The Campaign for Our Public Schools: What You Need to Do Now
The Campaign for Our Public Schools was a spontaneous effort to gather the candid views of educators, parents, students, and concerned citizens about the state of public education policy today. On October 3, everyone reading this blog was invited to write a letter to President Obama expressing their ideas.
In a brief, two-week period, nearly 400 letters were submitted. There were many that were eloquent, many that were heartfelt, many written from personal experience.
No one was paid to solicit letter-writers or to write letters. No one who worked to bring the letters together was
In a brief, two-week period, nearly 400 letters were submitted. There were many that were eloquent, many that were heartfelt, many written from personal experience.
No one was paid to solicit letter-writers or to write letters. No one who worked to bring the letters together was
Would You Support the Parent Trigger If….
This came from a retired California teacher:
“Won’t Back Down” is loosely based on the Parent Trigger Law in California, which has only been tried twice. Neither attempt was successful. The law was created on a drawing board and has no basis in prior experience or knowledge.
Would you support the Parent Trigger Law if:
• You discovered it was designed to hasten the destruction of public education and replace it with privatized for-profit corporations?
• You discovered privatization (i.e. handing over a school to privately run charter school entities) has already
“Won’t Back Down” is loosely based on the Parent Trigger Law in California, which has only been tried twice. Neither attempt was successful. The law was created on a drawing board and has no basis in prior experience or knowledge.
Would you support the Parent Trigger Law if:
• You discovered it was designed to hasten the destruction of public education and replace it with privatized for-profit corporations?
• You discovered privatization (i.e. handing over a school to privately run charter school entities) has already
He Can Get High Ratings from Students–or High Scores
Arthur Goldstein teaches English in a high school in Queens, New York City. If you want to know what teachers in New York City are saying, you have to read his blog. It’s funny, sad, outrageous, and honest. Here’s Arthur:
I found your piece about student ratings very interesting.
I taught almost 20 years at the English Language Institute at Queens College. Student ratings were very important—word of mouth kept enrollment very robust. I‘d come to this position from the POV of a high school teacher. As such, I insisted on homework and participation. I also gave people a pretty hard time if they didn’t do the work. For a number of years I scored 80% favorable with the students, but one year I got a bad rating. It was
I found your piece about student ratings very interesting.
I taught almost 20 years at the English Language Institute at Queens College. Student ratings were very important—word of mouth kept enrollment very robust. I‘d come to this position from the POV of a high school teacher. As such, I insisted on homework and participation. I also gave people a pretty hard time if they didn’t do the work. For a number of years I scored 80% favorable with the students, but one year I got a bad rating. It was
Students Say: Vote NO on Charter Amendment in Georgia
Listen to the students.
On this link there is a terrific video by two Georgia students who explain why voters should turn down a constitutional amendment on charter schools.
Georgia has over 130 charter schools.
The charter schools do not outperform the public schools.
Some local school boards have turned down new charters.
So the Governor has put an amendment to the Constitution on the ballot allowing him to create a commission to
On this link there is a terrific video by two Georgia students who explain why voters should turn down a constitutional amendment on charter schools.
Georgia has over 130 charter schools.
The charter schools do not outperform the public schools.
Some local school boards have turned down new charters.
So the Governor has put an amendment to the Constitution on the ballot allowing him to create a commission to
Irony in Ohio
The State of Ohio says that if your district is low-performing–that is, scoring in the bottom 5% of all districts–then charter schools are allowed to open in your district (previously, they were limited to eight urban districts).
But here is the irony. Only one out of four charter schools in Ohio has a better score than the bottom 5% of districts in the state.
So the remedy for a low-performing district is to open what are likely to be low-performing charter schools.
But here is the irony. Only one out of four charter schools in Ohio has a better score than the bottom 5% of districts in the state.
So the remedy for a low-performing district is to open what are likely to be low-performing charter schools.
What Should the Federal Government Do to Improve Education?
I am often asked my views about what the federal government should do to improve education.
The one thing it should not do is to foist unproven ideas on the schools across the nation.
Whatever policies it supports should be amply supported by evidence and experience, such as class size reduction and early childhood education.
The more I travel, the more I recognize the enormous diversity
The one thing it should not do is to foist unproven ideas on the schools across the nation.
Whatever policies it supports should be amply supported by evidence and experience, such as class size reduction and early childhood education.
The more I travel, the more I recognize the enormous diversity
Where Are the “Great Teachers?”
This reader says, look around you.
I believe great teachers know their subject matter, know pedagogy, know child development, know classroom management techniques, know motivational strategies, are passionate about what they do, and are willing to try new things. Most of the teachers I have met and worked with in my 16 years of teaching have these qualities. Why is it so hard to believe that most of our teachers are great dedicated talented professionals? Don’t tell me that the key difference in student achievement between Hartford, Connecticut and Greenwich, Connecticut is that Greenwich has all the “great teachers.”
Jersey Jazzman Dissects Meaning of Newark Contract
New Jersey is unquestionably one of the two or three highest performing states in the nation on NAEP. Given its extremes of wealth and pockets of dense poverty, it may well be the highest performing state.
As is obvious by now, Governor Chris Christie and his helper Chris Cerf hope to privatize as much of he state school system as they can while they can.
Jersey Jazzman is predictably wary of the Newark contract. Here is his take on the deal, which is funded in large part by private and non-recurring money.
