This Is a Great Organization, Good Video
The National Opportunity to Learn Campaign is funded largely by the Schott Foundation for Public Education.
Schott is one of the few national organizations that supports public education, not privatization.
This is a good video that it funded. Takes only a minute to watch.
Schott is one of the few national organizations that supports public education, not privatization.
This is a good video that it funded. Takes only a minute to watch.
NSBA: Dems Support Federal Control of Education
On a party-line vote, Democrats on the Senate committee reported out a bill that expands the role of the federal government in education and makes the Secretary of Education the national superintendent of schools. The National School Boards Association describes the legislation here, which NSBA opposes.
Summary of Senate HELP Mark-up of the Strengthening America’s Schools Act, S. 1094
The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee approved a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) on Wednesday, June 12, 2013. The Strengthening America’s Schools Act, S. 1094 was passed after two days of sometimes heated deliberation on a 12 Democrat – 10 Republican party line vote. Whether and when the bill will be considered by the full Senate is uncertain, but
Summary of Senate HELP Mark-up of the Strengthening America’s Schools Act, S. 1094
The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee approved a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) on Wednesday, June 12, 2013. The Strengthening America’s Schools Act, S. 1094 was passed after two days of sometimes heated deliberation on a 12 Democrat – 10 Republican party line vote. Whether and when the bill will be considered by the full Senate is uncertain, but
“A Danger to National Security: Mainstream Education Reporting”
Last night, I attended the 5th annual Skinny awards, hosted by Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters. A large and enthusiastic crowd cheered this year’s winners: teacher bloggers Gary Rubinstein and Arthur Goldstein.
Gary Rubinstein teaches at Stuyvesant High School. He was honored as a great blogger, with special mention of his deconstruction and demolition of NYC’s “teacher data reports.” Gary showed that they were random and
Gary Rubinstein teaches at Stuyvesant High School. He was honored as a great blogger, with special mention of his deconstruction and demolition of NYC’s “teacher data reports.” Gary showed that they were random and
Massachusetts: Will Common Core Dumb Down Our Students?
Tom Birmingham was president of the State Senate in 1993 when the state passed its landmark education reforms. From those reforms came a historic new investment in public education and new standards and assessments. Today, Massachusetts leads the nation on NAEP at both grades four and eight in reading and math.
However, the state abandoned its successful standards and assessments to qualify for Race to the Top funding.
However, the state abandoned its successful standards and assessments to qualify for Race to the Top funding.
Is the Common Core “Literary Kudzu” or an “Empty Suit”?
In this post, Bill Korach calls Common Core an empty suit and Will Fitzhugh describes it as literary kudzu.
Korach writes:
“Remember when standards actually expected students to learn something like: “Why did the German’s decision in WWI to launch unrestricted submarine warfare against neutral shipping, cause America to enter the war against the Germans?” In CCSS language arts you learn about a system or a method, but you don’t obtain knowledge, much less wisdom. Twenty or thirty years ago, students were taught to write, by learning grammar
Korach writes:
“Remember when standards actually expected students to learn something like: “Why did the German’s decision in WWI to launch unrestricted submarine warfare against neutral shipping, cause America to enter the war against the Germans?” In CCSS language arts you learn about a system or a method, but you don’t obtain knowledge, much less wisdom. Twenty or thirty years ago, students were taught to write, by learning grammar
Good News from Florida (Sort Of)
Florida has an unusually nutty teacher evaluation program. Jeb Bush and Bill Gates determined some years ago that teachers cause low test scores, so the way to fix education is to fire teachers who don’t get high test scores from their students. There was this little problem: most teachers teach non-tested subjects. So Florida addressed the problem by assigning scores to teachers of students they had never taught.
I mean, really, if your goal is to punish and beat up on teachers, this method makes
I mean, really, if your goal is to punish and beat up on teachers, this method makes
EduShyster Offers Free Career Advice for Those Who Want an Excellent Job
EduShyster offers free career advice to those who worry about being unprepared for the new economy or being fired.
She takes her cues from the New York Times columnist Tom Friedman. The first tip is to make a point of
She takes her cues from the New York Times columnist Tom Friedman. The first tip is to make a point of
Mark NAISON on the New BTA: Yes, You Too Can Join
Several people wrote to say that membership in the highly distinguished Badass Teachers Association was closed, that they applied and were turned down. This seemed unlikely to me, given the group’s desire to spread, so I contacted its founder Mark NAISON and asked him if there was a glitch. I also asked him if he could create a website for those who are not on Facebook. Here is his response (for some reason, whenever I write Mark’s last name on my iPad, it always turns into caps):
Hi Diane!
We now have six administrators on the site so anyone who applies gets In quickly!
As to how to create a non Facebook option for the group, I will have to
Hi Diane!
We now have six administrators on the site so anyone who applies gets In quickly!
As to how to create a non Facebook option for the group, I will have to
Ohio Charters Spend More on Administration than Public Schools
One of the claims of charter advocates is that could supply better education for less money.
These claims have not panned out. When charters enroll the same kids, they usually get the same results. Charters range in quality across a wide span, and some achieve “success” by high rates of attrition or excluding difficult kids.
Now we know that charters don’t save money
These claims have not panned out. When charters enroll the same kids, they usually get the same results. Charters range in quality across a wide span, and some achieve “success” by high rates of attrition or excluding difficult kids.
Now we know that charters don’t save money
Diane in the Evening 6-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The New BTA Association: Are You One? by dianerav I received the following communication and think it will appeal to some readers of this blog. Your move. Dr. Ravitch – Dr. Mark Naison began a Facebook page as a “joke” a few weeks ago of Teachers he felt were “badasses” in fighting corporate reform. He invited me to join right away [image: :)] I did. When I joined we had 70 Badass Teachers. We did a recruiting day beginning on Sunday as a joke for Badass Teacher of the Month. We conducted the recruitin... more »