Exclude Students with Disabilities to Raise Test Scores
This is not a new trick. It is proven to work. Remove students with disabilities from the mandated tests and the scores go up.
You won’t be surprised where this is happening. Read about it here.
After all, what matters most? Kids or test scores? In another era, we might have said without thinking twice that kids mater most. But in the age of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, that’s no longer true. The fate of schools, principals, and teachers depend on test scores.
This is sad. It’s wrong. It’s unethical. It’s malpractice.
You won’t be surprised where this is happening. Read about it here.
After all, what matters most? Kids or test scores? In another era, we might have said without thinking twice that kids mater most. But in the age of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, that’s no longer true. The fate of schools, principals, and teachers depend on test scores.
This is sad. It’s wrong. It’s unethical. It’s malpractice.
Georgia: “The Chaos Theory of Running Our Schools”
Myra Blackmon, a columnist for the Athens, Georgia, Banner-Herald, explains how the state legislature is determined to destabilize and disrupt public education with a wacky “parent trigger” bill. Read her terrific analysishere.
It won’t do anything to improve education nor will it “empower” parents, but it will make ALEC and others advocates of privatization very happy.
It won’t do anything to improve education nor will it “empower” parents, but it will make ALEC and others advocates of privatization very happy.
Amazing Reporting on New Orleans Charters
Bobby Jindal went to Virginia to boast of the miraculous transformation of education in Louisiana, all attributable to the magic of replacing public schools with privately managed, deregulated charters.
This is an oft-told tale, repeated again and again by advocates of privatization in both political parties and endlessly regurgitated by an uncurious and credulous media.
But something amazing happened when th
This is an oft-told tale, repeated again and again by advocates of privatization in both political parties and endlessly regurgitated by an uncurious and credulous media.
But something amazing happened when th
Bad News from Sacramento
A reader from Sacramento warns that privatization is moving rapidly in his city:
Here in Sacramento we are facing an all out assault by the privatisation armies. Sacramento City Unified School District has slated eleven elementary schools for closure under their “Children First” and “Right Sizing” plan. Instead of following the six month plan our state dept of ed suggests for closing a school they are pushing it to a vote in one month. We have about a week and a half until eleven of our communities are decemated. Our superintendent – Jonathan Raymond – is a big player in the republican hierarchy with no educational experience. He hired a local charter school bigwig as his chief of staff. To make matters worse our mayor – Kevin Johnson –
This Boy Is Not a Striver
Here in Sacramento we are facing an all out assault by the privatisation armies. Sacramento City Unified School District has slated eleven elementary schools for closure under their “Children First” and “Right Sizing” plan. Instead of following the six month plan our state dept of ed suggests for closing a school they are pushing it to a vote in one month. We have about a week and a half until eleven of our communities are decemated. Our superintendent – Jonathan Raymond – is a big player in the republican hierarchy with no educational experience. He hired a local charter school bigwig as his chief of staff. To make matters worse our mayor – Kevin Johnson –
This Boy Is Not a Striver
A few weeks ago, I posted a column by Mike Petrilli defending the idea that charters skim the best, most ambitious kids from public schools. The column was refreshing in that Mike abandoned the usual reformer pretense that charters enroll “exactly” the same children as public schools and get amazing results. Mike said that charters are for “strivers,” not for the others.
Here is a story about a non-striver and his teacher. Would the charters want him?
Here is a story about a non-striver and his teacher. Would the charters want him?
We Must Out-Educate and Out-Innovate Other Nations | Group Think | BillMoyers.com
We Must Out-Educate and Out-Innovate Other Nations | Group Think | BillMoyers.com: We Must Out-Educate and Out-Innovate Other Nations By Diane Ravitch, Professor, New York University [image: Diane Ravitch] Diane Ravitch My fellow Americans, I have said in previous addresses on this occasion that the key to our future success is to make sure that the education we provide our young people is the best in the world. I have said that we must out-educate and out-innovate other nations. Over the past four years, I have learned what we need to do. First, we must end the pressure on teachers... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Could Mark Zuckerberg Please Fix This Newark Problem? by dianerav Mark Zuckerberg paid out $100 million to fix Newark’s schools. Millions have been spent on consultants. Probably lots more charters too, free to push out kids they don’t want. But couldn’t some of Mark’s millions be spent to Great News: How to Succeed without Corporate Reforms by dianerav In this superb article in the New York Times, David Kirp shows how the public schools of Union City, New Jersey,succeeded despite all the obstacles of pov... more »