To Be Poor in America
Yesterday, I posted an article about growing income inequality in New York City. This morning, I posted an editorial from Bloomberg News claiming that the Census Bureau was overstating the extent of poverty by not counting transfers like food stamps.
A reader sent this story, which should remind us that it is no picnic to be poor in America.
Let me add a personal note. I am not poor. I have never been poor. But I hope I never reach a point when I stop caring about others less fortunate than I. I hope I never become so hard-hearted that I say, like some others do now, that the poor don’t know how lucky they are, or that poverty is just an excuse for bad teachers, or that
A reader sent this story, which should remind us that it is no picnic to be poor in America.
Let me add a personal note. I am not poor. I have never been poor. But I hope I never reach a point when I stop caring about others less fortunate than I. I hope I never become so hard-hearted that I say, like some others do now, that the poor don’t know how lucky they are, or that poverty is just an excuse for bad teachers, or that
If You Happen to Be in NOLA
If you happen to be in New Orleans this Saturday September 22, you won’t want to miss this fascinating panel discussion about “The Education Experiment: Petri Dish Reform in New Orleans and Louisiana.”
And even if you can’t get there for the panel discussion, open the link and see what they are talking about.
New Orleans is the first American city to wipe out public education and replace it with a charter system (80% of the students are in charters). Louisiana has passed legislation that will transfer $2 billion in public fund away from public schools to voucher schools.
Pay attention.
And even if you can’t get there for the panel discussion, open the link and see what they are talking about.
New Orleans is the first American city to wipe out public education and replace it with a charter system (80% of the students are in charters). Louisiana has passed legislation that will transfer $2 billion in public fund away from public schools to voucher schools.
Pay attention.
The Effects of “Reform”
Will Richardson has his own blog, where he writes about many topics, especially technology.
I invited him to write for us, and he graciously consented.
Will Richardson writes:
Last week I had the opportunity to work with a group of teachers and administrators in a state that is supposedly leading the way in education “reform” here in the US. It’s a state where schools are getting letter grades, where teachers are being assessed in large measure by results of student tests, and where not surprisingly, educators at the ground level are not given a very large voice in the conversation.
Two things struck me in my discussions with them over those two days. First, despite the barriers, these 100 or
I invited him to write for us, and he graciously consented.
Will Richardson writes:
Last week I had the opportunity to work with a group of teachers and administrators in a state that is supposedly leading the way in education “reform” here in the US. It’s a state where schools are getting letter grades, where teachers are being assessed in large measure by results of student tests, and where not surprisingly, educators at the ground level are not given a very large voice in the conversation.
Two things struck me in my discussions with them over those two days. First, despite the barriers, these 100 or
Fox News’ Conflict of Interest?
Some of the tests that Chicago teachers complained about, the tests on which their evaluations would depend, the tests at the heart of the strike—are administered by a subsidiary of Fox News.
Media Matters, a public-interest watchdog, pointed out that Fox News aired 89 segments about the strike in a one-week period without disclosing the financial ties between Fox News and Wireless Generation, both of which are part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation empire.
Full disclosure might also imply the need to disclose that Murdoch donates significant sums of money to charter
Media Matters, a public-interest watchdog, pointed out that Fox News aired 89 segments about the strike in a one-week period without disclosing the financial ties between Fox News and Wireless Generation, both of which are part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation empire.
Full disclosure might also imply the need to disclose that Murdoch donates significant sums of money to charter
A Parent Trigger in Nashville?
Parents in an affluent section of Nashville are exploring the possibility of using the state’s “parent trigger” law to leave the school district and form their own charter. The councilwoman for the area is leading discussions.
This appears to signal the next phase of the charter movement. For years, as the charter movement grew, advocates utilized rhetoric about “saving” poor black and Hispanic children from their “failing” schools.
In this Nashville area, the children are not poor, not black and Hispanic, and their schools are high-performing
This appears to signal the next phase of the charter movement. For years, as the charter movement grew, advocates utilized rhetoric about “saving” poor black and Hispanic children from their “failing” schools.
In this Nashville area, the children are not poor, not black and Hispanic, and their schools are high-performing
Mayors Support Rahm
Maybe it should not be a surprise, but the U.S. Conference of Mayors gave their strong support to Mayor Rahm Emanuel in his fight with the Chicago Teachers Union.
The mayors’ statement was apparently coordinated by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, husband of Michelle Rhee.
Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia signed the statement
The mayors’ statement was apparently coordinated by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, husband of Michelle Rhee.
Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia signed the statement
The Good News About Poverty
Remember the story in yesterday’s New York Times that described the increase in income inequality in New York City? That’s the one that said that the gap between the richest quintile and the poorest quintile has not only grown but is one of the largest in the world, putting us in the same league as countries like Namibia.
Well, there is good news from Mayor Bloomberg’s own publishing house. Poverty is really not so bad in the U.S. because the Census Bureau didn’t count all the benefits and transfers that the poor get. So when you read that
Well, there is good news from Mayor Bloomberg’s own publishing house. Poverty is really not so bad in the U.S. because the Census Bureau didn’t count all the benefits and transfers that the poor get. So when you read that
The Errors of an Anti-Union Blogger
During the Chicago strike, there was a lot of hostile media coverage. One of the critics of the strike and the union was Dylan Matthews, who blogs at the Washington Post.
This refreshing article shows how Matthews consistently misinterpreted research to reflect his own opinions. The author, Mike Paarlberg, is a Ph.D. candidate and lecturer at Georgetown University who understands statistics and reads research studies with care.
Paarlberg shows that Matthews doesn’t understand statistics and that he repeatedly misrepresented and
This refreshing article shows how Matthews consistently misinterpreted research to reflect his own opinions. The author, Mike Paarlberg, is a Ph.D. candidate and lecturer at Georgetown University who understands statistics and reads research studies with care.
Paarlberg shows that Matthews doesn’t understand statistics and that he repeatedly misrepresented and
A Hero of American Education: Richard Rothstein
When writing about Richard Rothstein, I scarcely know where to begin.
He has written several major books. Anyone who wants to understand the challenge of poverty in our society must read Rothstein’s seminal work, Class and Schools.
He was responsible for drafting the EPI paper that brought together nearly a dozen scholars to explain why value-
He has written several major books. Anyone who wants to understand the challenge of poverty in our society must read Rothstein’s seminal work, Class and Schools.
He was responsible for drafting the EPI paper that brought together nearly a dozen scholars to explain why value-
Obama’s Dreadful Education Agenda
The Washington Post has a good article about the aggressive way that the Obama administration has imposed its education agenda in the past three+ years.
The article notes, almost in passing, that there is no evidence for the success of any part of this agenda. No one will know for many years whether the Obama program of testing, accountability, and choice will improve education.
When reading the article, it is easy to forget that the U.S. Department of Education was not created to impose
The article notes, almost in passing, that there is no evidence for the success of any part of this agenda. No one will know for many years whether the Obama program of testing, accountability, and choice will improve education.
When reading the article, it is easy to forget that the U.S. Department of Education was not created to impose
Our National Obsession with Data
Alfie Kohn on our obsession with metrics, in the current Education Week:
Schooling Beyond Measure
The reason that standardized-test results tend to be so uninformative and misleading is closely related to the reason that these tests are so popular in the first place. That, in turn, is connected to our attraction to—and the trouble with—grades, rubrics, and various practices commended to us as “data based.”
The common denominator? Our culture’s worshipful regard for numbers. Roger Jones, a physicist, called it “the heart of our modern idolatry … the belief that the quantitative description of things is paramount and even
Schooling Beyond Measure
The reason that standardized-test results tend to be so uninformative and misleading is closely related to the reason that these tests are so popular in the first place. That, in turn, is connected to our attraction to—and the trouble with—grades, rubrics, and various practices commended to us as “data based.”
The common denominator? Our culture’s worshipful regard for numbers. Roger Jones, a physicist, called it “the heart of our modern idolatry … the belief that the quantitative description of things is paramount and even
Reformers Buy $1 Million Ads to Spin the Strike
Fred Klonsky reports that Education Reform Now, the Wall Street hedge fund managers’ front group, spent $1 million on TV ads to try to persuade the public that the Mayor won. ERN is part of Democrats for Education Reform, the Wall Street boys who want Democrats to adopt Republican policies. DFER has cannily used its vast resources to reshape Democratic policy to align with those of the far-right in the Republican party.
Klonsky tried to imagine how many books or teachers’ salaries that $1 million would pay for. But groups like ERN/DFER don’t spend money on improving schools. They spend money to control schools.
The Fighting Profs at U. Of Texas
A Parent Activist Saw the Anti-Union Movie
Klonsky tried to imagine how many books or teachers’ salaries that $1 million would pay for. But groups like ERN/DFER don’t spend money on improving schools. They spend money to control schools.
The Fighting Profs at U. Of Texas
This parent supports the professors at the University of Texas, whose patient work is paying off. More than half the school boards in Texas have passed resolutions against high stakes testing, and the head of the state workforce commission just denounced it.
Thanks for their scholarship and courage!
The parent writes:
I love my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin. This fine institution boasts the likes of Walter Stroup:
Thanks for their scholarship and courage!
The parent writes:
I love my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin. This fine institution boasts the likes of Walter Stroup:
A Parent Activist Saw the Anti-Union Movie
Leonie Haimson, public school parent and founder of Class Size Matters, saw the anti-union movie “Won’t Back Down.” She saw it so you don’t have to. Here she tells you the details of the movie and describes a panel discussion that follows.
Leonie has been fighting for better public schools for years. She believes that parents and teachers should work together. Not to seize control of their school, but to press for smaller classes and an experienced staff. She knows what does not work: privatization and high stakes testing.
Leonie has been fighting for better public schools for years. She believes that parents and teachers should work together. Not to seize control of their school, but to press for smaller classes and an experienced staff. She knows what does not work: privatization and high stakes testing.