“Don’t Cut Down the Tree of Knowledge”
Jewish leaders in Chicago stand in solidarity against mass school closings:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release date: April 15, 2013
Chicago, IL
Contact:
Miriam Grossman, Jewish Solidarity and Action for Schools
miriamlevia.grossman@gmail.com
(609) 273-4932
JEWISH COMMUNITY RALLIES AGAINST SCHOOL CLOSINGS WITH LETTER TO MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL
Jewish community members will gather on Thursday, April 18th at 4:30pm to deliver a letter to Mayor Rahm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release date: April 15, 2013
Chicago, IL
Contact:
Miriam Grossman, Jewish Solidarity and Action for Schools
miriamlevia.grossman@gmail.com
(609) 273-4932
JEWISH COMMUNITY RALLIES AGAINST SCHOOL CLOSINGS WITH LETTER TO MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL
Jewish community members will gather on Thursday, April 18th at 4:30pm to deliver a letter to Mayor Rahm
Governor Hunt, Where Are You?
Governor Jim Hunt spent years persuading the North Carolina legislature to reduce class size.
Now he is out of office, and the radicals in the legislature want to abolish all limits on class size, allegedly in the interest of “flexibility.”
It is certainly not in the interest of improving education or helping kids. The research showing the benefits of
Now he is out of office, and the radicals in the legislature want to abolish all limits on class size, allegedly in the interest of “flexibility.”
It is certainly not in the interest of improving education or helping kids. The research showing the benefits of
Fifth-Grader: I Don’t Want to be a Test Slave
This comment was posted recently.
Jenny, you don’t have to take the tests. Your parents can say, “I refuse.”
Keep learning. Believe in yourself and be glad that you have such dedicated teachers.
Jenny writes:
Hi, Dr. Ravitch.
My name is Jenny. I’m a fifth-grade student in New York State and feel that the NYS tests are going to be too hard. Many kids are going to fail. From the research that I have done, I realize the reason the state is making the test harder is that NYS wants the public school students to fail. I AM a public school student. When we take the
Jenny, you don’t have to take the tests. Your parents can say, “I refuse.”
Keep learning. Believe in yourself and be glad that you have such dedicated teachers.
Jenny writes:
Hi, Dr. Ravitch.
My name is Jenny. I’m a fifth-grade student in New York State and feel that the NYS tests are going to be too hard. Many kids are going to fail. From the research that I have done, I realize the reason the state is making the test harder is that NYS wants the public school students to fail. I AM a public school student. When we take the
Kasich Budget Cuts Ohio Public Schools Again
This just in from Bill Phillis of the Ohio Education and Adequacy coalition.
Bill served as Deputy Commissioner of Education in Ohio and is a stalwart advocate for adequate funding for public schools.
He helped create a community-based organization called Strong Schools, Strong Communities. If you live in Ohio, you should join the movement to save public education.
Bill Phillis writes:
FY2014-FY2015 State Budget Proposal: Amended Substitute House Bill 59 voted out of the House Finance and
Bill served as Deputy Commissioner of Education in Ohio and is a stalwart advocate for adequate funding for public schools.
He helped create a community-based organization called Strong Schools, Strong Communities. If you live in Ohio, you should join the movement to save public education.
Bill Phillis writes:
FY2014-FY2015 State Budget Proposal: Amended Substitute House Bill 59 voted out of the House Finance and
Former Lt. Gov. Ratliff of Texas Joins the Honor Roll
Former Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff has spoken out loud and clear for the 5 million children in public schools in Texas. He knows the state cut the budget way too much. He knows that the state must put its money into improving education–not by “throwing money” at it–but by doing the right things.
And he knows that the Legislature will be moved when they start hearing from angry Mamas. They are hearing from those Mamas. And they are backing away from the strange idea that they can cut teachers and fund
And he knows that the Legislature will be moved when they start hearing from angry Mamas. They are hearing from those Mamas. And they are backing away from the strange idea that they can cut teachers and fund
Opt Out. Don’t Let Them Sort and Label Your Child.
Many parents in New York have spoken out against the state tests in recent days, and there is much buzz about opting out.
State officials have advised parents to expect a big drop in passing rates. These tests are really hard, they warn. They have even given parents advice about how to calm their students before and after the tests.
My grandson is in first grade in public school in Brooklyn. He is not yet testing bait I hope his parents keep him home on testing day when he reaches third grade. Data feeds the privatization machine.
I supported the teachers at Garfield High in Seattle. I hope that there are entire faculties of teachers not only in
State officials have advised parents to expect a big drop in passing rates. These tests are really hard, they warn. They have even given parents advice about how to calm their students before and after the tests.
My grandson is in first grade in public school in Brooklyn. He is not yet testing bait I hope his parents keep him home on testing day when he reaches third grade. Data feeds the privatization machine.
I supported the teachers at Garfield High in Seattle. I hope that there are entire faculties of teachers not only in
Killing Public Education in North Carolina
The Legislature in North Carolina is determined to wipe public education out in that once-progressive state.
Read this parent newsletter. It is sad. It is outrageous.
North Carolina is near the bottom of the national barrel in funding its public schools. Teacher salaries are near the bottom nationally. Legislators want charter schools, tax credits, vouchers for special education, vouchers for all.
Why the passion to eliminate the engine of social mobility and economic progress? Why the mad dash back to
Read this parent newsletter. It is sad. It is outrageous.
North Carolina is near the bottom of the national barrel in funding its public schools. Teacher salaries are near the bottom nationally. Legislators want charter schools, tax credits, vouchers for special education, vouchers for all.
Why the passion to eliminate the engine of social mobility and economic progress? Why the mad dash back to
Chetty-Friedman-Rockoff Nonsense
Nonsense=makes no sense.
Last year, when the Chetty-Friedman-Rockoff study of teacher effects was published on the front page of the Néw York Times, it created a sensation. It seemed to say that the “quality” of a single teacher would raise lifetime earnings, reduce teen pregnancy, and have other dramatic effects.
The story said: “Replacing a poor teacher with an average one would raise a single classroom’s lifetime earnings by about $266,000, the economists estimate. Multiply that by a career’s worth of classrooms.”
One of the authors of the study said that the lesson was “fire bad teachers sooner rather than later.” This was
Last year, when the Chetty-Friedman-Rockoff study of teacher effects was published on the front page of the Néw York Times, it created a sensation. It seemed to say that the “quality” of a single teacher would raise lifetime earnings, reduce teen pregnancy, and have other dramatic effects.
The story said: “Replacing a poor teacher with an average one would raise a single classroom’s lifetime earnings by about $266,000, the economists estimate. Multiply that by a career’s worth of classrooms.”
One of the authors of the study said that the lesson was “fire bad teachers sooner rather than later.” This was
Breaking News! Tennessee Legislature Cool to Statewide Charter Authorizer
One of the main strategies of the privatization movement is to create a statewide charter board that could override local school boards. That way, if a local school board turns down a charter applicant, they can go to the state charter board for approval. Or just bypass the local board altogether.
In short, it destroys local control for the sake of charter corporations.
In Tennessee, a special situation developed. A charter operator from Arizona wanted to open a charter in Nashville’s most affluent neighborhood. The Metro Nashville school board turned down Great Hearts Academy
In short, it destroys local control for the sake of charter corporations.
In Tennessee, a special situation developed. A charter operator from Arizona wanted to open a charter in Nashville’s most affluent neighborhood. The Metro Nashville school board turned down Great Hearts Academy
When Smart Academics Say Silly Things
A teacher in Nevada sent me this article, which was printed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
He said he would have laughed at how clueless this Harvard professor was but for the fact that the local opinion makers no doubt would read it and take it seriously.
I started reading it and the first statement was that “The most important determinant of educational quality is teacher quality.”
I thought at once, that’s not true because economists agree that family has a much larger impact
He said he would have laughed at how clueless this Harvard professor was but for the fact that the local opinion makers no doubt would read it and take it seriously.
I started reading it and the first statement was that “The most important determinant of educational quality is teacher quality.”
I thought at once, that’s not true because economists agree that family has a much larger impact
Comparing Thoreau and Coleman
This blogger is not happy with the Common Core.
He says it discourages creativity. He thinks it is about preparing workers and consumers, not thinkers.
And there is this too:
“The Common Core is one reason my sixth-grade daughter has yet to read a novel in ELA. It’s also a reason she no longer has time to get to the school library. The Common Core’s emphasis on nonfiction would be fine if it emphasized good nonfiction. My favorite authors are nonfiction geniuses. Annie Dillard, Jon Krakauer, James Herndon, Jonathan Kozol, Robert Pirsig, David Sedaris, Natalie Goldberg, Anne Lamott, and, lest we forget,
He says it discourages creativity. He thinks it is about preparing workers and consumers, not thinkers.
And there is this too:
“The Common Core is one reason my sixth-grade daughter has yet to read a novel in ELA. It’s also a reason she no longer has time to get to the school library. The Common Core’s emphasis on nonfiction would be fine if it emphasized good nonfiction. My favorite authors are nonfiction geniuses. Annie Dillard, Jon Krakauer, James Herndon, Jonathan Kozol, Robert Pirsig, David Sedaris, Natalie Goldberg, Anne Lamott, and, lest we forget,
Diane in the Evening 4-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: John White’s Budget Tricks in Louisiana by dianerav John White is pulling some fast tricks with public school funding in Louisiana. Fortunately the state has smart bloggers who protect the public interest and blow the whistle. There is no end to White and Jindal’s efforts to transfer public dollars into private hands. He wants to eliminate arequirement that high schools have one guidance counselor for every 450 students. He says they can hire private Who Is Paying to Privatize Public Schools in Los Angeles?... more »