districts about the release of student data without parental permission or knowledge.* Data will be given to agencies/researchers and the student/parent will be oblivious to who has access or ho...more »

The Time is Now for Common Sense Immigration Reform...and a Pop Quizz - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Time is Now for Common Sense Immigration Reform...and a Pop Quizz - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] The Time is Now for Common Sense Immigration Reform…and a Pop Quizz by Lily Teachers love pop quizzes, and NEA's VP, Lily Eskelsen is no exception. Your homework assignment is to support the All In for Citizenship Rally on April 10 in Washington, DC

Parent-trigger school should work with L.A. Unified, group says - latimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Parent-trigger school should work with L.A. Unified, group says - latimes.com: Parent-trigger school should work with L.A. Unified, group says by By Howard Blume By Howard Blume April 3, 2013, 12:17 p.m. A parent committee is recommending that a charter school and the L.A. Unified School District should collaborate to run 24th Street Elementary, which was the subject of a successful petition under the controversial parent-trigger law. The recommendation, which will be formally released Tuesday, is for L.A. Unified to partner with Crown Preparatory Academy. The district would run t... more »

LA Parents Opting for Varied "Trigger" Options - LA School Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
LA Parents Opting for Varied "Trigger" Options - LA School Report: Post navigationLA Parents Opting for Varied “Trigger” Options Posted on April 3, 2013 by Hillel Aron *LA School Report* has learned that, on Tuesday, the 24th St. Elementary Parents Union selection review committee met and decided to recommend what’s being called a “hybrid” governance model for the school. Under the parent trigger law, a majority of parents at a low-performing school can petition to revamp the school in any number of ways, including by converting it to an independent charter school. In January, the pa... more »

Diane in the Evening 4-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: “Why I Fight, Why You Should Too” by dianerav Crazy Crawfish is one of those amazing Louisiana bloggers who refuses to be bought, intimidated, or silenced. He used to work in the data division of the Louisiana Department of Education. He reached a point where his conscience told him he had to work somewhere else. Now he has a blog where he repeatedly shines his spotlight on the spin coming from his old department. He keeps fighting for kids, fighting for public education, fighting for honest data. Why does he... more »

SCUSD Could Increase Lunch Prices, Stop Charging for Reduced-Price Lunches - Rosemont, CA Patch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
SCUSD Could Increase Lunch Prices, Stop Charging for Reduced-Price Lunches - Rosemont, CA Patch: SCUSD Could Increase Lunch Prices, Stop Charging for Reduced-Price Lunches [image: File photo.]Students in Rosemont could soon be paying more for lunch, but district officials are quick to point out they'll still pay less than kids in other nearby school districts. The Sacramento City Unified School District this week will consider raising the price of lunches by a quarter. The district raised its lunch prices by a quarter twice last year, and currently charges $1.75 for elementary stud... more »

Ravitch v. Wolf: The Rise of the Dogmatic Scholar – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Ravitch v. Wolf: The Rise of the Dogmatic Scholar – @ the chalk face: Ravitch v. Wolf: The Rise of the Dogmatic Scholar by plthomasedd Recently, a debate between Diane Ravitch and Patrick Wolf highlights how the dogmatic scholar looks today. Mercedes Schneider examines that debate by first addressing Wolf’s credentials, Endowed Chair in School Choice, Education Reform, University of Arkansas. Both Schneider and Ravitch raise concerns about the conflict of interests when a scholar holds a chair in a department that is heavily funded by school choice advocates, as Schneider explains... more »

Lee Nave Jr. – Small Place, Big Voice - Student Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Student Voice: Lee Nave Jr. – Small Place, Big Voice by admin Education advocacy can happen anywhere. Last week I gave a thorough analysis of my firsthand account of the Ethiopian education system. I promise to next week continue the story on and show you readers more information about this wondrous place. Before going any further in the next few weeks, I want to point out how education advocacy is not something that only occurs in West and East coast big cities. Advocacy for the education of our growing population can begin in all parts of the world. Today we will discuss a small... more »

Throughout April: Principal Leadership — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Throughout April: Principal Leadership — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Throughout April: Principal Leadership April 3, 2013 by Klea Scharberg Principals are the key players in developing the climate, culture, and processes in their schools. They are critical to implementing meaningful and lasting school change and in the ongoing school improvement process. Principals who have a clear vision; inspire and engage others in embracing change for improvement; drive, facilitate, and monitor the teaching and learning process; and foster a cohesive cultur... more »

UPDATE: current results of the survey Rally and Teach In at Serna Center Thursday, April 4th 2013, 4:30 to 5:30 pm

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Big Education Ape: Rally and Teach In at Serna Center Thursday, April 4th 2013, 4:30 to 5:30 pm: *The Fish is Back Go Leo!!* Good morning, I have attached the current results of the survey. I appreciate the participation. If you would like to add your response please go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GTWLDWW . I will update the results for the regular board meeting tomorrow. For those of us able to attend today's special meeting at 4:30pm (open session/public comment) I have attached details for three operational expectations that I think are important for this evaluation perio... more »

Randi Weingarten, Teachers Union Head, Sounds Off On Atlanta Cheating Scandal

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Randi Weingarten, Teachers Union Head, Sounds Off On Atlanta Cheating Scandal: Randi Weingarten, Teachers Union Head, Sounds Off On Atlanta Cheating Scandal *The Huffington Post* | By William McGuinness Posted: 04/02/2013 7:18 pm EDT | Updated: 04/03/2013 10:14 am EDT [image: Share on Google+] *GET POLITICS ALERTS:* SIGN UP FOLLOW: Video, American Federation Of Teachers, Atlanta Cheating, Randi Weingarten, Randi Weingarten Atlanta, Randi Weingarten Atlanta Cheating Scandal, Atlanta, Atlanta Cheating Scandal,Atlanta Cheating Suspects, Atlanta Schools, Atlanta Schools Cheating,... more »

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 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. Who Runs the Reformy Campaign Money Machine? Best of the Ed Blogs Jersey Jazzman April 3, 2013 Common Core Presentations and Omissions Best of the Ed Blogs David B. ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Local Ed Reform Pushing Hard (But Looking Desperate)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Local Ed Reform Pushing Hard (But Looking Desperate): Local Ed Reform Pushing Hard (But Looking Desperate) by Melissa Westbrook The Times continues its ed reform push and, as we have previously reported, they continue to do it both editorially and in their reporting. The latest example is in an article about a "poll" for the A-F grading for schools bill currently in the Legislature. (It passed in the Senate but hasn't gotten a committee vote yet in the House.) (Sorry, I can't link the story because of the Times' paywall.) The story does not say... more »

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, April 3, 2013

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Rally and Teach In at Serna Center Thursday, April 4th 2013, 4:30 to 5:30 pm* Education Headlines *Wednesday, April 3, 2013* Pomona Unified officials declare several pieces of district owned land surplus propertyMost of the properties in the two groups of land declared surplus were purchased during a period when the district was experiencing an increase in enrollment. Pomona Unified school board approves field improvements for three district high schoolsThe district's Board of Education unanimously approved resolutions approvi... more »

4LAKids - Education Coalition Position Paper: The 2013-14 CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Education Coalition Position Paper: The 2013-14 CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET: Education Coalition Position Paper: The 2013-14 CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET *FROM THE EDUCATION COALITION* *(SEE FOLLOWING)* * * * * *March 20, 2013* *School Finance Principles for the 2013-14 Budget* The Governor’s Budget proposal to fund Proposition 98 at a level that reflects the increased revenues from the November 2012 election and his effort to eliminate the wall of debt by paying down deferrals is supported by the Education Coalition. This reflects the Coalition’s ... more »

Starving the Beast | GoingPublic

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Starving the Beast | GoingPublic: Starving the Beast by Nancy Letts Starving the beast, at the very least, will just increase its hunger. Go right ahead and starve me dead. It will only make me stronger. –*They Might be Giants* If They Might Be Giants sing it you know it’s true! They wouldn’t lie to children, and neither should we. But the clock is running so fast in many states that it may be too late to call for repairs. The truth is that we like our educational system. We support teachers and the work they do. We think our kids are getting a good education. We like our public sc... more »

NYC Public School Parents: A personal note

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
NYC Public School Parents: A personal note: A personal note by Leonie Haimson I haven’t written much about myself or my family on this blog, however, I am doing so now because GothamSchools is intent on writing about me, my organization Class Size Matters, and about the fact that my son entered a private high school this year. I told their reporter Geoff Decker about this in the fall, in the midst of a longer, off the record conversation about many things, and ever since, whenever I have contacted him about possible stories, he has brought up this issue instead of more important... more »

UPDATE: Oberweis milks the system + The in box. More on Chicago charter underutilization. | Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The in box. More on Chicago charter underutilization. | Fred Klonsky: John Dillon: Oberweis milks the system. by Fred Klonsky [image: b_2012030820442764136]From John Dillon’s blog: Sometimes money can’t buy you love – or even a seat on the highest levels, but it can at least get you into Springfield. After unsuccessful runs for Governor, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Representative; State Senator Jim Oberweis has finally made his political debut. Now situated firmly in the Capitol Building, unlike many other career legislators, he can be free to act without the concerns or regards for ... more »

Louisiana Educator: Tenure Destruction Bill Reintroduced

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: Tenure Destruction Bill Reintroduced: Tenure Destruction Bill Reintroduced by Michael Deshotels Senator Conrad Appel has now reintroduced a bill (Senate Bill 89) to drastically reduce the due process needed for teacher dismissals. This bill would nullify a teacher's tenure status based on only one year of negative ratings using the new teacher evaluation system starting with the 2013-14 school year. Three separate independent researchers have published papers pointing out that the VAM portion of the new evaluation system is so inaccurate that it should never ... more »

Common Core "State" Standards Test Items to Get Federal Review - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Common Core "State" Standards Test Items to Get Federal Review - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Common Core "State" Standards Test Items to Get Federal Review by Anthony Cody Neal McClusky at the Cato at Liberty blog highlighted some news yesterday related to the Common Core. Yesterday news came out that made clear just how serious--and unfunny--concerns about a federal takeover are. According to Education Week, the U.S. Department of Education will start a "technical review process" for the Department-selected consortia creating the national tests to go with the s... more »

Lawsuit against Bridgeport Board of Education, Commissioner Pryor and Paul Vallas gets more coverage - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Lawsuit against Bridgeport Board of Education, Commissioner Pryor and Paul Vallas gets more coverage - Wait, What?: Lawsuit against Bridgeport Board of Education, Commissioner Pryor and Paul Vallas gets more coverage by jonpelto The Hartford Courant has added to the growing media coverage of the lawsuit about the Bridgeport Board of Education’s illegal contract for Acting Superintendent Paul Vallas. As the Courant reports, Attorney Norm Pattis, who brought the lawsuit the led to the Supreme Court ruling that the Malloy Administration’s attempt to take over the Bridgeport School ... more »

GUEST POST: Arresting Development: Police Officers, Teachers, and Standardization, Julie Gorlewski – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
GUEST POST: Arresting Development: Police Officers, Teachers, and Standardization, Julie Gorlewski – @ the chalk face: GUEST POST: Arresting Development: Police Officers, Teachers, and Standardization, Julie Gorlewski by plthomasedd [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] What happens when public employees are forced to use standardized measures to deal with human endeavors? Our most vulnerable youth populations suffer. Today, this is clearly visible in education and law enforcement. Police officers, charged to increase municipal revenues by meeting arbitrary quotas, implemented “stop a... more »

Why Latino teachers lead to more diversity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Why Latino teachers lead to more diversity: Why we need more Latino teachers by Being Latino Contributors visualphotos.com When you think of a teacher, who do you see? If you are like most people, you’re likely to imagine a middle-aged woman. If you think back on the teachers you’ve had in your K-12 education, most of your teachers fit that description, and furthermore, more likely than not, most of them were also white. Because in all honesty, how many elementary-school teachers of yours were men or of a minority background? Consider yourself fortunate if you ever had a male teac... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Missouri Coaltion Against Common Core Response to DESE's Common Core Claims

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Missouri Coaltion Against Common Core Response to DESE's Common Core Claims: Missouri Coaltion Against Common Core Response to DESE's Common Core Claims by stlgretchen The following response was sent to legislators in response to Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's claims on Common Core. You may find some responses helpful in your fight against Common Core spin from your state agency. From Missouri Coalition Against Common Core Standards: * * ******************************************************** * * *Inaccuracies in the DES... more »

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How Finns View What Matters in Education by dianerav This is a very interesting read about how Finns think about education. They think about education, not just schooling. They think about how different institutions interact to shape young people. As Lawrence Cremin (my mentor and the author’s) taught, education is a network of institutions. Finns care about equality, not as an abstraction but a reality. They make sure that everyone has health care and education. ... more »

"It's Time To Fight Back!" (words and music by Matt Farmer) Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: *Chicago FightBack School-Closings Rap* Published on Apr 1, 2013 *"It's Time To Fight Back!" (words and music by Matt Farmer)* * * Popout

Daily Kos: A pointed commentary on the cheating scandal in Atlanta

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: A pointed commentary on the cheating scandal in Atlanta: A pointed commentary on the cheating scandal in Atlanta by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) which was sent to the NY Times as a possible op-ed / letter to the editor, but not published. I am posting it here with permission, and will also offer some commentary: *The road to the massive cheating scandal in Atlanta (NYT 3/30/2013) runs right through the White House.*The former superintendent, Dr. Beverly L. Hall, and her 34 obedient subordinates now face criminal charges, but the central role played by a group of un-i... more »

Aspire and State Board give up fight over controversial charters | EdSource Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Aspire and State Board give up fight over controversial charters | EdSource Today: Aspire and State Board give up fight over controversial charters ** April 3rd, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald After a six-year legal battle, Aspire Public Schools and the State Board of Education have agreed to give up the permit that enabled Aspire to open a half-dozen charter schools without local district approval. The much-watched settlement, reached last month, will likely discourage the State Board from granting similar “statewide benefit charters” and marks a clear victory for the... more »

In Ravitch’s Defense: Milwaukee Voucher Study Found Wanting | deutsch29

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
In Ravitch’s Defense: Milwaukee Voucher Study Found Wanting | deutsch29: In Ravitch’s Defense: Milwaukee Voucher Study Found Wanting by deutsch29 I hold a Ph.D. in applied statistics and research methods from the University of Northern Colorado (2002). The title of my dissertation is *A Monte Carlo Study of the Type I Error and Power Associated with Descriptive Discriminant Analysis as a MANOVA Post Hoc Procedure*. Why am I beginning this post with information about my credentials? Yesterday, Dr. Patrick Wolf of the University of Arkansas’ Department of Educational Reform (which is... more »

Seeing teachers as technicians ignores what else they give students: confidence, moral support and inspiration | Get Schooled

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Seeing teachers as technicians ignores what else they give students: confidence, moral support and inspiration | Get Schooled: Seeing teachers as technicians ignores what else they give students: confidence, moral support and inspiration by Maureen Downey Spurred by federal policy, many states, including Georgia, are moving to teacher evaluations that consider student progress on tests. But a rising chorus is challenging the reliance on testing to define a good teacher. (AJC photo) [image: Spurred by federal policy, many states, including Georgia, want to move to evaluations that c... more »

Bill Ayers: Road to Atlanta cheating scandal ‘runs right through White House’

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Bill Ayers: Road to Atlanta cheating scandal ‘runs right through White House’: Bill Ayers: Road to Atlanta cheating scandal ‘runs right through White House’ Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 3, 2013 at 4:00 am 6 Comments More [image: the_white_house_0]Bill Ayers, a retired professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in no uncertain terms takes aim in this post at federal school policies that led to the Atlanta cheating scandal. Ayers, a radical activist during the 1960s and ’70s, had the national spotlight thrown on him during the 2008 presidential campaign... more »

Smearing, Belittling and Besmirching the PTA in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Smearing, Belittling and Besmirching the PTA in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings: Smearing, Belittling and Besmirching the PTA in Florida by Bob Sikes The presence of at least a half-dozen independent PTA members at Monday’s senate hearing on Parent Trigger was enough to demonstrate the clout of Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA/PTSA) across Florida. Their voice used to matter until the education for profit gravy train came to town and politicians realized the advantage to be had by jumping on. But what to do about those pesky naysayers – like those loathsome PTA members – when t... more »

Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE): CReATE Researchers Issue Open Letter on School Closures

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Chicagoland Researchers and Advocates for Transformative Education (CReATE): CReATE Researchers Issue Open Letter on School Closures: CReATE Researchers Issue Open Letter on School Closures by CReATE Chicago *Education Scholars Agree Chicago School Closures **are Ill-Advised and Unsupported by Data* * * * **An Open Letter of Concern to* *Mayor Rahm Emanuel,* *Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett* *and the Chicago School Board* * * We, the undersigned, call upon the Chicago Board of Education to reject the closing of 54 schools at their May meeting, and instead, to impl... more »

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 4-2-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *CORPORATE ED REFORM* University of Phoenix to ‘Occupy’ Santa Monica College by Danny Weil It was the former Chancellor of the Community College system, Jack Scott, who proposed that to increase access for students to education, the notorious [...] The post University of Phoenix to ‘Occupy’ Santa Monica College appeared first on DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored... Remainders: Looking for answers in Atlanta’s cheating charges by Philissa Cramer, at 9:02 pm - Three important questions and answers about Atlanta’s sweeping schoo... more »

Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota(PEJAM)

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota(PEJAM): FrankenGuild...It's Alive! *FrankenGuild... * *It's Alive!* *The Monster * Two years ago the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) created the Minnesota Guild of Public Charter Schools and were officially approved by the state to be a sponsor of charter schools. This effort was financed by two Innovation Grants from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The Innovation Grants were funded in part by the Gates Foundation and the Eli Broad Foundation. This is yet another attempt to do what Pasi Sahlberg called, "tryin... more »

NPE Webinar #1: How to Organize a Grassroots Group | The Network For Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
NPE Webinar #1: How to Organize a Grassroots Group | The Network For Public Education: [image: The Network For Public Education -] NPE Webinar #1: How to Organize a Grassroots Group by admin *Organizers share ideas* Many of those who have joined our network want to get involved in grassroots work to change the direction of education in our communities. We are now planning a series of web forums to share concrete ways to do just that. The first will focus on how to organize grassroots groups. Phyllis Bush and members of the North East Indiana Friends of Public Education will share ... more »

Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble to Appear in Vagina Monologues

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Kimble's Corner: Congressman Kimble to Appear in Vagina Monologues: Congressman Kimble to Appear in Vagina Monologues by Representative Kimble *[Reprinted from the Oakdale Value Shopper with Permission]* It's not the sort of thing you'd expect from 4 ruggedly conservative Congressmen, but this April 12th and 13th, Congressmen Jack Kimble, Jim Sensenbrenner, Louie Gohmert, and Steve Fincher will be appearing in a production of The Vagina Monologues at Glendale Valley Community College. We're joined by Congressman Kimble to talk about the production: OVS: Welcome Congressmen JK: Tha...more »

solidaridad: 2ND ANNUAL CEJ/PEAC Social Justice Schools Conference

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
solidaridad: 2ND ANNUAL CEJ/PEAC Social Justice Schools Conference: 2ND ANNUAL CEJ/PEAC Social Justice Schools Conference by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene Attacks on our schools continue, but the fight is stronger than ever as exemplified by the Schools L.A. Students Deserve Campaign. Parents, students, teachers, community organizations have come together to not only build a vision for schools but to think about a strategy to win. 2ND ANNUAL CEJ/PEAC Social Justice Schools Conference by Robert D. Skeels

Schools Matter: Tom Friedman Signals New Education Rhetoric and the Same Old Crap

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schools Matter: Tom Friedman Signals New Education Rhetoric and the Same Old Crap: Tom Friedman Signals New Education Rhetoric and the Same Old Crap by Jim Horn I have been dismissing Tom Friedman for a long time, but occasionally I do find something of interest in his column that someone else said. His latest column follows that pattern, in that it is based largely on quotes from Tony Wagner, a Harvard prof who has made a career of trying to do in education what Tom Friedman has done in politics, i. e., represent an abstract middle-brow version of progressivism that wraps neo-... more »

UPDATE: DFER's 'Education Warrior' Schooling in the Ownership Society: Walton paying for CPS propaganda campaign on school closings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Walton paying for CPS propaganda campaign on school closings: DFER's 'Education Warrior' Sen. Smith, busted trying to rig N.Y. mayor's race by Mike Klonsky Smith, in a conversation with a federal informant, expressed his feelings on the illegal payoffs. “Business is business.” Hedge-fund school reformers at DFER's held up *State Sen. Malcolm Smith*, as their all-time school privatization hero. They describe Smith here as "a proud supporter of public charter schools long before it became popular to do so within the Democratic Party." Smith was e... more »

UPDATE: Parent Revolution Monster Jeb Bush + Florida’s School Choice Crowd Buses in Kids on a School Day for Political Rally | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Florida’s School Choice Crowd Buses in Kids on a School Day for Political Rally | Scathing Purple Musings: The Parent Revolution Monster Jeb Bush Wants to Unleash in Florida Communities With Parent Trigger by Bob Sikes Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Florida’s Future (FFF) has brought in Parent Revolution the past two years to testify on behalf of Parent Trigger. FFF’s executive director, Patricia Levesque, orchestrated a press conference last week with Parent Revolution as a primary part of FFF’s efforts to pass Parent Trigger. Bush even singled out the self-described left wing group a... more »

Hispanic Education: CA Migrant Head Start Program Can be Model | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Hispanic Education: CA Migrant Head Start Program Can be Model | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com: Hispanic Education: California Migrant Head Start Program Can be Model [image: Hispanic Education: California Migrant Head Start Program Can be Model]Long before President Obama triggered a new national interest in universal preschool earlier this year, a Central Valley-based Head Start program for children of migrant workers has been breaking down barriers that have kept Latino families out of early learning programs. Data suggests that Latino children, who now make up more than half of ...more »

Learning Math, Learning Justice - Rethinking Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Rethinking Schools: Volume 27, Issue 3 Volume 27, Issue 3 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3 — SPRING 2013 Cover Theme: Learning Math, Learning Justice This issue of *Rethinking Schools* previews our new, expanded, and revised edition of *Rethinking Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers*. The focus is on teaching math in ways that help students make sense of their world. Editorial: Just MathWhose Community Is This?Mathematics of neighborhood displacement By Eric (Rico) Gutstein Students use advanced math to study gentrification, displacement, and foreclosure in their neighborhood. Bey... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed Reform Collapsing Under Its Own Weight - Part One, Assessments

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ed Reform Collapsing Under Its Own Weight - Part One, Assessments: Keeping Up with Language Usage (Do Keep Up) from Seattle Schools Community Forum by Melissa Westbrook First up today, it was the use of the word "illegals", then it seems "whom" may be on its way out and now the NY Times weighs in on language with this op-ed "*Those Irritating Verbs-as-Nouns.*" Today the Associated Press (via the Huffington Post) sent out a style guide to reporters about using the term "illegals, illegal immigrants and undocumented immigrants." From the AP Styleboo... more »

Public Schools, Private Agendas: Parent Revolution – Hot Ideas for a Cold Economy – The Frying Pan

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Public Schools, Private Agendas: Parent Revolution – Hot Ideas for a Cold Economy – The Frying Pan: Public Schools, Private Agendas: Parent Revolution by Gary Cohn on April 2, 2013 At first glance, it is one of the nation’s hottest new education-reform movements, a seemingly populist crusade to empower poor parents and fix failing public schools. But a closer examination reveals that the “parent-trigger” movement is being heavily financed by the conservative Walton Family Foundation, one of the nation’s largest and most strident anti-union organizations, a Frying Pan News invest... more »

Letter to the Sacramento County Board of Education: Just Say No to the Fortune School Charter Revision | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Letter to the Sacramento County Board of Education: Just Say No to the Fortune School Charter Revision | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: Letter to the Sacramento County Board of Education: Just Say No to the Fortune School Charter Revision by Kate_Lenox [image: Home] published by Kate_Lenox on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 1:07pm Dear SCOE Board of Trustees: It has come to our attention that the Fortune School will be coming before the SCOE board to ask for a material revision of its charter. It is proposing a new school in Elk Grove School USD more than three miles from t... more »

Atlanta school cheating indictments: Your questions, answered. By Dana Goldstein

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Atlanta school cheating indictments: Your questions, answered.: Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy What You Need to Know About the Shocking Cheating Indictments in the Atlanta Public Schools By Dana Goldstein | Posted Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at 3:07 PM [image: Share on Facebook] 3 16 [image: 97021506] The Atlanta indictment alleges a top-down conspiracy. Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images A March 29 grand jury indictment details the shockingly sick culture of adult cheating that existed within the Atlanta public schools under former superinten... more »

The Common Core Reality that Florida Republican Senators Want to Ignore in Parent Trigger Fight | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
The Common Core Reality that Florida Republican Senators Want to Ignore in Parent Trigger Fight | Scathing Purple Musings: The Common Core Reality that Florida Republican Senators Want to Ignore in Parent Trigger Fight by Bob Sikes Susan Smith reminded senate republicans of something they don’t want to be reminded of during yesterday’s Senate Education Committee hearing on Parent Trigger. Florida’s implementation of Common Core Standards (CCS) has consequences which will come into play in the bill they say is just about “giving parents a seat at the table.” Referring to a prese... more »

Will Charter Schools Survive The Charter School Movement?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Will Charter Schools Survive The Charter School Movement?: Will Charter Schools Survive The Charter School Movement? by Jeff Bryant [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] America’s education polices are brimming with contradiction. Schools, we’re told, need more standardization, but parents need more choices, which standardization precludes. Teachers need to be held to more accountability, but entry into the teaching force needs to be easier with fewer qualifications. This kind of contradiction applies to one of the more contentious ideas often equated to schoo... more »