A Sound Vision for Improving the Teaching Profession
A group of distinguished educators addressed a letter to Secretary Arne Duncan that carefully explains how to get excellent teaching. Such an effort would begin by setting a high bar for entry into the profession, continue by establishing an atmosphere of autonomy and professionalism, and grow stronger by enabling teachers to work together and build a vibrant culture of learning and professional development.
The group warned that Race to the Top does not encourage good teaching. It wrote:
“Current education policy, including the Race to the Top law, and especially the practice of evaluating teachers by their students’ performance on high stakes assessments, will likely weaken, rather than strengthen, the teaching profession. Although the current policy may have intuitive appeal, a variety of evidence indicates it will not lead to sustained improvements in teaching and learning over the long term. In fact, it is likely to lead to
The group warned that Race to the Top does not encourage good teaching. It wrote:
“Current education policy, including the Race to the Top law, and especially the practice of evaluating teachers by their students’ performance on high stakes assessments, will likely weaken, rather than strengthen, the teaching profession. Although the current policy may have intuitive appeal, a variety of evidence indicates it will not lead to sustained improvements in teaching and learning over the long term. In fact, it is likely to lead to
A New “Fix” for Failing D.C. Public Schools
While former Chancellor Michelle Rhee traipses around the nation telling red states and the media her formula for saving schools, a member of the D.C. City Council has devised a plan to reform the schools she left behind.
David Catania, an at-large member of the City Council, plans to introduce seven bills to overhaul the still low-performing public schools of the nation’s capital. Catania said the public schools have been “stagnating” for the past several years, those being the years of Rhee and her deputy.
This gets complicated because the city’s public schools are supposedly controlled by the mayor. Chancellor
David Catania, an at-large member of the City Council, plans to introduce seven bills to overhaul the still low-performing public schools of the nation’s capital. Catania said the public schools have been “stagnating” for the past several years, those being the years of Rhee and her deputy.
This gets complicated because the city’s public schools are supposedly controlled by the mayor. Chancellor
Ellen Lubic: Whom Can We Trust?
Ellen Lubic of UCLA writes in response to an earlier post which asserted that the goal of corporate reform is gentrification, not education reform:
In support of what is being posited here, one only needs to review the landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2005 in the case of Kelo vs. City of New London. It is referred to as the “reverse Robin Hood case where land is taken from the poor and given to the rich.”
In this case a privately owned shopping center was taken by eminent domain and then sold by the city to a
In support of what is being posited here, one only needs to review the landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2005 in the case of Kelo vs. City of New London. It is referred to as the “reverse Robin Hood case where land is taken from the poor and given to the rich.”
In this case a privately owned shopping center was taken by eminent domain and then sold by the city to a
Fairtest: New ESEA Bill Continues Damage Done By Bush-Obama Administrations
Those hoping that a Senate rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (now known as No Child Left Behind) would recognize the damage of the past 12 years of federally-mandated high-stakes testing will be disappointed by the Senate Democrats’ proposal, says FAIRTEST. The new proposal completely ignores the grassroots rebellion by parents, geachers, students, and local school boards against the punitive misuse of testing.
Here is the FAIRTEST statement:
FairTest
National Center for Fair & Open Testing
for further information:
Dr. Monty Neill (617) 477-9792
or Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773
for immediate release, Tuesday, June 4, 2013
U.S. SENATE EDUCATION BILL FAILS TO REVERSE “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND” DAMAGE;
IGNORES MESSAGE FROM CONSTITUENTS’ RESISTANCE TO HIGH-STAKES TESTING;
GRASSROOTS BOYCOTTS, OPT-OUTS AND RESOLUTIONS SAY, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”
Education legislation unveiled in the U.S. Senate today is “grossly inadequate to undo the damage of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ (NCLB) test-and-punish era,” according to the country’s leading assessment reform organization. “Rather than embracing policies that would improve learning and teaching, the bill drafted
Here is the FAIRTEST statement:
FairTest
National Center for Fair & Open Testing
for further information:
Dr. Monty Neill (617) 477-9792
or Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773
for immediate release, Tuesday, June 4, 2013
U.S. SENATE EDUCATION BILL FAILS TO REVERSE “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND” DAMAGE;
IGNORES MESSAGE FROM CONSTITUENTS’ RESISTANCE TO HIGH-STAKES TESTING;
GRASSROOTS BOYCOTTS, OPT-OUTS AND RESOLUTIONS SAY, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”
Education legislation unveiled in the U.S. Senate today is “grossly inadequate to undo the damage of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ (NCLB) test-and-punish era,” according to the country’s leading assessment reform organization. “Rather than embracing policies that would improve learning and teaching, the bill drafted
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Good News: Illinois Enacts Moratorium on Virtual Charters by dianerav Thank you, Governor Pat Quinn! And congratulations to the 18 suburban districts that protected their students. Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation that enacts a one-year moratorium on virtual charters, allowing time to study their performance. Any impartial study will reveal that online charters get poor results. They have high student dropouts every year, students get low grades and have a po... more »