My View of the Common Core Standards
I have neither endorsed nor rejected the Common Core national standards, for one simple reason: They are being rolled out in 45 states without a field trial anywhere. How can I say that I love them or like them or hate them when I don’t know how they will work when they reach the nation’s classrooms?
In 2009, I went to an event sponsored by the Aspen Institute where Dane Linn, one of the project directors for developing the standards, described the process. I asked if they intended to pilot test them, and I did not get a “yes” answer. The standards were released early in 2010. By happenstance, I was invited to the White House to meet with the head of the President’s Domestic Policy Council, the President’s education advisor, and Rahm Emanuel. When asked what I thought of the standards, I suggested that they should be tried out in three or four
In 2009, I went to an event sponsored by the Aspen Institute where Dane Linn, one of the project directors for developing the standards, described the process. I asked if they intended to pilot test them, and I did not get a “yes” answer. The standards were released early in 2010. By happenstance, I was invited to the White House to meet with the head of the President’s Domestic Policy Council, the President’s education advisor, and Rahm Emanuel. When asked what I thought of the standards, I suggested that they should be tried out in three or four
A Charter Battles for Right to Remain Open
In Florida, where charters spring up like wildflowers in shopping malls, the Miami-Dade School Board voted to close down Rise Academy charter school.
Rise appealed to the state board, and the state board reversed the local board’s decision.
The Miami-Dade board went to court, and the court overturned the state board’s decision. That is, the court ruled that the local board was right to cancel Rise Academy’s charter. The charter school plans to sue the Miami-Dade board for damages.
I recall reading in an article in the Economist that I wrote about earlier that one of the great virtues of charter
Rise appealed to the state board, and the state board reversed the local board’s decision.
The Miami-Dade board went to court, and the court overturned the state board’s decision. That is, the court ruled that the local board was right to cancel Rise Academy’s charter. The charter school plans to sue the Miami-Dade board for damages.
I recall reading in an article in the Economist that I wrote about earlier that one of the great virtues of charter
Teachers in Memphis Speak Out
I have published several posts (see here, here, and here) about Memphis, where a “Transition Planning Committee” devised a plan to merge the Memphis public schools and the Shelby County Schools. The planning was based on work by the Boston Consulting Group; the director of the TPC is the executive director of Stand for Children in Memphis. The plan proposes to shift many children out of the Memphis public schools and into new charter schools, so that charter enrollment will increase from 4% of Memphis students to 19% by 2016. The plan also involves a transfer of $212 million from the public schools to charter schools.
I have received letters from Stand for Children and from both supporters and opponents of the plan. Today I heard
I have received letters from Stand for Children and from both supporters and opponents of the plan. Today I heard
Arne Duncan: “We Don’t Know”
At a recent meeting in New York City, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that “we as a country don’t know” how much student test scores should count as part of teachers’ evaluation. He said it shouldn’t be zero, and it shouldn’t be 100%. But it should be somewhere in between. As to what the number should be, the secretary said, “we don’t know.”
Here’s a thought: What if the current methods of calculating value-added are inaccurate? What if they are fundamentally flawed? What if they say nothing about teacher quality? What if they reflect who is in the class
Here’s a thought: What if the current methods of calculating value-added are inaccurate? What if they are fundamentally flawed? What if they say nothing about teacher quality? What if they reflect who is in the class
Billionaires Want Charters in Washington State, Again
Three times the question of charter schools has been put to a referendum in Washington State, and three times the voters have said no. .
Undeterred, the charter-lovers of the technology sector are putting another couple million into a campaign to take it back to the voters again.
Bill Gates put in $1 million, chump change, you might say. More from the Bezos family of amazon.com fame.
Undeterred, the charter-lovers of the technology sector are putting another couple million into a campaign to take it back to the voters again.
Bill Gates put in $1 million, chump change, you might say. More from the Bezos family of amazon.com fame.
Why Does Governor Christie Have a Grudge Against Teachers?
One of the best bloggers in New Jersey, if not the whole northeast, is Jersey Jazzman.
He has gathered statements that Governor Christie has made about teachers that are quite negative. His teachers remember him fondly.
By all accounts, he had an idyllic childhood and experienced great public schooling
He has gathered statements that Governor Christie has made about teachers that are quite negative. His teachers remember him fondly.
By all accounts, he had an idyllic childhood and experienced great public schooling