Diane Ravitch's blog
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG
DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
Inside Story of the NYC Teaching Fellows Program
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago
Social media is opening up a whole new world for those who lack access to the mass media. In the mass media, we hear of great miracles. Via social media, we learn the inside scoop. This blog has a stunning story to tell about the experience of those who enter the New York City Teaching [...]
Teachers, Please Read This and React
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 11 hours ago
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 [...]
Will Contempt for Unions Mar Bloomberg’s Legacy?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 14 hours ago
Well, that’s the question raised by Michael Powell, a political reporter for the New York Times. There are bigger problems than this that will mar the mayor’s legacy. He has closed dozens of schools, opened hundreds of schools, destabilized communities, handed out hundreds of millions in no-bid contracts, had a huge technology scandal (Citytime, which [...]
Support Thomas Mertz for Madison, WI, School Board
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 16 hours ago
Thomas Mertz trained as a historian of education. We have that in common. Though I have never met Thomas, I endorse his principles and I am happy to see that he is running for election to the school board in Madison, Wisconsin. The need has never been greater to elect allies and strong supporters of [...]
Who Will Speak Up for the Nation’s School Boards?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 19 hours ago
In the last few years, there has been an all-out attack on local control. Most of the attack comes from the privatization movement, which thinks that school boards debate too much, listen too much, move too slowly. The privatizers prefer mayoral control in cities to get fast action. And they push laws and constitutional amendments [...]
Getting Ready for the Common Core Testing
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 21 hours ago
A friend of a friend of a friend passed this along, hoping I might be able to answer the question about the appropriateness of this test question in second grade. What do you think? “Please read a question on a quiz that my 7 year old son in the 2nd grade got wrong and tell [...]
Nevada Set to Replace Career Teachers with TFA
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 22 hours ago
This is a disturbing interview with Nevada’s State Superintendent of Instruction James Guthrie. Nevada is 18th in the nation in teachers’ salaries but Guthrie seems to think they are overpaid. He is certain there are large numbers of bad teachers in the state. He has the governor’s ear. In his State of the State address, [...]
Nearly 200 Chicago Schools May Close
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 22 hours ago
The Chicago Board of Education and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who controls the board, have a plan. They want to close down many public schools and open many charter schools. As many as 193 elementary schools may close. One advantage of the plan from the mayor’s perspective, is that the closing schools are unionized but the [...]
Jersey Jazzman to NY Taxpayers: Thank You!
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman wrote to thank the taxpayers of New York, whose dollars subsidize his blog via advertising by Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy network (formerly known as Harlem Success Academy). JJ notes that this charter chain spends millions of dollars each year on recruitment, advertising, public relations, and marketing. This is a necessary business expense to [...]
When Students Awaken, Everything Will Change
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
It is beginning. Teachers, superintendents, local school boards, parent groups, and now students: all are saying the same things. Stop destroying education with high-stakes testing. Stop the chaos and disruption of school closings. Support and encourage, don’t humiliate and destroy. Are you listening, Secretary Duncan? Here is a new student group in New Orleans demanding [...]
Eli Broad Will Introduce Rhee in L.A.
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
A friend in Los Angeles sent the following notice of Michelle Rhee’s coming appearance before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. I hope someone will ask her about the cheating scandal that was described on PBS’ Frontline recently. Ask if she thinks a 30-point jump in proficiency rates in a single year is suspicious. Ask [...]
The Secret Strategy of Corporate School Reform?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
I want to test out a theory. I invite you to tell me what you think. It’s a thought experiment but very close to reality. Suppose you wanted to destroy public education. Suppose you wanted to make it so unpleasant to be a teacher or a student in a public school that everyone began to [...]
Hilarious! Louisiana’s New Website
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Crazy Crawfish is a blogger who worked in the Louisiana Department of Education. He cares a lot about accurate data. He noticed, as did other researchers in Louisiana, that all the historical data for the past ten years disappeared overnight and have been replaced by press releases about the glorious success of Governor Jindal’s marketing [...]
Good News: Major Re-Analysis of International Tests
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Richard Rothstein and Martin Carnoy, both highly accomplished scholars, have reanalyzed the international test score data and arrived at some startling and important findings. Their study is titled “International Tests Show Achievement Gaps in All Countries, with Big Gains for U.S. Disadvantaged Students.” It includes not only their major analysis of international test scores, but [...]
Teachers at Roosevelt HS Support Colleagues at Garfield
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Forty-Three Roosevelt High School teachers (colleagues in Seattle Public Schools with Garfield High School teachers) signed this Letter of Support (on Jan. 23, 2012) for GHS teachers and a call to for expedient dismissal of the MAP exam because it has not proven to be useful or reliable. (PDF of original with signatures available upon [...]
Detroit: 28 More Schools Will Close to Cut Deficit
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
To his eternal shame, emergency manager Roy Roberts will close down more public schools in Detroit to cut the deficit. Who knew that public schools were supposed to turn a profit/surplus? Roberts is carrying out the orders of Governor Rick Snyder, who views public education with contempt. Privatization proceeds. Public education in Detroit will be [...]
You Are Invited to a Webinar on High Stakes Testing
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Parents Across America is hosting a Webinar on high stakes testing. Think about joining and meeting some of the leading figures in the opt-out movement. Let’s Talk: A Webinar on High Stakes Testing and Opting Out On January 27 at 1:00 PM PST, 3:00 PM Central and 4:00 PM EST, Parents Across America will be [...]
No Charter Oversight in California: A License to Steal?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
A reader in California writes: Charter Schools in California tend to cream out poor performing students with learning disabilities. As a rule, Charter schools are unprepared or trained for special needs students. In fact, they will collect money to educate special needs children and put the funds in their regular payroll. There is no oversight [...]
Stay and Fight?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
I know that many teachers are demoralized. It is not just because I read your comments every day, but because national surveys by Scholastic/Gates and by the Metlife survey report that this is so. Some of the newbie organizations founded and/or funded by Gates (like TeachPlus and Educators4Excellence) think this is wonderful. So does The [...]
The Best Governor in the United States Is….
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
California’s Governor Jerry Brown! His State of the State speech, given today, is brilliant. It reflects his probing intellect, his philosophical bent, his deep understanding of the power of the creative mind, his abiding love of his state. On the subject of education, he speaks words that will be music to the ears of every [...]
G.F. Brandenburg: Is Poverty Destiny?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Blogger and retired math teacher G.F. Brandenburg deciphers the central claim of the corporate reform movement: Does poverty matter? Is it destiny? Can a young teacher with a few weeks of training and high expectations college overcome the effects of poverty? He tests the proposition by examining the correlation between test scores and poverty rates [...]
How Phony Reform Destroys Teacher Morale: “I Quit”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
A reader sent this sad commentary on the state of education today. When you read dozens of letters like this from districts around the country, you have to wonder if the “powers that be” are trying to force experienced teachers out of the classroom, to make room for the young teachers who don’t know enough [...]
Tucker and Zhao Debate the Common Core Standards
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
The Common Core standards have arrived. Some love them. Some hate them. It’s time for a debate. Marc Tucker thinks they are necessary and appropriate in an age of globalized commerce. Yong Zhao thinks they will standardize minds and crush creativity, which is needed in an age of globalization. What do you think?
Snopes Deconstructs the Sandy Hook Truther Hoax
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Soon after the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, conspiracy theorists began to claim that the events of that morning were an elaborate hoax. The conspiracy story was debunked here by Snopes. We are expected to believe that hundreds of people–parents, townspeople, police, and media, as well as the President–collaborated to [...]
NEA Supports Garfield High School Teachers’ Boycott
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Will the Garfield High School teachers’ test boycott go national? They now have the support of both the AFT and their own union, the NEA. Will other Seattle high schools join them? Will teachers in other districts follow their lead? One source reported that the superintendent of schools in Seattle has warned that he will [...]
Michigan: Public and Legislators Do Not Agree
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
A reader in Michigan writes: Hello, Diane, I have been following your blog since November, and find that it really informs my work as a principal and as the State and Federal Relations Coordinator for MEMSPA (Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association) and NAESP. And I am interested in following what is going on [...]
Governor Cuomo: Listen to Arthur Goldstein!
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Governor Andrew Cuomo famously declared himself to be the students’ lobbyist. Yet he frequently advocates policies that are not in the best interest of students. If he truly wants to advocate for students, he should spend a day with Arthur Goldstein in his high school classroom in Queens. Arthur could help Governor Cuomo. He could [...]
Chicago Parents Sue Charter Network
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
CPS Parents File Formal State Complaint Against UNO Charter Schools Updated January 18, 2013 5:35pm | By Ted Cox, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer (DNAinfo/Ted Cox) CHICAGO — Education-reform groups, including the president of a Pilsen Local School Council, have filed a formal complaint with the state against the UNO Charter Schools Network. Julie Woestehoff, executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education, [...]
Sharp Decline in Number of Penn. Charters Making AYP
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Last fall, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Education tried to play a statistical trick to boost the proportion of charter schools that made Adequate Yearly Progress. He wanted to treat each one as a school district. The U.S. Department of Education said that he could not judge charter schools by laxer rules than district schools. Now the [...]
How Billionaires Bought New Jersey’s Government
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Jersey Jazzman explains a simple concept: When private organizations give money to public agencies, it should be fully disclosed. A couple of legislators actually offered legislation to assure proper oversight, but it was vetoed by Governor Chris Christie, exercising a line-item veto. In this post, JJ shows how private money is being used to privatize [...]
Teaching in an Age of Injustice
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Not long ago, I published a post by Carol Jago, a former president of the National Council of Teachers of English, about how to teach the Common Core in English. The discussion that followed her post was disturbing. Several teachers said that in their school or district there was a strong mandate to cut back [...]
Good News: Pushback to Corporate Reform
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Anthony Cody reflects on a year in which the voices of parents and teachers are at last being heard. The foundations and the U.S. Department of Education and ALEC were having a field day, pushing untried and noxious policies without debate, until 2012. Then things got interesting. Reform hero Tony Bennett was upset by a [...]
Debunking the New Orleans “Miracle,” Part 2
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
In education, as we learn regularly, when a claim seems to good to be true, it is usually too good to be true. (See test scores, Noyes school, District of Columbia.) Recently, Leslie Jacobs–a founder of the charter takeover in New Orleans–claimed that students in New Orleans had registered graduation rates higher than the state [...]
Debunking the New Orleans “Miracle,” part 1
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Today, a brave and brilliant teacher in Louisiana joins the honor roll as a champion of public education. Mercedes Schneider is a teacher in St. Tammany Parish. She has a Ph.D. In statistics and research methods. When she learned about the latest claim of a miracle in New Orleans, she determined to check the facts. [...]
Danger: Privatization in Texas
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
The new leadership of the Texas legislature has a plan. State Senator Dan Patrick, the new chair of the Senate Education Committee, wants vouchers, more charters, and a fast track for closing down public schools. He and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst want to shorten the time that schools have to improve or close–from five years [...]
More Imagine Charters Close in Indiana
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Ball State University announced that it was not renewing seven charters. Among the seven were three Imagine charters, one in Indianapolis and two in Fort Wayne. Imagine is one of the nation’s biggest for-profit charter operators. Last year, Imagine lost all its charter schools in Missouri and the remainder of its schools in Georgia. This [...]
A Dream Team for Obama’s Second Term?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
The American Prospect invited a number of people to propose someone for President Obama’s cabinet in his second term. The basic idea was that this would be a “dream team,” so we could choose anyone we wanted. I was asked to recommend a new Secretary of Education. Read here and devise your own “dream team” [...]
How to Get a Docile Workforce
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Some people have wondered what happened to the much ballyhooed film “Won’t Back Down.” Recall that it was featured on NBC’s “Education Nation,” which is the showcase for the corporate reform movement; one of its stars was interviewed on “Ellen”; it had an elegant opening party at the New York Public Library; Michelle Rhee hosted [...]
An Assessment Expert Explains What’s Wrong with Computer Adaptive Tests
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Jem Muldoon has decided that it is time to speak and act. It is time to do what is right, not what is expedient. She wrote to tell me she has become an activist for education and will not follow orders that conflict with her knowledge and ethics. Hem is trying to find meaning and [...]
NYC’s Biggest Tutoring Company Under Investigation
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Ah, those private companies sure know how to do it right, don’t they? In New York City, the city’s biggest provider of tutoring services is under investigation for inflated bills and other little financial issues. Since 2006, the company has collected $87 million from the city. The tutoring company was founded in 2005 by a [...]
When Did We Forget the Purpose of Education?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
David Lentini writes, after reading Dr. Martin Luther King’s words on the purpose of education: Thank you and your reader, Diane, for sharing these quotes. I’ve often complained that the most critical element in our debates and arguments over education policy–the very definition of “education”–has been ignored almost completely. Instead we seem to treat education [...]
Minneapolis: EduShyster on How to Buy a School Board Seat
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
In today’s post, EduShyster travels to Minneapolis to explain how one very young man, after a brief stint in Teach for America, managed to buy a school board seat. Teach for America, as explained in earlier posts, managed to collect nearly $1 billion in contributions, gifts, and grants in a five year period. It is [...]
Don’t Forget what MLK Said and Did
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
There are a number of people who say they are promoting “the civil rights issue of our time” even as they advocate for schools that just happen to be segregated and that have no unions to represent their employees. Jonathan Pelto reminds us what Martin Luther King Jr. said and did by providing the audio [...]
The Corporate Reform Movement Vs. Dr. MLK
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Reader Mike Dixon commented on a post about Martin Luther King Jr.‘s definition of the purpose of education: A cynical person might suspect that corporate education reform is intended to promote exactly what MLK warned about.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the Purpose of Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Thanks to a reader of the blog for sharing this statement by Dr. King on a matter of concern to us all. Here is a portion: “We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is [...]
EduShyster: If Martin Luther King Were Alive Today….
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
EduShyster tries to imagine how Martin Luther King, Jr., would react to today’s corporate reform movement in education. Would he agree with the corporate reformers that poverty is an excuse for bad teachers? Would he agree that segregation doesn’t matter? Would he agree that unions are an obstacle to high achievement? Would he demand privatization [...]
An Answer to the Question Asked by a Teacher
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
I earlier posted a letter from a teacher who said that charters give ambitious students a chance to escape their low-performing and disruptive peers. The teacher noted that charters recruit the best students in the poorest neighborhoods. How could anyone blame parents who want their children to be surrounded by others who are equally ambitious? [...]
Bobby Jindal’s Campaign to Smash Public Education in Louisiana
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
This day, set aside to honor the egalitarian message and life of Dr. Martin Luther asking Jr., is an appropriate time to consider the efforts by Governor Bobby Jindal to dismantle public education in Louisiana and replace it with a free market of choices, one with for-profit schools and no unions. This plan will benefit [...]
Jersey Jazzman Answers Another Teacher’s Question
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
This day on which we mark the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., is an appropriate time to think about our nation’s determination to revive a dual school system in urban districts: one for the “strivers” (the charters, as Mike Petrilli explained it in a post), and another for the kids unwilling or unable to [...]
Why You Should Send Your Child to the Local Public School
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A reader thought about privatization and offered these thoughts: “Pride in our School.” The idea behind this comes from the community spirit/commitment necessary to sustain public schools. Call it the social contract. In my small, rural northern California community, two threats to the success (dare I say existence) of traditional public education are: No Child [...]
In Honor of the Birthday Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
To commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, I am going to quote from one of his famous speeches. The full text of the speech may be found in an anthology titled A Testament of Hope, edited by James M. Washington. I will quote a speech that he delivered to the AFL-CIO on December 11, [...]
What is Behind the Cost of School Busing in NYC?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Juan Gonzalez says that Mayor Bloomberg wants to drive down the cost of bus drivers’ salaries, but they are not the reason that the city spends more than $1 billion on school buses. Bus drivers are paid about $40,000 a year. Read his analysis here.
How Do You Answer This Teacher’s Question?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
I am a strong supporter of the public schools and opposed to the “reform” movement attempting to privatize education. I didn’t find your article divisive. But, I do have a question that keeps coming up for me about some of the reasons why charters gain traction. Charters benefit from the real and perceived impact of [...]
Is This the Broad Academy Playlist?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A reader offered this comment in response to the post about school closings in Sacramento: A “Broad” superintendent who follows its “play-list” to “capture” the school board and privatize the district as much as possible: – Convinced the board of education to turn all the power over to the superintendent. – Keeps secret all the [...]
File Under “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A security guard at a charter school in Michigan left his gun in a student bathroom. He forgot it. Fortunately, the weapon was unloaded. What kind of security does he provide with an unloaded weapon? What would he do if an intruder had an assault weapon? A new thought experiment among teachers and principals: Which [...]
Illinois: Time to Rethink Common Core and Slow Down
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A reader writes in response to debate about Common Core in Indiana: Common Core and the PARCC Assessment can only be described with one word in Illinois: daunting. Illinois school districts are losing resources yearly, state aid being among them. Last year the state prorated its aid to schools at 94%. This year it is [...]
NYC: Better Than Buffalo?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Jersey Jazzman continues his series of posts in which he closely examines the record of Joel Klein’s tenure as chancellor. One of the claims of that era was: “Look at our scores. We are better than the upstate cities.”
Oregon Accuses Online Charter Founders of $20 million Scam
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
The state of Oregon accuses two men of scamming the taxpayers by inflating enrollment figures in their online charter schools. The schools–at least ten of them–were opened in conjunction with local school boards. Apparently no one was supervising their claims. The state wants the pair to repay $17 million plus nearly $3 million in costs [...]
Is This Article “Divisive”?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
This is the article that a Rightwing Wisconsin think tank called “divisive.” From what I have seen these past twenty years, charters and vouchers are divisive. What do you think?
Indiana: Private and Religious Schools May Lose Independence
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
A report from Indiana: Vic’s Statehouse Notes #106– January 17, 2013 Dear Friends, Yesterday’s committee vote on Senate Bill 184, the voucher expansion bill, was delayed until next Wednesday’s meeting. This gives us all more time to send additional messages of opposition before the vote. Voucher Expansion Senator Kruse announced at the beginning of yesterday’s [...]
Milwaukee: No Model for America
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Recently I wrote a post maintaining that choice had failed in Milwaukee, and that the city would be better off if it had a single public school system, doors open to all, receiving public support and public funding and civic energy. Uniting behind public education makes more sense than supporting three separate systems, none of [...]
Parents, Beware! Is Your Child for Sale?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
This appeared on the New York City parent blog: NYC Public School Parents Independent voices of New York City public school parents FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013 Parents beware! NY and eight other states plan to share your child’s confidential school records with private corporations without your consent! New York is one of five states that [...]
NY State Commissioner King Threatens NYC Children
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
New York Commissioner of Education has warned New York City that if the union and the mayor don’t reach a deal on teacher evaluation, he will withhold over $1 billion, in addition to the $250 million already at stake in Race to the Top funding. He is holding the children and their education hostage unless [...]
Can You Do This?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
A reader comments: * * What do the following major problems have in common? 1. Severe budget cuts to schools, bashing of teachers, lack of a broad based curriculum for developing critical and creative thinking students and cheating scandals? 2. Allowing civilians to buy assault weapons that can be used to murder innocent children and [...]
The Business Model and the Bus Strike in NYC
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
New York City is now in the midst of a school bus strike, stranding more than 100,000 students. As usual, each side blames the other for intransigence. But there are a few facts that should be remembered for context. The Bloomberg administration has had complete control of the school system since 2002 and negotiated all [...]
What You Need to Know about “Right to Work” Laws
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Now that Michigan has become the 24th state to pass a “right to work” law, there is considerable confusion about the reasons for such legislation. Many corporations have long wanted such laws so they could be free of the demands of unions. Many rightwing politicians have wanted to decimate unions to remove their ability to [...]
Arkansas: Charters, Segregation, the Waltons
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
A judge in Arkansas ruled that the state must continue to stay involved in desegregation efforts but then ruled that charters skimming white students are okay. Even Arkansas objects vets saw the contradiction. And not coincidentally, Republicans are moving to strip the state board of education of its power to rule on charter applications. The [...]
What English Classes Should Look Like in the Common Core Era
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Carol Jago is an experienced English teacher, author, and former president of the National Council of Teachers of English. Jago writes here about what high school English classes should look like in the Common a core era. She served on the NAEP assessment committee that set the ratio of 70-30 for test developers. Here is [...]
It’s Good to Have Friends in High Places
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Thanks to G.F. Brandenburg for finding this astonishing piece of investigative journalism. You have to read this article. It is amazing. It helps us understand the cronyism between the D.C. Office of State Superintendent of Education, Arne Duncan, Michelle Rhee, the Broad Superintendent’s Academy, nd Rupert Murdoch’s Wireless Generation.
Indiana Debates Dropping Out of Common Core
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Friends and foes of the Common Core standards packed a meeting room in Indiana to discuss its future. This issue creates strange alliances. The new state superintendent Glenda Ritz opposes them. So does the Tea Party. But other hard-right conservatives like former superintendent Tony Bennett and Jeb Bush are strong advocates for CC. Mike Petrilli [...]
A Rhee Puzzle
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
With PBS preparing a documentary about her and investigators looking at the cheating scandal, Michelle Rhee hired a well-known criminal defense attorney. Jersey Jazzman wonders why.
The Mess in NYC
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
This is a statement by Leonie Haimson, founder of Class Size Matters in NYC and a founder of Parents Across America on the collapse of negotiations over a teacher evaluation deal between the city and union: If the Governor goes ahead with punishing NYC children for the mayor’s failures by subtracting $250 million from state [...]
AFT Endorses Garfield Teachers’ Test Boycott
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
AFT Stands with Garfield High School Teachers Washington—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued this message of support to Seattle’s Garfield High School teachers standing up against the use of high-stakes testing. Dear Garfield High School Teachers: Thank you. Thank you for taking a courageous stand against the fixation on high-stakes testing and its [...]
Will a Bar Exam Improve the Teaching Profession?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Randi Weingarten proposed a national bar exam for future teachers, and it stirred quite a reaction. Most worrisome is that the idea appeals to certain figures in the public eye who are known for making negative comments about teachers. Some on this blog complained that Randi was echoing the corporate reformers’ complaint that teachers are [...]
Who Torpedoed NYC Teacher Evaluation Deal?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Leonie Haimson, head of Class Size Matters in New York City, explains why the teacher evaluation pact failed.
How StudentsFirst Puts Students Last
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
The National Opportunity to Learn Campaign has one of the very best critiques of Michelle Rhee’s report card for the states. The states doing the least for children get the highest scores. The states enacting policies that ignore the needs of children do best by her logic. In the 990 form for StudentsFirst, it says [...]
Why Garfield Teachers Boycotted the MAP Test
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Jesse Hagopian a teacher at Garfield High School in Seattle, explains why every teacher in the school voted to boycott the MAP test. The teachers at Garfield are an inspiration to friends nd supporters of public education acros America. They are champions of students, and they are already on the honor roll for their courage [...]
A Superintendent in New Jersey Joins the Honor Roll
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
I am pleased to add Michael A. Rossi, Jr., of Madison, New Jersey, to the honor roll as a hero of public education Superintendent has served long and faithfully in the public schools. He is proud of his district. He is a career educator. He is a leader. He is a hero for speaking out [...]
Walmart Made the Bushmaster the Most Popular Assault Weapon in US
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Think of it. The biggest retail store in the US and maybe the world sells the weapon of choice for mass murderers, the Bushmaster AR-15. This was the weapon used to kill a dozen people in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. It was the weapon used to murder 20 children and six educators in [...]
Wake the Town and Tell the People
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
If we all speak out based on our knowledge and experience, we can turn this privatization movement around. It is led by people who know nothing about teaching or children. They are obsessed with data and incentives and punishments. Their bad ideas keep failing. From a reader: Hi Diane. This is the first time I [...]