Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, February 10, 2013

All Education Matters: Round Five: Restoring Bankruptcy Protection Rights To Student Loan Borrowers (HR 432)

All Education Matters: Round Five: Restoring Bankruptcy Protection Rights To Student Loan Borrowers (HR 432):


Round Five: Restoring Bankruptcy Protection Rights To Student Loan Borrowers (HR 432)

Last Wednesday, HR 432, which would allow private loans to be discharged in bankruptcy, was introduced by Congressmen Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.). This is the fifth time that that this type of legislation has been presented for passage.

As most of my readers are aware, I am in full favor in restoring bankruptcy protection rights to borrowers with private student loans. That goes with federal loans, too. However, there are valid concerns about potentially negative consequences of a bill like this passing - this is always the case when legislation is passed. The outcome can result in unforeseen problems. The most significant concern I have is the following: if the bill passes, Congress and higher education policy makers might pat themselves on and declare, "The problem is solved, so there is nothing to worry about now." That is not what we want our dear Congressmen, Congresswomen, and policy makers to conclude! Far from it.

And, as I've mentioned previously, the lenders, who are culpable - just as the U.S. government is - in creating 

Cornel West on the "shameless silence" of progressives about Obama and education reform - C-SPAN Video Library

Cornel West on the "shameless silence" of progressives about Obama and education reform - C-SPAN Video Library:


CORNEL WEST ON THE "SHAMELESS SILENCE" OF PROGRESSIVES ABOUT OBAMA AND EDUCATION REFORM

Clipped from:Tavis Smiley Presents Poverty in America
Jan 17, 2013

"PUBLIC EDUCATION IS PREDICATED ON THE NOTION YOU ARE FOCUSED ON OTHER KIDS -- YOU HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT ALL CHILDREN....NOT ANY LONGER -- ALL THIS PRIVATIZING PROFIT OBSESSION, THIS PREOCCUPATION WITH THIS SHORT-TERM GAIN AS OPPOSED TO LONG-TERM INTEGRITY, IS BEING PUSHED TO THE SIDE."
3 minutes, 42 seconds | 6 views

A warning to college profs from a high school teacher

A warning to college profs from a high school teacher:


A warning to college profs from a high school teacher

warningFor more than a decade now we have heard that the high-stakes testing obsession in K-12 education that began with the enactment of No Child Left Behind 11 years ago has resulted in high school graduates who don’t think as analytically or as broadly as they should because so much emphasis has been placed on passing standardized tests. Here, an award-winning high school teacher who just retired, Kenneth Bernstein, warns college professors what they are up against. Bernstein, who lives near Washington, D.C. serves as a peer reviewer for educational journals and publishers, and he is nationally known as the blogger “teacherken.” His e-mail address is kber@earthlink.net. This appeared in Academe, the journal of the American Association of University Professors.
By Kenneth Bernstein
You are a college professor.
I have just retired as a high school teacher.
I have some bad news for you. In case you do not already see what is happening, 

Black History Month: Billie Holiday-Strange fruit- HD




Black History Month: Billie Holiday-Strange fruit



Billie Holiday Strange Fruit Lyrics

Songwriters: FROST,DAMON/PHIRI,AARON /

Southern trees bear a strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.

Pastoral scene of the gallant south,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.

Here is fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.

Strange Fruit lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Common Core math blues + The emotional violence of the accountability regime: part one – @ the chalk face

Common Core math blues – @ the chalk face:

@TCF on Blog Talk Radio



Common Core math blues

So parents, have you noticed that your children’s math homework is much more difficult this year?  Are you having problems helping your child?
Welcome to Common Core math.  This new education reform is permeating our children’s classrooms and the result is not pretty.  44 States and D.C. have signed on to the Common Core Standards, many for the opportunity to get the Race to the Top bribes, err, grants.
Ask any veteran teacher: there have been many educational movements that have come and gone over the years.  As time goes on these new programs fade into the background and new revolutionary ideas appear promising to improve our children’s educational outcomes. The massive undertaking of the Common Core is unprecedented in terms of widespread use and financial commitment.
So how will the Common Core affect your child?
In math look for much more difficult work.  Students may be asked to understand concepts that may not be


The emotional violence of the accountability regime: part one

You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?-  Talking Heads
When I came to education later in life, I had two pictures of the work in mind. One was of conversations with students about literature—poetry, novels, stories, essays and treatises. Works I selected. Works they selected. Our own writing. I had some sense of the web of interactions and interpretations that would connect and challenge us. The other thought was that these conversations would grow for each of us and us together a possibility for community, for action, for democracy.
As a high school English teacher I had five rules in my classroom: speak up, listen, speak true to yourself, no on goes it alone, and imagine the life of others. It was my sense that we were creating and discovering new ways of being with each other and with the texts we encountered and created. As a teacher educator who was given the


Press release from @unitedoptout, share widely #optout

Occupy DOE 2.0 Press Release FINAL PDF: Click that link to download it.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Times Just Can't Stop

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Times Just Can't Stop:


The Times Just Can't Stop

Honestly, I just don't get the Times.  So now they have trotted out an op-ed against BOTH levies (and, gotten the name of the pro-levy supporter, Greg Wong -not Wang - wrong to boot). 

It's yet another person who is late to this party of "accountability" and yet this guy even casts a bigger swath.  And he's a public school parent who wants both levies to fail.

I understand his unhappiness but failing the Operations levy won't change that.  In fact, if he wants to see our district fall to its knees, let the Operations levy fail.  He gives NO solutions to what might happen after that 

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter

Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter:


This Week’s #PTchat On Twitter

Guest Post by Joe Mazza




When: Wed., 2/13/13 – 9PM EDT/6PST

Image credit: http://edtechvision.org/
Oftentimes parents don’t ask questions about supporting academic initiatives in our schools because we haven’t provided them enough information on the who, what, when, where, how. It’s up to teachers and leaders to go the extra mile to engage them and show them how to support our work in the classroom.
During this week’s Parent-Teacher Chat (#ptchat) on Twitter, we’ll create a working Google doc glossary of terms for parents. Earlier this week, Washington Post ed writer Emma Browm posted “What the heck is your teacher talking about? Here’s a glossary.” Terms discussed in her informative post include self-regulation, scaffolding, play-based learning, authentic assessment, DIBELS, positive behavior interventions and supports, inclusion, Kagan structures and differentiated instruction. 
We’ll use Ms. Brown’s article as a starting point for our one hour discussion. Please join us as together we’ll create a working document applicable for your next school/classroom newsletter.
Join us Wednesday at 9PM EDT/6PST. If you not Twitter, you can still experience the conversation by visiting Tweetchat at the time of the chat.

Black History Month Not Universally Supported - Higher Education

Black History Month Not Universally Supported - Higher Education:


Black History Month Not Universally Supported


Shukree Tilghman is among those calling for an end to Black History Month.
One scene in a CBS “60 Minutes” profile of Morgan Freeman that was broadcast several years ago garnered a lot of attention.
End BHM“Black History Month you find …?” the interviewer Mike Wallace began.
“Ridiculous,” said Freeman. “You going to relegate my history to a month?”
Then the veteran actor turned the tables on his interviewer:
“Which month is White History Month?”
“I’m Jewish,” Wallace said quickly.
“Which month is Jewish History Month?” rebutted Freeman. “You want one?”
“No.”
“I don’t either.”
That exchange made an impression on millions of people, including an aspiring African-American filmmaker by the name of Shukree Tilghman, who would later earn an MFA in screenwriting from Columbia University. A year 

For Immediate Release: Occupy the U.S. Dept. of Ed. 2.0 | United Opt Out National

For Immediate Release: Occupy the U.S. Dept. of Ed. 2.0 | United Opt Out National:


For Immediate Release: Occupy the U.S. Dept. of Ed. 2.0

Overcoming arrogance and obstruction – one story at a time | Reclaim Reform

Overcoming arrogance and obstruction – one story at a time | Reclaim Reform:


Overcoming arrogance and obstruction – one story at a time

Chicago CPS attitudeWhat does it take to overcome arrogant responses and obstructions when all we want is justice for our public schools, students, teachers and retirees with their pensions.

Here is just one story and commentary of educational courage published in the Answer Sheet of the Washington Post. HERE.
Excerpt: Sam’s story also teaches us that we must stand together. While

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 2-10-13 #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



Ramblings About Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 minutes ago
Ramblings About Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee « Cooperative Catalyst: Ramblings About Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee by robinclane Just finished watching Jon Stewart’s interview with Michelle Rhee. She mostly focused on specific policies she highlights in her new book — teacher evaluation, “accountability,” school closings, etc. — that many of us progressive educators can agree are anti-student as well as anti-teacher. But beyond all of that, there are two things I haven’t heard much discussion about that I’d like to bring up about Rhee and the premise from which she fun... more »

I have some concerns about the #studentvoice in #edreform – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 minutes ago
I have some concerns about the #studentvoice in #edreform – @ the chalk face: I have some concerns about the #studentvoice in #edreform by Chalk Face, PhD I will keep this brief. I have other things to do. But I have some concerns that I feel like I need to air to see if I’ve got this correct or if anyone else is feeling it too. Right now, groups on numerous sides of the education reform debate are finally asking students to speak out. There’s a bunch of different student-organized clubs or groups that advocate for education-specific causes. That’s excellent. We can’t complain if ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Apparently, I'm Not the Only One

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 minutes ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Apparently, I'm Not the Only One: Apparently, I'm Not the Only One by Melissa Westbrook In the continuing saga over opposing the BEX because of the interim plan vote, I have seen some new e-mails. One interesting item to note is that *BOTH the Eckstein PTA as well as the Seattle Council PTSA support both levies. * It would seem Eckstein's elected parent leadership is for the BEX. And, if the Seattle Council PTSA had serious issues with either levy, you'd think they would have brought them up. One PTA president (who will remain nameless) asked Ms... more »

School Tech Connect: The View From Sunday

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 27 minutes ago
School Tech Connect: The View From Sunday: The View From Sunday by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Man, the gloom hanging over Chicago today was intense. Anyway, Rogers Park Neighbors For Public Schools is on the march, growing so fast I can hardly keep up with it. At the end of today's meeting I realized we had organizational activities every night this week, which means my dogs will be very, very unhappy by Friday night. On a positive note, I've learned enough about computers over the past two years that I managed to repair my own MacBook Pro, which if you'll remember, I dro... more »

Our Book Club: A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey | United Opt Out National

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Our Book Club: A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey | United Opt Out National: Our Book Club: A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey by admin United Opt Out National began an online book club approximately two months ago and it appears that it is here to stay; we’d like to invite everyone to join us. Our meeting time is on Sunday at 4 p.m. EST on our Occupy the DOE in DC page. Next week we will finish the final chapter of The Future of Our Schools: Teachers Unions and Social Justice by Lois Weiner and we will begin by reading the introduction of A Brief Hist... more »

Help Has Arrived!: Banishing NCLB’s Narrow Paradigm | Cloaking Inequity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Help Has Arrived!: Banishing NCLB’s Narrow Paradigm | Cloaking Inequity: Help Has Arrived!: Banishing NCLB’s Narrow Paradigm [image: Screen Shot 2013-01-31 at 1.12.14 PM] How can we banish NCLB’s top-down and narrow paradigm? Here is how you do it… Accountability should foster collective community goals. In education, there are many measures of student success from school entry through graduation and beyond. Here are Community-Based Accountability Executive Summary and Key Features. Please forward and circulate widely. These are living documents and will be revised as feedback and ... more »

Webinar: Teacher Jesse Hagopian of Garfield High School- How it can happen at your school « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Webinar: Teacher Jesse Hagopian of Garfield High School- How it can happen at your school « Seattle Education: Webinar: Teacher Jesse Hagopian of Garfield High School- How it can happen at your school by seattleducation2011 [image: scrap the map2] *A webinar with Garfield High School Teacher Jesse Hagopian* A free webinar featuring Jesse Hagopian, Garfield teacher and alumnus, as he discusses the background and current state of the fight to Scrap The Map. Today at 5pm PST. You must register via email to receive an invitation to the webinar: Write to garfieldteacherswebinar@gmail.com... more »

Daily Kos: Sacramento School District Rushing to Close 1/5 of its Elementary Schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Sacramento School District Rushing to Close 1/5 of its Elementary Schools: SUN FEB 10, 2013 AT 09:03 AM PST Sacramento School District Rushing to Close 1/5 of its Elementary Schools byERTBenFollow - - - 7 Comments / 7 New On January 16th, the Sacramento City Unified School District announced that it was planning to close 11 elementary schools - 1/5 of the total elementary schools in the entire district. This came as a shock to many, since city voters had just overwhelmingly passed Measures Q and R, providing $414 million in bonds to fund repairs and... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Another State Legislative Hearing on the Common Core Standards

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Another State Legislative Hearing on the Common Core Standards: Another State Legislative Hearing on the Common Core Standards by stlgretchen [image: MO Coalition Against Common Core Brochure] Click on the brochure to download a copy. From politicalchips.org: Time: February 14, 2013 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm Location: State Capital City/Town: *Topeka, KS* Event Type: hearing *The legislators in various states are finally waking up to the enormous costs of the unfunded Federal mandate which leave local and state school boards with no authority over what a... more »

UPDATE: THE Enemy is TESTING + Fear of Creativity – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Fear of Creativity – @ the chalk face: Fear of Creativity by Kris Nielsen On her blog, Kate Edson (who is a spare-time frugality researcher) tells about a book she is reading and offers these words: *Everyone is born creative*. However sometime between kindergarten and today, perhaps during the tumultuous time called adolescence, doubt creeps in and we may think we *aren’t* creative. Fear THE Enemy is TESTING. Enlist educators against it. by Chalk Face, PhD [image: THE Enemy is TESTING. Enlist educators against it.] *Testing is the disease.*

21st Century Education Is the Way Forward | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
21st Century Education Is the Way Forward | toteachornototeach: 21st Century Education Is the Way Forward by aristotlethewise *21st Century Education Is the Way Forward * by John Thomas Everywhere you turn in education today, you hear mention of “21st Century Learning.” It is very natural that whenever there is talk about “change,” there is anxiety and confusion until people fully understand what is meant by the change. A parent in a very direct and honest way reached out to me recently after hearing me talk about the growing emphasis of teaching, collaboration, creativity, and cri... more »

What is the truth about the new Windham STEM Magnet? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
What is the truth about the new Windham STEM Magnet? - Wait, What?: What is the truth about the new Windham STEM Magnet? by jonpelto A major controversy is brewing about the operating agreement that will govern Windham’s new Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy. Recruitment for the K-8 magnet school is beginning and the school will be opening in September 2013. The Agreement, as proposed by Windham’s Special Master Steven Adamowski and approved by the Windham Board of Education, includes the concept that “New students entering beyond grade 3 must be reading at grade level.” As Windham... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Georgia: “The Chaos Theory of Running Our Schools” by dianerav Myra Blackmon, a columnist for the Athens, Georgia, Banner-Herald, explains how the state legislature is determined to destabilize and disrupt public education with a wacky “parent trigger” bill. Read her terrific analysis here. It won’t do anything to improve education nor will it “empower” parents, but it will make ALEC and others advocates of privatization very happy. Amazing Reporting on New Orleans Charters by dianerav Bobby Jindal went to Virginia to boast of the miraculous transformation ... more »

House Charter School Bill Corrupted by Cozy Relationship Between Tony Bennett and Charter Schools USA | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
House Charter School Bill Corrupted by Cozy Relationship Between Tony Bennett and Charter Schools USA | Scathing Purple Musings: House Charter School Bill Corrupted by Cozy Relationship Between Tony Bennett and Charter Schools USA by Bob Sikes House Charter School Bill Corrupted by Cozy Relationship Between Tony Bennett and Charter Schools USA Chris Moya, Charter Schools USA lobbyist testified this week that Rep. George Moraitis charter school bill was about ‘improving accountability”. Moya and Florida Charter School Alliance lobbyist Jim Horne’s smug performances this week were... more »

Sorry, Kirp’s Fix Another Flawed Discourse on Ed Reform – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Sorry, Kirp’s Fix Another Flawed Discourse on Ed Reform – @ the chalk face: Sorry, Kirp’s Fix Another Flawed Discourse on Ed Reform by plthomasedd [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] Before I could find David Kirp’s “The Secret to Fixing Bad Schools,” I received by email and discovered on Twitter a series of enthusiastic praise from friends, colleagues, and like-minded progressives and left-leaning radicals. So let me be the first to say, “Sorry, but Kirp’s fix is yet another flawed public commentary about the state of schools and the needed education reform.” Now, briefly, let me c... more »

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Corporate reformers and union haters target Zimmer in L.A. board race

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Corporate reformers and union haters target Zimmer in L.A. board race: Corporate reformers and union haters target Zimmer in L.A. board race by Mike Klonsky I have done several posts on various local school board elections which recently have become targets for corporate reform types bent on district takeovers. Their aim is to gain control of hundreds of school district budgets and shift money away from neighborhood public schools and into the pockets of private charter school operators. In October, I referred to a piece in The Nation which a... more »

Short Notes: Dear Chris Lehmann [This Time, It's About You] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Short Notes: Dear Chris Lehmann [This Time, It's About You] | The Jose Vilson: Short Notes: Dear Chris Lehmann [This Time, It's About You] by Jose Vilson [image: Chris Lehmann and ... Chris Lehmann] Chris Lehmann and … Chris Lehmann A few links: - Amidst all the talk about Obama’s lack of action regarding Chicago’s daily murders, First Lady Obama attends Hadiya Pendleton’s funeral. [The Root] - ITeach4Change ruminates on the situation at Garfield High School in Seattle. We still need serious reform. [Cooperative Catalyst] - The NAACP asks you to nominate a local h... more »

Palm Beach County schools look for ways to reduce teen arrests - Sun Sentinel

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Palm Beach County schools look for ways to reduce teen arrests - Sun Sentinel: Students arrested for 'bad behavior, not criminal behavior' February 9, 2013|By Leslie Postal and Scott Travis, Orlando Sentinel, Sun Sentinel Thousands of Florida students are arrested in school each year and taken to jail for behavior that once warranted a trip to the principal's office — a trend that troubles juvenile-justice and civil-rights leaders who say children are being traumatized for non-criminal acts. Though the number of school arrests has dropped significantly since the state eased its "... more »

So much for school choice in New Orleans and elsewhere « Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
So much for school choice in New Orleans and elsewhere « Seattle Education: So much for school choice in New Orleans and elsewhere by seattleducation2011 [image: Karran Harper Royal] Karran Harper Royal Karran Harper-Royal, an advocate for all children in public schools, works tirelessly in New Orleans and beyond in ensuring an equitable education for all against many odds. Mrs. Harper-Royal has begun a collection of video recordings of herself and others as they describe the reality of the so-called miracle of New Orleans charter schools. The first video is one of Mrs. Harper-Royal... more »

Madigan can run but he can’t hide. He wants you to fax him. So, fax him. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Madigan can run but he can’t hide. He wants you to fax him. So, fax him. « Fred Klonsky: Madigan can run but he can’t hide. He wants you to fax him. So, fax him. by Fred Klonsky [image: Madigan+Pension+Reform+Talks] If you were like me on Friday you were going to find a way to send a message to Democratic Party Chairman and House Speaker Michael Madigan. He had disrespected our union and its members with his *drop dead* letter telling the *We Are One* coalition of public employee unions that he had no time to meet with them about pensions. And while the union leaders themselves had p... more »

The exaggeration of charter school waiting lists

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
The exaggeration of charter school waiting lists: The exaggeration of charter school waiting lists Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 10, 2013 at 11:18 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: the-waiting-list-one-sheet]No doubt there are excellent charter schools in the country where the waiting lists are very, very long. But there also are instances where waiting lists aren’t exactly as long as they appear. That became clear at a recent legislative hearing in Florida, when charter school... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Teachers Stand Up Against Merit Pay

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Teachers Stand Up Against Merit Pay: Teachers Stand Up Against Merit Pay by Duke Back when we were debating the Newark teacher's contract, I warned everyone that if the Newark Teachers Union accepted a deal that included merit pay, all other districts in the state would be under pressure to accept a similar provision in their contracts. And so has come to pass that the teachers in Paterson - another district, like Newark, that is under state control- are being pressured to accept merit pay. But the latest reports show that the reformyists at the NJDOE and in Pate... more »

Schools Matter: Corporate Insider, Bob George, Named Steering Committee National Director for SOS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Schools Matter: Corporate Insider, Bob George, Named Steering Committee National Director for SOS: Corporate Insider, Bob George, Named Steering Committee National Director for SOS by Jim Horn Below is the first paragraph from a post I put up in 2006, which lists Catapult Learning as one of the fat leeches sucking dollars from ED during the heyday of NCLB. The coming of the neocons to ED has meant that subjects other than reading, math, and behavior control have been shoved aside by a plalanx of testing pushed by the ed industry, the testing/textbook industry, and the politico... more »

What You Need to Know About the Seattle Teachers' Rebellion and the Deeply Flawed Test That Inspired It

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
What You Need to Know About the Seattle Teachers' Rebellion and the Deeply Flawed Test That Inspired It: What You Need to Know About the Seattle Teachers' Rebellion and the Deeply Flawed Test That Inspired ItWednesday, 06 February 2013 10:47By Sarah Jaffe , AlterNet | Report High school teachers in Seattle are saying no to the spread of high-stakes standardized tests. On January 10, the staff of Garfield High School voted unanimously to refuse to administer the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test to their ninth-grade students. For two weeks they've held firm, even as the super... more »

Education for the Greater Good | Scholarly Blog | M.A.Escotet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Education for the Greater Good | Scholarly Blog | M.A.Escotet: Education for the Greater Good by Miguel Angel Escotet *Lack of social ethics is one of the causes of violence and it is **at the root of our present social and economic crises* ------------------------------ We live in a world in turmoil, a world of collapsing ideas, unfulfilled promises, and crashed ideologies and we experience the forces of change invading our classrooms every day, and at the same time, the voices of the discontents demanding radical reform of public education at all levels, including higher educat... more »

Does Collective Teacher Autonomy Make Any Difference for Student Achievement? (Kim Farris-Berg), Part 3 | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Does Collective Teacher Autonomy Make Any Difference for Student Achievement? (Kim Farris-Berg), Part 3 | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Does Collective Teacher Autonomy Make Any Difference for Student Achievement? (Kim Farris-Berg), Part 3 by larrycuban *Farris-Berg is lead author of **Trusting Teachers with School Success: What Happens When Teachers Call the Shots**. She is a Senior Associate with Education Evolving, a policy design shop based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an independent education policy strategist. Her Twitter handle is @farrisberg.*** High... more »

Book review: ‘Radical: Fighting to Put Students First’ by Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Book review: ‘Radical: Fighting to Put Students First’ by Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - The Washington Post: Book review: ‘Radical: Fighting to Put Students First’ by Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee By Jennifer Howard, Published: February 8 *Jennifer Howard, a former contributing editor of Book World, is a senior reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education.* If you are, have been or might soon be the parent of a school-age child in Washington,you have an opinion about Michelle Rhee, who ran the city’s public schools from 2007 to 2010. In a town full of divisive person... more »

We Must Out-Educate and Out-Innovate Other Nations | Group Think | BillMoyers.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
We Must Out-Educate and Out-Innovate Other Nations | Group Think | BillMoyers.com: We Must Out-Educate and Out-Innovate Other Nations By Diane Ravitch, Professor, New York University [image: Diane Ravitch] Diane Ravitch My fellow Americans, I have said in previous addresses on this occasion that the key to our future success is to make sure that the education we provide our young people is the best in the world. I have said that we must out-educate and out-innovate other nations. Over the past four years, I have learned what we need to do. First, we must end the pressure on teachers... more »

JCPS blasted in what education chief calls 'academic genocide' | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
JCPS blasted in what education chief calls 'academic genocide' | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com: JCPS blasted in what education chief calls 'academic genocide'State could step in after 16 of 18 low-performing schools show little progress; JCPS Superintendent Donna Hargens notes challenge - - - - ** - ** - ** - ** - ** - ** - - A - A - [image: Discussion of JCPS low performing schools] Discussion of JCPS low performing schools: The Kentucky Board of Education on Wednesday discussed the State's 41 priority... more »

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Cody to Gates; What Should We Measure? by dianerav Anthony Cody advises Bill gates that test scores are not the best measure of effectiveness. Here he tells Gates what really matters. Bridget, Don’t Give Up! by dianerav An administrator in Louisiana writes about how the Jindal administration tries to strike fear in the hearts of all educators while boasting of their great success. Dear Bridget, here is my advice: “*Illegitimi non carborundum.”* Be there when their pathetic regime is toppled by the good and... more »

The Black Panthers, Black History Month, and “Domestic Terrorism” | Dissident Voice

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Black Panthers, Black History Month, and “Domestic Terrorism” | Dissident Voice: The Black Panthers, Black History Month, and “Domestic Terrorism” by Ron Jacobs Once again, it’s Black History Month in the United States. Since the inception of this celebration, its meaning has unfortunately been diminished as the myth of postracialism becomes gospel, even though it shares none of a gospel’s truths. In schools and libraries, well-meaning teachers and library workers create displays, bring in speakers, and teach lessons on the history of African-Americans. All too often, this me... more »

Chicago Parents & Students Fightback Against Massive School Closing Efforts by the Privateers Coalition for Public Education/CoaliciĂłn por la EducaciĂłn PĂşblica

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Coalition for Public Education/CoaliciĂłn por la EducaciĂłn PĂşblica: *Chicago Parents & Students Fightback Against Massive School Closing Efforts by the Privateers* Popout * * *Feb 7, 2013* This meeting was held in Chicago on February 6th at 7:00. It was one of a series of community meeting taking place in our fair city about this year's round of school closings. About 1,000 people showed up to voice their opinions and to hear others. The space the Chicago Board of Education rented was too small for the community. People were forced to wait outside the main room. They never got ... more »

Ed Notes Online: More on Seattle teachers' boycott of the MAP test

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: More on Seattle teachers' boycott of the MAP test: More on Seattle teachers' boycott of the MAP test by ed notes online ... 'The tests themselves are known as 'junk science' because of their pseudo-scientific basis in metrics while they notoriously produce unreliable, unreproducible, and even faked results...' Sarah Jaffe - February 08, 2013 http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=3967&section=Article [Editor's Note: The following essay -- "What You Need to Know About the Seattle Teachers' Rebellion and the Deeply Flawed Test That Inspired It" -- first ca... more »

Daily Kos: Might Washington's NFL team have to change its name?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Daily Kos: Might Washington's NFL team have to change its name?: Might Washington's NFL team have to change its name? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) When the ombudsmen of the major paper, *The Washington Post*< writes column likePatrick Pexton: Listening to Native Americans, one has to wonder. In that column we learned that were the team now led by Quarterback Rober Griffin III ever to return to play its games within the city limits, the current mayor, VIncent Gray said recently that, if the football team were once again to play its games in the District, adiscussion would hav... more »

UPDATE: Well, it’s about time, the new #unionism + Satire or reality… – @ the chalk face

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Satire or reality… – @ the chalk face: Well, it’s about time, the new #unionism by Chalk Face, PhD I keep hearing about this, the new unionism, the new unionism. What the is it? Well, as far as education unionism is concerned, high stakes testing seems to be one of the primary targets of criticism. And we finally have acknowledgement of this very important fact from the CEO of the NEA. By the way, who ISN’T blogging for the Huffington Post these days? Now that the national organization recognized the resistance to high stakes testing as a tool of privatization, then local associatio... more »

Pollution takes heavy toll on Bay Area children with asthma - Inside Bay Area

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Pollution takes heavy toll on Bay Area children with asthma - Inside Bay Area: Pollution takes heavy toll on Bay Area children with asthma By Katy Murphy Oakland Tribune Posted: 02/09/2013 12:00:00 PM PST Updated: 02/10/2013 12:01:44 AM PST Click photo to enlarge Deja Tyler, 9, of Oakland, Calif., waits for her check up during a routine visit Wednesday,... - - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - » Special Report - Asthma: The Battle to Breathe Related - Feb 9: - Pamela Tapia: My life as an asthmatic - Data Center: Childhood asthma hospitalization rate by ZIP code ... more »

Are Boasberg’s education days numbered? | DeFENSE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
Are Boasberg’s education days numbered? | DeFENSE: Are Boasberg’s education days numbered? by defensedenver When one of the metro area’s most conservative papers calls for the termination of DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg, you know the wheels are starting to finally come off the little yellow school bus. We quote from the February 2012 editorial from *The Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle*, “(t)he first thing the new DPS board member should do is to lead the fight to fire Boasberg as superintendent.” The entire editorial is below. Now, we don’t agree with the paper’s assessment th... more »

The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky *[image: IMG_0029]* *Active and retired teachers pack a room to question Illinois Senator Dan Biss and Representative Robyn Gabel on their pension busting bill. We filled another room across the hall.* *Why can’t Illinois pay its bills*.* Illinois Companies and Wealth Individuals Hide Millions in Off-shore Accounts.* *Read a banned book* lately? *In defense of secrecy and drones,* Obama has become what he once opposed. *The secret to creating good schools in Union City, New Jersey.* No one size fits all programs. No sc... more »

Unscreened by state, firms cash in on Florida kids - Florida - MiamiHerald.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Unscreened by state, firms cash in on Florida kids - Florida - MiamiHerald.com: Unscreened by state, firms cash in on Florida kids In Florida, private tutoring is big business. But among those being paid tax dollars to teach are cheaters and profiteers who operate virtually unchecked. Jenayssi Padgett helps a student in reading during after school tutoring at Jackson Elementary School in Plant City. JOHN PENDYGRAFT / Tampa Bay Times Fullsize previous | next Image 1 of 4 MAKING MILLIONS The top 20 tutoring companies doing business in Florida made at least $1 million in the 2011... more »

California Schools Finance Upgrades by Making the Next Generation Pay - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
California Schools Finance Upgrades by Making the Next Generation Pay - NYTimes.com: California Schools Finance Upgrades by Making the Next Generation PayBy IAN LOVETTPublished: February 9, 2013 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - LOS ANGELES — School officials in Santa Ana were in a bind several years ago: they wanted to build hundreds of new classrooms, but feared that voters would rebel against tax increases to pay for the construction. Enlarge This Image Robert Galbraith/Reuters Bill Lockyer, the state treasure... more »

Read to Learn « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Read to Learn « Deborah Meier on Education: Read to Learn by debmeier Out of the mouths of the experts designing our new expanded prekindergarten program. “*We’re trying to ensure all children are ready to learn when they get to school,”* said Neera Tanden, the president and CEO of the think tank and a former top policy official in the Obama administration. “Investing in early learning and pre-K is the best investment that we can make. The return on investment is significant.” What does Neera Tandeny think little children are doing from the time they leave the womb until they arr... more »

Daily Kos: Looks like some big endorsements for Robin Kelly

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Daily Kos: Looks like some big endorsements for Robin Kelly: Looks like some big endorsements for Robin Kelly by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Just received the following from her campaign manager: Advisory: Major Announcement Sunday from Robin Kelly with Special Guests Congressmen Rush and DavisChicago -- Robin Kelly, candidate for Illinois’ second Congressional district, will make a major campaign announcement with Congressmen Bobby Rush and Danny Davis. Who: Robin Kelly, Congressmen Bobby Rush and Danny Davis, many elected officials What: Major campaign announcement When: ... more »

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Notes to Aspiring Activists

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Notes to Aspiring Activists: Notes to Aspiring Activists by Melissa Westbrook In the continuing kerfuffle over BEX, one of the women in the trio of NE moms trying to get the BEX to fail (albeit quietly via very large neighborhood e-mail lists) has sent quite a pointed e-mail to Director Peaslee that was less-than-effective. This e-mail is in reference to a video that Director Peaslee helped Jane Addams K-8 make in order to try to attract more students that in turn, would help take the pressure off neighboring elementaries and, of course, Eckstein.... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Real Public Schools, Really Hard Work, Great Payoff

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Real Public Schools, Really Hard Work, Great Payoff: Real Public Schools, Really Hard Work, Great Payoff by Melissa Westbrook A great, great op-ed in the NY Times by UC Berkeley professor, David L. Kirp, called T*he Secret to Fixing Bad Schools.* He just spent the last year researching a book on public education in Union City, N. J. I'll let him tell you what he found out: *The striking achievement of Union City, N.J. — bringing poor, mostly immigrant kids into the educational mainstream — argues for reinventing the public schools we have. * *U... more »

Representative Joe Sosnowski and the case of the empty book case. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Representative Joe Sosnowski and the case of the empty book case. « Fred Klonsky: Representative Joe Sosnowski and the case of the empty book case. by Fred Klonsky When Republican State Representative introduced an Illinois Constitutional amendment last week that would take away the pension protection clause, I awarded him the Illinois’ Legislator Biggest Loser of the week award. This is not an easy contest to win. There are no shortage of candidates. One must never forget Paul Powell who served as Speaker of the Illinois House from 1959 to 1963. He went on to be elected Illinois... more »

Punitive and Unsympathetic: Mathews is SOOOO Wrong on KIPP | Cloaking Inequity

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Punitive and Unsympathetic: Mathews is SOOOO Wrong on KIPP | Cloaking Inequity: Punitive and Unsympathetic: Mathews is SOOOO Wrong on KIPP [image: Screen Shot 2013-02-08 at 7.32.09 AM] Jay Mathews is an education talking head, columnist, blogger and huge cheerleader for KIPP schools. KIPP is under fire for their attrition again— this time due to discipline in D.C. Mathews’ explanation and justification for KIPPactions were punitive and unsympathetic. Jay Mathews is clearly not an expert on this issue, so I asked someone who actually knows something about school discipline to respo... more »

Connecticut's teacher evaluation plan - even worse than we thought (by Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Connecticut's teacher evaluation plan - even worse than we thought (by Wendy Lecker) - Wait, What?: Connecticut’s teacher evaluation plan – even worse than we thought (by Wendy Lecker) by jonpelto When you take a break from digging out from the “Great Blizzard of 2013,” I strongly urge you to take a moment today to read Heart Newspaper columnist and fellow blogger, Wendy Lecker’s, latest commentary piece entitled* “Connecticut’s teacher evaluation plan – even worse than we thought.”* Wendy’s article is the clearest description to date of the dishonest, disastrous and counter-produ... more »

Longer school days: why? « Deborah Meier on Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Longer school days: why? « Deborah Meier on Education: Longer school days: why? by debmeier “Answer: so the kids have more time to learn and because they’ll have less time to get into mischief, hang out around with bad influences–like family and neighborhood.” Or somethng “comonsensical like tht. What we must do (see Ed Week, 12/12 by Nora Fleming.) is ensure that “every minute of the schoo day is well spent.” (Idle hands, et al) Oddly enough, our “competitors” abroad have shorter student work days and hours, and more time for professionals to gather and hone their craft. And all... more »

Daily Kos: A different kind of Saturday reflection

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Daily Kos: A different kind of Saturday reflection: A different kind of Saturday reflection by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) for one thing, it is afternoon, not morning for another, I did not teach this week, nor did I teach last week, since I have been caring for my wife, last week in the hospital, this past week at home that has given me a lot of time to think, to ponder, to reflect, particularly when she sleeps I do not pretend that the resulting thoughts are of great insight I do not know if sharing them will be of value to anyone except me - in writing them down I clarify some ... more »

‘Atlas Shrugged’ Should Be Required Reading | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
‘Atlas Shrugged’ Should Be Required Reading | toteachornototeach: ‘Atlas Shrugged’ Should Be Required Reading by aristotlethewise *‘Atlas Shrugged’ Should Be Required **Reading For Students, Republican Says * By John Celock A Republican state senator in Idaho has introduced legislation that would require all high school students in the state to read an Ayn Rand novel that has become popular with the Tea Party movement. State Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde (R-Coeur d’Alene) introduced legislation Tuesday that would require the reading of Rand’s 1957 novel Atlas Shrug... more »

Diane in the Evening 2-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: How Teachers Can Stop the Organized Attack on Teaching by dianerav Teachers often feel powerless in the face of the assaults against their profession. Often they are directed to do things that they know are educational malpractice, and they have no choice but to comply. The best way to resist is through collective action, like the testing boycott of the Seattle teachers. One person standing alone is admirable but will be fired. What is necessary is for entire faculties to speak as one. Think of the Chicago Teachers Union. Their detractors changed the state l... more »