Let the Children Play!
In response to Stephen Krashen’s post about the likely expansion of testing in the near future, as well as federal interest in tests for “infants, toddlers, and preschoolers,” a reader sent this urgent plea:
LET THE CHILDREN PLAY!!!!!
There was a time when children went to school for kindergarten to learn how to learn. They worked on hand-eye coordination, figure ground discrimination, and other necessary skills. They also learned to listen in a group and play together. They learned to color inside the lines and to cut a straight line. They learned to organize things. Many of the skills they learned in kindergarten helped them be good students later, most importantly to focus.
LET THE CHILDREN PLAY!!!!!
There was a time when children went to school for kindergarten to learn how to learn. They worked on hand-eye coordination, figure ground discrimination, and other necessary skills. They also learned to listen in a group and play together. They learned to color inside the lines and to cut a straight line. They learned to organize things. Many of the skills they learned in kindergarten helped them be good students later, most importantly to focus.
How to Create Failing Schools
Mike Deshotels of Louisiana has figured out how the scheme works.
Create a program that rates all schools by a standard that assures that half will be above the standard and half will be below.
Of course, schools that enroll affluent students will appear largely in the top half, and schools that enroll poor students will rank largely in the bottom half.
Declare thos in the bottom half to be failing schools.
Privatize those schools.
Start over.
Create a program that rates all schools by a standard that assures that half will be above the standard and half will be below.
Of course, schools that enroll affluent students will appear largely in the top half, and schools that enroll poor students will rank largely in the bottom half.
Declare thos in the bottom half to be failing schools.
Privatize those schools.
Start over.
The Largest Charter Chain in the U.S. Is…?
I bet you think that the largest chain in the U.S. is KIPP. If you did, you are wrong.
KIPP gets the most publicity, but it does not have the largest number of charter schools.
The largest charter chain in the nation is the Gulen network of charters.
You probably never heard of them.
All were established by Turkish nationals associated with a reclusive
KIPP gets the most publicity, but it does not have the largest number of charter schools.
The largest charter chain in the nation is the Gulen network of charters.
You probably never heard of them.
All were established by Turkish nationals associated with a reclusive
Beware! Sneaky Reformer Trick in L.A.
On August 14, there will be a benefit concert in Los Angeles to “honor” teachers.
The concert is a promotion for a new “Superman”-style film that vilifies public schools and promotes privatization.
The film celebrates the “parent trigger” law, which gives parents the power to seize control of their school, fire the staff, and turn it over to a charter chain. The parent trigger was promoted by charter advocates and billionaire foundations Broad, Gates, and Walton.
Strange way to “honor” teachers–by firing them and giving the school to a non-union private entity to manage,
The concert is a promotion for a new “Superman”-style film that vilifies public schools and promotes privatization.
The film celebrates the “parent trigger” law, which gives parents the power to seize control of their school, fire the staff, and turn it over to a charter chain. The parent trigger was promoted by charter advocates and billionaire foundations Broad, Gates, and Walton.
Strange way to “honor” teachers–by firing them and giving the school to a non-union private entity to manage,
Are Standardized Tests Worthless?
All of U.S. education policy is now firmly hitched to standardized test scores.
Although the President said in his last State of the Union address that teachers should not teach to the test, he surely knows that federal policy demands teaching to the test.
Test scores determine teacher evaluation, teacher salary, teacher tenure, teacher bonuses. Test scores determine whether teachers and principals are fired. Test scores determine whether schools get closed or
Although the President said in his last State of the Union address that teachers should not teach to the test, he surely knows that federal policy demands teaching to the test.
Test scores determine teacher evaluation, teacher salary, teacher tenure, teacher bonuses. Test scores determine whether teachers and principals are fired. Test scores determine whether schools get closed or
Engineers for America
Here is an idea: Engineers for America. Five weeks of training and you too can design and build bridges. So what if the other engineers had years of education and practice? Experience is SO yesterday!
I mean, really, why shouldn’t young people have a chance? End LIFO in engineering! Embrace youth and enthusiasm. And good luck when you drive over a bridge!
I mean, really, why shouldn’t young people have a chance? End LIFO in engineering! Embrace youth and enthusiasm. And good luck when you drive over a bridge!
How NYC Department of Education Kills a School: Update!
The New York City Department of Education decided a few years ago that Jamaica High School, with its grand building and long history, deserved to die. Its test scores were too low. There was no point in trying to figure out why or to offer help. And so the DOE announced that Jamaica was a failing school. Parents began to withdraw their children or to select other high schools. Enrollment fell. Many faculty, remembering better times, held on. The city was determined to close the school and replace it with small high schools and charters. It is very desirable space in the borough of Queens.
A state report was recently released that documents how a school is swiftly put to death. First, declare it to be a failing schools. Then take away the programs that attract and develop good students. In time, no one will be left
A state report was recently released that documents how a school is swiftly put to death. First, declare it to be a failing schools. Then take away the programs that attract and develop good students. In time, no one will be left
Crazy Days in Oregon: SECOND UPDATE!!
An educator in Oregon sent the following message:
To get a waiver from NCLB the state of Oregon promised that 100% of students
will graduate from high school and 80% will complete college. I’m not sure
if this is madness or deliberate deception because the date set for reaching
these goals is 2025. By then,the governor and legislators will be long
gone, and/or the education pendulum will have swung in some other weird direction.
This is not quite right. The goals are:
100% will get a high school diploma.
And to quote one of the commenters on this post, who quotes the state’s waiver request (p. 24):
“Eighty percent must continue their education beyond high school with half of those earning associate’s degrees
To get a waiver from NCLB the state of Oregon promised that 100% of students
will graduate from high school and 80% will complete college. I’m not sure
if this is madness or deliberate deception because the date set for reaching
these goals is 2025. By then,the governor and legislators will be long
gone, and/or the education pendulum will have swung in some other weird direction.
This is not quite right. The goals are:
100% will get a high school diploma.
And to quote one of the commenters on this post, who quotes the state’s waiver request (p. 24):
“Eighty percent must continue their education beyond high school with half of those earning associate’s degrees
