Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, May 28, 2012

NJ Spotlight | 'Facebook' Fund Releases Wish List for Newark Public Schools and Charters

NJ Spotlight | 'Facebook' Fund Releases Wish List for Newark Public Schools and Charters:


'Facebook' Fund Releases Wish List for Newark Public Schools and Charters

If all goes according to plan, Newark charter schools stand to gain $15 million from fund created by Mark Zuckerberg
 print |  | 
The Foundation for Newark’s Future, the fund created from Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to Newark public schools, will soon commit approximately $15 million to the city’s charter schools -- nearly doubling its overall outlay so far.
As the new partnership with the Newark Charter School Fund is wrapped up, the foundation last week also released new details and developments about the nearly $15.9 million the foundation has committed to date.
The following is the list of commitments, in size order, according to the foundation:

Newark Public Schools -- Operational Excellence: $4 million

Technical assistance and management consulting for Newark Public School's Superintendent Cami Anderson's, particularly with numerous reforms she plans on implementing.

Newark Public Schools -- Diagnostic and Transition: $2,845,582

Funds to support a diagnostic assessment of Newark public schools in the first few months of 

WHY LAUSD REALLY FIRED PATRICIA MCALLISTER (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

LAUSD, John Deasy, Ramon Cortines, Monica Garcia, Richard Vladovic - Perdaily.com:


WHY LAUSD REALLY FIRED PATRICIA MCALLISTER (VIDEO)

Patricia McAllister.jpg
(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)
Probably one of the clearest examples of managing the news to discredit somebody was seen several months ago in the case of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) substitute teacher Patricia McAllister. While I found her message of how zionist Jews, who supposedly run the Federal Reserve, as being responsible for our present financial woes to be garden variety antisemitism, I was, nonetheless, fascinated by her other well documented message of how the LAUSD Board was in the pocket of big construction companies and charter developers who gave large sums of money to LAUSD Board members' re-election campaigns. This story definitely deserved being covered by the mainstream media, but instead was buried when Ms. McAllister's antisemitism was given precedence in the "news."

At the time I had several exchanges with Ms. McAllister in which I pointed out what would happen to her and her well documented evidence against LAUSD Board members who take money for their re-election campaigns and then vote favorably on their benefactors contracts before the Board in a blatant conflict of interest. I found it regrettably at the time that Ms. McAllister would steadfastly stick to her simplistic blaming of Jews for all that is


LAUSD: Rename the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts

Dear Friends of Perdaily, 

I just created a petitionLAUSD Board of Education: Rename the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, because I care deeply about this very important issue. 

I'm trying to collect 250 signatures, and I could really use your help. 

To read more about what I'm trying to do and to sign my petition, click here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/lausd-board-of-education-rename-the-ramon-c-cortines-school-of-visual-and-performing-arts?share_id=PxXTSGmImKpe=pce 

It'll just take a minute! 

Once you're done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. It'll succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word! 

Glory 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work:


Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work

I visited Hawthorne earlier this year when they opened their Family Support room.  The Times has a story about the energy surging through this school from both parents and staff.  This is how a community retakes and rebuilds its neighborhood school.

The story I was told was that a couple of neighborhood parents, when their kids were preschools, thought, "why wouldn't I go to my neighborhood school?" when neighbors tried to warn them off.  Undeterred, they enrolled their children and had potlucks and neighborhood gatherings to talk about how to support the school and what 

Geaux Teacher!: WAS NEW ORLEANS THE MODEL?

Geaux Teacher!: WAS NEW ORLEANS THE MODEL?:


WAS NEW ORLEANS THE MODEL?


I had to post this story by Liza Featherstone because it is so inclusive and relevant to the destruction being done to the Louisiana public education system. Our previous Recovery School District Supt. Paul Vallas was Superintendent of Philadelphia Public Schools prior to his arrival in New Orleans. His work there was the basis for the problems that school system is having now. 

US Public School System is Under Attack 

In Philadelphia, the privatization of the public school system isn't working - yet the stage is set for even more.

Published on Friday, May 25, 2012
by Liza Featherstone

The US public school system, once a model for the world, is under sustained attack by the nation's elites. Philadelphia, the latest casualty, is getting ready to sell off its schools and their governance to profiteers and


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011

The Maddow Blog - Katrina 'good' for New Orleans schools? U.S. Dept. of Education says so #edreform






Katrina 'good' for New Orleans schools? U.S. Dept. of Education says so


Big Education Ape Nite Cap 5-28-12 #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



Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 minutes ago
Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home | The Jose Vilson: Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home by Jose This post won’t serve as an anti-war post. I haven’t changed my pro-peace stance on any level, and firmly believe that our presence in so many foreign countries has less to do with actually promoting peace and more to do with increasing wealth for a handful of powerful individuals. My radicalism doesn’t mean I somehow hate America or want to jump to Cuba; it just means I conscientiously object to sending more and more of our young men and women to countries under ambiguo... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Devious Subversive Plan A

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Devious Subversive Plan A: Devious Subversive Plan A by Charlie Mas Okay, let's suppose - for the moment - that the money behind the charter school initiative is successful at both getting it on the ballot and getting it passed. So now Washington State has a charter school law as outlined inthis document. I really encourage folks to read this document and learn what the new rules may soon be. You'd be surprised what strategies present themselves once you know the rules. If you know how to look for them, you'll see some holes in this proposal that c... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Hot town, summer in the city. Only the beer was cold.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Hot town, summer in the city. Only the beer was cold.: Hot town, summer in the city. Only the beer was cold. by Mike Klonsky Brother Fred and the Carpenter Ukulele SocietyIt's 4 p.m., another day of 90+ Chicago weather and I'm still trying to get my head straight after yesterday's festivities. First Jesse Sharkey's C.O.R.E. BBQ Picnic with a few hundred union teachers (you could hear the strains of*Solidarity Forever* blocks away) and then on to my brother Fred's retirement party -- back-to-back and luckily within walking distance. Great music at bot... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Channel's Discussion on Banda

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Channel's Discussion on Banda: Seattle Channel's Discussion on Banda by Melissa Westbrook I participated in a discussion about our new superintendent, Jose Banda, on Seattle Channel's program, *City Inside/Out. * The panel included Chris Eide, ex-TFA teacher (now a sub), Lynne Varner of the Times, and Kim Mustafa, an SPS parent (who I believe is from the south end as that is w-here her children attend school). Some interesting quotes: Stephanie Jones of CPPS: "*He needs to get to know the many communities in Seattle*." Mariellen Sereno,... more »

Well, Look Who’s Coming to School Tomorrow - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Well, Look Who’s Coming to School Tomorrow - Wait, What?: Well, Look Who’s Coming to School Tomorrow by jonpelto One of the true leaders in the effort to privatize American’s Public Education System will be making a couple of stops in Connecticut tomorrow. Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, will be dropping by to join Mayor John DeStefano in New Haven and Governor Dannel Malloy in Hartford. (And what I find sad and surprising is that Rosa DeLauro, one of America’s finest members of Congress, will be along for the ride.) Connecticut is particularly aware of the way these co... more »

School Tech Connect: Charter Commission Payroll Bill Goes Off The Tracks

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Charter Commission Payroll Bill Goes Off The Tracks: Charter Commission Payroll Bill Goes Off The Tracks by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) This is a clip of a highly entertaining discussion today about the state charter commission. One of ISBE's employees, didn't get her name, was there to explain HB 2855, which makes technical changes so that the staff of the charter school commission can be paid through the ISBE payroll system. It goes horribly off the tracks when representatives smell a rat. I also smell a rat with this entire commission, which evidently fu... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Student's Understanding of Memorial Day and a Mother's Wish

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: A Student's Understanding of Memorial Day and a Mother's Wish: A Student's Understanding of Memorial Day and a Mother's Wish by stlgretchen This is a nice story of a young student understanding how important it is to remember military men and women on Memorial Day. A nine-year old boy raised $239.00 for the USO by running a lemonade stand. Thanks to his mom for sharing her wish about teaching children the importance of this holiday. From Kirkwood Patch: *“We should explain to them (children) that this day is really about honoring our troops... more »

Classroom Closers?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Classroom Closers?: Classroom Closers? by Sam After spending yesterday afternoon watching my beloved Boston Red Sox blow another game in the ninth inning, I was reminded of a simple fact: some losses are more emotionally significant than others. As my disappointment threatened to disrupt the rest of my Memorial Day – we were so close! – I realized there’s a good argument to be made that the one statistic in the data-obsessed world of professional baseball most likely to at least partially reflect the collective confidence of a team is the one the Sox’s shaky new closer, Alfred... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » End of Year

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » End of Year: End of Year by alicemercer *Howdy! I am Alice Mercer I teach fifth grade at an elementary school in Sacramento, CA. * I want to thank Larry Ferlazzo for putting up a post about his article on the last day of school, because I have lesson plans all the way out until our final three days, and it got me thinking about what I need to do. Larry provided a list of three approaches most teachers take to the day. They are: *CATEGORY ONE: Placate and Vegetate.* This section requires little explanation, and I’ve been guilty of it myself s... more »

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break 5-28 #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Newest testing outrage involves pro-charter school propaganda in Chicago assessments « Parents Across America coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 minutes ago Newest testing outrage involves pro-charter school propaganda in Chicago assessments « Parents Across America: *Go to Parents Across America.* * * * * Newest testing outrage involves pro-charter school propaganda in Chicago assessments by pureparents May 28, 2012 Contact: Julie Woestehoff, Parents United for Responsible Education, Chicago, 773-538-1135 Leonie Haimson, Class Size Mat... more »

Newest testing outrage involves pro-charter school propaganda in Chicago assessments « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 hours ago
Newest testing outrage involves pro-charter school propaganda in Chicago assessments « Parents Across America: *Go to Parents Across America.* * * * * Newest testing outrage involves pro-charter school propaganda in Chicago assessments by pureparents May 28, 2012 Contact: Julie Woestehoff, Parents United for Responsible Education, Chicago, 773-538-1135 Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters, New York City, 917-435-9329 Pamela Grundy, Mecklenburg ACTS, Charlotte, 704-375-4222 Newest testing outrage involves pro-charter school propaganda in Chicago assessments Parents Across America leade... more »

Petitions | The White House - Replace Sec. Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Petitions | The White House: WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Replace Sec. Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch, as Duncan's ed advice to Obama hurts more students than it helps If President Obama truly desires to provide all students with access to the best public education possible, and concurrently to energize teachers as an important voting bloc in his re-election campaign, he should replace Sec. of Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch, or someone else not beholden to corporate interests, such as Prof. Linda Darling-Hammond, Prof. Yong Zhao, or similar. Duncan'... more »

Free Resources From All My Books | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Free Resources From All My Books | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: Free Resources From All My Books by Larry Ferlazzo I have many free resources, including excerpts and student hand-outs, available from all my books. Clicking on the covers will lead you to them: [image: Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Problems.]

888-412-6570 « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
888-412-6570 « Fred Klonsky: 888-412-6570 by Fred Klonsky *Will He Find It?* Word is there is deal making going on today in Springfield between GOP House Leader Tom Cross and Democratic Party Chairman and Speaker Michael Madigan over the pension bill. If Cross doesn’t get something then he won’t support the Democrat’s pension bill. Reminder: The Democrats pension bill will force teachers to choose between a cost of living adjustment in their retirement plan and health insurance. Madigan believes that providing this choice makes the bill constitutional. No it doesn’t. If Madigan and ... more »

“It’s not about the tool” – a naïve myth. « Cooperative Catalyst

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
“It’s not about the tool” – a naïve myth. « Cooperative Catalyst: “It’s not about the tool” – a naïve myth. by peter skillen “It’s not about the tool – it’s about the learning.” – a naïve myth.I think I understand the intent of these kinds of statements. I believe it is a reaction that arises because some teachers and kids are focusing on the skills required to *use* the tool rather than on the ‘subject-matter’ at hand. Many times we see kids spending much time on learning technical aspects of software rather than on gaining the deeper understandings and knowledge construction rela... more »

Hair of the dog at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 8 hours ago
Hair of the dog at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky: Hair of the dog at the Red Line Tap. by Fred Klonsky I don’t usually stop by the Red Line Tap so early on a Monday morning. But’s it’s Memorial Day. No school. It’s going to be another scorcher and after last night’s retirement bash, I needed a little *hair of the dog.* Needless to say, Tony had beat me to a stool. “Heard you had a little

Geaux Teacher!: RECALL KEVIN PEARSON!!!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Geaux Teacher!: RECALL KEVIN PEARSON!!!: RECALL KEVIN PEARSON!!! by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) [image: Recall efforts focus on St. Tammany lawmakers]Recall efforts focus on Reps. Kevin Pearson and Greg Cromer IF ST. TAMMANY VOTERS NEEDED ANOTHER REASON TO RECALL KEVIN PEARSON, HERE IT IS!!! *Treachery and contempt in the House Retirement Committee* Treacherous is just one of the words describing the actions of the House Retirement Committee on Wednesday. The committee’s utter contempt for the people of the state and the rule of law is surpassed only by its crav... more »

Gerard Robinson’s Evolving Talking Points | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Gerard Robinson’s Evolving Talking Points | Scathing Purple Musings: Gerard Robinson’s Evolving Talking Points by Bob Sikes So Gerard Robinson’s FCAT *Listening-Apology-It’s Here to Stay Tour* continued yesterday in Orlando. And the “Emergency Meeting” arranged by Sen Gary Siplin (D-Orlando) provided a tidbit of information that shows Robinson – and his bosses – are retreating in a disingenuous manner. *WFTV* reports that Robinson said this to parents at Evans High School last night: The test is strong. It is valid,” Robinson said. “It prepares and predicts where we want our stud... more »

School Tech Connect: Waiting For The Testing Tide To Turn

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Waiting For The Testing Tide To Turn: Waiting For The Testing Tide To Turn by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Diane's got a post up about the NYDOE encouraging its teachers to lie to students about the purpose of a new test they're running in June. It's a field test, which means they're just running the questions through the computers to establish reliability, or whatever. Pearson is entitled to the free time and labor of our already test-stressed kids to participate in product development for new revenue sources. Last week, the New York State Education Depar... more »

Please join us for the Save Our Schools chat on Twitter this Tue, 5/29 with AFT President Randi Weingarten #SOSChat

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Please join us for the *Save Our Schools* chat on Twitter this Tue, 5/29 with AFT - American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. We will discuss the AFT Resolution Against Testing Fixation in our Public Schools. Jump right in at 9pm on the east coast; 6pm on the west coast. #SOSChat Save Our Schools Webinars *Save Our Schools Webinar* *Early Childhood Educators Say “No!” to Standards and Tests* June 1, 2012 9 PM Eastern Daylight Time [EDT} Please Join Us! Deborah Meier and Nancy Carlsson-Paige will discuss the myriad ways that young children learn through pla... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 5-28 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
*BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS* “they struggled to preserve a positive identity by embracing their stigma” | The G Bitch Spot coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 6 minutes ago “they struggled to preserve a positive identity by embracing their stigma” | The G Bitch Spot: “they struggled to preserve a positive identity by embracing their stigma” by G Bitch Again, though, it is useful to put the commodification of gangsta culture in proper perspective. The worst of gangsta rap and other forms of blaxploitation [such as VH1’s Flavor of Love] is best understood as a modern-... more »

“they struggled to preserve a positive identity by embracing their stigma” | The G Bitch Spot

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
“they struggled to preserve a positive identity by embracing their stigma” | The G Bitch Spot: “they struggled to preserve a positive identity by embracing their stigma” by G Bitch Again, though, it is useful to put the commodification of gangsta culture in proper perspective. The worst of gangsta rap and other forms of blaxploitation [such as VH1’s Flavor of Love] is best understood as a modern-day minstrel show, only this time televised around the clock for a worldwide audience. It is a for-profit display of the worst racial stereotypes and images associated with the era of mass... more »

Two Persistent Reformy Misrepresentations regarding VAM Estimates « School Finance 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Two Persistent Reformy Misrepresentations regarding VAM Estimates « School Finance 101: Two Persistent Reformy Misrepresentations regarding VAM Estimates by schoolfinance101 I have written much on this blog about problems with the use of Value-added Estimates of teacher *effect* (used loosely) on student test score gains on this blog. I have addressed problems with both the reliability and validity of VAM estimates, and I have pointed out how SGP based estimates of student growth are invalid on their face for determining teacher effectiveness. But, I keep hearing two common refr... more »

Memorial Day quiz: Test yourself - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 11 hours ago
Memorial Day quiz: Test yourself - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Memorial Day quiz: Test yourself By Valerie Strauss Here’s a quiz to test yourself on how much you know about Memorial Day and the wars in which U.S. soldiers have fought and died. Answers, with a bit of history, follow the questions. Sscouts light more than 17,000 candles at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery in Virginia. (Peter Cihelka/AP)*1. Memorial Day was a response to the loss of American lives in which war?* a) Revolutionary War b) Civil War c) World War I d) World War II *2. What was the bloodi... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky [image: My Photo] *Mike Klonsky* Chicago, IL, United States Educator, author, school reform activist Pedro Noguera *"The way we are now as a country, not only aren't we living up to the Brown decision, we're not even living up the Plessy v. Ferguson of separate but equal." *-- Up W/ Chris Hayes Melissa Harris-Perry *"I live in the 7th ward of New Orleans, and I don't like what I see happening there in the KIPP schools. I am distressed by the movement away from teachers unions that can actua... more »

4LAKids - Save Our Schools Webinar Friday June 1: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS SAY "NO!" TO STANDARDS+ TESTS with Nancy Carlsson-Paige & Deb Meier

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Save Our Schools Webinar Friday June 1: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS SAY "NO!" TO STANDARDS+ TESTS with Nancy Carlsson-Paige & Deb Meier: Save Our Schools Webinar Friday June 1: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS SAY "NO!" TO STANDARDS+ TESTS with Nancy Carlsson-Paige & Deb Meier BY EMAIL FROM SAVE OUR SCHOOLS | HTTP://BIT.LY/L7THRI *REGISTER NOW* Deborah Meier and Nancy Carlsson-Paige will discuss the myriad ways that young children learn through play and active experiences. They will contrast this meaningful and engaged learning with the more super... more »

Schools Matter: The States: More Bully Politics of Education Reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Schools Matter: The States: More Bully Politics of Education Reform: The States: More Bully Politics of Education Reform by P. L. Thomas From South Carolina to New Jersey to Wisconsin—and all across the U.S.—universal public education is under assault by the bully politics of education reform. In my home state of South Carolina, Governor Haley and Superintendent Zais, neither of whom have experience or expertise in education, are seeking to attack unions (although SC is a non-union, right-to-work state), increase education testing through adopting Common Core State Standards, dep... more »

Billionaire Boys Club Hook up Sacramento (Mayor) King 1% Kevin Johnson @ fundraiser - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson expected in L.A. for fundraiser - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Mayor King 1% Johnson expected in L.A. for fundraiser Share By Ryan Lillis rlillis@sacbee.com Published: Tuesday, May. 22, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 2B Last Modified: Tuesday, May. 22, 2012 - 8:29 am [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] *Mayor **King 1% Johnson* was scheduled to be in Los Angeles on Monday night for a fundraiser hosted by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that could have an impact on Sacramento's ongoing – although faded – arena effort. Tim Leiweke, the... more »

FayObserver.com - Charter schools could take funding away from Cumberland County's traditional schools

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
FayObserver.com - Charter schools could take funding away from Cumberland County's traditional schools: Charter schools could take funding away from Cumberland County's traditional schools [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The Cumberland County school system stands to lose millions of dollars in local, state and federal money if two charter schools open in the county next year. Supporters of the charter schools counter that the competition will lead to a better education for students. It's not yet clear how much money the two proposed charter schools - one ... more »

When Charters Compete « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
When Charters Compete « Diane Ravitch's blog: When Charters Compete by dianerav [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] I live in New York City, where charters are aggressively expanding. Many, perhaps most, of our charters have hedge fund managers on their board of directors. They want to win. They want higher test scores than the neighborhood public school. They compete with one another and they compete with the neighborhood school. The city government–which is to say, Mayor Michael Bloomberg–believes in charters. He pushed energetically to get the Legislatur... more »

Does Public Education Matter? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Does Public Education Matter? « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Does Public Education Matter? by dianerav Yesterday I wrote a blog about a tiny rural district in Idaho where the community did everything possible to support their school but it wasn’t good enough. The tax base was so meager that the school was in deficit, and budget cuts were putting the school in peril. A reader commented that this was an instance where the district might benefit by abandoning its public school and turning it into a charter school. This, the reader said, w... more »

No Child Left Behind’s successor, smartly written, can make impact | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
No Child Left Behind’s successor, smartly written, can make impact | Thoughts on Public Education: No Child Left Behind’s successor, smartly written, can make impact - by Marshall (Mike) Smith by Marshall (Mike) Smith If you had $23 billion a year dedicated to improving low-income children’s education and addressing a wide variety of other congressionally negotiated purposes, what would you do? This is the question Congress should be asking when its members finally sit down to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Instead, however, it’s more likely that Congress w... more »

Ignoring Poverty in the U.S. || Information Age Publishing

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Ignoring Poverty in the U.S. || Information Age Publishing: Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.The Corporate Takeover of Public Education By: *P. L. Thomas*, *Furman University*. - *Buy Online* - *Paperback* 978-1-61735-783-1 Web Price: $39.09 (Reg. $45.99) + add to cart - *Hardcover* 978-1-61735-784-8 Web Price: $73.09 (Reg. $85.99) + add to cart - *eBook* - ISBN: 978-1-61735-785-5 *SHARE:* Tell a Friend | Link to this | Embed this *In Press 2012* Ignoring Poverty in the U.S.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Education examines the div...more »

NYC Educator: Sorely in Need of a Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
NYC Educator: Sorely in Need of a Teacher: Sorely in Need of a Teacher by NYC Educator Heroic captain "Sully" Sullengberger has written a new book, in which he praises several Americans he perceives as heroes.Included in his list is former DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Firstly, I'm somewhat stunned that this former pilot is an authority on education. For one thing, he hasn't got as much money as most "experts," like Gates, Broad, or Rhee Herself. I'm trying to recall the last time a teachers were queried for their opinions on landing planes. Nothing comes to mind, and for t... more »

The June Ballot: Lots of Reform, How Much Change? | California Progress Report

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The June Ballot: Lots of Reform, How Much Change? | California Progress Report: *All the signs so far indicate that both super-rich individuals like Republican Charles Munger, a funder of the initiative changing the redistricting process and a backer of the Top Two primary, and special interest groups like the Chamber of Commerce and Michelle Rhee’s Students First, a pro-charter school group, are spending big bucks to influence the primaries.* The June Ballot: Lots of Reform, How Much Change? by jeffson *By Peter Schrag* Those of us who can be bothered to go to the polls in next m... more »

http://www.southbronxschool.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Why Does Whitney Tilson Associate With A Known Convicterd Criminal? by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) Every now and then we here at SBSB get an email throwing someone under the bus. Lately, we have a source that is giving away the farm on the machinations of Whitney Tilson. We here at SBSB wish to thank this brave source. In the latest email from our source, we were told to goggle the phrase; "paragon of integrity Whitney Tilson gets laryngitis" It sure did wet our collective whistles here at SBSB to read such a cryptic phrase. However, like C... more »

Sacramento Press / 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Sacramento Press / 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts: 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cutsby Kristin Thebaud, published on *May 27, 2012* at *7:58 PM* * * * Adult ESL learners and their children came out in droves to rally for Sacramento City Unified School District to reinstate funding for the ESL program at Fremont Adult School in Sacramento. Seventy people waved signs and cheered outside the school district office on 47th Avenue on Thursday. Countless cars honked and showed their support. Student Juan Navarrete said in a letter to the school boa... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group by Melissa Westbrook Join my new Facebook group - *Decline to Sign - Charter-Free Washington. * * * It's pretty simple - when (if) this charter initiative gets out to petitions, just *Decline to Sign*. Getting it on the ballot is NOT an invitation to discussion (despite what the Times' says/thinks). If they want a discussion, the time is *NOW*, not after it's on the ballot. Tell your friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers and fellow PTA members, *Decline to Sign.*... more »

School Tech Connect: Notes From The Red Line Tap

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Notes From The Red Line Tap: Notes From The Red Line Tap by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Came home early from Fred Klonsky's retirement celebration over at the Red Line Tap in Rogers Park. I know better than to stay late at the Red Line. The last time I closed that place, which is right at the Morse CTA stop, I woke up in Hammond, which in case you forgot is in another state. Long story. Anyway, what a tribute. The place was packed, and it was a virtual *who's who* of the people who elected Obama and were to one extent or another left behind by that part... more »

Animal Lover Alert « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Animal Lover Alert « Diane Ravitch's blog: Animal Lover Alert by dianerav This is my blog, and there’s no rule that says I’m only allowed to write about education. Right now, I want to write about the animals I lost in the past three years. It’s been really hard because I miss them. I miss them every day. Molly, a Tibetan terrier, died in 2010 at the age of 13. Molly had lymphoma for three long, hard years. What a wonderful, funny dog she was. She was a clown, and her last few years were so hard. Traditional western medicine didn’t work for her. The traditional vets said “put her d... more »