Do You Like Bloomberg’s Education Policies?
Here is a chance to make your voice heard.
Crain’s New York is running an opinion poll, asking which of Bloomberg’s policies the next mayor should get rid of. Bloomberg has promoted high-stakes testing, charter schools, school closings, co-locations of charters, and evaluation of teachers by test scores. Class sizes are at their highest in fourteen years.
Express your views here.
Crain’s New York is running an opinion poll, asking which of Bloomberg’s policies the next mayor should get rid of. Bloomberg has promoted high-stakes testing, charter schools, school closings, co-locations of charters, and evaluation of teachers by test scores. Class sizes are at their highest in fourteen years.
Express your views here.
Setting the Record Straight About Central Park East
After I posted about the NYC DOE decision to place a new charter school into space that Central Park East wanted for expansion, many comments were received. Some accused the school of being exclusive or selective or no different from a charter. This parent at the school responded in hopes of clarifying what the school is and does.
There is an alarming amount of misinformation in the posts above.
There is no admissions test at CPE, and the school’s population is heterogeneous in every respect; the
There is an alarming amount of misinformation in the posts above.
There is no admissions test at CPE, and the school’s population is heterogeneous in every respect; the
L.A. School Board Candidate Speaks Out
Robert Skeels is a pro-public school candidate in Los Angeles. He has raised $15,000. He will not get anything from Eli Broad or Michael Bloomberg.
He comments:
The LA Times asked me for a quote on Bloomberg’s $1 Million CSR donation. Here’s my response: “As a community candidate who has raised over $15,000 through myriad small contributions from local parents, community members, and classroom teachers, I find it dismaying that a single out-of-state billionaire has a greater voice in our school board election than all the working families of District 2. Where were these millions of dollars when the incumbent callously cut early childhood education, adult education, and K-12 arts last year?”
He comments:
The LA Times asked me for a quote on Bloomberg’s $1 Million CSR donation. Here’s my response: “As a community candidate who has raised over $15,000 through myriad small contributions from local parents, community members, and classroom teachers, I find it dismaying that a single out-of-state billionaire has a greater voice in our school board election than all the working families of District 2. Where were these millions of dollars when the incumbent callously cut early childhood education, adult education, and K-12 arts last year?”
Tennessee Legislature Protects Failing Virtual Charter School
Just an hour ago, I posted the story about how officials at the Tennessee Virtual Academy had instructed teachers to delete failing grades, allegedly to show “progress.”
The virtual school, run by the for-profit K12 corporation, is among the lowest-performing schools in the state.
This afternoon a state legislative committee blocked any discussion of the school altering grades and prevented efforts to limit enrollment in the school. Although the legislators refused to hear any reference to the school’s
The virtual school, run by the for-profit K12 corporation, is among the lowest-performing schools in the state.
This afternoon a state legislative committee blocked any discussion of the school altering grades and prevented efforts to limit enrollment in the school. Although the legislators refused to hear any reference to the school’s
Tennessee Virtual Academy Caught Altering Grades
Administrators at the for-profit K12 online charter called Tennessee Virtual Academy instructed teachers to delete failing grades from the fall semester.
School officials defended the practice:
Tennessee Virtual Academy Principal Josh Williams insisted that the school had taken the steps to “more accurately recognize students’ current progress.”
“By going back into our school’s electronic grading system and recording students’ most recent progress score (instead of taking the average throughout the semester) we could more accurately recognize students’ current progress in their individualized learning program,” he told the station in an email.
This must be the lamest excuse ever invented, since it achieves the opposite of what is intended. If you want to
School officials defended the practice:
Tennessee Virtual Academy Principal Josh Williams insisted that the school had taken the steps to “more accurately recognize students’ current progress.”
“By going back into our school’s electronic grading system and recording students’ most recent progress score (instead of taking the average throughout the semester) we could more accurately recognize students’ current progress in their individualized learning program,” he told the station in an email.
This must be the lamest excuse ever invented, since it achieves the opposite of what is intended. If you want to
John White Is Confident That Voucher Program Will Grow
Despite the fact that a Louisiana judge struck down the funding for the state’s voucher program, State Superintendent John White expressed confidence that the state would find a way to pay for it and that the numbers who leave public schools for religious schools with public funding will increase.
Although nearly half a million students were eligible this current year, only about 5,000 currently are using a voucher to attend a nonpublic school.
White did not address whether the state will continue to fund schools that do not teach accurate or modern
Although nearly half a million students were eligible this current year, only about 5,000 currently are using a voucher to attend a nonpublic school.
White did not address whether the state will continue to fund schools that do not teach accurate or modern
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Did EdWeek Sell Its Soul? by dianerav Timothy Slekar here writes a scathing condemnation of Education Week, our K-12 journal of record, for acting as an uncritical mouthpiece for the Common Core State Standards. Slekar says: “Other than some of the blogs, EdWeek’s so called “news” is nothing more than propaganda for the corporate reformers. I pointed it out before, EdWeek and its reporters either are clueless about the difference between advocacy organizations that push propaganda and peer review research ... more »