President Obama Explains His Views to Education Nation
TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT OBAMA SITS DOWN WITH SAVANNAH GUTHRIE
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NBC NEWS’ “EDUCATION NATION”
September 25, 2012 — As part of the NBC News 2012 “Education Nation” Summit this week, President Barack Obama sat down with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to discuss his vision for the future of education in America.
The exclusive interview aired Tuesday on “TODAY” and this afternoon on MSNBC. A full transcript is below. If
The Power of Magical Thinking
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NBC NEWS’ “EDUCATION NATION”
September 25, 2012 — As part of the NBC News 2012 “Education Nation” Summit this week, President Barack Obama sat down with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to discuss his vision for the future of education in America.
The exclusive interview aired Tuesday on “TODAY” and this afternoon on MSNBC. A full transcript is below. If
The Power of Magical Thinking
No Child Left Behind is widely considered a disaster.
The law mandated that 100% of all students would be proficient, as measured by the standards in each state, by 2014. We now know that no state will meet that requirement. Schools have been closed all over the nation because of this idiotic law. Principals and teachers who were doing their best to meet unrealistic expectations,
More Union Leaders Who Are NBCT
The law mandated that 100% of all students would be proficient, as measured by the standards in each state, by 2014. We now know that no state will meet that requirement. Schools have been closed all over the nation because of this idiotic law. Principals and teachers who were doing their best to meet unrealistic expectations,
More Union Leaders Who Are NBCT
I noted in an earlier post that Karen Lewis is a National Board Certified Teacher.
I said that she was one of the few–if not the only–union leader who is NBCT.
Happily, I was wrong. I published another post that mentioned other union leaders who are NBCT.
Here are more:
Kitty Boltnott was head of the Virginia Education Association from
I said that she was one of the few–if not the only–union leader who is NBCT.
Happily, I was wrong. I published another post that mentioned other union leaders who are NBCT.
Here are more:
Kitty Boltnott was head of the Virginia Education Association from
Study: Charters Putting Catholic Schools Out of Business
A new study says that for every charter that opens, a Catholic school closes.
The author, Abraham Lackman, who worked for the New York state senate when it passed the first charter law in 1998, said that no one anticipated that charters–which are publicly-funded and tuition-free–would drain students from Catholic schools, which are not tuition-free.
He says the charters are not as good as Catholic schools and cost the state additional millions of dollars.
The head of the foundation that supports charters in Albany said that parents make the choice. “We’re more concerned with where they’re going, not with where they’re coming from,” he said.
The author, Abraham Lackman, who worked for the New York state senate when it passed the first charter law in 1998, said that no one anticipated that charters–which are publicly-funded and tuition-free–would drain students from Catholic schools, which are not tuition-free.
He says the charters are not as good as Catholic schools and cost the state additional millions of dollars.
The head of the foundation that supports charters in Albany said that parents make the choice. “We’re more concerned with where they’re going, not with where they’re coming from,” he said.
Don’t Mess with Texas. The Revolution Begins Here.
Texas brought No Child Left Behind to the nation.
Remember that candidate George W. Bush said that Texas had figured out how to fix the schools. He said test every child every year, post the results, reward the schools where scores go up, humiliate those where scores go down. And, wow, a miracle: the scores go up, up, up; the achievement gap closes; graduation rates go up. Win-win-win-win.
Except it didn’t happen. And now the whole country is stuck with a testing regime that is sucking the life out of education.
This report from Texas describes a growing revolution against testing. The schools are up in arms: 77% of the
Remember that candidate George W. Bush said that Texas had figured out how to fix the schools. He said test every child every year, post the results, reward the schools where scores go up, humiliate those where scores go down. And, wow, a miracle: the scores go up, up, up; the achievement gap closes; graduation rates go up. Win-win-win-win.
Except it didn’t happen. And now the whole country is stuck with a testing regime that is sucking the life out of education.
This report from Texas describes a growing revolution against testing. The schools are up in arms: 77% of the
News About GERM in Australia and New Zealand
Our bad ideas about testing, bad teachers, and failing schools have infected Australia and New Zealand. NZ plans to open “independent public schools,” aka charter schools.
Never mind that Australia and New Zealand have higher scores on the international tests than most other nations, including the US.
Only one nation can be number one, and in the case of PISA, it’s Shanghai, which is not even a nation. Shanghai is not representative of China, but an unusual city whose schools have mastered test prep.
Now every nation in the world is supposed to engage in outrage and flogging a of teachers, because only one
Never mind that Australia and New Zealand have higher scores on the international tests than most other nations, including the US.
Only one nation can be number one, and in the case of PISA, it’s Shanghai, which is not even a nation. Shanghai is not representative of China, but an unusual city whose schools have mastered test prep.
Now every nation in the world is supposed to engage in outrage and flogging a of teachers, because only one
Another Louisiana Embarrassment
John White, the TFA Commissioner of Education in Louisiana, put out a press release celebrating the state’s increased numbers taking AP exams.
Gary Rubinstein looked at the press release and thought it was a joke. The number taking the exam went up, but the scores did not. As Gary writes:
“In this latest press release they call their AP results a ‘surge’ because the number of students ‘taking’ the AP
Gary Rubinstein looked at the press release and thought it was a joke. The number taking the exam went up, but the scores did not. As Gary writes:
“In this latest press release they call their AP results a ‘surge’ because the number of students ‘taking’ the AP
Why Does Democratic Party Support Groups That Support GOP?
This is one of the most puzzling questions of our day.
Rachel Levy asks it in all sincerity.
How can the Democratic Party embrace individuals and groups that are working to elect Republicans? Why does it embrace individuals and groups that are actively working against unions, immigrant rights, gays, and public education?
Can anyone explain it? Is the tent so big that Democrats support those who support Republicans?
I don’t get it.
Rachel Levy asks it in all sincerity.
How can the Democratic Party embrace individuals and groups that are working to elect Republicans? Why does it embrace individuals and groups that are actively working against unions, immigrant rights, gays, and public education?
Can anyone explain it? Is the tent so big that Democrats support those who support Republicans?
I don’t get it.
Conservative Think Tank Promotes Parent Trigger
It sounds so easy.
Take a vote. Get control of your school. Hire a new staff. Next year, your school is a great success.
The Heartland Institute recommends it for everyone.
This think tank in Chicago helped to write the ALEC model legislation to encourage state legislatures to pass a “parent trigger.”
This is meant to privatize public schools
Take a vote. Get control of your school. Hire a new staff. Next year, your school is a great success.
The Heartland Institute recommends it for everyone.
This think tank in Chicago helped to write the ALEC model legislation to encourage state legislatures to pass a “parent trigger.”
This is meant to privatize public schools
How to Put an End to VAM-Mania
A reader has a suggestion:
I suggest that we create similar VAM tests for doctors, lawyers, and politicians and start ranking them according to their contributions. Oh, and reporters and news editors too. That will solve this problem real soon!
I suggest that we create similar VAM tests for doctors, lawyers, and politicians and start ranking them according to their contributions. Oh, and reporters and news editors too. That will solve this problem real soon!
Union Leaders Who Are NBCT
When I wrote about the Chicago strike, I said that Karen Lewis was one of the few–if not the only–union leader who was a National Board Certified Teacher.
I have heard of two more NBCT union leaders. Let me know if you are aware of others.
Stacey Miller, the president of the Maumee Education Association in Ohio, won NBCT status in 2001. The other
I have heard of two more NBCT union leaders. Let me know if you are aware of others.
Stacey Miller, the president of the Maumee Education Association in Ohio, won NBCT status in 2001. The other
What Rahm Emanuel Imagines
This post describes an ad running in Chicago in which Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks about the new contract, while pictures of Chicago schoolrooms are on the screen.
The pictures show a teacher in a library with a class of six students. She is teaching math with an Ipad. They show an art class.
Read this post to learn the truth. Teachers fight for textbooks; they don’t have iPads. Class sizes are not 6 but
The pictures show a teacher in a library with a class of six students. She is teaching math with an Ipad. They show an art class.
Read this post to learn the truth. Teachers fight for textbooks; they don’t have iPads. Class sizes are not 6 but
A Great Teacher in Every Classroom?
This teacher has deciphered the absurdity of the reformer crusade to put a great teacher in every classroom. Where are they now?
Periodically, I hear the illogical idea that we need “great” teachers in classrooms, as if great teachers aren’t already in classrooms. From where are all these stealthy “great” teachers supposed to come? Are they now all sitting on their hands at home, waiting to be hired? Is there a secret supply of “great” teachers, hiding
Periodically, I hear the illogical idea that we need “great” teachers in classrooms, as if great teachers aren’t already in classrooms. From where are all these stealthy “great” teachers supposed to come? Are they now all sitting on their hands at home, waiting to be hired? Is there a secret supply of “great” teachers, hiding
More about J.C. Brizard
A reader sends in a group of articles about the Chicago superintendent J.C. Brizard:
Brizard is a graduate of the Broad Superintendents Academy
http://www.broadcenter.org/academy/network/profile/featured-jean-claude-brizard
He stirred up churn in Rochester before coming to Chicago:
The Corporate Agenda for Public Schools: Is Brizard on Board?
http://dragonflyeye.net/jongreenbaum/2009/07/24/the-corporate-agenda-for-public-schools-is-brizard-on-board/
Where Was Brizard? UPDATE
Brizard is a graduate of the Broad Superintendents Academy
http://www.broadcenter.org/academy/network/profile/featured-jean-claude-brizard
He stirred up churn in Rochester before coming to Chicago:
The Corporate Agenda for Public Schools: Is Brizard on Board?
http://dragonflyeye.net/jongreenbaum/2009/07/24/the-corporate-agenda-for-public-schools-is-brizard-on-board/
Where Was Brizard? UPDATE
Joy Resmovits reports at Huffington Post that Chicago’s Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard was “nearly invisible” during the strike. He says he was visiting schools.
She says that Brizard got a very bad performance rating and that rumors have been flying that he will soon resign or be fired.
The Chicago saga continues.
What Children Need Most
Do You Trust Opinion or Research?
She says that Brizard got a very bad performance rating and that rumors have been flying that he will soon resign or be fired.
The Chicago saga continues.
What Children Need Most
A reader writes:
We are stripping the young of their youth. Why on Earth are we shoving the technological world on kids 4 to 10 years old? Kids that age need to be learning socializing skills, study skills, teacher interaction skills, learning to take instructions from people other than their parents. They need to develop their creativity, apply their real-world experiences in their relationships with their peers, and to feel comfortable in learning in mildly competitive environments. This is all more about dollars and less about education.
We are stripping the young of their youth. Why on Earth are we shoving the technological world on kids 4 to 10 years old? Kids that age need to be learning socializing skills, study skills, teacher interaction skills, learning to take instructions from people other than their parents. They need to develop their creativity, apply their real-world experiences in their relationships with their peers, and to feel comfortable in learning in mildly competitive environments. This is all more about dollars and less about education.
Do You Trust Opinion or Research?
Tim Slekar of Penn State has been watching NBC’s Education Nation, for which we are all grateful. Someone has to do it.
Today he watched the teacher town hall and discovered that a matter that has been settled in research was turned by NBC into a matter of opinion. And whose opinion counted was, in Tim’s view, questionable.
How to Opt Out of Testing
Today he watched the teacher town hall and discovered that a matter that has been settled in research was turned by NBC into a matter of opinion. And whose opinion counted was, in Tim’s view, questionable.
How to Opt Out of Testing
In response to other posts, Peggy Robertson of United Opt Out offers this advice to parents and teachers:
My advice is to take action. Currently we are asking people to begin to canvas neighborhoods and share the word of opt out. WE are going to have to do this. No one will do it for us. And while we sit around and wait for some corporate politician to change policies in our favor we have kids suffering – they do not have time to wait. Imagine how many childhoods will be lost this year at the hands of corporate education reform. I am angry – most angry because we have the ability to stop this – and instead we keep hoping that someone will share our
Why Great Hearts Appeals to Affluent Parents
My advice is to take action. Currently we are asking people to begin to canvas neighborhoods and share the word of opt out. WE are going to have to do this. No one will do it for us. And while we sit around and wait for some corporate politician to change policies in our favor we have kids suffering – they do not have time to wait. Imagine how many childhoods will be lost this year at the hands of corporate education reform. I am angry – most angry because we have the ability to stop this – and instead we keep hoping that someone will share our
Why Great Hearts Appeals to Affluent Parents
A reader sent a blog post from Arizona, where the Great Hearts charter school chain is based.
This is the charter that Tennessee Commissioner Kevin Huffman wants to bring to Nashville, over the opposition of the local school board.
It is expensive to go to Great Hearts. The school asks parents for an upfront contribution (voluntary, of course), of $1200-1500. Then there are extra costs for books, supplies, physical education.
But it is still less costly than paying for private school tuition. So it is entirely understandable that white, affluent parents would want to bring Great Hearts to their neighborhood in Nashville.
This is the charter that Tennessee Commissioner Kevin Huffman wants to bring to Nashville, over the opposition of the local school board.
It is expensive to go to Great Hearts. The school asks parents for an upfront contribution (voluntary, of course), of $1200-1500. Then there are extra costs for books, supplies, physical education.
But it is still less costly than paying for private school tuition. So it is entirely understandable that white, affluent parents would want to bring Great Hearts to their neighborhood in Nashville.