Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, April 22, 2013

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch





Nine of the Ten Richest in US Are Attacking Unions

Leo Casey explains here that there really is “class warfare” in the U.S. today.
It is not the 1% that is attacking unions and working Americans.
It is the 1% of the 1%.
Nine of the ten richest Americans–all billionaires–are united in opposition to rights for working people.
They don’t want working people to have an assured pension.
They don’t want teachers to have any job security.
They want to roll back the New Deal.
They want capital to 


New York: Tests Will Remain Secret

Parents in New York want to see the contents of the Pearson tests that are aligned with the Common Core but officials are adamantly opposed to releasing the tests.
Parents want to review the tests to see if the questions and answers are reasonable. That is not going to happen. Teachers have been warned that they may be disciplined if they reveal any questions. Unless students 

Shocker: The PTA and McDonald’s?

A report from Melissa Westbrook, parent activist in Washington State:
“Here in Washington State, our state PTA is joining with…McDonald’s. We are supposed to believe that because McDonald’s now has apple slices that all their food is good for kids. They are even allowing the McDonald’s Director of Nutrition to speak at the state convention.
One other interesting thing is that several of our Seattle schools PTAs are weighing whether to leave the organization altogether and become PTOs (Parent Teacher Organizations). They just don’t support the state and national PTA actions and want to see their hard-earned fundraising dollars go to their school.”

The Failure of Market-Based Reforms

What is presently called “reform” consists of market-based policies such as school choice, high-stakes testing, evaluating teachers by test scores, and closing schools.
The Broader Bolder Approach to Education just released a report on what they call “market-oriented reforms.” The report analyzes performance data in three “market-oriented” cities–Washington, D.C., Chicago, and New York City–and concludes that in these districts, the rhetoric trumps the reality. Non-market-oriented districts consistently outperformed the three studied.
The authors sai in summary:
“Top-down pressure from federal education policies such as Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind, bolstered 

The Attack on Unions: Which Side Are You On?

The attack on unions flared into public view in 2011, when Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin attacked public sector unions, and thousands of people surrounded the State Capitol in protest.
Since so many radical Republicans took office in 2010, the effort to destroy public sector unions–especially the teachers’ unions–has accelerated.
Leo Casey explores the context of the anti-union movement here.
In state after state, legislatures have wiped out collective bargaining rights. That meant teachers would have no 

For Shame, Commissioner John King!

Peter DeWitt, an elementary school principal in upstate New York, tells a shocking story here.
New York requires students with disabilities to take grade level tests that are far beyond their ability. Some children who literally cannot read are expected to take the same tests as other students of their age.
What purpose does it serve to put these children through this ordeal?
I think of two ways to characterize this behavior on the part of officials: either “educational malpractice” or “child 

MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Shocker: The PTA and McDonald’s? by dianerav A report from Melissa Westbrook, parent activist in Washington State: “Here in Washington State, our state PTA is joining with…McDonald’s. We are supposed to believe that because McDonald’s now has apple slices that all their food is good for kids. They are even allowing the McDonald’s Director of Nutrition to speak at the state convention. One other interesting thing is that several of our Seattle schools PTAs are wei... more »