Saturday, May 25, 2013

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

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Ranking the Nation’s Most Expensive High Schools

Americans love to rank, rate, and grade everything.
A reader suggested this ranking of America’s private schools.
It doesn’t consider how many students took AP courses, how many got a certain score on the SAT, or how 

Parent Revolution Forces Out Excellent Principal

The billionaire-funded Parent Revolution flexed its muscle and got enough parent signatures to force theresignation of a highly effective principal.
Please read the story.
This is the principal who was ousted by Parent Revolution:
“Third-grade teacher Kate Lewis said Irma Cobian is the best principal she’s had in nine years at Weigand Avenue Elementary School in Watts.
“Joseph Shamel called Cobian a “godsend” who has used her mastery of special education to show him how to 

Teacher: Walk in My Shoes Before You Criticize

Whenever an article appears about schools or teaching, the comments that follow are often rants against both. Whence comes this rage? Why do so many people blame their teachers for whatever ails them? It doesn’t help that Race to the Top pushes the idea that teachers–not students–are the sole source of students’ test scores. If you don’t like the quality of schools, blame the teachers, not those in charge who control the resources.
This teacher says, as should we all, Enough! She is responding to Lisa Myer’s “A Teacher’s Letter to America.” By the way, that post went viral. It has been read by more than 30,000 people on this site alone and posted on Facebook more than 10,000 times.
“Lisa, I thought your post was very well written and certainly expressed how I’ve been feeling after 29 years of 

What Does Rahm Believe?

This journalist found himself in the men’s room with Mayor Emanuel, then listened to him give a speech about how his policies are improving the lives of Chicago’s poorest children.
This is what he thinks he is doing by closing dozens of neighborhood schools. Against the will of their parents, he is tearing apart their lives and communities.
Just doing what Duncan did, and it catapulted him to national office.
Will Rahm’s reforms work for him too?

Tisch and King to Randi: No Moratorium on Common Core Testing

Commissioner John King asked business leaders to help push Common Core implementation, despite the fact that teachers say they are not prepared. This is a flat-out rejection of Randi Weingarten’s request for a moratorium on linking test results to consequences. Randi told city and state leaders that curriculum and professional development should precede testing.
This is John King’s answer. If it’s John King’s answer, it is also Merryl Tisch’s answer. She is John King’s boss.
King thoughtfully wrote a pledge for business leaders to sign, agreeing to demand the Common Core, whether 

Norm Scott: Obama’s Dilemma

Norm Scott, retired NYC teacher posted this on his website, Ed Notes Online:
We have Al Qaeda on the run but right now the biggest threat to our agenda is Karen Lewis and the Chicago Teachers Union,” said an Obama spokesperson.
“Our pal Rahm Emanuel has been forced to close 50 schools in retaliation for the strike led by Lewis and now suffers poll numbers so low they are getting close to the interest rate. He is actually being criticized for using 

A UTLA Member Speaks Out About His Union’s Hypocrisy

This comment came from a member of UTLA:
“I think we all can celebrate. that Monica Ratliff won that election. The efforts of many UTLA members helped in that effort, and may have played a major role in her election.
“It is interesting though, to look at the article at utla.net about Monica’s victory–http://www.utla.net/ratliff
“Here is a quote in it from UTLA president Warren Fletcher:
“We are overjoyed that a working classroom teacher will be part of the School Board,” UTLA President Warren 

CEO of Netflix a Leader of Corporate Reform Movement

If you follow the money, you notice that Reed Hastings of Netflix is a major funder of corporate reform. He contributes to the campaigns of pro-privatization candidates across the nation.
His Wikipedia bio says: “Hastings is active in educational philanthropy and politics and one of the issues Hastings most strongly advocates is charter schools, publicly funded elementary or secondary schools that have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools, in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school’s charter. “If public 

Why Did David Letterman Invite Only TFA for Teacher Appreciation Week?

This teacher noticed with chagrin that David Letterman invited ten Teach for America teachers to deliver his top ten reasons for Teacher Appreciation week. Somewhat in Letterman’s defense, I have to say that the top ten reasons, which were mostly sardonic and cynical, did not reflect much credit on teachers or on the kids who delivered the lines.
I conclude that David Letterman saw no reason to express appreciation for teachers.
Our elites have gone bonkers. How else can you explain their fascination with young college graduates who agree to teach for only two years as the very best way to improve education? Their “sacrifice” is only temporary; 

Diane in the Evening 5-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Anthony Cody: Who Supports Mayoral Control? by dianerav Anthony Cody describes the campaign to put mayors in charge of school districts and the reasons behind it. The biggest supporter of mayoral control is Arne Duncan. When mayoral control was up for renewal in Néw York City, he weighed in to support it. He lobbied against any effort to give the mayor’s appointees set terms; he insisted they should serve at the pleasure of the mayor to give his absolute authority over every decision. That allowed the mayor t... more »