Handwriting Expert to NC and SC: Don’t Mandate Cursive Writing
In their eagerness to drag the schools and children of their states back to the early 20th century, legislators in North Carolina and South Carolina want to mandate the teaching of cursive writing. (North Carolina Los wants to pass a law mandating that all children memorize the multiplication tables.) these legislators usually spend their time coming up with ways to privatize public schools.
In this comment, handwriting expert Kate Gladstone explains why the cursive mandate is a bad idea.
Kate Gladstone writes:
The NC cursive bill is ill-advised and ill-motivated. Below are the most explainable reasons it is so: and all
In this comment, handwriting expert Kate Gladstone explains why the cursive mandate is a bad idea.
Kate Gladstone writes:
The NC cursive bill is ill-advised and ill-motivated. Below are the most explainable reasons it is so: and all
Secret Group in Michigan Plans Voucher-Style “Reform”
A secret group commissioned by reactionary elements in Michigan crafted a plan to voucherize education funding. The plan will be submitted to Governor Snyder. Note that the purpose of the plan is not to provide better education, but to cut costs.
The article describes the plan as “reform,” but as usual, the real intent of this treat eggy is to abandon public education. When the privatizers say “the money should follow the child,” what tpthey mean is that the funding
The article describes the plan as “reform,” but as usual, the real intent of this treat eggy is to abandon public education. When the privatizers say “the money should follow the child,” what tpthey mean is that the funding
DC City Council Will Hire Law Firm to Reform Schools
Every once in a while, I read an article that convinces me that education policymaking in this country is insane.
This is one of those articles.
The head of the DC City Council education committee has found the answer to fixing the city’s still troubled school system: He will hire a law firm to find the solutions! A law firm!
The law firm will help figure out how to improve achievement and more:
“Major targets for Catania include streamlining enrollment lotteries for parents, adjusting how schools are funded and allocating more dollars for poor children, setting performance targets for schools and consequences when they consistently fall short, and outlining a way to decide the fate of vacant school buildings.”
This is one of those articles.
The head of the DC City Council education committee has found the answer to fixing the city’s still troubled school system: He will hire a law firm to find the solutions! A law firm!
The law firm will help figure out how to improve achievement and more:
“Major targets for Catania include streamlining enrollment lotteries for parents, adjusting how schools are funded and allocating more dollars for poor children, setting performance targets for schools and consequences when they consistently fall short, and outlining a way to decide the fate of vacant school buildings.”
Michigan Debates Common Core
Michigan is debating the Common Core, which it already agreed to adopt.
The curious thing in the debate and in the article is the repeated claim by “experts” that the Common Core will fix all the disparities and problems in American education. It will close the gap between low-perming and high-performing students and lift the performance of American students to the top on international tests.
What is the evidence for their views? How do they know? The standards have been imposed without any test of their value, their feasibility, or their consequences for real-live students. No one actually knows how they will work. What we do know is that full implementation will cost billions of dollars. States are buying new technology
The curious thing in the debate and in the article is the repeated claim by “experts” that the Common Core will fix all the disparities and problems in American education. It will close the gap between low-perming and high-performing students and lift the performance of American students to the top on international tests.
What is the evidence for their views? How do they know? The standards have been imposed without any test of their value, their feasibility, or their consequences for real-live students. No one actually knows how they will work. What we do know is that full implementation will cost billions of dollars. States are buying new technology
How Ordinary People Get Good Results
David Kirp recently led a discussion of his new book “Improbable Scholars” at the Center for American Progress in Washington.
One of his findings is that schools can be improved by collaboration and sound ideas. No charters. No school closings. No TFA.
Here Esther Quintero of the Shanker Institute explores the social science that supports collaboration rather than the disruption favored by the reform crowd.
One of his findings is that schools can be improved by collaboration and sound ideas. No charters. No school closings. No TFA.
Here Esther Quintero of the Shanker Institute explores the social science that supports collaboration rather than the disruption favored by the reform crowd.
Will TFA Be Able to Meet California’s High Standards?
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has raised the standards for those who teach English language learners. Noon get will uncertified interns be allowed to teach these students who need well-prepared teachers.
This is a problem for Teach for America because California has
This is a problem for Teach for America because California has
Teacher: Report from Inside a Cyber Charter
A reader sent this comment:
“I work at a cyber charter. It is ironic that the administrators at these charters make us work twelve hours a day doing inane busy work, and yet the quality of education is much worse than in public schools.
I just got home from doing state testing. At one point during the day one of the third graders raised his hand to get my attention, he had just finished the multiple choice section and was stuck on the first open-ended question. He asked me what he was supposed to do. I just told him to answer the question, we are not allowed to do much more.
After he stared at the page for fifteen minutes one of the other teachers went over to give him some
“I work at a cyber charter. It is ironic that the administrators at these charters make us work twelve hours a day doing inane busy work, and yet the quality of education is much worse than in public schools.
I just got home from doing state testing. At one point during the day one of the third graders raised his hand to get my attention, he had just finished the multiple choice section and was stuck on the first open-ended question. He asked me what he was supposed to do. I just told him to answer the question, we are not allowed to do much more.
After he stared at the page for fifteen minutes one of the other teachers went over to give him some
Diane in the Evening 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: Karen Lewis Teaches Torah in Evanston by dianerav 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.... more »