Charter Hype and Double Standards in Connecticut
Wendy Lecker here describes how public schools and charters are judged by different standards in Connecticut.
Part of the hype and spin comes from Connecticut’s State Commissioner of Education, who founded a charter school that is now a “failing” school. (New York State also has a state commissioner who was a co-founder of a
Part of the hype and spin comes from Connecticut’s State Commissioner of Education, who founded a charter school that is now a “failing” school. (New York State also has a state commissioner who was a co-founder of a
Rocketship: Whatever Happened to Humility?
Valerie Strauss notes that Rocketship’s central feature–its Learning Labs, where children are plugged into computers for an hour a day–are not working as planned. Back to the drawing boards.
Nothing wrong with trying new ways to reach goals, nothing wrong with innovation and making mistakes. Nothing wrong with mid-course corrections.
What is wrong is the boasting.
Strauss writes:
The people behind the Rocketship public charter schools — all of them urban, college-preparatory K-5
Nothing wrong with trying new ways to reach goals, nothing wrong with innovation and making mistakes. Nothing wrong with mid-course corrections.
What is wrong is the boasting.
Strauss writes:
The people behind the Rocketship public charter schools — all of them urban, college-preparatory K-5
Pensions and Retirements: Another Perspective
John Thompson examined the studies comparing the relative cost and benefits of older and younger teachers, and he reads the findings differently from the Education Week reporter.
Here are my thoughts on your question.
These studies had different purposes so, if used properly, they would have different effects on policy discussions. For instance, the North Carolina study investigates, “different responses to pension incentives.” It develops “a conceptual model of teacher retirement behavior and employ(s) a unique data set to estimate the causal effect of
Here are my thoughts on your question.
These studies had different purposes so, if used properly, they would have different effects on policy discussions. For instance, the North Carolina study investigates, “different responses to pension incentives.” It develops “a conceptual model of teacher retirement behavior and employ(s) a unique data set to estimate the causal effect of
Bill Gates: Data Will Solve the World’s Biggest Problems
Bill Gates shared his wisdom about how to solve the world’s biggest problems with readers of the Wall Street Journal. It is likely to encourage the worst instincts of the business world, which needs constantly to be reminded that human needs are more important than profit, and not everything that counts can be measured.
How do does Gates believe the world’s problems can be solved? Measurement!
Even though many researchers have ridiculed his massive investment in measuring teacher effectiveness, Bill
How do does Gates believe the world’s problems can be solved? Measurement!
Even though many researchers have ridiculed his massive investment in measuring teacher effectiveness, Bill
If Kaya, Dennis, and Rahm Played Basketball
A loyal reader thought about the way that school leaders like Kaya Henderson, Dennis Walcott, and Rahm Emanuel cheer for the side they are NOT in charge of. And he tried to imagine school reform as a basketball game.
Here goes:
The charterites/privatizers love sports analogies. Here’s one for you: you are the owner of a professional sports team, let’s say, basketball. Your main historic rival is in the same state, not far away. You hire a coach who wears that team’s jersey to televised games, refuses to dispute bad calls by the referees that favor your chief rival, and not only keeps urging you to trade away your best players so you can’t compete talentwise, he even publicly berates the outstanding players that insist on remaining [even with pay cuts] which further undermines
Here goes:
The charterites/privatizers love sports analogies. Here’s one for you: you are the owner of a professional sports team, let’s say, basketball. Your main historic rival is in the same state, not far away. You hire a coach who wears that team’s jersey to televised games, refuses to dispute bad calls by the referees that favor your chief rival, and not only keeps urging you to trade away your best players so you can’t compete talentwise, he even publicly berates the outstanding players that insist on remaining [even with pay cuts] which further undermines
Making Failure Pay
A reader, Jill Koyama, calls attention to an important topic:
I actually conducted a 3-year study of private tutoring companies in NYC. Here is the link to my book, Making Failure Pay: For-Profit Tutoring, High-Stakes Testing, and Public Schools, published in 2010 by the University of Chicago Press:
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo8917055.html
I actually conducted a 3-year study of private tutoring companies in NYC. Here is the link to my book, Making Failure Pay: For-Profit Tutoring, High-Stakes Testing, and Public Schools, published in 2010 by the University of Chicago Press:
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo8917055.html
Kaya Henderson and the Cycle of Privatization in D.C.
D.C. Chancellor Kaya Henderson is determined to close more public schools, which will create larger enrollments for charter schools. As more public schools close, more charter schools open. As more D.C. public schools lose enrollment, the chancellor has more reason to close them.
Henderson claims she will save money by closing underutilized schools, but somehow the savings never
Henderson claims she will save money by closing underutilized schools, but somehow the savings never
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Teachers, Please Read This and React by dianerav An article in Education Week reports on studies by economists claiming hat when teachers take early retirement, student test scores go up. Behind this is the assumption that new teachers are more successful than experienced teachers. This sounds counter-intuitive to me, but I would like to know what teachers think. A quote: “Boosting early retirement in cash-strapped districts doesn’t hurt students’ math and reading scores, according to new studies released a... more »