Is Melinda Gates Right?
When Melinda Gates was interviewed on the PBS Newshour on June 4, she said something that surprised me. I will give you the full quote, which I copied from the Newshour website. I was surprised because I never heard that claim, I don’t know whose research she was citing or if it even exists. I checked with Linda Darling-Hammond, who seems to have read every study of teacher effectiveness, and asked her if she knew the source; she said she had never heard this claim and had no idea where Melinda Gates got this information, if it exists.
So, I ask my readers, and I ask you to ask your friends in the academic world, do you have a citation for this statement?
MELINDA GATES: Well, we know from good research that the fundamental thing that makes a difference in the
So, I ask my readers, and I ask you to ask your friends in the academic world, do you have a citation for this statement?
MELINDA GATES: Well, we know from good research that the fundamental thing that makes a difference in the
Is the Jindal Voucher Program a Boondoggle?
I don’t mean to pick on Governor Bobby Jindal but it is fascinating to watch the evolution (or should I say “the creation”) of his voucher program. First came the news that many of the schools that are taking voucher students had no facilities or teachers. Then we learned that many of the little schools [...]
Outrage in Oklahoma
Officials in the Oklahoma Department of Education posted on its website the personal information of students who received an exemption from state testing. The names, date of birth, test scores and disabilities of these students were made public. To get an exemption from the state test, the students waived their rights under federal privacy law, [...]
When Parents Awaken: Game Over
Gotta love these parents. Here is a brilliant comment to an earlier blog about parent power. What will Gates and Broad and the U.S. Department of Education and the governors and state legislatures do when parents get engaged and angry? What will they do when parents rise up and say, “Enough is enough,” as parents [...]
Parent to Pearson: Let My Child Learn
I received the following comment from a parent. There are all too few opportunities for parent voices to be heard. One such space is the website www.parentvoicesny.org I am glad to provide the opportunity for this parent to express frustration at the way that standardized testing and data-driven instruction have overtaken teaching and learning. “As [...]
Is Jindal’s Voucher Program a Boondoggle?
I don’t mean to pick on Governor Bobby Jindal but it is fascinating to watch the evolution (or should I say “the creation”) of his voucher program. First came the news that many of the schools that are taking voucher students had no facilities or teachers. Then we learned that many of the little schools [...]
Who Will Take the Blame?
I wrote earlier today about clueless policymakers who think they are helping struggling students by raising standards. They believe fervently that the students will try harder and get higher test scores if the passing mark is raised. A reader responded: A similar policy is being rolled out in LAUSD. The total number of credits [...]
Gulen (Or Not) Charter Schools in the News
Three charter schools in Georgia affiliated with followers of Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen defaulted on bonds and were subject to public audit. The audit revealed, according to the New York Times, that “the schools improperly granted hundreds of thousands of dollars in contracts to businesses and groups, many of them with ties to the Gulen [...]
When Policymakers Are Clueless
Over the past decade of mayor control in New York City, the newly established Department of Education has had a free hand to do whatever it wanted with the city’s 1.1 million students, free of any concern about the reaction of parents, teachers, principals, or the public. One reform after another has rolled out of [...]
The High Cost of Privatizing Special Education
As the movement to privatize public schools grows stronger, we should pay attention to the costs of privatization. Those who push for privatization also claim that private business operates more efficiently than government and will thus save taxpayers’ dollars. If only it were true. The latest example in the privatization sage was a story in [...]
Pearsonizing Our Children
On Tuesday, I posted a blog at Bridging Differences (Education Week) called “The Pearsonizing of the American Mind.” The title was a reference to Allan Bloom’s bestselling book of the 1980s, The Closing of the American Mind. His book referred to the insidious ways that popular culture interferes with the goals of liberal education. My [...]
Parents Vs. Goliath
This morning, parent groups in New York City are leading a protest against high-stakes testing at the headquarters of Pearson. They call their action “a field trip against field tests.” It happens to be a professional development day, so many parents plan to bring their children. Half a dozen different parent groups are coordinating their [...]
The Obama Campaign Wants to Know
A reader told me that she received an email from the Obama campaign asking her how the administration’s education policies have affected her. I received the same email, as have, I assume, thousands or millions of others. So, yes, please tell the campaign how Race to the Top has affected you. Let them know how [...]
After Wisconsin
The question before the June 5 recall election in Wisconsin was whether big money would be enough to carry Governor Scott Walker to victory. Now we know. Money was more than enough. When I heard the results last night, I was disappointed but not surprised. The polls were discouraging, and they were right. People power [...]