Is It Possible to Drink Cereal Crumbs?
Veteran teacher Arthur Goldstein of New York City analyzes the age-old question: Is it possible to drink cereal crumbs?
He offers a video demonstration and asks us to consider the meaning of this experiment:
If it is possible, what are the implications for American education?
If it is not, will anyone know?
And who will take this idea and run with it?
He offers a video demonstration and asks us to consider the meaning of this experiment:
If it is possible, what are the implications for American education?
If it is not, will anyone know?
And who will take this idea and run with it?
Mayor Bloomberg: Beware of Junk Science!
New York City’s Department of Education (meaning, Mayor Bloomberg) and the United Federation of Teachers are wrangling about the formula for rating and ranking teachers and how much of it should be determined by test scores. The mayor still wants to publish the names of teachers along with their ratings so that parents will know which teachers to avoid and which to seek out. Imagine the chaos in schools when everyone wants to be in Ms
Letting the Cat Out of the Bag
With each new expansion of charters, the public is assured that “charters are public schools,” and “competition will be good for everyone,” and “everyone should have choice.”
But as this article explains, there is another agenda at work.
The author, a former executive director of the Georgia Republican Party, explains the agenda. The current public school system will turn into the equivalent of “public welfare” schools, akin to public housing or public transit, the schools of last resort for those who are can’t find an alternative. The new schools–the charters, for example–are
But as this article explains, there is another agenda at work.
The author, a former executive director of the Georgia Republican Party, explains the agenda. The current public school system will turn into the equivalent of “public welfare” schools, akin to public housing or public transit, the schools of last resort for those who are can’t find an alternative. The new schools–the charters, for example–are
Florida Superintendent: VAM Is Garbage In, Garbage Out
Dan Boyd, the superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools in Florida, explains what a mess the Florida value-added assessment program is.
Sixty-seven counties are each using their own formulas to rate teachers.
In his own county, 75% of the teachers are not teaching subjects or grades that are tested, so they are
Sixty-seven counties are each using their own formulas to rate teachers.
In his own county, 75% of the teachers are not teaching subjects or grades that are tested, so they are
What Would Charters Mean for Mississippi?
The superintendent of a small district in Arkansas has advice for Mississippi leaders who are impressed with the charter idea.
She says, yes, she admires charters.
Yes, they can work very well.
But wait.
The charters demand parental involvement and good behavior.
They can kick out the kids who don’t comply, and those kids return to the public schools
She says, yes, she admires charters.
Yes, they can work very well.
But wait.
The charters demand parental involvement and good behavior.
They can kick out the kids who don’t comply, and those kids return to the public schools
Stephen Krashen: Our PISA Scores are Just Right
Stephen Krashen is an expert on linguistics and literacy. He read Arthur Levine’s scathing criticism of US test scores on the PISA exam and decided to do his own analysis. He decided Levine was far too negative.
Krashen decided that: “the US does quite well, controlling for SES. And maybe American scores are ‘just right.’”
He writes:
“In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Arthur Levine discusses the performance of high socio-economic
Krashen decided that: “the US does quite well, controlling for SES. And maybe American scores are ‘just right.’”
He writes:
“In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Arthur Levine discusses the performance of high socio-economic
Pa. Auditor: State Wasting Millions on Cybercharters
Pennsylvania’s State Auditor Jack Wagner has been a fiscal watchdog who serves the public interest.
He has repeatedly warned that the state’s multiplying cybercharters are claiming far more money than they need for the online instruction they offer.
Earlier this year, Wagner warned that the state was wasting $365 million a year on cybercharters and charters because of its funding formula. After all, a cybercharter does not have the costs of a brick and mortar school, yet gets full tuition for a child who sits home in front of a computer. In effect, the state is now funding home
He has repeatedly warned that the state’s multiplying cybercharters are claiming far more money than they need for the online instruction they offer.
Earlier this year, Wagner warned that the state was wasting $365 million a year on cybercharters and charters because of its funding formula. After all, a cybercharter does not have the costs of a brick and mortar school, yet gets full tuition for a child who sits home in front of a computer. In effect, the state is now funding home
Don’t Make Mother Crusader Mad!
When the CREDO national study of charters was released in 2009, it made huge headlines because it found that only 17% of charters were higher-performing than traditional public schools. The other 83% were either no different or lower performing.
Critics of charters often cite this study because CREDO has impeccable pro-charter credentials. Its leader Margaret (Macke) Raymond is affiliated with the conservative, pro-choice Hoover Institution at Stanford. The
Critics of charters often cite this study because CREDO has impeccable pro-charter credentials. Its leader Margaret (Macke) Raymond is affiliated with the conservative, pro-choice Hoover Institution at Stanford. The
Preparing Our Youth for the Military-Industrial Complex and Global Competition
On November 28, at a meeting of Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, Joel Klein and Condoleeza Rice discussed the report of a task force they chaired and the report they produced for the Council on Foreign Relations.
The central claim of the report was that American public education is so dreadful that it constitutes “a very grave threat to national security.” I thought that the findings and the recommendations of the report were far-fetched and predetermined by the makeup of the task force. I agreed with the panel’s dissenters and reviewed the report here.
The central claim of the report was that American public education is so dreadful that it constitutes “a very grave threat to national security.” I thought that the findings and the recommendations of the report were far-fetched and predetermined by the makeup of the task force. I agreed with the panel’s dissenters and reviewed the report here.
I am happy to see that the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers has published a forum in which
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-8-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Vermont Superintendent Orders Staff to Innovate by dianerav The superintendent of schools in Franklin County, Vermont, “blasted” the faculty and administration of the high school for resisting innovation. He demanded a faster pace of change because the school is not making progress towards the NCLB goal of 100% proficiency, The school’s proficiency rates are about the same as the state average. EduShyster: The Solution to Our National Security Crisis by dianerav Here it is, folks. When your nation is in th... more »