Realism in New Jersey: Can We Face It?
My favorite New Jersey blogger, known as Jersey Jazzman, is a teacher and one smart guy (I’m assuming he is a guy because of his moniker, which is not Jersey Jazzperson or Jazzwoman).
He has written a very important post. I urge you to read it carefully. It reflects on where the reform movement is heading in his state, and for that matter, nationally. He looks specifically at Newark, which has been a focal point for “reform” money and programs.
He shows (relying on the work of Bruce Baker) that the successful charters are the ones with the least challenging students, and the less successful charters have the most challenging students. The independent
He has written a very important post. I urge you to read it carefully. It reflects on where the reform movement is heading in his state, and for that matter, nationally. He looks specifically at Newark, which has been a focal point for “reform” money and programs.
He shows (relying on the work of Bruce Baker) that the successful charters are the ones with the least challenging students, and the less successful charters have the most challenging students. The independent
Merit Pay for Congress and State Legislatures?
Some while back, I suggested on Twitter that members of Congress should get merit pay. It doesn’t seem fair that all of them are paid exactly the same, no matter how effective or ineffective they are. The same might be said of state legislators. Why don’t they get merit pay? They are eager to impose it on teachers, based on student scores, but they don’t want it for themselves.
The problem with the idea is this: how do you judge effectiveness?
A reader has a good proposal:
I think we should push for MORE merit pay, but in this way: our state and federal legislators should be paid
The problem with the idea is this: how do you judge effectiveness?
A reader has a good proposal:
I think we should push for MORE merit pay, but in this way: our state and federal legislators should be paid
Does Privatization Help the Poor?
I recently posted about the article and editorial in The Economist praising charter schools. The Economist is a booster of free-market capitalism so it is no surprise that it would admire this venture in privatization. What interested me about the articles was that the magazine quite bluntly described these privately-managed schools as privatization. Charter school advocates here try to hide that distinction. They go to lengths to call themselves “public charter schools” and claim to be “public schools” because they get public money. The Economist sees them plainly as privatization with public funds, outsourcing public schools to private management.
One reader is worried about how this trend towards privatization will affect developing countries:
One reader is worried about how this trend towards privatization will affect developing countries:
Teaching in a Cybercharter
I have posted a few articles about the sham education offered in cybercharters, which have only one great benefit: They make big money for their sponsors.
One of the worst is ECOT–the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow–which rakes in millions despite its high attrition rates and the terrible performance of its students. The owner of ECOT gives generously to Republican politicians, and they in turn favor ECOT. The scariest thought is that this might be the “classroom of tomorrow,”
One of the worst is ECOT–the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow–which rakes in millions despite its high attrition rates and the terrible performance of its students. The owner of ECOT gives generously to Republican politicians, and they in turn favor ECOT. The scariest thought is that this might be the “classroom of tomorrow,”
You Should Read This Article
One of the nice things about having your own blog is that you can do things like recommend an article that appeared last November.
I recommend this article by Lee Fang that was published in The Nation.
It is a stunning piece of investigative journalism about the corporate reform movement, its leaders, its methods, its goals.
The article centers on events in Florida but the context is national.
It is a shocking story, well documented, and very important.
When I read it, I tweeted it.
It deserves to be read and widely circulated.
I recommend this article by Lee Fang that was published in The Nation.
It is a stunning piece of investigative journalism about the corporate reform movement, its leaders, its methods, its goals.
The article centers on events in Florida but the context is national.
It is a shocking story, well documented, and very important.
When I read it, I tweeted it.
It deserves to be read and widely circulated.