How Charter Schools Exclude the Kids They Don’t Want
Stephanie B. Simon, investigative reporter for Reuters, has written a stunning exposé of the many ways that charter exclude kids who might drag down their test scores.
Getting in to a charter school, she writes, can be a “grueling experience.”
Examples: “Students may be asked to submit a 15-page typed research paper, an original short story, or a handwritten essay on the historical figure they would most like to meet. There are interviews. Exams. And pages of questions for parents to answer, including: How do you intend to help this school if we admit your son or
Getting in to a charter school, she writes, can be a “grueling experience.”
Examples: “Students may be asked to submit a 15-page typed research paper, an original short story, or a handwritten essay on the historical figure they would most like to meet. There are interviews. Exams. And pages of questions for parents to answer, including: How do you intend to help this school if we admit your son or
Inside the Interlocking Directorate of Corporate Reform
In this installment of her investigative analysis of the National Council on Teacher Quality, Mercedes Schneider reviews the career of Deborah McGriff.
This provides a fascinating insight into the tangled web of the corporate reform movement.
This provides a fascinating insight into the tangled web of the corporate reform movement.
How Mayor Vincent Gray Is Failing DC Students
During Michelle Rhee’s book tour, the nation will hear a lot of claims about the dramatic changes she imposed on the D.C. schools, which qualifies her to export her ideas to the rest of the nation.
What should other states and cities seek to copy? D.C. Schools continue to be among the lowest performing in the nation, with the lowest graduation rate.
Michael Shank faults Mayor Vincent Gray for continuing to follow Rhee’s formula of thinking that firing teachers and closing schools is a substitute for addressing socioeconomic problems. The low education levels of D.C. high school students, he says, show how little Rhee’s reforms changed the quality of education in the schools she ran for nearly four years (and continues to influence through her successor and deputy Kaya Henderson).
Shank writes: “A neighbor of mine in Anacostia, who was interviewed for this article, is a teacher in a Ward 8
What should other states and cities seek to copy? D.C. Schools continue to be among the lowest performing in the nation, with the lowest graduation rate.
Michael Shank faults Mayor Vincent Gray for continuing to follow Rhee’s formula of thinking that firing teachers and closing schools is a substitute for addressing socioeconomic problems. The low education levels of D.C. high school students, he says, show how little Rhee’s reforms changed the quality of education in the schools she ran for nearly four years (and continues to influence through her successor and deputy Kaya Henderson).
Shank writes: “A neighbor of mine in Anacostia, who was interviewed for this article, is a teacher in a Ward 8
Chicago Will Close Many, Many Schools
Chicago Public Schools announced a list of 129 schools that may be closed. This is what reform looks like. You cure the disease by killing the patient. You bomb the village and reduce it to rubble to “save” it.
Shame on Rahm Emanuel.
This is a message from a CPS parent group:
Raise Your Hand is deeply disappointed that the city and Chicago Public Schools has ignored important
Shame on Rahm Emanuel.
This is a message from a CPS parent group:
Raise Your Hand is deeply disappointed that the city and Chicago Public Schools has ignored important
Indianapolis: Farewell to Public Education
I received a desperate message on Facebook from Tarrey Banks, the founder of The Project School in Indianapolis. TPS is a charter school started with a grant from the Walton Foundation. Greg Ballard, the mayor of Indianapolis, is the authorizer. TPS has low test scores, after four years, and the mayor has decided to close it. Banks and TPS parents are outraged. They went to court, blocked the mayor in a lower court, but then lost when a federal judge upheld the closure. TPS is losing the battle.
To get the big picture of what is happening in Indianapolis, read here. You will encounter a familiar cast of
To get the big picture of what is happening in Indianapolis, read here. You will encounter a familiar cast of
Bedford School District Votes to Oppose Overuse of Testing
The school board of the Bedford Central School District in Westchester County, New York, voted a resolution against the over-use and misuse of standardized testing.
Will the Bedford resolution incite other districts to reject the heavy-handed mandates from Albany and Washington?
The board’s resolution criticized both the state and federal governments for its mandates and specifically opposed the use of test scores to evaluate teachers, a main feature of Race to the Top that is much admired by
Will the Bedford resolution incite other districts to reject the heavy-handed mandates from Albany and Washington?
The board’s resolution criticized both the state and federal governments for its mandates and specifically opposed the use of test scores to evaluate teachers, a main feature of Race to the Top that is much admired by
Diane in the Evening 2-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: What a Good Public School District Looks Like by dianerav Jere Hochman, superintendent of the Bedford, New York, public schools wrote the following for his colleagues among NewYork superintendents: “If you want to see Superman solve the problem of the day with the fix of the day, go to the movies or buy a comic book. If you want to see a student motivated intrinsically with drill-skill learning and a standardized test, go the DMV. If you want to make money off the backs of kids, open a small business that sells video games, not tests. If you want to see aut... more »