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Thursday, May 30, 2013

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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NC Teacher: How Our Legislature Is Driving Bad Policy

Could things get worse in North Carolina? Here, a teacher describes the bills that are moving towards passage, all of which will undermine public schools and transfer public funds to private corporations.

Why Is Philadelphia in Crisis?

Philadelphia is once again facing catastrophic budget cuts that threaten to gut public education.
Who is killing Philadelphia’s schools, asks journalist Daniel Denvir. Here is the sordid story.
The state has had control of the Philadelphia schools since 2002. It took control because of a budget deficit. The state School Reform Commission made the deficit worse.
Paul Vallas took over as superintendent and launched the nation’s most sweeping privatization plan. It failed. 

Jersey Jazzman on the Hess-Austin Kerfuffle: Haul Out the Fainting Couch

Jersey Jazzman is fast on the draw. Here he dissects Rick Hess’s defense of Ben Austin.
JJ wonders how Hess would feel if the parents of Newark and other cities in New Jersey–which have not had 

Don’t You Wish You Were Invited to Mackinac Island?

Sorry, you were not invited. Neither was I.
Mackinac Island is the exclusive resort where 1,500 business and government leaders met to ponder education.
The guests of honor were Jeb Bush and Michelle Rhee.
What, you thought they might want to hear from teachers, people who know something first hand about education?
No, no way. They came to hear thought leaders prophesy the elimination of public education and the reign of the 

New York Rally Against High-Stakes Testing on June 8

Carol Burris of South Side High School in Rockville Center, New York, sent out the following notice:
Thank you again for signing the petition against high stakes testing. It will be delivered on June 8 at the Rally for 

Pennsylvania: Cyber Charters Are a Scam

Pennsylvania is overrun with cyber charters. There are 16 of them competing for customers, sucking money out of real public schools, supplying a terrible education. Some are under investigation. The legislature protects them because of campaign contributions.
Meanwhile public schools are suffering due to budget cuts while these sham schools make profits.
They have extracted $4 billion from the state’s taxpayers in inflated costs, padded enrollment data, and legislative beneficence. This is legal graft.

Choice Zealots Take Control of Wealthy Douglas County, Colorado

There are times when reality is zanier than satire.
Read about Douglas County, Colorado, where choice fanatics run the district.
They want students and families to choose schools the way you choose a color for your car or a brand of cereal.

 Diane in the Evening 5-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: