A Charter Teacher Tells What Happened
In response to an earlier post about the lack of accountability for charters, a teacher wrote to describe her experience in a charter school in Pennsylvania. Most important in her story is the last line:
From 2009-2011 I worked for a Philadelphia charter school that exemplifies the problems Bill White is talking about, a problem leaders like Ackerman were enforcing before Corbett assumed his role. When I entered the Philadelphia school system in 2009, the district’s messaging under Arlene Ackerman seemed to be: if public schools are the problem, charter schools are the answer.
Although my school’s Chief Operating Officer’s business cards proclaimed “Best middle school (grades 6-8) in
From 2009-2011 I worked for a Philadelphia charter school that exemplifies the problems Bill White is talking about, a problem leaders like Ackerman were enforcing before Corbett assumed his role. When I entered the Philadelphia school system in 2009, the district’s messaging under Arlene Ackerman seemed to be: if public schools are the problem, charter schools are the answer.
Although my school’s Chief Operating Officer’s business cards proclaimed “Best middle school (grades 6-8) in
This Is a Book You Should Read
Diana Senechal wrote an important book about the world we live in now, a world of buzz and noise, with no time to think, reflect, day dream.
This is a review in a magazine for zcanadian teachers.
Teachers and parents will enjoy this book.
This is a review in a magazine for zcanadian teachers.
Teachers and parents will enjoy this book.
Ten Years of NCLB: A Student Says, “How Sad.” Her Teacher Agrees
Paul Karrer teaches fifth grade in Castroville, California.
He is doing his best to educate parents and the public about the destructive farce called “reform” that is ruining education for his students.
A student returned to his classroom and asked him why he was no longer teaching as he had when she was a
He is doing his best to educate parents and the public about the destructive farce called “reform” that is ruining education for his students.
A student returned to his classroom and asked him why he was no longer teaching as he had when she was a
What Charter Schools Do Best
A reader in Los Altos, California, comments on an earlier post:
The REAL carrot here is allowing middle-class parents to engage in segregation. This is the “dirty little secret” of charter schools and of education reform in general: that they are a sustained political force ONLY because rich or semi-rich parents want their children in schools without “undesirables”.
Hence Obama is making a calculated political move here by saying he supports charters. That statement alone is probably worth a million or two votes in terms of direct votes, activism on his behalf, and donations. Parents in
The REAL carrot here is allowing middle-class parents to engage in segregation. This is the “dirty little secret” of charter schools and of education reform in general: that they are a sustained political force ONLY because rich or semi-rich parents want their children in schools without “undesirables”.
Hence Obama is making a calculated political move here by saying he supports charters. That statement alone is probably worth a million or two votes in terms of direct votes, activism on his behalf, and donations. Parents in
Anti-Union Film Bombs at Box-Office
A reader wrote to say that he went to see “that movie,” and there were only eight other people in the theater.
The Hollywood media says that his family’s experience was not unusual.
Despite a huge publicity campaign involving promotion by NBC’s Education Nation and full-page ads in major
The Hollywood media says that his family’s experience was not unusual.
Despite a huge publicity campaign involving promotion by NBC’s Education Nation and full-page ads in major
New Jersey Parent to Daniel Barnz: You Lied
Darcie Cimarusti blogs under the name “Mother Crusader.”
She is a parent activist in New Jersey who joined the battle to save her community’s public schools from privatizers.
She was one of the parents who protested outside the opening of “Won’t Back Down” in New York City.
In interviews and articles, the film’s director Daniel Barnz made condescending comments about the parents. He
She is a parent activist in New Jersey who joined the battle to save her community’s public schools from privatizers.
She was one of the parents who protested outside the opening of “Won’t Back Down” in New York City.
In interviews and articles, the film’s director Daniel Barnz made condescending comments about the parents. He
Can Stand for Children Save Its Soul?
No one knows for sure when Stand for Children abandoned its original mission of advocating for public schools and seeking more equitable funding.
But by 2011, Stand for Children had become a handmaiden of the hedge fund managers and super-rich, promoting their agenda of privatization. Its founder, Jonah Edelman, boasted at the Aspen Ideas Festival of how he had outsmarted the teachers’ unions and had bought up the best lobbyists. He worked with like-minded
But by 2011, Stand for Children had become a handmaiden of the hedge fund managers and super-rich, promoting their agenda of privatization. Its founder, Jonah Edelman, boasted at the Aspen Ideas Festival of how he had outsmarted the teachers’ unions and had bought up the best lobbyists. He worked with like-minded
The Hardest, Most Rewarding Career Ever
An earlier post asked which was harder: Teaching or Rocket Science. It received some great responses. Here is one of them:
I’ll add my vote here. Former engineer, now a teacher for 17 years. Teaching is much harder work. It takes a really long time to get very good at it (which TFA and other organizations like it don’t seem to grasp). It also takes a unique blend of patience, thick-skinned tolerance of minor (and sometimes major) injustices, humility
I’ll add my vote here. Former engineer, now a teacher for 17 years. Teaching is much harder work. It takes a really long time to get very good at it (which TFA and other organizations like it don’t seem to grasp). It also takes a unique blend of patience, thick-skinned tolerance of minor (and sometimes major) injustices, humility
Wendy Kopp Reviews Jonathan Kozol
As Edushyster calls it, Wendy is miffed that Jon didn’t mention TFA.
Another hilarious article from one of our best satirists.
Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel
Another hilarious article from one of our best satirists.
Won’t Back Down: The Hilarious Sequel
Jersey Jazzman has written a brilliant screenplay that tells what happened after the characters in the movie opened their charter school.
This is hilarious!
This is hilarious!