Diane Ravitch's blog
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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
The Unfairness of the “Parent Trigger”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 17 hours ago
I earlier posted about Steve Zimmer’s resolution proposing a change in the Parent Trigger law to permit full information to parents, both pro and con, before taking a vote that might lead to firing the principal, the staff, or privatizing the school. An educator in Los Angeles sent the following explanation as to why this […]
Katie Osgood: The Difference Between Magnets and Charters
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 17 hours ago
Katie Osgood teaches children in a hospital setting in Chicago. Here she responds to a comment from a charter advocate who insists that charter schools are no different from magnet schools: Osgood writes: In regards to magnet schools, I have always believed that there are equity issues surrounding this practice. However, they were begun with […]
Public Education Is Not Failing, But NCLB and RTTT Are
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 20 hours ago
Ron Berler has written about his year in a so-called “failing school” in Norwalk, Connecticut. The school has a dedicated staff trying its best to raise the achievement levels of students who enter school far behind. Yet it is a “failing school” because no matter how much progress the students make,the children are still not […]
The Shame of Providence
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 21 hours ago
Providence and the state of Rhode Island allowed a school to use developmentally disabled students to do manual labor for little or no pay. Both the city and state received a stern letter from the Civil Rights Division of the U. S. Department of Justice. “Both Providence and the state allowed the Harold H. Birch […]
Steve Zimmer Proposes Safety Lock for Parent Trigger
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 22 hours ago
Steve Zimmer proposed the following resolution to the Los Angeles Board of Education. His goal is to make sure that parents are fully informed and protected against stealth campaigns to trick parents into handing their school over to a charter operator or firing the staff. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES Governing […]
A Word from the Cripples
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 22 hours ago
The state of Pennsylvania, the School Reform Commission, Governor Corbett, and the Legislature have decided to strip bare the publuc schools of Philadelphia. They are doing to these students what they would never do to their own. They are vandals. This morning, i received this poem written by a student, Siduri Beckmann. Why is Siduri […]
Happy Birthday, EduShyster! One Year in Pursuit of Excellence
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 22 hours ago
In this post marking the one-year anniversary of her blog, EduShyster interviews herself. She answers such pressing questions as: Do you really consume wine by the box? Will the education reform movement survive the coming Zombie apocalypse? (I promise you will love this one, especially the illustration.) If you were an education reform group, which […]
Hey, Kids! $100 If You Enroll in This Charter School
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 23 hours ago
David Safier writes here about a charter school in Arizona that offers students $100 to sign up. Arizona was once known as the Wild West of charter schools, but now other states are catching up as charter operators join the Gold Rush.
The Gates Foundation’s Strangest Grant
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
The Gates Foundation gave $10 million to the Discovery Institute. This is a conservative public policy institute that promotes “intelligent design” and is skeptical of evolutionary theory. It was founded by Bruce Chapman, an official in the Reagan administration. The purpose of the grant is for research, advocacy, and transportation. Presumably this mean the Gates […]
Crazy Crawfish Tells All: How He Became an Anti-Reformer
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
In this blog post, Crazy Crawfish reveals his true identity. He was working inside the Louisiana Department of Education when Bobby Jindal took control. The story he tells is alarming and shocking. It all started with Katrina. That event created a massive shock and provided an opening for Jindal: “Jindal immediately started privatizing and tormenting […]
Lucy Calkins Gathers Feedback on Pearson Exams
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Students in New York recently completed a battery of tests aligned with the Common Core and developed by Pearson. The tests remain secret though some bootleg copies have circulated. They should be released for public review. Although educators were not allowed to disclose the test questions, Lucy Calkins of Teachers College created a website where […]
Bridgeport Parent: Public School Leaders Should Support Public Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
This Bridgeport parent activist has an old-fashioned idea. She believes that those who are paid to run public schools should support them. The current superintendent of schools in that Connecticut city is Paul Vallas. She reviews his record in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, where he closed many public schools and opened large numbers of […]
New York’s Evaluation Nightmare
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Arthur Goldstein, aka Néw York Educator, describes the vain and convoluted effort to create a teacher evaluation system in Néw York. A pinch of this, a heavy dose of testing, and the computer will tell us which teachers are great and which are the stinkers.
Writing for the Common Core Tests
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Vicki Cobb, an award-winning author of more than 90 children’s books about science, recently received a request from a test publisher to write for the new Common Core assessments. However, when she saw the guidelines, she wondered if she could do it. Will her voice disappear? Will she be compelled to write the same pap […]
Pennsylvania: Now We Know the Truth About Cyber Charters
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Rhonda Brownstein, the executive director of Pennsylvania’s Education Law Center, says that it is time to stop trusting the claims of cyber charter promoters. For years, they have promised that students would get “innovative” education and that wondrous things would happen when virtual charters became reality, but Pennsylvania now knows that none of that turned […]
When Professional Judgment Conflicts with Common Core
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
This reader explains the conflict between Common Core expectations and her professional judgment. How did she resolve it? She did what she believed was in the best interests of children. It’s not easy. She writes: “As a literacy consultant and Title 1 coordinator at my K-6 rural NH school, I sympathize. At my school, we […]
Charter School Rejects Student with Special Needs
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Again and again, we hear the same story: charters excluding children with special needs. This is contrary to federal law. How do they get away with it? Where are the lawyers? A mother writes: My daughter is a mainstream student and has been attending Minnesota School of Science since they opened. For 2 years in […]
The Negative Consequences of Pressuring Students to Take AP Courses
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
A reader commented on an ongoing discussion of Advanced Placement courses and the rating of high schools according to how many students, ready or not, take them. She writes: “The highly publicized rankings based on AP tests taken did a lot of harm in my sons’ high school. AP courses used to attract the students […]
Bruce Baker: Another Look at the Much Hyped Chetty-Rockoff-Freidman Study
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Perhaps you recall the hoopla that surrounded the release in late 2011 of a study by economists Chetty, Friedman, and Rockoff, in which they claimed that a great teacher would produce a huge increase in lifetime earnings, fewer pregnancies, and other wonderful life outcomes. It was reported on the front page of the New York […]
Helen Gym: Report from Philadelphia Parents on the Front Lines of Destruction
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Philadelphia has had a disastrous year of school closings, budget cuts, and a report recommending privatization of large numbers of public schools. Now, as parent activist Helen Gym reports, the situation is even more dire after massive layoffs. The state of Pennsylvania and the mayor of Philadelphia seem content to let private corporations take over […]
Save Michigan Public Schools Rally on June 19
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
This just in. Here is the flyer in downloadable form: Education supporters plan huge grassroots rally at Mich Capitol June 19th Grassroots power in action! Please join us on the Capitol lawn beginning at 11:30 am on Wednesday, June 19th. We’re still working on lining up our speakers for the event, but we’ve already confirmed […]
Anthony Weiner and Christine Quinn Compete for Charter School Support
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
There have been several forums for mayoral candidates in New York City. At the latest one, convened by charter supporters, Anthony Weiner and Christine Quinn pledged to continue giving free public space to charters. This was a practice initiated by the Bloomberg administration. John Liu said he would end the practice, a stand that showed […]
Faces of the Layoff: Who Got Pink Slips in Philadelphia
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Numbers don’t begin to tell the story. Nearly 4,000 employees of the Philadelphia public school district learned that their jobs had been terminated. The Teacher Action Group of Philadelphia is gathering photos to put a human face on an inhumane decision. Each one has a story. They are real people, not numbers.
On School Reform, Indiana Newspaper says”The Worm Is Turning”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette points to signs that the corporate reform movement is losing steam. Indiana is an epicenter of school privatization and teacher-bashing, yet even there the movement seems to be lagging. The epic defeat of state superintendent Tony Bennett was one clear indication of public opposition to his reforms. The failure of efforts […]
The Color of School Closures
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Whose schools are closing? Is there a pattern? Take a look at this graphic. Tweet it. Share it. And think about it. What is going on?
Local School Boards Are Under Siege, and So Is Democracy
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
David Lentini is a lawyer and school board member in Maine. I am always happy to read his informed comments. In this one, he responds to an earlier post that explained that the radical group ALEC is trying to bypass and extinguish local school boards in their pursuit of privatization. Lentini writes: I’ve been sounding […]
Is It Fair to Move the Goal Posts?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
In some states that are besotted with accountability, the policy leaders are convinced that students will do better if the tests get harder every year. Florida and Texas immediately come to mind. Would basketball players get better if the basket were raised 6″ every year? Would football players score more points if the goal posts […]
Robert D. Shepherd: Beware the Social Engineer and His Abstractions
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Robert D. Shepherd has had a long career as an author, curriculum developer, and textbook editor. But more than that: he is a remarkably independent thinker. Here are some of his latest reflections on the Common Core: “Ideas matter. In part, the faculties of education schools and state and local education administrators have brought the […]
Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero? The Larger Issues
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Edward Snowden, as everyone knows by now, is the 29-year-old man who leaked secrets about our government’s surveillance of phone calls and emails. I don’t know if he is a traitor or hero or something else, but I do think that his revelations raise concerns for all of us. As we realize by now, government […]
Extremist North Carolina House Approves $50 Million for Vouchers
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Despite last minute efforts to derail vouchers, the North Carolina House appropriations committee approved a budget with $50 million for vouchers. The money would be taken away from the state’s underfunded public schools. North Carolina presently ranks 48th in the nation in supporting its public schools. Some Republican legislators from rural districts pointed out that […]
Notes from a Teacher in Syracuse
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
A teacher sent this commentary about what’s happening in her city of Syracuse, New York. She writes: “As part of the teacher evaluation in Syracuse, our lovely union negotiated a student survey which would count as 6% of our evaluation. It’s called the Tripod survey, but I don’t know what that means. I’ve attached the […]
Mayor Nutter Prefers Privatization to Public Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
The irony of Philadelphia’s turn to privatization is that Philadelphia had the most extensive trial of privatization of any city in the nation about ten years ago. The district schools outperformed the privately managed schools, which lost their contracts. But that predated the charter movement, which is now hyped as having a secret formula to […]
Mike Petrilli: A Surprising and Welcome Offer
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
I always hold out hope that Mike Petrilli will be the conservative who one day leaves behind his brethren and realizes that the punitive policies of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top were a huge and costly mistake. Why do I hold out hope for Mike? I know him, and I know […]
Why I Did Not Attend the Rally in Albany Last Saturday
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Several people have asked me why I did not join them in Albany for the big rally, which drew more than 10,000 people to protest the state’s overuse and misuse of high-stakes testing. I was invited to speak, but I declined because of health reasons. In the past couple of years, I have had severe […]
Philadelphia Teacher: For Our Dedication, We Get Pink Slips
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Harvey Scribner is a teacher in Philadelphia. He got his pink slip over the weekend. He was broken-hearted. He knows that no one cares. But he needed to say what he did in his four years as a teacher and why his school should not be destroyed: “Since coming to the District I found equipment […]
North Carolina Plans Charters for Rural Areas
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
The pro-voucher group called Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina may be invited to open charter schools in rural areas, according to a budget bill in the legislature. The House has set aside $1 million for the group. The same House budget contains cuts for public schools.
An Education Declaration to Rebuild America
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
A diverse group of individuals have joined to sign an Education Declaration to Rebuild America. Please read the statement and if you agree, send it to your friends, tweet it, add it to your Facebook page. Please sign here. · An Education Declaration to Rebuild America Americans have long looked to our public schools to […]
Tucson Stores Student Data on Murdoch’s Other Site
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Columnist David Safier of Tucson keeps close watch on the corporatization of education in Arizona. He recently reported that the Tucson school district is outsourcing student data to a Murdoch owned site called mCLASS. This is different from the Murdoch data storage program called inBloom. Safier is concerned about the security of student data, as […]
Newark Regains Fiscal Control, But What Does That Mean?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Newark, New Jersey, has been under state control for 18 years, and many residents have sought a return of local control. Their demands have grown louder since the district became a playground for reformers after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave the city $100 million for reform and the state appointed Broad-trained superintendent Cami Anderson. In […]
Voucher Research Funded by Walton Favors Vouchers
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Logan T. Carlson, an investigative journalist for the Gannett News Service, noticed that the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas is funded by pro-voucher foundations, including the Walton Family Foundation and the Bradley Foundation. A group of researchers at the Project have been responsible for the five-year evaluation of Milwaukee’s voucher program. […]
Teacher: Firing Everyone Did Not Make a Difference
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
A teacher read the discussion about the “parent trigger,” which assumes that schools improve when parents have the power to fire some or all of the staff, or to turn the school over to a private charter operator. This teacher disagrees, based on direct experience: I can add to this discussion. I am a teacher […]
Is Common Core Inevitable? Why?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Paul Thomas has a surprising and unusual habit of thinking. He doesn’t follow the crowd or the latest fashion. In this post, he notices how organizations are falling into line on the Common Core, even though they know that schools and teachers and children are not ready. Thomas taught English in high school for nearly […]
Gates Foundation Makes Nice with Teachers
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Somehow the word has gotten through to the Gates Foundation that many teachers don’t like their agenda. Teachers know that Bill Gates has told governors and the media that American public education is broken and obsolete. Teachers know he created the “blame-the-teacher” narrative. Teachers know he pushed the flawed idea that test scores of students […]
Robert Shepherd:A Fundamental Question About Common Core
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Robert Shepherd, author, textbook writer, curriculum designer, writes: “How many different forms might the education of the young take? One of the problems with issuing a single set of standards for all is that those standards are INTENDED to reduce the amount of variation (synonym: innovativeness) in the system. But variation, innovation, competitive models, models […]
The End of Public Education in Philadelphia?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Will Bunch, Philadelphia journalist, reports rumors that state officials may be planning to privatize all of Philadelphia. Philadelphia schools tried privatization a decade ago and it didn’t work. But this seems to be the cheapest way to get rid of the Philly problem instead of giving the kids and schools what they need.
Common. Core: Skepticism in the New York Times
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus wrote an interesting article about the Common Core in Sunday’s New York Times. They don’t usually write about K-12 education, so their perspective is different from that of educators who complain about the speed and secrecy with which th standards became national. A few tidbits: “It is the uniformity of […]
New York Advocacy Groups Post Petition to Remove John King
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Advocacy groups have posted a petition on change.org calling for the removal of John King as state commissioner. Parents and educators reject King’s blind faith in high-stakes testing and his determination to evaluate educators based on test scores, despite the absence of evidence for this approach and the certain negative consequences.
The Néw High School: Deja Vu All Over Again
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Arne Duncan announced that he plans to hold a national competition for a redesign of the high school. He wants to dangle $300 million (if Congress agrees) for those who come up with the best redesign of the American high school. He is thinking STEM, technology, and other such big ideas. As I read of […]
Breaking News: Texas Governor Signs Bill to Reduce Testing
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
In a huge victory for students, parents, educators, and local school boards, Governor Rick Perry signed HB5, a bill that reduces the quantity of state-mandated tests. Up until the last minute, activists were fearful he might veto it. But Perry deferred to the huge public outcry against high-stakes testing. Here is a summary by Texas […]
Teacher: Governor Walker’s Punitive Policies
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
A high school teacher in Wisconsin looks at what Governor Scott Walker and the state legislature have in store for public schools. It bears mentioning that Wisconsin public schools have the highest graduation rate in the nation. He writes: I teach at a wonderful high school in La Crosse, WI. Here is what is coming […]
For-Profit Operator in Ohio Wins Big Increase
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
David Brennan of White Hat Management operates a few dozen mostly low-performing charter schools for profit in Ohio. Since 1999, he has collected nearly $1 billion for his operations, which include virtual charters. Oh, yes, he is also a major contributor to Republicans, especially Governor John Kasich and legislative leaders. In budget negotiations, he was […]
Jay Matthews: Why the Common Core Standards Will Fail
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Jay Mathews writes a regular blog about education for the Washington Post. He has been writing about education for decades. His most recent book celebrates KIPP. He has been the guiding force behind the idea of ranking high schools by the number of students who take AP courses. One of the things I like best […]
Camins: Two Roads Diverged in a Wood…..
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
“Two roads diverged in a wood,” begins one of Robert Frost’s most famous poems. In 2011, Arthur Camins described the fateful choice confronting American education. In 2011, he wrote: “U.S. education is at a transformational moment. The choices we make will determine whether our schools become collaborative and democratic or prescriptive and authoritarian. The policies […]
Is It Possible to Do the Wrong Thing in the Right Way?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Here is a puzzlement (as the king said in “The King and I”). Is there a right way to do something that is inherently wrong? I think that it is wrong to judge “teacher quality” by student test scores. Doing so undermines the quality of education. It narrows the curriculum only to what is tested. […]
Seamus McCarville Explains Why He Fights the “Reformers”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Seamus McCarville knows it would be easier for him if he remained silent when faced with attacks on teachers and public schools. But he remembers the advice his teacher gave him in high school he the class bully went after him: Always leave a mark. No cowering for him. He fights because he wants to […]
Schneider: Jindal in Hot Water in Legislature
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Mercedes Schneider summarizes what happened to education bills in the Louisiana legislature this session. The good news is that the legislature is no longer rolling over for Jindal. Some of the damage of last year was undone by the courts and the legislature. Most surprising was the enactment of a “reverse parent trigger,” allowing charter […]
Mississippi Governor: Blame Working Moms for Educational Woes
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
The governor of Mississippi said recently that America’s educational troubles started when women joined the workforce. Please, somebody, send him a copy of my new book when it comes out in September. He will be surprised to learn that test scores of federal exams have never been higher and dropout rates have never been lower. […]
An Extraordinary Student
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
When I visited South Side High School in Rockville Center, where Carol Burris is principal, I was questioned by a group of students as part of my presentation. One of them is featured in this article. He is a young man with a severe disability. He has a sunny disposition and is an inspiration to […]
A Gift to You This Sunday from a Teacher in Ohio
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Maureen Reedy, a veteran Ohio teacher and state teacher of the year, sent this gift, which I gladly share: Song of Democracy ~ by Walt Whitman An old man’s thoughts of school, An old man’s gathering youthful memories and blooms that youth itself cannot. Now only do I know You, O fair auroral skies – […]
I Received a Letter from a Student
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
I received a letter from a student in Renton, Washington. I will not include the student’s name, to protect his or her privacy. I was moved by the honesty and thoughtfulness of this letter. If we have 11-years old this smart, our nation’s future is secure. This young person makes me feel like a teacher. […]
Philadelphia: Denying Educational Opportunity
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Public officials in Pennsylvania are trying to starve public education until it dies. They have a constitutional obligation under the state and possibly the federal constitution to provide equal treatment to all. The students hurt most by state budget cuts are disproportionately black and Hispanic. Someone should sue to compel the state to provide education […]
Gary Rubinstein: The TFA Listening Tour
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Gary Rubinstein was one of a small group of TFA alums invited to meet with the new leaders of the organization, who took over as Wendy Kopp took charge of TFA’s international program. Gary was surprised to hear that others echoed his criticisms of the organization. Gary believes that the education reform movement is nearing […]
Reader: Should Children in Kindergarten Do Third Grade Work?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
In a discussion of the expectations of the Common Core, a reader offered this observation: “Here in Clark County Nevada we have been treated to a special pep talk by our new superintendent, a 25 year veteran of the district and a former kindergarten teacher. He stated on Jon Ralston’s show that we will have […]
Stan Karp: One Small Step Towards Democracy, or an Illusion?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Stan Karp, an experienced teacher who retired and now works for the Education Law Center, here describes the state’s decision to give “fiscal control” to Newark, but not control over instruction, personnel, operations, or governance. What this means is unclear. The board cannot hire or fire the superintendent. What power was transferred? No one knows. […]
How Parents set the Record Straight for This Teacher
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
You may recall a few weeks ago a post about a teacher who was falsely accused of putting a state math question on Twitter. His principal suspended him. Eventually he was cleared of wrongdoing but there was a cloud over his head and a bitter taste in his mouth about the episode. Then the parents […]
Why Failing Charters in Michigan Are Not Closed
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
This comment was posted in response to a report by Education Trust Midwest about Michigan’s expansion of low-performing (and failing) charter schools. The irony is that the original theory of charters was that they would either meet their goals or lose their charter. twenty plus years ago, no one considered the possibility that for-profit and […]
Teacher: Reflections on Deborah Gist’s New Contract
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
This post was sent to me by a teacher in Rhode Island who uses the nom de plume Horace Manic. Mr. Manic writes: The recent renewal of the contract of Deborah Gist, the Commissioner of Education in Rhode Island, brings to light some interesting political dynamics. Considering the recent, well-publicized conversion of Rhode Island Governor, […]
A Teacher at Weigand Responds to Ben Austin
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
The following comment was posted on the blog by a teacher at Weigand Avenue Elementary School in response to Ben Austin’s open letter to me, in which Austin defends Parent Revolution’s campaign to oust the school’s principal Irma Cobain. The teacher writes: . Mr. Austin claims that “every teacher who signed that 2011 petition is […]
Alan Singer on Common Core
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Alan Singer has some concerns about Common Core but much to admire.
Principal: My View of the Pearson/Common Core ELA Tests
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Anna Allanbrook, principal of the Brooklyn New School, wrote a letter to the families of the school expressing her view of the new ELA tests. Yes, they were harder, because so many of the multiple-choice questions had more than one answer. This is simply very bad test design. Test questions should have one answer, not […]
A Race for the Cool?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Sara Mosle explains why air-conditioning matters. When elected officials hear complaints about sweltering classrooms, they sometimes reply that back in the day, there was no air-conditioning. Mosle points out that when the end of year tests are given, children in affluent districts with air-conditioned classrooms have an advantage. When the Chicago Teachers Union complained about […]
In Person with Jon Stewart: The Story of the I.S. 318 Chess Team
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Yesterday I wrote about the championship chess team at I.S. 318 in Brooklyn, which needs $20,000 to travel to tournaments and remain in competition. The after school funding that keeps the program alive was cut by the New York City Department of Education. I thought you would enjoy watching the segment on “The Daily Show” […]
CPS Policies Will Promote Privatization, Inequality
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
The Chicago Public Schools’ policy of closing public schools and opening charter schools will obviously promote privatization. What it will also promote is inequality and lack of transparency. This is the contention of a panel that recently met to discuss the closure of some 50 public schools.
Randi: Philadelphia Superintendent Demolishes Public Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
William Hite, the Broad-trained superintendent of schools in Philadrlphia, released his plan to demolish public education in that poor district, which has been controlled by the state for more than a decade. There is plenty of shame to go around: to Governor Corbett, who wants to destroy public education in his state; to the Legislature, […]
Karen Lewis on Ben Austin’s Letter
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
A comment on Ben Austin’s open letter to me: “Why would Ben Austin insert his own and his brother’s story in an open letter to you? And just for good measure, the annoying phrase, “…kids trapped in failing schools…” I am so sick of this refrain because it sounds like the rich and powerful really […]
My Reply to Ben Austin’s Open Letter to Me
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Earlier today, Ben Austin wrote an open letter to me on Huffington Post. He expressed dismay about my characterization of him and his group Parent Revolution. Read his letter here. Here is my reply. Dear Ben Austin, Thank you for your invitation to engage in dialogue in your letter posted on Huffington Post. You probably […]
Wendy Kopp Hails Philadelphia’s “Progress” As District Suffers Draconian Cuts
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Why did Wendy Kopp hail Philadelphia’s “progress” on the same day that the state-run School Reform Commission slashed the city’s public school budget to the bone, eliminating librarians, arts programs, athletics, and counselors, stripping bare an impoverished district? Maybe she was confused. Or misinformed. Or maybe she meant it. Kopp quickly apologized but Philadelphia journalist […]