Chicago Democrats and Wall Street at War with CTU
More evidence, this time in the Chicago Tribune, that Wall Street hedge fund managers and Obama Democrats are pouring money into the fight against the public school teachers of Chicago.
I know that Republicans get a hearty laugh when they see Democratic mayors like Rahm Emanuel and Cory Booker and Antonio Villaraigosa at war with the teachers’ unions in their cities. I am on several conservative mailing lists and I can practically hear they snickering and cheering every time a Democcratic mayor praises
How to Rip Off Children with Disabilities and Taxpayers Too
The Most Idiotic Reform of the Day
I know that Republicans get a hearty laugh when they see Democratic mayors like Rahm Emanuel and Cory Booker and Antonio Villaraigosa at war with the teachers’ unions in their cities. I am on several conservative mailing lists and I can practically hear they snickering and cheering every time a Democcratic mayor praises
How to Rip Off Children with Disabilities and Taxpayers Too
The New York Times reveals today some of the findings of an ongoing audit of New York State’s privatized program to provide special education services for prekindergarten children Thomas P, DiNapoli, the Comptroller of the state of New York, has found evidence of massive fraud. New York’s preschool special education program is a $2 billion system that relies mostly on private contractors, many of them for-profit operators. New York spends more to provide these services than any other state in the nation.
Here are key excerpts:
“The owners of a Bronx company that employs teachers for disabled toddlers used thousands of dollars in government funds to fix up a weekend getaway in the Poconos, state auditors found. A Brooklyn company in the
“The owners of a Bronx company that employs teachers for disabled toddlers used thousands of dollars in government funds to fix up a weekend getaway in the Poconos, state auditors found. A Brooklyn company in the
The Most Idiotic Reform of the Day
Thanks to the reader who sent me this article about the advent of standardized testing in the public schools of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Many of the worst tendencies of corporate reform are exemplified right here in this article.
First, the assumption that standardized tests will tell us what we need to know about individual children (are they meeting the norm that someone at Pearson or McGraw Hill selected?).
Second, the assumption that teachers’ professional judgment is inadequate and must be replaced by an off-the-
How Charter Schools Get a Bad Reputation
Many of the worst tendencies of corporate reform are exemplified right here in this article.
First, the assumption that standardized tests will tell us what we need to know about individual children (are they meeting the norm that someone at Pearson or McGraw Hill selected?).
Second, the assumption that teachers’ professional judgment is inadequate and must be replaced by an off-the-
How Charter Schools Get a Bad Reputation
The best investigative reporter in New York City–and possibly in the nation–is Juan Gonzalez of the New York Daily News.
Gonzalez writes about politics and occasionally writes about the politics of education. He has written some of the biggest scoops about the inner workings of the New York City Department of Education. He won the George Polk Award in journalism for reporting about the Citytime fraud, a giant high-tech scam in which a contractor ripped off the city for years and eventually agreed to repay almost $500 million.
This morning he revealed that Eva Moskowitz is seeking a big increase in her management fees from the state because she claims to be running a deficit. Today, he writes, the State University of New York is likely to
The Fraud Continues (2)
Gonzalez writes about politics and occasionally writes about the politics of education. He has written some of the biggest scoops about the inner workings of the New York City Department of Education. He won the George Polk Award in journalism for reporting about the Citytime fraud, a giant high-tech scam in which a contractor ripped off the city for years and eventually agreed to repay almost $500 million.
This morning he revealed that Eva Moskowitz is seeking a big increase in her management fees from the state because she claims to be running a deficit. Today, he writes, the State University of New York is likely to
The Fraud Continues (2)
A reader commented on an earlier blog about the way the system demands a high success rate and will not tolerate honest marking. If a student fails, it will be considered the teacher’s fault, so it is best to inflate the scores. If a teacher is honest–especially in a “turnaround” school–the teacher will be fired. As Secretary Arne Duncan used to say, “We are lying to the kids.” Now we are lying to the kids and to ourselves.
The fraud continues. Teachers will inflate the scores. Administrators will pressure them to do so, because the administrators will lose their job if the scores and pass marks don’t go up every year.
Someone tweeted me the other day to ask who should be blamed when there is cheating: the teachers or the system. The answer is obvious when teachers and administrators work in a system that gives them this choice: Produce higher scores or be fired. Few people want to be fired. Most people put a high priority on feeding their
Diane Ravitch's blog
More Shame for the College Board
The fraud continues. Teachers will inflate the scores. Administrators will pressure them to do so, because the administrators will lose their job if the scores and pass marks don’t go up every year.
Someone tweeted me the other day to ask who should be blamed when there is cheating: the teachers or the system. The answer is obvious when teachers and administrators work in a system that gives them this choice: Produce higher scores or be fired. Few people want to be fired. Most people put a high priority on feeding their
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 6-23-12 #SOSCHAT
Diane Ravitch's blog
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG
Diane Ravitch's blog
More Shame for the College Board
Readers may recall that I posted a blog criticizing the College Board for its shameful campaign attacking American education. The ad says that the education system is “crumbling” and calls on the presidential candidates to talk more about education.
The College Board asserts that American education is bad and getting worse.
I received two great responses. One came from the brilliant scholar Yong Zhao, now at the University of Oregon. He makes reference to a valuable comment by Brian, which follows Yong Zhao:
The College Board asserts that American education is bad and getting worse.
I received two great responses. One came from the brilliant scholar Yong Zhao, now at the University of Oregon. He makes reference to a valuable comment by Brian, which follows Yong Zhao:
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