Ravitch: The toll of school reform on public education
*This* *was written by education historian Diane Ravitch for her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. The item was first published on March 6. In their blog, Ravitch and Meier exchange letters about what matters most in education. Ravitch, a research professor at New York University, is author of “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” a critique of the flaws in the modern school reform movement that she just updated.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to ... more »The Answer Sheet - 47 minutes agoThe longest task force name in history?
“The name of a man,” Marshall McLuhan once said, “is a numbing blow from which he never recovers.” The same might be said for a task force that the American Psychological Association appointed to look into how to reduce prejudice and discrimination against marginalized populations. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]How to remake the Education Department (or, it’s time to give teachers a chance)
This *was written by Peter Smagorinsky, Distinguished Research Professor of English Education at The University of Georgia.* By Peter Smagorinsky Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]‘Bully’ film highlights cockeyed rating system
It’s not only the rating of public school teachers that we are getting so wrong these days. A documentary called “Bully,” which follows a handful of students who were bullied at school by their classmates over the course of a year, is at the center of a ridiculous battle over under what conditions teens can see it. There is, in fact, precedent for a change in rating that makes this especially aggravating — along with the fact that a lot of young people who should see “Bully” now probably won’t. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Red... more »Largest charter network in U.S.: Schools tied to Turkey
This *was written by Sharon Higgins, an independent researcher and bloggerbased in California. She is also a founding member of Parents Across America.* By Sharon Higgins The largest charter school network in the United States is operated by people in and associated with the Gulen Movement (GM), a secretive and controversial Turkish religious sect. With 135 schools enrolling more than 45,000 students, this network is substantially larger than KIPP, the well-known charter management organization with only 109 schools. A lack of awareness about this situation persists despite it... more »Education Department’s own Etch-a-Sketch
This *was written by Elaine Weiss, national coordinator of the campaign for a * * Broader Bolder Approach to Education * * . * By Elaine Weiss Policy is complicated, and context-sensitive, so policymakers and other influential actors who change their positions should be excused, even congratulated, when it’s clear they’ve learned from prior mistakes. This does not apply, however, in instances in which the change of heart seems motivated by political calculations. Unfortunately, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s recent statement in* Education Week * criticizing New York City... more »Secrets of ‘miraculous’ charter management organizations
This* was written by Lance Hill, executive director of the Southern Institute for Education and Research in New Orleans and a member of the New Orleans Education Equity Roundtable . In this post Hill writes about thefinal report from The National Study of CMO Effectiveness,a four-year effort aimed at assessing the impact of charter management organizations on student achievement and identifying practices and structure that are effective at raising achievement. The study was done by researchers from Mathematica Policy Research and the Center on Reinventing Public Education.* Read f... more »South Korea’s surprising stand-down on digital textbooks
South Korea. one of the world’s most digitized nations, has for years equated the advance of technology with societal progress, including in the area of education. Now, it seems, the country is taking a fascinating breather from its obsession. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]20 questions for parents about K-12 school reform
This *was written by Ronald Willett, a former university professor, researcher and administrator, and former corporate executive, entrepreneur and CEO. For the last decade, as an avocation, he has tracked and researched U.S. K-12, and advocated its legitimate reform and pursuit of innovation.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]What the latest revelations on test cheating really mean — updated
Updated: At the end of this post is a comment from John Perry, a reporter and data specialist at The Atlanta Journal Constitution. -- The following post *was written by Gary Miron, professor of education at Western Michigan University who has extensive experience evaluating school reforms and education policies. Over the past two decades he has conducted several studies of school choice programs in Europe and in the United States, including nine state evaluations of charter school reforms. Before coming to Western Michigan University, he worked for 10 years at Stockholm Universit... more »Ignoring a reform that works
This *was written by Leonie Haimson, executive director of the nonprofit Class Size Matters, and founder of the NYC Public School Parent blog.* By Leonie Haimson Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]‘There is no joy in education these days’
This is an open letter written by Larry Lee after he sat through a meeting of the Alabama House Ways & Means Education Committee last week during a hearing on HB541, a bill known as the “Education Options Act of 2012.” Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]‘Rhee Effect:’ Why depending on private cash for reform is a bad idea
Michelle Rhee was a great fundraiser during the 3 1/2 years she was the chancellor of D.C.’s public schools. During her tenure, from 2007 until 2010, when she resigned, she persuaded a handful of private foundations to pony up a total of more than $80 million to help cover a three-year labor contract she negotiated with teachers that included a performance-based pay assessment system. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]‘Occupy’ the Ed Department starts Friday
A group of activists is planning a four-day protest event starting next week called “Occupy the DOE in D.C.” that is aimed at alerting the Obama administration to growing unhappiness with its education reform policies. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]In Texas, a revolt brews against standardized testing
More than 100 school districts in Texas have passed a resolution saying that high-stakes standardized tests are “strangling” public schools, the latest in a series of events that are part of a brewing revolt in the state where the test-centric No Child Left Behind was born. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Ravitch: The toll of school reform on public education
*This* *was written by education historian Diane Ravitch for her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. The item was first published on March 6. In their blog, Ravitch and Meier exchange letters about what matters most in education. Ravitch, a research professor at New York University, is author of “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” a critique of the flaws in the modern school reform movement that she just updated.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to ... more »
The Answer Sheet - 47 minutes ago
The longest task force name in history?
“The name of a man,” Marshall McLuhan once said, “is a numbing blow from which he never recovers.” The same might be said for a task force that the American Psychological Association appointed to look into how to reduce prejudice and discrimination against marginalized populations. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
How to remake the Education Department (or, it’s time to give teachers a chance)
This *was written by Peter Smagorinsky, Distinguished Research Professor of English Education at The University of Georgia.* By Peter Smagorinsky Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
‘Bully’ film highlights cockeyed rating system
It’s not only the rating of public school teachers that we are getting so wrong these days. A documentary called “Bully,” which follows a handful of students who were bullied at school by their classmates over the course of a year, is at the center of a ridiculous battle over under what conditions teens can see it. There is, in fact, precedent for a change in rating that makes this especially aggravating — along with the fact that a lot of young people who should see “Bully” now probably won’t. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Red... more »
Largest charter network in U.S.: Schools tied to Turkey
This *was written by Sharon Higgins, an independent researcher and bloggerbased in California. She is also a founding member of Parents Across America.* By Sharon Higgins The largest charter school network in the United States is operated by people in and associated with the Gulen Movement (GM), a secretive and controversial Turkish religious sect. With 135 schools enrolling more than 45,000 students, this network is substantially larger than KIPP, the well-known charter management organization with only 109 schools. A lack of awareness about this situation persists despite it... more »
Education Department’s own Etch-a-Sketch
This *was written by Elaine Weiss, national coordinator of the campaign for a * * Broader Bolder Approach to Education * * . * By Elaine Weiss Policy is complicated, and context-sensitive, so policymakers and other influential actors who change their positions should be excused, even congratulated, when it’s clear they’ve learned from prior mistakes. This does not apply, however, in instances in which the change of heart seems motivated by political calculations. Unfortunately, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s recent statement in* Education Week * criticizing New York City... more »
Secrets of ‘miraculous’ charter management organizations
This* was written by Lance Hill, executive director of the Southern Institute for Education and Research in New Orleans and a member of the New Orleans Education Equity Roundtable . In this post Hill writes about thefinal report from The National Study of CMO Effectiveness,a four-year effort aimed at assessing the impact of charter management organizations on student achievement and identifying practices and structure that are effective at raising achievement. The study was done by researchers from Mathematica Policy Research and the Center on Reinventing Public Education.* Read f... more »
South Korea’s surprising stand-down on digital textbooks
South Korea. one of the world’s most digitized nations, has for years equated the advance of technology with societal progress, including in the area of education. Now, it seems, the country is taking a fascinating breather from its obsession. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
20 questions for parents about K-12 school reform
This *was written by Ronald Willett, a former university professor, researcher and administrator, and former corporate executive, entrepreneur and CEO. For the last decade, as an avocation, he has tracked and researched U.S. K-12, and advocated its legitimate reform and pursuit of innovation.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
What the latest revelations on test cheating really mean — updated
Updated: At the end of this post is a comment from John Perry, a reporter and data specialist at The Atlanta Journal Constitution. -- The following post *was written by Gary Miron, professor of education at Western Michigan University who has extensive experience evaluating school reforms and education policies. Over the past two decades he has conducted several studies of school choice programs in Europe and in the United States, including nine state evaluations of charter school reforms. Before coming to Western Michigan University, he worked for 10 years at Stockholm Universit... more »
Ignoring a reform that works
This *was written by Leonie Haimson, executive director of the nonprofit Class Size Matters, and founder of the NYC Public School Parent blog.* By Leonie Haimson Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
‘There is no joy in education these days’
This is an open letter written by Larry Lee after he sat through a meeting of the Alabama House Ways & Means Education Committee last week during a hearing on HB541, a bill known as the “Education Options Act of 2012.” Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
‘Rhee Effect:’ Why depending on private cash for reform is a bad idea
Michelle Rhee was a great fundraiser during the 3 1/2 years she was the chancellor of D.C.’s public schools. During her tenure, from 2007 until 2010, when she resigned, she persuaded a handful of private foundations to pony up a total of more than $80 million to help cover a three-year labor contract she negotiated with teachers that included a performance-based pay assessment system. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
‘Occupy’ the Ed Department starts Friday
A group of activists is planning a four-day protest event starting next week called “Occupy the DOE in D.C.” that is aimed at alerting the Obama administration to growing unhappiness with its education reform policies. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
In Texas, a revolt brews against standardized testing
More than 100 school districts in Texas have passed a resolution saying that high-stakes standardized tests are “strangling” public schools, the latest in a series of events that are part of a brewing revolt in the state where the test-centric No Child Left Behind was born. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]