Mississippi Retreats from Public Education, Back to the Dark Ages
In Mississippi, the speaker of the House of Representatives announced that he was appointing a proponent of charter schools to the state board of education that oversees public education.
The nominee was home-schooled.
Is Mississippi moving boldly forward into a world without public schools or dumbly backward into a world that predates the establishment of public education?
The nominee was home-schooled.
Is Mississippi moving boldly forward into a world without public schools or dumbly backward into a world that predates the establishment of public education?
Should His District Ask for RTTT $$$$?
A teacher writes to ask how test scores might be used wisely if his district gets Race to the Top funding.
My advice: RTTT funding will cost your district far more than it receives from the federal government. Your district will have to increase class sizes, lay off teachers, and cut programs to meet all the demands of the mandates. Some fine teachers will get bad ratings because they teach kids with disabilities or are ELL. The ratings will bounce around from year to year.
Just say no.
Here is the comment:
“I suspect this conversation is timely for many of us: my district is considering applying for a Race to the Top
My advice: RTTT funding will cost your district far more than it receives from the federal government. Your district will have to increase class sizes, lay off teachers, and cut programs to meet all the demands of the mandates. Some fine teachers will get bad ratings because they teach kids with disabilities or are ELL. The ratings will bounce around from year to year.
Just say no.
Here is the comment:
“I suspect this conversation is timely for many of us: my district is considering applying for a Race to the Top
TeacherEd: Blaming Schools Instead of Taxing Corporations
We have had a lively conversation on this blog about whether poverty matters in relation to test scores, whether it is a cause or merely correlated with low scores, and whether schools alone (as some “reformers”) claim, cn end poverty.
TeacherEd weighs in here:
This is just a red herring. It’s been over 45 years since the “War on Poverty” started, which first aimed the focus on “fixing” poor school children, beginning in Head Start, rather than requiring that highly profitable corporations pay their employees a livable wage. We have had decade after decade after decade of subsequent education
TeacherEd weighs in here:
This is just a red herring. It’s been over 45 years since the “War on Poverty” started, which first aimed the focus on “fixing” poor school children, beginning in Head Start, rather than requiring that highly profitable corporations pay their employees a livable wage. We have had decade after decade after decade of subsequent education
How Texas Legislators Debated Graduation Requirements
This is a good summary of the debate about high school graduation requirements in the Texas House of Representatives.
I couldn’t help but think back to my own experience in Texas public schools many years ago (to be exact, I
I couldn’t help but think back to my own experience in Texas public schools many years ago (to be exact, I
The Hoax of Closing Schools to Save Money
District officials say they are closing schools to save money, but experience has shown that the savings seldom occur. They claim the schools are under-utilized even as they open charters to compete with the public schools for which the officials are responsible. The officials help the charters to grow and simultaneously harm the public schools. They are negligent in their duty to the children and to the public. They should be held accountable for their failure to promote, preserve, and support a democratic institution entrusted to their care. It is the school officials who have failed, not the schools.
A reader sends this. Please read it:
“Testimony from Kate Shaw Executive Director of Research for Action along with their issue brief on schools closings, detailing the impacts of school closings that district officials often neglect to take into account:
A reader sends this. Please read it:
“Testimony from Kate Shaw Executive Director of Research for Action along with their issue brief on schools closings, detailing the impacts of school closings that district officials often neglect to take into account:
A Better Way to Evaluate Teachers–Without Test Scores
A teacher from Montgomery County, Maryland, describes its innovative ad successful way of evaluating teachers in a professional way: with support and professional judgement, but not test scores. The state of Maryland had the misfortune to in Race to the Top funding, so the PAR program was found unacceptable because Arne Duncan demands test scores as the necessary measure of teacher quality.
She writes:
“Hi folks. I’m from Montgomery County which Diane references at the end of her blog. The PAR program we have in effect is fair, clear and spells out 6 Standards (and an additional Standard for school leaders) which provide a
She writes:
“Hi folks. I’m from Montgomery County which Diane references at the end of her blog. The PAR program we have in effect is fair, clear and spells out 6 Standards (and an additional Standard for school leaders) which provide a
Schneider Checks Out Chiefs for Change
Mercedes Schneider, one of Louisiana’s fearless and intrepid bloggers, has been conducting research into the groups that together propel the corporate reform movement.
In this post, she examines “Chiefs for Change.”
This organization consists of several state superintendents who are aligned with Jeb Bush and his ideas.
Who are these “chiefs”? What is their connection to Jeb?
Read on.
In this post, she examines “Chiefs for Change.”
This organization consists of several state superintendents who are aligned with Jeb Bush and his ideas.
Who are these “chiefs”? What is their connection to Jeb?
Read on.
Breaking News! Texas Reins in High-Stakes Testing!
The Texas Legislature heard the voices of parents, students, teachers, and employers.
The Texas House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly, 145-2, to reduce high-stakes testing.
Under the legislation, the number of tests required for high school graduation would be reduced from 15 (the highest in the nation) to five.
The Texas Senate earlier passed a bill to cut back on testing,
As former Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott said last year, the testing industry in Texas turned
The Texas House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly, 145-2, to reduce high-stakes testing.
Under the legislation, the number of tests required for high school graduation would be reduced from 15 (the highest in the nation) to five.
The Texas Senate earlier passed a bill to cut back on testing,
As former Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott said last year, the testing industry in Texas turned
Florida: Shameless Conflicts of Interest
State legislatures make decisions about funding formulas, so that is where lobbyists spend their time and energy.
In Florida, the legislature is very charter-friendly when it comes to money for operations, facilities, and capital sending.
When you read this article, you will see why.
Here’s a pithy quote:
“A growing number of lawmakers have personal ties to charter schools. Sen. John Legg, who chairs the Senate
In Florida, the legislature is very charter-friendly when it comes to money for operations, facilities, and capital sending.
When you read this article, you will see why.
Here’s a pithy quote:
“A growing number of lawmakers have personal ties to charter schools. Sen. John Legg, who chairs the Senate
A Voice of Reason in Chicago
Toni Preckwinkle, the president of the Cook County board, deplores the closing of 54 public schools in Chicago. She said it was a terrible idea.
She said:
”You know, schools are community anchors. They’re social centers. They’re part of a community’s identity. And often kids go half a dozen blocks and they’re in different gang territory.
“The closings are going to take place almost entirely within the African-American community, and given the problems we already have with violence, I think it’s very problematic.”
Instead of closing schools, she said, “We ought to invest a lot more in our public schools. You know, feed the kids breakfast, lunch, and dinner; have after-school activities; keep the schools open until nine o’clock in the evenings and on weekends; invest in things like the Boys and Girls Club and the Park District—I mean,
She said:
”You know, schools are community anchors. They’re social centers. They’re part of a community’s identity. And often kids go half a dozen blocks and they’re in different gang territory.
“The closings are going to take place almost entirely within the African-American community, and given the problems we already have with violence, I think it’s very problematic.”
Instead of closing schools, she said, “We ought to invest a lot more in our public schools. You know, feed the kids breakfast, lunch, and dinner; have after-school activities; keep the schools open until nine o’clock in the evenings and on weekends; invest in things like the Boys and Girls Club and the Park District—I mean,
Diane in the Evening 3-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Chicago Principals Told to Spy on Protestors Tomorrow by dianerav In Chicago, the corporate reformers who claim to be leading “the civil rights movement of our time” are closing down schools in black communities. How this enhances the civil rights of the children is a mystery known only to the elites. This is a news bulletin from the Chicago Teachers Union about tomorrow’s protest demonstration: NEWS RELEASE March 26, 2013 StephanieGadlin@ctulocal1.com Secret Memo: CPS warns principals about possible civil disobe... more »