Diane Ravitch's blog
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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
Shadowy Group in Arizona Fights 1% Sales Tax for Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 minutes ago
A shadowy group called Americans for Responsible Leadership is spending $750,000 to fight a proposal to raise the sales tax in Arizona by 1% to fund education. The group claims it favors accountability and “transparency,” but refuses to disclose who is putting up the money to fight Proposition 204, which would make permanent a currently [...]
Did NYC Close the Achievement Gap in a Decade of Mayoral Control?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 42 minutes ago
Aaron Pallas of Teachers College asks the question and shows that the answer is no. Despite a decade of relentless emphasis on testing, accountability and choice, the achievement gap has barely budged. Pallas writes: “My conclusion? There’s been no shrinkage in the test score gap between 2006 and 2012, a period in which many of [...]
The Very Expensive Mandates of Race to the Top
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 50 minutes ago
The states unlucky enough to “win” Race to the Top funding are arriving at a startling conclusion: Race to the Top mandates cost more than the money that was awarded to the state and the districts. Ken Mitchell, a superintendent in Rockland County, New York, did the math. Mitchell determined that school districts in his [...]
The Record of Privatization: Look the Other Way
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago
G.F. Brandenburg is a retired teacher who keeps close watch on the D.C. Schools and national trends. He is the blogger who discredited Michelle Rhee’s claims about miraculous results when she taught for three years in the early 19902 in a Baltimore school run by a private firm called Educational Alternatives Inc. In a comment [...]
The GOP Destruction of Public Education in Michigan Continues
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 hours ago
The people of Michigan have received the report of the “Oxford Foundation” on the future of education in that state. The authors of the report have nothing to do with Oxford University or Britain. They are not part of a foundation. They are Republican operatives carrying out the wishes of Governor Rick Snyder to destroy [...]
Big $$$ to Convince Bridgeport Voters to Abandon Democracy
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 13 hours ago
Connecticut blogger and political insider Jonathan Pelto broke the story: Corporate reformers and privatizers have poured record amounts of campaign cash into Bridgeport, Connecticut, to persuade voters to turn control over their schools to the mayor. One of the big givers was NYC Mayor Bloomberg, who gave $20,000 to help Mayor Finch gain control over [...]
NYC Marathon Cancelled
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 15 hours ago
Responding to growing outrage, Mayor Bloomberg reluctantly canceled the annual marathon scheduled for Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have no power, heat or water. First responders are still recovering bodies of victims. The city is not ready to celebrate.
What Can We Learn from PISA?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 16 hours ago
Pat Buoncristiani raises interesting questions about what can be learned from PISA. Some nations see the international tests as a giant race, and their leaders all want to be number 1. This leads to more and more testing, but not the kind of thoughtful education policies that prepare young people to live in the world. [...]
This Is What the Public Library Does in a Crisis
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 18 hours ago
I recently met Tony Marx, the president of the New York Public Library (and former President of Amherst College). As you know, New York City is in the midst of a terrible crisis following Hurricane Sandy. Hundreds of thousands of people are without heat, hot water, electricity, or food. Guess where many are finding refuge? [...]
NYC’s Disrespect for Its Teachers and Principals
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 18 hours ago
A reader in NYC writes: Diane, People in Staten Island, which is the borough with the greatest loss of life, is getting very little assistance compared to lower Manhattan. Some areas are not getting food or water. Those people are desperate. When Bloomberg said yesterday that temps in the low 50s is not cold, I [...]
Councilman in NYC Has Idea for Marathon Runners
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 21 hours ago
The council member from southern Brooklyn suggested that marathon runners should deliver water, food, medicine and other supplies to elderly people trapped in high-rise buildings in the Coney Island area, who have no power. No elevator, no refrigerator, no heat. Mayor Bloomberg says the Marathon will go on, no matter what.
The Most Astonishing Post Ever On This Blog Is…
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 22 hours ago
When I printed the post by Kris L. Neilsen explaining why he quit his teaching job in North Carolina, I had no idea what the reaction would be. It went viral. Kris’s post has been read–to this point–by more than 130,000 people. It has been retweeted more than 800 times. Previously, the post that had [...]
Should NYC Marathon Proceed?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 23 hours ago
Mayor Bloomberg told President Obama not to visit NYC because he would be a distraction. But he has given approval to the annual NYC marathon, which attracts thousands of runners from around the world and requires hundreds of police to supervise. The borough president of Manhattan Scott Stringer has called for the cancellation of the [...]
Why Washington State Should Vote No on 1240
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
This article explains succinctly why certain members of the billionaire boys club have decided that Washington State absolutely positively must have charter schools. Their recipe for school reform: the free market. And why not? The free market works for them. Will they put their own children (or in the case of the Bezos family, grandchildren) [...]
Shadowy Group Funds Idaho Luna Laws
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
A group called Education Voters of Idaho refused to disclose its donors until required to do so by a court order. The biggest donor is a businessman who is an investor in K12, the online charter corporation ($250,000); the second biggest donor is Mayor Michael Bloomberg ($200,000). EVI promotes the anti-union, anti-teacher, privatizing policies of [...]
I Cut Another Big Check
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Yesterday the New Orleans Times-Picayune revealed that I had “cut a check” for school board candidate Karran Royal Harper. It’s true. I flooded her campaign with a contribution of $100. That was intended to offset the $110,000 that other out-of-state donors like Joel Klein of Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp and Reed Hastings of Netflix and Boykin [...]
Where Should We Look for School Leaders?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Andrea Gabor asks whether Brockton High will do a better job in the selection of a successor than Mayor Bloomberg. Brockton High is a large high school in Massachusetts that successfully turned around its performance through teamwork and coloration, not punishment, closing and privatization. Now that the principal is retiring, Gabor hopes the successor will [...]
Using Rap to Support Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Two California teachers have created a rap video to exhort peope to vote “yes” on Proposition 30, which raises taxes on incomes over $250,000 to fund education, and to vote “no” on Proposition 32, which is intended to take away automatic contributions by members to their unions, a longtime goal of anti-union activists. The video [...]
In Colorado, Stand on Children Shows Its True Colors
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Long ago there was an organization called Stand for Children that advocated for children and their public schools. Unfortunately, the organization jumped on the money train and joined the corporate reform movement. Now it is flush with cash. It still pretends to care about children but it uses its clout to strip teachers of any [...]
Who Is Thriving in the New World of New Orleans?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Into my mailbox came this link, which suggests there are some mighty big winners in the new education world of New Orleans. Read it and gasp. Advocates say that New Orleans is a national model. The documents here raise questions about who benefits from the avalanche of money poured into the city’s new way of [...]
A Chinese Educator Shares His Wisdom about the Goals of Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Yong Zhao is an amazing educator who knows why our current obsession with testing is bad for American society. He spoke recently in Michigan, where he explained why we should focus on creativity and innovation, not test scores. He also explained why we should not be awed by Shanghai’s high test scores, because the Chinese [...]
Indiana’s New School Report Cards Get an F
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Two recent analyses show how convoluted and confusing Indiana’s school report cards are. Matthew DiCarlo has been reviewing state grading systems and concludes that the one concocted in Indiana is the “probably the most rudimentary scoring system” he has seen. Like other school report cards, the Indiana marking system gives low grades to high-poverty schools [...]
In New Orleans, Students Lead the Way
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Several student groups convened an open forum for candidates running for the local school board. This gave students an opportunity to question candidates about where they stand on issues that affect students. Only one candidate did not appear: Sarah Usdin, who confirmed that she would show but did not. Usdin is the ex-TFA executive director [...]
Big Money Floods School Board Races in California
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
This is becoming an increasingly familiar–and alarming –story. Charter advocates are pouring large amounts of money–more than $200,000–into local school board races, in districts where few are residents. They are targeting candidates who dare to question the expansion of charters. In Santa Clara County, incumbent Anna Song is under attack by the charter lobby, which [...]
The Strange Disappearance of “Won’t Back Down”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
I decided that I had to see “Won’t Back Down.” I had read so many reviews that I felt I knew every line. But I still wanted to see it. Morbid curiosity. But it is not showing anywhere in the New York City metropolitan area. The producer of the movies owns a 12-plex only a [...]
America’s Largest Charter Chain Is…?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
No, it is not KIPP. It is the Gulen charters, a group of nearly 150 charters located in many states and loosely affiliated or “inspired by” a reclusive Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen. Mr. Gulen lives in seclusion in the Poconos but leads a major political movement in Turkey. The Gulen charters often specialize in math [...]
Ohio Legislature Finds New Way to Meddle in Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Just when you think that state legislatures have run out of bad ideas, some state takes teacher abuse to the next level. The Ohio Legislature wants to make sure that every third grade student is a proficient reader. They think they know how to do that: They passed a new law. It’s called the “Third [...]
The Future of Teaching?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
TeachPlus is one of those Gates-funded teacher organizations that is supposed to provide a different perspective on teaching than the teachers’ unions. It can be counted on to advocate for the interests of new teachers who allegedly want merit pay, don’t care about job protections, and want to be judged by the test scores of [...]
Why Teachers Are Angry and Confused
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
An article in the Connecticut Post says that “Teachers Are Confused for Good Reason.” The bottom line: “If Democrats continue with their right-wing conservative educational policies, they will alienate the teachers and teacher unions that have traditionally been the party’s staunchest supporters. More importantly, these misguided policies and initiatives will deal a severe blow to [...]
Me Vs. Goliath
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
I sent a check for $100 to Karran Royal Harper, the parent activist who is running for a seat on the New Orleans school board. Her opponent has raised more than $110,000 from out-of-state funders. Karran, who is a champion for children, has raised about $5,500. In other words, she is being outspent about 20-1. [...]
Rhee and Her Superstar Teacher
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
This is a golden oldie. Imagine reading something written long, long ago, like three whole years. This was written by G.F. Brandenburg, retired DC teacher. His blog is skeptical of Rhee and her misguided fixes. Here he questions the claims of Jason Kamras, who was named US Teacher of the Year in 2005 and became [...]
Vouchers in Chile: Greater Inequality
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Valerie Strauss has a good post by Michael Pons about vouchers in Chile. The main effect seems to have widened the divide between rich and poor. One correction I would offer to Pons. The testing and accountability framework for federal policy (No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top) is no better than the [...]
A Good School in North Carolina
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
This parent is very happy with the public schools her children attend. She says the teachers are dedicated and terrific. My kids attend NC public schools. I hate the standardized test prep every year and the stress it puts my kids under, but I love their school. They have fantastic teachers, take eight or nine [...]
Sacramento Superintendent to Thomas Friedman: You Are Wrong
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Jonathan Raymond, superintendent of the Sacramento City school district, has some lessons for New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. Friedman recently raved about the success of Race to the Top, claiming that it was preparing students for the high-skill jobs of the new economy. Raymond says this is wrong. Race to the Top is divisive [...]
Good Advice about How to Survive Reform Damage
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
In response to the post from North Carolina teacher Kris Neilsen on why he quit, this teacher has good advice on how to survive the deluge of mean-spirited policies now raining down on students, teachers, and schools. My suggestion: Hang in there until this house of cards collapses, as it will. As a twenty-year veteran [...]
Will the East Coast Learn from the Gulf Coast?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Thomas J. Adams, on the faculty of Tulane University, has a startling and funny column at Huffington Post about what the East Coast can learn from the Gulf Coast. Now, New York, New Jersey, and other states have had their own version of Hurricane Katrina. Ours is Sandy. Adams says we can do what New [...]
School Libraries Matter!
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Read here about the “Manchester Miracle,” about an elementary school in Pennsylvania that had only 40 fiction books on its shelves. The community came together, renovated the library, and stocked its shelves with books. And then there is the bad news. In Pittsburgh, only 14 of 51 schools have a full-time librarian. Most librarians spend [...]
After the Hurricane
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Many people have written via Twitter or email to ask if I am okay, and the short answer is yes. Unlike many in New York City, I and my family emerged unscathed. There was a lot of wind and rain, but no damage to body or property. Many people, including good friends, did suffer terribly. [...]
Michelle Rhee Shows Her True Colors
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Michelle Rhee is endorsing and funding rightwing candidates across the nation, showering cash on those who are opposed to teachers’ rights and unions and support privatization of public education. In Ohio, she is using her StudentsFirst millions–collected from anonymous billionaires, millionaires and corporations–to support opponents of public education. An Ohio blogger writes: Now, here in [...]
Ohio Teacher Responds to “I Quit”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
This teacher wrote a comment responding to Kris Neilsen’s explanation of why he could no longer teach in North Carolina. I found her note moving and sad. What are state legislatures doing to their teachers? Why do they think they will get better schools by demoralizing teachers? Why is the U.S. Department of Education encouraging [...]
A Parent Group in Arizona Joins the Honor Roll
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
In case you are lucky enough to live in Tucson, Arizona, you should know that there is a terrific organization there called Voices for Education. Its leader is Robin Hiller, a parent dedicated to the needs of Tucson’s children and its underfunded public schools. Voices for Education joins our honor roll as a hero of [...]
The Pennsylvania Cyber Gold Rush
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Pennsylvania has 16 full-time cyber charter schools. Of the twelve that have been around long enough to report on test scores, only one made AYP this year. Last year, two made AYP. Eight are in corrective action status. None has ever been closed. The other four were authorized earlier this year. Last summer, the offices [...]
What If “No Child Shows Up”?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Recently, school officials in El Paso were investigated and found guilty of pushing certain students out of school to prevent them from taking the state tests. The purpose was to boost the district’s scores and make it appear to be doing better than it was. Some children were literally excluded from school and never finished. [...]
Teacher Who Said “I Quit” Responds to Some Critics
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Kris Neilsen is the teacher who wrote the post explaining why he quit in North Carolina. His post went viral. He has posted several comments on the blog. Here is one of them: Victims are the ones who stay, play by the crushing rules, and churn out students who are good at passing tests. I [...]
Is Rocketship the Wave of the Future?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Experienced journalist Tom Toch visited a Rocketship charter school in San Jose, California, and came away impressed. What impressed him most, however, was not the ubiquitous computer instruction, but the intensity of the human interactions. He took away a lesson about the importance of parent involvement and support, as well as the intense engagement of [...]
The Biggest Problem in U.S. Education Is….?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Chris Lehman has written an excellent post pulling together solid data about the “reformers’” solutions and the issue that refuse to address: poverty. What is the problem in U.S. education? What is the cause of low test scores? Is it bad teachers, as the reformers claim? Or is it poverty, where the U.S. leads the [...]
This Union Is a Hero of Public Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
The United Teachers of Los Angeles has steadfastly refused to allow its members to be evaluated by the test scores of their students. Unlike the district leadership, UTLA understands that scholars have found that value-added assessment is inaccurate, invalid and unstable. By this method, excellent teachers may be labeled “ineffective,” and poor teachers who teach [...]
Conservative Think Tank: Unions Are Powerful and Dangerous
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Teachers these days are confused by the high volume of attacks on the profession. Members of teachers’ unions are beset by the frequent, virulent attacks on the very idea of collective bargaining. In conservative states, governors and legislatures are doing whatever they can to weaken or eliminate collective bargaining. Two Hollywood movies in the past [...]
Missouri Public Schools Under Siege
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Citizens in Missouri have awakened to the rapid advance of the privatization movement. They have formed an organization called Missouri Public School Advocates to awaken the public and push back against the privatizers. Missouri Public School Advocates A Strong Voice for Missouri Public Schools Calling All Public School Supporters! The Public Schools are under siege [...]
Dear Dr. King: A Heartfelt Letter to the State Commissioner of Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Tony Sinanis, a father of a third grade student in New York and principal of a school, writes a moving and sincere letter to John King, the state commissioner of education. With all due deference to the state commissioner, he asks a series of questions about the purpose and quantity of tests now raining down [...]
New Orleans Students Demand True Reform
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
In all the hype and spin about the privatization of education in New Orleans, no one has heard from students. Various special-interest claim to speak for them, say “it’s all about the kids.” Some raise millions of dollars from corporations and ideologues by claiming to be student advocates. It turns out that students have their [...]
Does Value-Added Assessment Ever Work?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
The Los Angeles Times (!) has an outstanding article by reporter Teresa Watanabe about the new teacher evaluation system. It is based on growth in test scores and on computer modeling. The focus is on one teacher who seems to do all the right things: last year, he got a good rating but not this [...]
How Rhee Demonstrates Her Love for Teachers: UPDATE
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Michelle Rhee, through her organization StudentsFirst, dropped $500,000 into a ballot initiative in Michigan, where there is an effort to establish the right to collective bargaining in the state constitution. Rhee thinks this is a terrible idea, because she loves teachers, but only “effective” teachers, the kind that get high test scores very year. If [...]
Romney Says Disaster Relief Is Immoral
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
A year ago, Mitt Romney said that the federal government should not provide en Emergency relief to victims of tornadoes and floods. He recommended that FEMA be privatized. Remember that when he talks about his concern for victims of the hurricane,
Charter Sponsor Is Very Successful
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Vavan Gureghian runs a successful charter school called the Chester Community Charter School. The school is nonprofit, but Mr. Gureghian supplies its good and services through his for-profit company and collects millions of dollars as a management fee. Meanwhile the local Chester Upland public schools–whose funds pay for the students in the charter school–is in [...]
Are Georgia Public Schools for Sale?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Billionaires are dumping campaign cash into Georgia referendum on charters. Georgia already has nearly 200 charters, but the governor of Georgia wants to enact an ALEC law that gives him the power to override local control and open charters wherever he (and his hand-picked commission) choose. Nearly 80% of the funding for the ballot initiative [...]
Waiting for the Hurricane
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
I live in New York City, which is now on almost complete lockdown waiting for the hurricane to arrive. All traffic has come to a halt. The only people on the street are those walking their dogs. The mayor and governor halted all mass transit Sunday night at 7 pm. Most stores and restaurants closed [...]
Ann Romney’s Shocking, Extremist View of American Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
In a recent interview, Ann Romney was asked which issue she cared most about. This was her answer. “AR: I’ve been a First Lady of the State. I have seen what happens to people’s lives if they don’t get a proper education. And we know the answers to that. The charter schools have provided the [...]
How to Make Kindergarten a Terrible Experience
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Here is a good way to ruin the lives of very small children. Give them lots of tests. Start when they are very young, say, five, in kindergarten. Instead of letting them play or giving them age -appropriate instruction, test them. In Chicago, the little ones will be tested again and again. By the reckoning [...]
Stop Disclosing Confidential Student Data
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Please consider signing this petition. Several states plan to share confidential student data with a corporation funded by the Gates Foundation. This information may be shared with other entities, for purposes that are not clear. As parents, grandparents and educators, we must protect our children’s rights to privacy. We expect schools to understand the needs [...]
Stand for Children Failed in Chicago
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Jersey Jazzman points out in an illuminating post that Jonah Edelman was hired by the plutocrats to make sure teachers would never be able to strike again. So Jonah Edelman and his deceptively-named group Stand for Children drafted legislation, bought up most of the high-priced lobbyists, and pushed through a bill to make the hedge [...]
Invest in Charter Schools, Get a Green Card
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Wealthy investors from around te world are pouring millions of dollars into new charter school construction in the US. In return, they get a green card, thanks to a federal program known as EB-5. Reuters investigative journalist Stephanie Simon has once again broken open a little known story. Here is a link to some of [...]
How to Join the EduBusiness
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A reader writes from Wisconsin: After our Act 10 passed in Wisconsin, a few of my colleagues and I looked into what it would take to take our game to the private sector and start a voucher school in our town. What we learned was that it would be perfectly legal for us to rent [...]
What Matt Taibbi Said About Tom Friedman
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Matt Taibbi really doesn’t like Tom Friedman. He has written several articles taking Friedman apart, both for his writing and his thinking. What educators have learned about Friedman is that he has no first-hand knowledge about schools and teaching. Whatever he writes seems to be based on conversations with Bill Gates or Arne Duncan. It’s [...]
Mitt Romney’s No-Excuses Schooling
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Sometimes people complain that Mitt Romney can’t understand today’s schools because he went to an elite private school. But don’t be too quick to judge. EduShyster points out that his school had a lot in common with today’s “no-excuses” schools. Just forget the part about small classes, ample athletic facilities, a gorgeous campus, lots of [...]
From One Pro Basketball Player to Another: LINK FIXED!
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Kevin Johnson, who was a basketball star but is now the Mayor of Sacramento (and the husband of Michelle Rhee), recently visited Bridgeport, Connecticut, to urge its citizens to support a mayoral takeover of the public schools. He asked them to end the practice of electing their local school board. This is a big goal [...]
“Local Control Is a White People Thing”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Jersey Jazzman notes that several districts in New Jersey–all populated by black and Hispanic citizens–have been under state control for years. The state has no intention of letting them have self-rule. In many districts, especially where the population is non-white, privatizers insist on mayoral control or state control. There is no evidence that taking away [...]
Attention Should Be Paid
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
A reader sent this comment about what happened recently in his district in Nevada: Where I live in Pahrump, Nv, we have had 7 math and science teachers leave the high school this last week. They all planned to leave together as a protest. All of them had Ph.D degrees in math, and two of [...]
Do We All Love Teachers?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
This is an excellent article, written by NYC charter school teacher Allison LaFave. It was prompted by Bob Schieffer’s off-hand remark during the last Presidential debate that “We all love teachers.” Do we all love teachers? Why don’t we trust them to manage their classrooms? Why must they be evaluated by the test scores of [...]
Charter Closes, Kids Abandoned
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
A charter school in Sacramento abruptly closed its doors, locked out the students, and called it quits. The charter operator said the space could only handle 75 students, but he had enrolled 400. The parents were not happy. They said the school had collected $2 million or so. They were puzzled. So am I. Hey, [...]