Yes, There Is Hope for Change in Florida
This reader says that there is a growing move to push back against Jeb Bush’s disastrous reforms.
Twice, the state’s parent activists have defeated the efforts of Jeb Bush and Michelle Rhee to pass a “parent trigger.” Why would parents join to defeat “parent empowerment”? They knew that the parent trigger was a corporate reform trick to allow more public schools to be handed over to corporations for profit and power. The parents banded together to stop privatization, and they won.
The reader comments about the growing resistance:
I know that it’s way too soon to claim that the worm is turning but I’m fascinated by the pushback down here in
Twice, the state’s parent activists have defeated the efforts of Jeb Bush and Michelle Rhee to pass a “parent trigger.” Why would parents join to defeat “parent empowerment”? They knew that the parent trigger was a corporate reform trick to allow more public schools to be handed over to corporations for profit and power. The parents banded together to stop privatization, and they won.
The reader comments about the growing resistance:
I know that it’s way too soon to claim that the worm is turning but I’m fascinated by the pushback down here in
Alan Singer: Why Did Newsday Defame Teachers?
Alan Singer points out that instances of verified cheating are extremely rare.
Newsday identified 36 cases in a 10-year person on Long Island in New York. He flips the narrative and says that teachers did not cheat 99.99999% of the time.
The media misses the point. The problem with high-stakes testing is not cheating, which is rare, but the way it distorts education.
Newsday identified 36 cases in a 10-year person on Long Island in New York. He flips the narrative and says that teachers did not cheat 99.99999% of the time.
The media misses the point. The problem with high-stakes testing is not cheating, which is rare, but the way it distorts education.
South Carolina Will Adopt Privatization Strategy
Public education in South Carolina, already suffering because of underfunding and intensely segregated schools in some districts, will sustain another blow. The privatization movement claims another victory. Now parents will be able to get a tax-credit when they send their children to little religious academies where the teachers are uncertified and the curriculum is Bible-based.
South Carolina poised to become 23rd state with private school choice
Adopted state budget includes tax-credit scholarships for students with special needs
COLUMBIA, SC (June 19, 2013)—South Carolina is on the verge of becoming the 23rd state to enact private
Teacher Educator: How to Respond to the NCTQ Report
This advice was received as a comment, and it is directed to others in teacher education programs.
This teacher educator from one of the California State universities writes:
In reading each of your own campus reports, you are already well aware of how inaccurate the NCTQ “findings” are. In reading the report in full, I can assure you that it does not improve in the aggregate. It is almost unbelievable how wrong they have managed to be. It is after reading their full conclusions and assertions that it becomes obvious that presenting NCTQ with additional data or evidence regarding programs will not result in true
This teacher educator from one of the California State universities writes:
In reading each of your own campus reports, you are already well aware of how inaccurate the NCTQ “findings” are. In reading the report in full, I can assure you that it does not improve in the aggregate. It is almost unbelievable how wrong they have managed to be. It is after reading their full conclusions and assertions that it becomes obvious that presenting NCTQ with additional data or evidence regarding programs will not result in true
Michigan: How to Destroy Communities
I was tempted to call this post “the outrage of the day.” It is hard to read it without a sense of blood-boiling rage. It was written by Stacy Erwin Oakes, a Democratic legislator from Saginaw.
Governor Rick Snyder wants to eliminate public education. He wants a state where every family shops for an education provider. As this article shows, his latest gambit was an effort to dissolve the state’s school districts.
That would set in motion the free market of consumer choice he wants.
But he couldn’t convince even his own allies in the legislature. One by one, they said, “not my district.” In the
Governor Rick Snyder wants to eliminate public education. He wants a state where every family shops for an education provider. As this article shows, his latest gambit was an effort to dissolve the state’s school districts.
That would set in motion the free market of consumer choice he wants.
But he couldn’t convince even his own allies in the legislature. One by one, they said, “not my district.” In the
Philadelphia: Blame Teachers First Is a Bad Strategy
Philadelphia, which has been under state control for a dozen years, has a massive deficit. Governor Corbettt imposed draconian budget cuts when he took office.
The state’s solution to Philadelphia’s fiscal crisis: strip the schools bare. Lay off thousands of teachers, gut the arts and sports, libraries and guidance counselors. This hurts students. Which suburb would tolerate the gutting if its public schools?
That is not “shared sacrifice,” as Daniel Denvir explains in this article.
He writes:
“The School District is demanding $133 million in labor concessions to plug its $304 million budget gap. That’s
The state’s solution to Philadelphia’s fiscal crisis: strip the schools bare. Lay off thousands of teachers, gut the arts and sports, libraries and guidance counselors. This hurts students. Which suburb would tolerate the gutting if its public schools?
That is not “shared sacrifice,” as Daniel Denvir explains in this article.
He writes:
“The School District is demanding $133 million in labor concessions to plug its $304 million budget gap. That’s
Arne Offers More Time for Everyone to Get on Board Common Core Express
To prove that he is definitely not over-reaching, definitely not telling states what to do, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is giving states more time to meet his deadlines to tie Common Core test results to teacher evaluation.
He is apparently responding to Randi Weingarten’s request to postpone “high stakes” until teachers have
He is apparently responding to Randi Weingarten’s request to postpone “high stakes” until teachers have
Anthony Cody: Things That Money Can’t Buy
Anthony Cody has a piece of good advice for Bill Gates: You can’t buy the respect of teachers. You have to earn it. You have spent hundreds of millions of dollars coercing teachers to do what you want. Teachers know that you know less about teaching than they do. And they are tired of having you not only criticize them but use your fortune to control the conditions of their work.
Republicans in NC Step Up Their War Against Public Education
Far-right Governor Pat McCrory has brought in an aggressive leader for his strategy to privatize public education and dismantle the teaching profession. That is Eric Guckian, the governor’s tip advisor on demolishing–re, transforming –North Carolina’s education system.
Guckian is a TFA alum with long experience in the corporate reform movement. He wants “an aggressive K-12charter school environment in the state.”
At a meeting of the governor’s task force on education (which has no teachers on it), “Guckian presented five pathways for education in North Carolina that included a call to dismantle walls and textbooks for “digital online
Guckian is a TFA alum with long experience in the corporate reform movement. He wants “an aggressive K-12charter school environment in the state.”
At a meeting of the governor’s task force on education (which has no teachers on it), “Guckian presented five pathways for education in North Carolina that included a call to dismantle walls and textbooks for “digital online
Diane in the Evening 6-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Breaking News: Secret Penn. Poll funded by Pro-Voucher Group PennCAN by dianerav An earlier post described a secret GOP poll that acknowledges Governor Corbett’s weakness and recommends that he could gain popularity by attacking the Philadelphia teachers’ union. The strategy is that he can portray himself as a “leader” and “reformer” trying to solve the Philadelphia fiscal disaster by blaming the union. New documents Secret Poll Urges Pa. Governor to Attack Philly Union to Improve His Image by dianerav A secret p... more »