Karen Lewis Teaches Torah in Evanston
Karen Lewis taught a powerful lesson from the Torah at a synagogue in Evanston.
This is the rabbi’s account of her moving reading of Numbers, in which she connects the Biblical story to recent events in Chicago.
“Her portion, Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-15:41) relates, among other things, the story of the twelve scouts send by by Moses to report on the Promised Land. Ten of them return with words of discouragement – they reported that they saw giants in the land. “We felt like grasshoppers to ourselves,” they said, “”and so we must have looked to them!”
“In her presentation, she pointed out that forces of domination in society can often have this effect on us. In the
This is the rabbi’s account of her moving reading of Numbers, in which she connects the Biblical story to recent events in Chicago.
“Her portion, Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-15:41) relates, among other things, the story of the twelve scouts send by by Moses to report on the Promised Land. Ten of them return with words of discouragement – they reported that they saw giants in the land. “We felt like grasshoppers to ourselves,” they said, “”and so we must have looked to them!”
“In her presentation, she pointed out that forces of domination in society can often have this effect on us. In the
Merrow: Who Created Michelle Rhee?
John Merrow asks the question: How did this woman with little experience and meager accomplishment and a penchant for braggadocio become a major media figure?
She did, by burnishing her resume.
The media did, by basking in her harshness.
Merrow did, by broadcasting 12 segments on
She did, by burnishing her resume.
The media did, by basking in her harshness.
Merrow did, by broadcasting 12 segments on
Billionaires and Wall Street Target Denver School Board Race
This November, the Denver school board will be up for grabs.
As you will see in this article, the privatization movement has decided to make a play to take control of the board. You know what they want.
If the Denver race plays out like the one in Los Angeles, billionaires and Wall Street hedge fund managers, along with Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst, will pour millions into the race. Expect big gifts from Rupert Murdoch and
As you will see in this article, the privatization movement has decided to make a play to take control of the board. You know what they want.
If the Denver race plays out like the one in Los Angeles, billionaires and Wall Street hedge fund managers, along with Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst, will pour millions into the race. Expect big gifts from Rupert Murdoch and
Jersey Jazzman On Merryl Tisch
Jersey Jazzman read Merryl Tisch’s comments about how she understood test anxiety. He wondered how she might identify with such feelings because she never attended a school with high-stakes. Nor did her children.
Rhee Discounts Merrow’s “Smoking Memo”
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Michelle Rhee responded to questions about John Merrow’s “smoking memo,” the one that showed that she and other top officials were aware of allegations of widespread cheating but failed to investigate.
Howard Blume of the Times reports that Rhee met with the editorial board of the paper.
When Merrow had asked her about the memo, she said so many memos crossed her desk that she couldn’t remember this one. Now she says the memo was not important.
“In an interview with The Times editorial board, Rhee said that although she “didn’t see the memo” at the time,
Howard Blume of the Times reports that Rhee met with the editorial board of the paper.
When Merrow had asked her about the memo, she said so many memos crossed her desk that she couldn’t remember this one. Now she says the memo was not important.
“In an interview with The Times editorial board, Rhee said that although she “didn’t see the memo” at the time,
Parent on the Common Core: Here It Is, Ready or Not
This article in The Economist recounts the anxiety and confusion surrounding the adoption of the Common Core. Officials say it is a great thing, but parents are not so sure.
He writes:
“Why has New York decided to subject students to these exams well before the standards have been fully implemented in the classrooms? (Most states are holding off until 2015.) My daughter is a strong math student, and loves taking tests, but when she was given a practice test over the winter holiday that contained high-level work with fractions, division with three-digit numbers and even a dab of algebra, her eyes grew wide. Nothing like this had ever appeared in a lesson in her third-grade classroom. Her teacher has been scrambling to teach these
He writes:
“Why has New York decided to subject students to these exams well before the standards have been fully implemented in the classrooms? (Most states are holding off until 2015.) My daughter is a strong math student, and loves taking tests, but when she was given a practice test over the winter holiday that contained high-level work with fractions, division with three-digit numbers and even a dab of algebra, her eyes grew wide. Nothing like this had ever appeared in a lesson in her third-grade classroom. Her teacher has been scrambling to teach these
When School Officials Bully Students
A mother writes this story of harassment by school officials:
“My daughter, who is in the 11th grade, was victimized by her principal and teacher today because she submitted an opt out letter. She was made to feel wrong and unsupportive of her school because she wasn’t going to take the test.
“She is currently her class president, a link-crew mentor to younger students, tour leader, sports team member and future ASB president… that makes her the face of the school… or so says her teacher and principal. She has certain responsibilities to live up to, one of which is to take the test. Because, well, as they told her, the API
“My daughter, who is in the 11th grade, was victimized by her principal and teacher today because she submitted an opt out letter. She was made to feel wrong and unsupportive of her school because she wasn’t going to take the test.
“She is currently her class president, a link-crew mentor to younger students, tour leader, sports team member and future ASB president… that makes her the face of the school… or so says her teacher and principal. She has certain responsibilities to live up to, one of which is to take the test. Because, well, as they told her, the API
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How Pearson Cheats on State Tests by dianerav A teacher in upstate New York wrote me to say that the state English language arts test for 8th grade (written by Pearson) contained a passage that his students had read a week earlier—in a Pearson 8th grade textbook! The story is “Why Leaves Turn Color in Fall,” by Diane Ackerman. The story appears on page 540 of the Pearson textbook. Moral of the story: if you want your students to succeed on the state tests wr... more »