Governor Corbett’s Privatization Agenda in Pennsylvania
Thanks to a reader who forwarded this fascinating and informative article about the situation in Chester Upland, Pennsylvania.
I posted previously about the Governor’s appointment of a “recovery officer” to help the district get back on its feet.
The Governor appointed a prominent advocate for vouchers and charters to a position that puts him in complete control of the district and its future. Ironically, the “recovery officer” has been a consultant to the charter school in the district that takes away 1/3 of the district’s stressed budget. The charter school is owned by the governor’s
I posted previously about the Governor’s appointment of a “recovery officer” to help the district get back on its feet.
The Governor appointed a prominent advocate for vouchers and charters to a position that puts him in complete control of the district and its future. Ironically, the “recovery officer” has been a consultant to the charter school in the district that takes away 1/3 of the district’s stressed budget. The charter school is owned by the governor’s
Segregation, the Black-White Achievement Gap and the Romneys
This post was written by Richard Rothstein. Rothstein has written many important books and articles about education, including Class and Schools and Grading Education. Richard is a senior fellow at the Economic Policy Institute, where this piece is cross-posted.
We cannot remedy the large racial achievement gaps in American education if we continue to close our eyes to the continued racial segregation of schools, owing primarily to the continued segregation of our neighborhoods. We pretend that this segregation is nobody’s fault in particular (we call it “de facto” segregation), and that therefore there is nothing we can or should do about it. Instead, we think that somehow we can devise reform
A Modest Proposal for School Reform
We cannot remedy the large racial achievement gaps in American education if we continue to close our eyes to the continued racial segregation of schools, owing primarily to the continued segregation of our neighborhoods. We pretend that this segregation is nobody’s fault in particular (we call it “de facto” segregation), and that therefore there is nothing we can or should do about it. Instead, we think that somehow we can devise reform
A Modest Proposal for School Reform
Joanne Yatvin is an experienced teacher, principal, superintendent, literacy expert, author, and former president of the National Council of Teachers of English. She wrote the following post for this blog:
Since we are deep into the era of school reform, I’d like to offer my own plan for reforming America’s schools. Although I am not an official expert in the eyes of the federal Department of Education or the National Governors Association, I have better credentials* than most of the people so recognized, plus a lot of experience running successful public schools.
If I had to propose a simple solution, I’d say let’s follow Finland all the way. All their schools are free and public;
Since we are deep into the era of school reform, I’d like to offer my own plan for reforming America’s schools. Although I am not an official expert in the eyes of the federal Department of Education or the National Governors Association, I have better credentials* than most of the people so recognized, plus a lot of experience running successful public schools.
If I had to propose a simple solution, I’d say let’s follow Finland all the way. All their schools are free and public;
Will the Real President Obama Please Stand Up?
Josh Greenman of the New York Daily News writes today that President Obama has been terrific on education reform issues: he has challenged teachers’ unions, pushed for merit pay, encouraged the expansion of charter schools, and used billions of dollars in stimulus funds (via Race to the Top) to promote an agenda that either President Bush would envy. In its editorials, the Daily News has stridently defended charters, testing, and accountability, and has led the charge against the teachers’ union. The billionaire owner of the Daily News, Mort Zuckerman, is on the board of the Broad Foundation, which avidly promotes school closings and privatization.
So imagine Josh’s disappointment that the President is now kowtowing to those teachers unions and saying that more money will solve the problems. He writes, “So count me disappointed that Obama is campaigning for reelection with education rhetoric that is ripped right out of a dusty old Democratic Party playbook.” Wow. A
So imagine Josh’s disappointment that the President is now kowtowing to those teachers unions and saying that more money will solve the problems. He writes, “So count me disappointed that Obama is campaigning for reelection with education rhetoric that is ripped right out of a dusty old Democratic Party playbook.” Wow. A
A Brief History of Seniority, Or, “You’re Fired, Mr. Chips!”
This article was published last year. It was written by Marc Epstein, a social studies teacher and dean at Jamaica High School. Marc has a Ph.D. in Japanese naval history. Since he wrote this article, the New York City Department of Education closed Jamaica High School but a court stayed the closing. The city has already placed small schools in the historic building.
Pressuring Students to Get High Scores Produces Worse Outcomes
A new study published in London concludes that students perform better in school–both academically and in their behavior–when teachers focus on learning rather than on test scores, results, and competition.
Children’s attitudes and behaviour improve – along with their results — when teachers and schools are more concerned about helping them learn than pushing them to gain particular exam scores, Watkins found. Suc
Children’s attitudes and behaviour improve – along with their results — when teachers and schools are more concerned about helping them learn than pushing them to gain particular exam scores, Watkins found. Suc
Why Is There a Movement to End Tenure?
Kenneth Bernstein recently retired as a social studies teacher. He is Nationally Board Certified. He blogs at The Daily Kos and elsewhere about education and other topics. He wrote for this blog in response to the discussion about tenure:
Tenure is nothing more than a guarantee of due process in disciplinary matters
It seems to me the people who complain about tenure for public school teachers have somewhat dictatorial powers. They are similar to those who complain that police and prosecutors are hamstrung by having to follow
In Praise of Peter DeWitt
Tenure is nothing more than a guarantee of due process in disciplinary matters
It seems to me the people who complain about tenure for public school teachers have somewhat dictatorial powers. They are similar to those who complain that police and prosecutors are hamstrung by having to follow
In Praise of Peter DeWitt
Peter DeWitt is an elementary school principal in upstate New York who blogs for Education Week.
Whatever he writes is grounded in deep experience and respect for students, parents, and teachers.
Peter is especially concerned with the social and emotional
Whatever he writes is grounded in deep experience and respect for students, parents, and teachers.
Peter is especially concerned with the social and emotional
Can You Imagine This Scenario?
Imagine a governor rushing to the aid of a financially distressed public school district by naming a voucher advocate to run it.
Imagine that this new manager–with unprecedented power to determine the future of the district–has worked as a consultant to the big charter school in the district.
Imagine that the district pays one-third of its budget t
Imagine that this new manager–with unprecedented power to determine the future of the district–has worked as a consultant to the big charter school in the district.
Imagine that the district pays one-third of its budget t
A Trifecta of Reform Rhetoric
Here you can see a rare event: a trifecta of school reform rhetoric.
A spokesman for Jeb Bush’s organization writing an article praising the “parent trigger” in Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, espousing the principles of the rightwing ALEC.
This is a splendid demonstration of how the rightwing carefully uses progressive terminology to promote its agenda.
And by the way, the 1925 Supreme Court decision that this guy writes about had nothing to do with publicly
How NYC Abandoned Integration
A spokesman for Jeb Bush’s organization writing an article praising the “parent trigger” in Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, espousing the principles of the rightwing ALEC.
This is a splendid demonstration of how the rightwing carefully uses progressive terminology to promote its agenda.
And by the way, the 1925 Supreme Court decision that this guy writes about had nothing to do with publicly
How NYC Abandoned Integration
A good article in today’s New York Daily News by Michael Brick, who recalls going to an integrated public school in Austin, Texas.
Brick compares his own experience in Austin with New York City’s complete abandonment of integration today.
An interesting reflection on where we are heading as a society.
Brick compares his own experience in Austin with New York City’s complete abandonment of integration today.
An interesting reflection on where we are heading as a society.
A Challenge to KIPP
Anyone who questions the slow–now rapid–advance of the charter school industry, anyone who wonders whether our nation is in process of developing (or re-creating) a dual school system, will sooner or later get the KIPP question: Doesn’t KIPP prove definitively that poverty doesn’t matter? Doesn’t KIPP prove that charter schools are superior to public schools? Doesn’t KIPP prove that any child, no matter what their circumstances, can excel?
I admit that I have not waded into this debate because I acknowledge that some charters get excellent results,
I admit that I have not waded into this debate because I acknowledge that some charters get excellent results,
Why Unions Protect Tenure
LG responds to another reader who suggested that eliminating unions and tenure was “part of the solution” to reinventing education:
“I can tell you that eliminating teacher unions is part of the solution, not THE solution. Self-interest groups have to lay down their swords. There are so many structural changes we need to make to our public education
“I can tell you that eliminating teacher unions is part of the solution, not THE solution. Self-interest groups have to lay down their swords. There are so many structural changes we need to make to our public education
Everyone in Jeb Bush’s Office Supports Parent Trigger
Florida blogger Coach Bob Sikes notes that a petition supporting the parent trigger law has been signed by 71 people.
Most of them seem to work in and around the headquarters of Jeb Bush.
His executive director signed twice.
Ex-governor Bush promoted the parent trigger last spring and every Florida parent organization opposed it.
Most of them seem to work in and around the headquarters of Jeb Bush.
His executive director signed twice.
Ex-governor Bush promoted the parent trigger last spring and every Florida parent organization opposed it.
President of the Adelanto School Board Challenges “Parent Revolution”
As you may recall, there is a bitter battle under way in Adelanto, California.
Parent Revolution, an organization funded by Gates, Walton, and Broad, has been in search of a school that could be used to fire the “parent trigger.” The parent trigger law was passed in January 2010, and in the past 2 and 1/2 years, no school has been converted to a charter.
Parent Revolution was behind the petition drive at the Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, California,
Parent Revolution, an organization funded by Gates, Walton, and Broad, has been in search of a school that could be used to fire the “parent trigger.” The parent trigger law was passed in January 2010, and in the past 2 and 1/2 years, no school has been converted to a charter.
Parent Revolution was behind the petition drive at the Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, California,