Children in Mississippi Are Helping Children in Long Island
This makes my day.
Michael Vanveckhoven, a reader of this blog sent me a photo of children in Meridian, Mississippi, collecting warm hats and gloves for children in Rockville Center on Long Island in New York.
Michael read here a note from high school principal Carol Burris about students whose homes were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
The south shore of Long Island took the full force of the hurricane and
Michael Vanveckhoven, a reader of this blog sent me a photo of children in Meridian, Mississippi, collecting warm hats and gloves for children in Rockville Center on Long Island in New York.
Michael read here a note from high school principal Carol Burris about students whose homes were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
The south shore of Long Island took the full force of the hurricane and
How Did David Beat Goliath in Indiana?
Conservatives can’t believe their hero Tony Bennett lost.
Bennett had the support of the national conservative establishment.
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute had crowned him the American Education Idol.
He had nearly $1.5 million to spend.
Republicans loved his attacks on unions.
The Obama administration loved his support for the Common Core standards.
He is president of Jeb’s group of rightwing superintendents called Chiefs for Change.
He is on the board of directors of the Council of Chief State School Officers (its preside
Should Computers Grade Essays?
Bennett had the support of the national conservative establishment.
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute had crowned him the American Education Idol.
He had nearly $1.5 million to spend.
Republicans loved his attacks on unions.
The Obama administration loved his support for the Common Core standards.
He is president of Jeb’s group of rightwing superintendents called Chiefs for Change.
He is on the board of directors of the Council of Chief State School Officers (its preside
Should Computers Grade Essays?
Todd Farley is the scourge of standardized testing. His book, “Making the Grades,” is a shocking exposé of the industry. Todd spent nearly 15 years scoring tests, and he knows the tricks of the trade.
In this article, he skewers the latest testing craze: machine-scoring of essays.
Having demonstrated the fallibility of humans who score essays, Farley is no more impressed by computer scoring. As he puts it:
“…the study’s major finding states only that “the results demonstrated that overall, automated essay scoring was capable of producing scores similar to human scores for extended-response writing items.” A paragraph o
Teachers: Please Advise This N.C. Mother about Common Core
In this article, he skewers the latest testing craze: machine-scoring of essays.
Having demonstrated the fallibility of humans who score essays, Farley is no more impressed by computer scoring. As he puts it:
“…the study’s major finding states only that “the results demonstrated that overall, automated essay scoring was capable of producing scores similar to human scores for extended-response writing items.” A paragraph o
Teachers: Please Advise This N.C. Mother about Common Core
I received this comment from a mother in North Carolina. Her daughter is in first grade, where the school is implementing the Common Core math curriculum. Her daughter is confused, and so is the mother.
I am reaching out to the teachers who read this blog. Can you help her? What advice do you have? What has been your experience?
I have found your page looking for more info. on the common core curriculum. My 1st grader goes to school in
When Basketball Adopted the NCLB Rules
I am reaching out to the teachers who read this blog. Can you help her? What advice do you have? What has been your experience?
I have found your page looking for more info. on the common core curriculum. My 1st grader goes to school in
When Basketball Adopted the NCLB Rules
A reader sent this wonderful analogy, which was published today in Undernews:
No high school basketball player left behind
All teams must make the state playoffs and all must win the championship.If a team does not win the championship, it will be on probation until they are the champions, and coaches will be held accountable. If after two years they have not won the championship their basketballs and equipment will be taken away until they do win the championship.
All players will be expected to have the same basketball skills at the same time, even if they do not have the
All players will be expected to have the same basketball skills at the same time, even if they do not have the
Are Colleges Spending Too Much on Administrators?
John Hechinger has written an important critique of administrative salaries in higher education.
His article focuses on Purdue, an outstanding university known for its engineering programs.
The university has a long list of administrators who do supervision or marketing and are paid far more than full professors.
Makes you wonder if the university–and Purdue is typical, not unusual–has its priorities right.
One good thing about Purdue that comes out in the article is that, unlike so many other universities, it does not rely on adjunct faculty.
Mitch Daniels, about to leave the governorship, will assume the presidency of Purdue. As governor, he became
His article focuses on Purdue, an outstanding university known for its engineering programs.
The university has a long list of administrators who do supervision or marketing and are paid far more than full professors.
Makes you wonder if the university–and Purdue is typical, not unusual–has its priorities right.
One good thing about Purdue that comes out in the article is that, unlike so many other universities, it does not rely on adjunct faculty.
Mitch Daniels, about to leave the governorship, will assume the presidency of Purdue. As governor, he became
How to Avoid Hurting Kids and Schools in Fiscal Crisis
Leonie Haimson has some excellent ideas about where to make budget cuts and how to raise revenues to protect children in the looming fiscal crisis.
Haimson is executive director of Class Size Matters in New York City and has long been the city’s leading parent activist. Her ability to analyze research and budgets is astounding. Her courage in fighting for students
How Corporate Reformers Are Invading Vermont
Haimson is executive director of Class Size Matters in New York City and has long been the city’s leading parent activist. Her ability to analyze research and budgets is astounding. Her courage in fighting for students
How Corporate Reformers Are Invading Vermont
An email arrived:
Dear Dr. Ravitch,
Even in Vermont, we are being influenced by Gates money. Here are two sites which may be of interest. We (www.bfasta.net) are a comprehensive high school with an excellent track record (graduates at Harvard, MIT, NYU, as well as grads being successful in the trades, state schools, etc.), but according to NCLB we’re failing.
Dear Dr. Ravitch,
Even in Vermont, we are being influenced by Gates money. Here are two sites which may be of interest. We (www.bfasta.net) are a comprehensive high school with an excellent track record (graduates at Harvard, MIT, NYU, as well as grads being successful in the trades, state schools, etc.), but according to NCLB we’re failing.
