In Defense of Tracking
When Marc Epstein, who was a history teacher at Jamaica High School in New York City (now closed to make way for small schools), read Carol Burris’s post opposing differentiated diplomas and tracking, he wrote to express his disagreement.
I invited him to write a post, and he said he had already written it.
It is here.
What do you think?
I invited him to write a post, and he said he had already written it.
It is here.
What do you think?
Ms. Katie Has the Last Word on the Meaning of the Twitter Kerfuffle
Katie Osgood teaches children in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago. She is one of our most eloquent bloggers, whose understanding of the damage done to children in today’s society is unparalleled.
This post of hers sums up the meaning of what I called the Twitter kerfuffle.
Last week, I wrote a post about “The Hero Teachers of Newtown,” which caused a VP of TFA to recoil in horror on Twitter. I was never clear what he found so “reprehensible” or why he thought I should immediately retract the
This post of hers sums up the meaning of what I called the Twitter kerfuffle.
Last week, I wrote a post about “The Hero Teachers of Newtown,” which caused a VP of TFA to recoil in horror on Twitter. I was never clear what he found so “reprehensible” or why he thought I should immediately retract the
The Mayan Calendar and You
A reader who is a veteran teacher suggests incorporating the Mayan calendar into VAM evaluations.
It could be one of the multiple measures that everyone talks about and would very likely improve the overall accuracy of the VAM ratings.
It could be one of the multiple measures that everyone talks about and would very likely improve the overall accuracy of the VAM ratings.
Edweek Questions Finnish Success
Education Week reports that there was no significant difference between the performance of eighth grade students in Finland and the US in mathematics on the TIMSS.
Four American states had higher scores in eighth grade mathematics on TIMSS than Finland: Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Indiana.
This is not what you hear in the media, nor what you hear from the corporate reformers in these states, who are still crying wolf about the “crisis” in public education and the need to turn public schools over to private management as soon as possible.
Finland excels on the PISA exams, which tests have students use their learning to solve real-life problems. The TIMSS exams are aligned with the curriculum. Take your pick.
Four American states had higher scores in eighth grade mathematics on TIMSS than Finland: Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Indiana.
This is not what you hear in the media, nor what you hear from the corporate reformers in these states, who are still crying wolf about the “crisis” in public education and the need to turn public schools over to private management as soon as possible.
Finland excels on the PISA exams, which tests have students use their learning to solve real-life problems. The TIMSS exams are aligned with the curriculum. Take your pick.
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-23-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Do Conservatives Care about the Constitution? by dianerav A stunning editorial in the Statesman, a Louisiana publication, raises an important question about Governor Jindal’s voucher program: Why do conservatives remind everyone about the importance of adhering faithfully to the literal meaning of the state constitution except when they choose not to? The Jindal voucher plan is funded by the Minimum Foundation Funding dedicated specifically in the state constitution to “public elementary and secondary s... more »
