What If? and Who Cares?
A NY Times headline, July 20, 2012! “Libor Scandal Shows Many Flaws in Rate-Setting/ The lending benchmark, a convenient tool for the markets, has flaws that have some people even questioning its existence.”The day will come when the headline reads, “Standardized Testing Scandal Shows Many Flaws in School/Teacher Rating…..that have some people even questioning its [...]
Being driven out of teaching.
From Caitlin Casement, “I worked in urban schools for 25 years. On Wednesday, June 13, 2012, I received my final send-off from the school district I worked for for all of those years…—among the retirees who left with me, more than 200 had served at least 25 years, and one woman had taught for 50 [...]
See you in D.C.?
Just two weeks, plus a day, until we convene in Washington D.C. It’s a time to get together and plan, thrash out our hopes for American schools, meet each other face-to-face, and make a statement. Of course, I’d rather it was on the North or South Pole. D.C. in August??? Who planned this thing? Oh [...]
what can we do? Save a great school!
One and all!! Hear from my friend Stephanie Lee whose school(s) I can vouch for! I’ve been there manya times. This is terrible news. What can we do?? hello friends: sorry to interrupt your summer with sad news. we lost a big vote last night – the process has begun to revoke our charter, but [...]
Measuring products the Consumer Union way?
FairTest’s Bob Shaeffer was interviewed recently by Florida Sentinel editorial writer Darryl Owens about tests. Here’s one of the questions he was asked: QUESTION by Owens: Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon noted in a recent guest column that we measure progress in everything from business to sports. Shouldn’t there be a rigorous process to measure [...]
On “throwing money at the poor”
Does anyone know of an article on class size, et al that helps us understand why rich people care about it for their own while often supporting the idea that it doesn’t matter–for public education. It would be useful to have a list of NYC’s richest and most powerful-alongside of what they spend on their [...]
On “throwing money away on the poor”
Does anyone know of an article on class size, et al that helps us understand why rich people care about it for their own while often supporting the idea that it doesn’t matter–for public education. It would be useful to have a list of NYC’s richest and most powerful-alongside of what they spend on their [...]
The “what if” habit of mind for all.
I just had a fun conversation based on one of the old CPESS/Mission Hill “habits of mind”. We began by arguing about whether it’s really possible or useful to teach a “subject” called World History. How demanding can one be in such a course in honoring our First Habit: “What’s the evidence? And how credible [...]
Private vs Public Greed: two different standards
Greedy for hearing “the other side” I read the NY Times Business section daily, e.g. Saturday July 14th has a story on rate-rigging, Barclays (too big to indict), JP Morgan pay givebacks, and the ethics of advice when “genetic counselors work for test companies”. I also browse through the weekly Bloomberg Business Week, e.g. cover [...]
Integration: The Passing of a Great Idea
At some point in the last 50 years we gave up on the idea of school integration even as we annually celebrate the importance of the Brown vs Board of Education decision. I remember, a mere ten or so years after the Supreme Court’s decision, telling students in the Central Harlem school that I was [...]
Unexpected allies?
Unexpected reminders of importance to those organizing for change! Howard Anderson of MITs Sloan School of Management is quoted in Commonweal (July 1, 2012) on Catholic Social Teaching. Anderson says, “Private equity doesn’t create jobs; you guys build wealth.” There’s a big difference. “Sometimes you (guys) build jobs. Sometimes you eliminate jobs… ..Private equity is [...]