Beware the Reorientation Room!
What kind of a school has a “reorientation room?”
What kind of a school has a “Dean of School Culture?”
What kind of a school has large numbers of uncertified teachers?
Would you send your own child there?
What kind of school is this? Read the link.
What kind of a school has a “Dean of School Culture?”
What kind of a school has large numbers of uncertified teachers?
Would you send your own child there?
What kind of school is this? Read the link.
Unfair to Kozol?
An admirer of Jonathan Kozol faults the Washington Post for asking Wendy Kopp to review his latest book. Wendy likes to say that we don’t need to fix poverty,just “fix” schools with more TFA and more charter schools. Jonathan’s book shows how harmful poverty is. Obviously she would not like Kozol’s latest book:
The Washington Post (Sunday, September 30) has just published an inaccurate and biased review of Jonathan’s new book Fire in the Ashes, written by Wendy Kopp, President of Teach for America.
The Post’s choice of Kopp to review Jonathan’s book broke all the rules of literary fairness, and her acceptance of it even more so, in light of their opposing positions on school reform. Jonathan is well known as a thoughtful critic but strong defender of public education, while Kopp has come to be a leading figure in the corporate
The Washington Post (Sunday, September 30) has just published an inaccurate and biased review of Jonathan’s new book Fire in the Ashes, written by Wendy Kopp, President of Teach for America.
The Post’s choice of Kopp to review Jonathan’s book broke all the rules of literary fairness, and her acceptance of it even more so, in light of their opposing positions on school reform. Jonathan is well known as a thoughtful critic but strong defender of public education, while Kopp has come to be a leading figure in the corporate
Parent to Teachers: Speak Up!
This parent in Connecticut is furious that teachers didn’t tell her that the testing had gotten excessive. They didn’t tell her what the overuse and misuse of testing was doing to her children. She understands that they were just doing their job, but she wants them to stand up and shout that what’s happening is wrong. This is a terrific letter. Once the parents and the students begin to understand what is happening, there will be a grand alliance to take back our schools and rebuild education for the benefit of students and our society:
With all due respect to teachers–I’ve been hearing whispered rumblings from educators for at least 8 years
With all due respect to teachers–I’ve been hearing whispered rumblings from educators for at least 8 years
Research Breakthrough! Silver Bullet Found.
Diana Senechal reports on the latest, best-ever research study.
This may indeed be the silver bullet that researchers usually say does not exist.
This may indeed be the silver bullet that researchers usually say does not exist.
Pennsylvania Governor Pushing ALEC Law
Governor Tom Corbett wants charter “reform.” He is trying to persuade the state legislature to allow him to create a commission that could authorize charter schools over the opposition of local school boards.
As a Pennsylvania blogger says, this puts the fox in charge of the henhouse.
This is ALEC model legislation. It’s on the ballot in Georgia next month, where ALEC allies hope to eliminate
As a Pennsylvania blogger says, this puts the fox in charge of the henhouse.
This is ALEC model legislation. It’s on the ballot in Georgia next month, where ALEC allies hope to eliminate
What Happened When an Engineer Became a Teacher
A reader writes in response to an earlier post:
I too started with degrees in physics and engineering (and later an M.Ed. that you will hear about). By choice, I walked out of an engineering job, and a few days later into a high-school classroom several hundred miles away as a full-time science teacher (they probably wouldn’t let me do that nowadays). I never found the job hard, just fun and exhausting. That first year they gave me five classes and four preparations. The other teachers in the science department looked at me strangely when I told them that – I was the new guy, I had never taught before: two preps were desirable, three was considered the maximum and difficult, four was tantamount to suicide. They waited for me to collapse. It took until February. And I was designing the curriculum for each course that I
I too started with degrees in physics and engineering (and later an M.Ed. that you will hear about). By choice, I walked out of an engineering job, and a few days later into a high-school classroom several hundred miles away as a full-time science teacher (they probably wouldn’t let me do that nowadays). I never found the job hard, just fun and exhausting. That first year they gave me five classes and four preparations. The other teachers in the science department looked at me strangely when I told them that – I was the new guy, I had never taught before: two preps were desirable, three was considered the maximum and difficult, four was tantamount to suicide. They waited for me to collapse. It took until February. And I was designing the curriculum for each course that I
My Candid Views about School Choice
This is part 2 of my interview by Abby Rappaport of the American Prospect. This came at the end of a long day in Austin, after I gave two speeches, one in the morning to the Texas School Boards Association and Texas Association of School Administrators, and another in the afternoon to parents and teachers. I was too tired to choose my words. I said what I think.
In part 1 of the interview, we talked about testing and accountability.
In part 1 of the interview, we talked about testing and accountability.
Arne Duncan Feels Your Pain
In a speech at the National Press Club, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan reached out to the nation’s teachers to assure them that he understands how they feel.
He understands that change is hard, especially when almost every state and district is imposing untested, experimental and possibly destructive methods of evaluation on them.
The end game, he is sure, will be higher test scores.
Of course, no one should be evaluated by a single score.
Truly, he understands. Message: I care.
He understands that change is hard, especially when almost every state and district is imposing untested, experimental and possibly destructive methods of evaluation on them.
The end game, he is sure, will be higher test scores.
Of course, no one should be evaluated by a single score.
Truly, he understands. Message: I care.
Bill Moyers on ALEC
Because I was traveling in Texas over the weekend, I didn’t see Bill Moyers’ report on ALEC. I watched it last night, and I hope you will too.
If you want to understand how we are losing our democracy, watch this program.
If you want to know why so many states are passing copycat legislation to suppress voters’ rights, to eliminate
If you want to understand how we are losing our democracy, watch this program.
If you want to know why so many states are passing copycat legislation to suppress voters’ rights, to eliminate
The Big Race: Tennessee vs. Louisiana
Kevin Huffman is state commissioner of education in Tennessee. John White is state commissioner of education in Louisiana. Both taught for two years in Teach for America. Both worked as TFA staff. When John White worked for the New York City Department of Education, he had no pedagogical assignment;his job was to decide where to locate charter schools in public school space.
What does it say about TFA that its two young state commissioners work for governors following the ALEC script to demolish public education?
This reader writes:
Tennessee and Louisiana appear to be locked in a contest to see which can field the most inexperienced
What does it say about TFA that its two young state commissioners work for governors following the ALEC script to demolish public education?
This reader writes:
Tennessee and Louisiana appear to be locked in a contest to see which can field the most inexperienced
The State Assessment Is Useless
This parent did not permit his child to take the state test. She opted out. But through a computer glitch (surprise, surprise!), the parent received a report on the assessment that his child did not take. As he looked at the component parts, he was reaffirmed in his conviction that the test is utterly meaningless.
The test was given in May, but the results arrive in September. What is the value of that? And there are no examples of test questions that a student was able to answer or not able to answer. In fact, none of the information on the report was informative.
His conclusion: Opt out. Don’t let your child take the tests.
The test was given in May, but the results arrive in September. What is the value of that? And there are no examples of test questions that a student was able to answer or not able to answer. In fact, none of the information on the report was informative.
His conclusion: Opt out. Don’t let your child take the tests.
The Ultimate Insult to Louisiana Teachers
John White, the State Commissioner of Education in Louisiana, has low regard for experience. After all, he became a state commissioner despite never having been a principal or a superintendent or having any other notable administrative experience. He did, however, teach for two years as part of Teach for America.
Acting on his convictions that experience doesn’t matter, he appointed Molly Horstman, a 27-year-old with two years of TFA teaching in New Orleans to take charge of teacher evaluations for the state of Louisiana. Horstma
Acting on his convictions that experience doesn’t matter, he appointed Molly Horstman, a 27-year-old with two years of TFA teaching in New Orleans to take charge of teacher evaluations for the state of Louisiana. Horstma
My New Book: Almost Done
I wrote a post earlier this summer saying that I planned to spend the summer writing a new book. Here is my progress report.
My goal was to finish the book by Labor Day. That would be a personal best for me (I started in mid-June).
I didn’t meet my goal. I have written about 100,000 words but I have two more chapters to go.
The blog most definitely used up a lot of time that I should have been devoting to the book. But I have enjoyed
My goal was to finish the book by Labor Day. That would be a personal best for me (I started in mid-June).
I didn’t meet my goal. I have written about 100,000 words but I have two more chapters to go.
The blog most definitely used up a lot of time that I should have been devoting to the book. But I have enjoyed
Good News in Indiana
A county judge in Indiana has ruled that the autocratic State Superintendent of Education Tony Bennett could not impose a standard contract on every district in the state that would have violated all existing contracts.
From the story:
“A county judge has ruled that a state-pushed standard teacher contract form that would have allowed Indiana school districts to change or increase their hours without paying them more is illegal.
Marion County Judge Patrick McCarty permanently barred the Indiana Department of Education and state
From the story:
“A county judge has ruled that a state-pushed standard teacher contract form that would have allowed Indiana school districts to change or increase their hours without paying them more is illegal.
Marion County Judge Patrick McCarty permanently barred the Indiana Department of Education and state