How to Join the Campaign for Our Public Schools
As a result of many comments on this blog, and in response to a great yearning to raise our voices, many teachers, parents, students, administrators and concerned citizens plan to join together in a mass letter-writing campaign to the President.
We want all letters submitted here to this blog or to Anthony Cody no later than October 17.
You may write to the White House directly, and the mail address is in the instructions link. But if you do, you will be required to disclose your identity in full. Knowing that many educators are fearful these days, you may send Anthony and me your letter without disclosing your name.
Please add as much detail as possible about your concerns. Be clear. Be specific.
We want all letters submitted here to this blog or to Anthony Cody no later than October 17.
You may write to the White House directly, and the mail address is in the instructions link. But if you do, you will be required to disclose your identity in full. Knowing that many educators are fearful these days, you may send Anthony and me your letter without disclosing your name.
Please add as much detail as possible about your concerns. Be clear. Be specific.
NYC’s Pointless School Grades
Is your state or district planning to create a report card for its public schools?
Advice from New York City: Don’t.
Read this debate. You will see some past and former employees of the school system (and the head of the charter association) who believe in the grades. And you will read some eloquent and knowledgeable critics who know that the grades are erratic, meaningless, and serve no purpose other than to set schools up to be closed.
Advice from New York City: Don’t.
Read this debate. You will see some past and former employees of the school system (and the head of the charter association) who believe in the grades. And you will read some eloquent and knowledgeable critics who know that the grades are erratic, meaningless, and serve no purpose other than to set schools up to be closed.
Michigan’s Emergency District About to Expand
Michigan created an emergency district for schools with low test scores, administered by Broad Academy alum John Covington, who decamped from Kansas City after making no improvements there.
The emergency district is about to become the largest district in the state. By adding low-perming districts from across the state, the EAA will have 46,000 students.
The salient feature of the new district is that it is non-union. The assumption of the conservative Rick Snyder
The emergency district is about to become the largest district in the state. By adding low-perming districts from across the state, the EAA will have 46,000 students.
The salient feature of the new district is that it is non-union. The assumption of the conservative Rick Snyder
Florida School Boards Resist Aggressive Expansion of Virtual Charters
The online for-profit corporation K12 wants to grow its business in Florida but school boards are opposing it. The online charters poach students and funding from public schools while providing a poor quality of education.
They do, however, have one big political advantage. They have the fervent support of former Governor Jeb Bush, who is a political powerhouse in the state.
Independent studies have found high dropout rates, low test scores, low graduation rates, and inflated billing at
They do, however, have one big political advantage. They have the fervent support of former Governor Jeb Bush, who is a political powerhouse in the state.
Independent studies have found high dropout rates, low test scores, low graduation rates, and inflated billing at
Tumult in NOLA
Two months into the school year, the head of the Recovery School District abruptly fired the principal of Walter L. Cohen High School as well as several teachers and announced that he was turning the school over to a charter operator called the Future Is Now.
Students reacted angrily and protested the disruption in their school. They issued their own demands, which included the funds to repair the building, reinstatement of the fired staff and a full report from the charter about its record, its test scores, suspensions, police reports, graduation rates, attrition rate and other data about its
Students reacted angrily and protested the disruption in their school. They issued their own demands, which included the funds to repair the building, reinstatement of the fired staff and a full report from the charter about its record, its test scores, suspensions, police reports, graduation rates, attrition rate and other data about its
Ms. Katie Reviews Paul Tough
The readers of this blog know Katie Osgood as a teacher who works with young people in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago. She writes brilliantly, from her experience. Here, she writes a critique of Paul Tough’s new book How Children Succeed.