Diane Ravitch's blog
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG
DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
Principal: My View of the Pearson/Common Core ELA Tests
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 minutes 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 - 19 minutes 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 hour 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 hour 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 - 2 hours 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 - 11 hours 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 - 11 hours 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 - 18 hours 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 […]
Failing Charter Becomes a Voucher School
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 19 hours ago
Two low-performing for-profit Imagine charter schools in Fort Wayne, Indiana, were supposed to close because of their poor academic records. But instead of closing, they are merging with Horizon Christian Academy, where students will be encouraged to apply for vouchers. Karen Francisco, the editorial page editor of the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, says that we now […]
Reader: The Close Ties Between Arne Duncan and the Broad Foundation
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 21 hours ago
A reader offered the following comments on the relationship between Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and the Broad Foundation: “There is no way Duncan limited testing when he was in Chicago because it would have impeded the corporate education reform agenda. Arne Duncan was on the board of the Broad Foundation while he was the […]
What Happens After Every Teacher Is Evaluated and Fired?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 22 hours ago
Arthur Goldstein is at his satirical best as he paints a darkly outrageous vision of the future, after the testing and privatization movement has finally achieved all its goals. All the teachers have been fired (except for the Gates-funded “Educators for Excellence”), charter operators have taken over the New York City school system,, and Walmart […]
Gist Contract Extended, RI Board Supports High-Stakes Testing
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 23 hours ago
Over protests by teachers and students, the Rhode Island state board of education gave state Commissioner of Education Deborah Gist a two-year contract extension. Teachers objected to Gist’s top-down management style. Students opposed Gist’s insistence on using a standardized test as a requirement for graduation. Gist had the support of Governor Lincoln Chafee, Secretary of […]
Schneider: Phony Accountability for Louisiana Charters
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 23 hours ago
Mercedes Schneider asked the state auditor for reviews of charter schools. Her exchange and the information she received show how little accountability exists. The original rationale for charters some 20+ years ago was that they would get relief from regulations in return for accountability for results. That was before anyone understood that charter supporters would […]
Will Budget Cuts Kill the Nation’s Finest Chess Team?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Last year, a terrific documentary was produced about the extraordinary chess team at I.S. 318 in Brooklyn. The film is called “Brooklyn Castle.” Its producer and one of the star players were on the Jon Stewart “Daily Show,” and the chess program was also featured in Paul Tough’s book “How Children Succeed.” The chess program […]
Teacher Review: This Is How Common Core Works in My Classroom
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
I have insisted again and again that the Common Core standards should be field-tested so that we could learn what works and what needs fixing. Here is a comment from a reader describing how Common Core works. I hope we get other reviews from teachers as the standards and tests are rolled out. Teachers, please […]
Teacher Explains How to Save U.S. Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
This is a terrific article, written by David Patten, an Ohio teacher of history and government. Patten begins this way: “I have found it! After little thought and less reflection, I have found the answer to the problems of American public school education. Best of all, my solution will cost no money, save the taxpayers […]
The Girls at Catherine Ferguson Academy Fight Back!
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
This is an unbelievable story. I first learned about the Catherine Ferguson Academy from the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC. It is (or was) a school for pregnant girls in Detroit, with an innovative curriculum, for example, the girls learned to garden and tend farm animals and engage in projects and activities. But the future […]
A Suggestion for the President
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
A reader (Mom/Speducator) has an idea for President Obama. Instead of going to Mooresville, North Carolina, to talk up the high-tech classroom, she says, how about this: “Shouldn’t he have instead traveled to Chicago to offer support to the thousands of families whose lives will be in upheaval in a matter of months.”
Iowa’s “Sweeping” School Reform Bill
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Governor Terry Branstad pushed through school reform in Iowa that is supposedly sweeping, but I fail to see the sweep in the bill. It creates new leadership positions for teachers within schools, and that is supposed to be huge, but I am not sure why. It does not mandate that teacher evaluations be tied to […]
Great Neck, NY, School Board Passes Anti-High-Stakes Testing Resolution
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Great Neck, New York, is a suburban community outside New York City that has long been renowned for its excellent public schools. About 95% of its students graduate high school, and many are admitted to our nation’s finest colleges and universities. At its meeting last Monday, the Great Neck school board unanimously passed a resolution […]
Michael Fiorillo’s EdTech Plan
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
In response to President Obama’s proposal to connect every classroom and use software that will enable every teacher to know what every student is thinking at all times, Michael Fiorillo has another idea: “I applaud President Obama’s desire for oversight of young people’s brains, but his proposal doesn’t go nearly far enough. “My edu-venture will […]
Paul Thomas: When Innovation Looks Like the Status Quo
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Paul Thomas analyzes the latest plan to save the D.C. Public schools, this one prepared by a law firm on behalf of City Councilmember David Catania. Thomas finds that it is just as innovative, perhaps even more innovative, than past innovations. On the other hand, it might be somewhat less innovative than past innovations. But […]
PARCC Common Core Tests Will Take Ten Hours: New Link
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
I posted this story last night but for some reason, I didn’t get the link right. I think I have it now. Here it is. The ten hours is the time projected for the Common Core tests developed by PARCC, one of the two testing consortia funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It does […]
Seattle Teachers: What Our Victory Over MAP Testing Means
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Seattle teachers Jesse Hagopian and Liza Campbell explain here what happened when the teachers at Garfield High School decided to boycott MAP testing. Their courageous action inspired teachers and parents across the nation. The MAP tests were suspended for the high schools but not for K-8. But the teachers were not acting simply in opposition […]
Obama: Every Classroom Should Be Digitized
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
President Obama will unveil his technology plan for American education today in Mooresville, North Carolina. Joy Resmovits reports on Huffington Post: “President Barack Obama imagines a country where teachers know what’s happening in their students’ brains. “He wants “teachers to have an ability to assess learning hour by hour and day by day,” a senior […]
Why NJ School Reports Are Misleading and Useless
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
New Jersey has followed the trail blazed by Jeb Bush when he was governor of Florida: competition, data, accountability, choice. It is the classic formula for those who believe that competition and data are the best “drivers” of education. Thus, New Jersey has created its own report cards to drive competition. Predictably the report cards […]
The Only Effective Way to Help Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Here is a radical idea. Edward Berger in Arizona proposes that “reformers” should pursue the same education for “other people’s children” that they want for their own children. Imagine that!
A Response to Rahm’s Unprecedented School Closures
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Here the Reverend John Thomas eloquently refutes the Chicago Tribune’s editorial support for Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s heartless decision to close dozens of neighborhood schools. The Tribune on one hand praises the teachers who saved the lives of their students. But then condemns the teachers of Chicago for refusing to accept the closure of their schools and […]
Is Your Child As Smart as a Two-Year-Old?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
I try to give voice to people of differing views. In this case, an educator left a comment and takes issue with those who think the Common Core is too demanding. What do you think? As a parent, educator and scholar of educational policies and theories, I alarm at many of the comments that suggest […]
New Yorkers Oppose Pearson Field Tests, Plus DeWitt Joins the Honor Roll
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
As thousands of activists plan to rally in Albany against the stat’s heavy reliance on standardized testing on June 8, many parents and educators are speaking out against Pearson’s field tests. The testing corporation is trying out questions in the state’s classrooms that might be used on future tests, but opponents say “enough is enough.” […]
How to Demotivate Teachers and Other Staff
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Here is an article written for business people. It is called “8 Surefire Ways to Demotivate Your Employees.” It appears on the website of the National Federation of Independent Business. Read it and think how these principles apply to the corporate education reform movement. Corporate reformers seem to practice every one of these rules and […]
Warning: ALEC Wants to Eliminate School Boards
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Julie Underwood, dean of the school of education at the University of Wisconsin, has been watching ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, and warns that their agenda includes the elimination of local school boards. School boards are a basic democratic institution. Some 95% are elected. They hire and fire superintendents and set each district’s policy […]
Will Deborah Gist Be Reappointed?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
The Rhode Island state board of education will vote today on whether to renew Deborah Gist’s contract as State Commissioner of Education. It seems likely she will be reappointed since Governor Lincoln Chafee favors her, as does the new chair of the state board. Rhode Island teachers don’t like her. In a poll, 85% said […]
More about Michael Weston on This Teacher-Run Site
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
This website was created by teachers for teachers. It alerted me to Michael Weston’s firing by his principal in Hillsborough Country, Florida.
Should Teachers Have Freedom of Speech? Hillsborough County, Florida, Says No
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Teacher Mike Weston is running for school board. He teaches math at Freedom High in Hillsborough County, Florida. That is, he used to teach math at Freedom High. He was fired by his principal. Freedom High doesn’t think highly of Weston’s freedom of speech. So he is now free to look for a job elsewhere. […]
Third Graders to Governor Cuomo: “We Are Only in Third Grade, for Heaven’s Sake”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
A third-grade class of children in upstate New York were upset by the Common Core exams. Their teacher and principal encouraged them to write to the Governor. Many complained that they didn’t have enough time to finish. One wrote, “”I know the governor wants us to be ‘college ready,’ but we are only in third […]
Come to the Skinny Awards in NYC on June 18 to Honor Two Great Teacher Bloggers
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Please attend our Fifth annual “Skinny Awards” Class Size Matters fundraiser And enjoy a four-course dinner with wine When: Tuesday June 18 at 6 PM Where: FAGIOLINI ON 40TH, 120 E. 40th St. (betw. Lexington and 3rd Ave.) Purchase your tickets here. Each year we give an award to the individuals who provide the real “Skinny” on NYC schools. Past […]
New Common Core Tests Will Require Up to 10 Hours
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Catherine Gewertz reports in Education Week that the new Common Core tests created by the PARCC consortium of states will require up to ten hours, depending on grade level. Here is the projection: “The amount of time students will have to complete both the performance-based and end-of-year components in math and English/language arts: Grade 3: […]
Teacher to Iowa Media: Stop Bashing Teachers and Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Amy Prime teaches second grade in Iowa. She writes strong opinion pieces and in this one, she lambastes the Des Moines Register (which publishes her articles) for its most recent editorial blasting the schools. In this case,the newspaper complained that Iowa schools did not have test scores as high as Maryland. Have Iowa’s test scores […]
Michigan Senate Bars Funding of Common Core Implentation
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Last week, when the Michigan elite had its meet at Mackinac Island, Jeb Bush and Michelle Rhee warned about the importance of adopting Common Core. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who is a fervent opponent of public schools, has already endorsed the Common Core in a meeting with Arne Duncan. But the Michigan state senate passed […]
Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter Bets on Privatization
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
An earlier post today described the devastating budget cuts to public education by Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Corbett. Districts across the state are laying off staff, cutting librarians, teachers of the arts, and school nurses and guidance counselors. No city has been harder hit than Philadelphia, which has been under state control for over a decade. […]
Sirota: What “Reformers” Really Want
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
David Sirota sees the current disastrous era of school “reform” as a shell game that blames teachers and schools while diverting the gaze of the public from the root causes of poor academic performance. Persist. This too shall pass.
The Inside Story of a Green Dot Charter School
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Green Dot Public Schools, Teacher Retention, and the Failure of Past Models By Brett Wyatt This is a story of a charter school in the Green Dot Public School system which, after four years of operation, is coming to an inglorious end. It is not an end to the system, or even to school itself, […]
Pennsylvania Parents Mobilize to Protest Governor Corbett’s Budget Cuts
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Pennsylvania blogger Yinzercation reports that parents and concerned citizens are pressing their legislators to reverse Governor Corbett’s policy of defunding public schools. Philadelphia has been under state control for a decade. Now parents and activists are demanding the restoration of a democratically elected board. The School Reform Commission “passed a draconian budget, wiping out public […]
An Important Critique of New York State’s Common Core Tests
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Andrea Gabor, a professor of journalism at Baruch College, describes her experience as a member of a state committee drafting new ELA tests. The work of this committee was set aside and replaced by the new Common Core tests. Gabor obtained complete copies of the tests for grades 6-8, and she makes some sage observations. […]
North Carolina: Public Schools First Rallies Against Cuts
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
ACTION ALERT! publicschoolsfirstnc.org Help Us Deliver 15,000+ Signatures to Governor McCrory on Thursday! It’s time to wake up the people of North Carolina and let them know that our public schools are in danger! Pending bills in the General Assembly could devastate our schools as we know them — lifting the cap on classroom sizes, […]
This Letter About Corporate Involvement in Education Policy Should Go Viral
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Paul Horton, a history teacher at the University of Chicago Lab School, wrote a letter to Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), when the Senator announced his intention to retire. Horton asked whether the senator was aware of the corporate influence on […]
Cerf Denies Approval for Online Charters in New Jersey
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
In a sign that informed opposition makes a difference, New Jersey State Commissioner Chris Cerf denied approval to two virtual charter schools. “A year ago the two charters — a K-12 school in Newark and a high school for dropouts in Monmouth and Ocean Counties — appeared poised to become the state’s first all-online programs. […]
TFA Grooms a Néw Elite
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Teach for America began with a worthy goal: to supply bright, idealistic college graduates to serve in poor children in urban and rural districts. But then it evolved into something with grand ambitions: to groom the leaders who would one day control American education. This article describes the little-known political arm of TFA. TFA alums […]
Maine Legislature Enacts Moratorium on Virtual Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Although K12 Inc. and Pearson’s Connections Academy have lobbied for approval of virtual for-profit charter schools in Maine, the state senate voted 22-13 to put a freeze on them until further study about their effectiveness. The vote fell two short of the 24 needed to override a veto by Governor Paul LePage, a recipient of […]
A Sound Vision for Improving the Teaching Profession
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
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 New “Fix” for Failing D.C. Public Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
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 […]
Ellen Lubic: Whom Can We Trust?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
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 […]
Fairtest: New ESEA Bill Continues Damage Done By Bush-Obama Administrations
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
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, […]
NYC: On Thursday, Join a Demonstration for Education!
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
This just in: Hope you can join us and spread the word! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, June 6th, 2013 NYC public school children will sign John Hancocks to their own “Declaration of Education” on Chancellor’s Day City Hall Park gathering injects a positive message into the standardized testing debate, favors giving administrators room to create […]
What Is Going On in Cheatham County, Tennessee?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
A teacher in Cheatham County, Tennessee, sent me this article about the unusual exodus of teachers from the county’s schools. Twenty-five percent of the staff have resigned in the past year, including the football coach and the basketball coach (whose teams had good seasons). There is a local school board meeting tonight to hear all […]
John Merrow: His Concerns about the Common Core
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
John Merrow does not ally himself with most critics of the Common Core. But he is concerned. He is concerned about whether a school with its own innovative curriculum and methodology will survive. His film crew visited the eighth grade at King Middle School and were impressed by what they found. How will this program […]
Is School Reform Really About Economic Development?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Leslie T. Fenwick, dean of education at Howard University, argues that what is called school “reform” is really about urban land development, not about improving the lives of disadvantaged minority children. She says, follow the money to understand the “reforms.” Dean Fenwick doesn’t mince words. She writes: “The truth can be used to tell a […]
The Patron Saints of Standardized Testing
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Two political leaders—Arne Duncan and Dannell Malloy, governor of Connecticut–recently held a press conference where they both pretended to disdain high-stakes testing. Duncan went so far as to claim that he had decreased standardized testing when he led the Chicago public schools. If only it were true! Jonathan Pelto and Sarah Darer Littman did some […]
Good News: Illinois Enacts Moratorium on Virtual Charters
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
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 […]
Gary Rubinstein: The Illegal Trojan Horse in King’s Evaluation Plan
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Gary Rubinstein, who teaches mathematics, analyzed Commissioner John King’s plan to evaluate NYC teachers, which he imposed in the absence of an agreement between New York City and the United Federation of Teachers. Gary went a step further and read the law that King based his plan on. Gary concludes that King misread the law […]
Camins: What Would Real Reform Look Like?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Arthur Camins is director of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. In this excellent article, he notes that the advocates of the status quo are those who are in power and who impose high-stakes testing and privatization on districts and states. Oddly […]
EdTrust: Failing Charters in Michigan Are Expanding
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
The theory behind charters was that they would produce better results or lose their charter. Education Trust Midwest reports that this is not happening. Low-performing charters are not closed. Instead, they are expanding. Charter operators have learned how to work the political system to their benefit. Not so much for the kids.
A Brilliant Post By Anthony Cody: How to Win
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Anthony Cody gets stronger and sharper with every column he writes. In this post, he explains how the best defense is a good offense. He shows how critics of NCLB were tricked in 2008, then tricked again by Race to the Top. It’s time to stop collaborating with those who want to destroy public education, […]
Student Speaks Out Against StudentsFirst Award to Anti-Gay Legislator
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
A reader shared the following story about a student in Tennessee, where StudentsFirst named an outspoken anti-gay legislator as its “Reformer of the Year.” “11-year old takes on Michelle Rhee and Students First over endorsing “Don’t Say Gay” lawmaker endorsement. “ “I am Marcel Neergaard, and I am 11 years old. This year I was […]
Rally in L.A. For Reduced Class Size!
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
A reader in Los Angeles welcomes all who care about improving public education: Parents from all across Los Angeles are Mobilizing!!!! Please gather tomorrow, Tuesday June 4 at 8:30 am out front of LAUSD central offices on Beaudry street downtown. Lend your voice to a collective choir that demands to be heard. We are Students, […]
How Corporate Reformers Defeated Democracy in Idaho
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
This reader explains how the Legislature had taken steps to circumvent the will of the electorate. Last November, voters decisively repealed the three laws that were promoted by State Superintendent Tom Luna. The reader writes: “I live in Idaho. The legislature has had public hearings since 2011s introduction of Students Come First. Tom Luna is […]
Teacher: We Should Return the Race to the Top Money
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Just in from a teacher: I teach in Albany, New York, and the State Education Department is crazy. I just completed 1 month of testing. and no real teaching. We are giving more tests than I ever dreamed possible. Not only the state exams, but now local measures to help teachers with low testing […]
News Flash: National Exam Leaked Online in the Netherlands
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
A 22-year-old man was arrested in The Netherlands in connection with the posting online of a national examination in French. With the trend towards online national assessments, the temptation for hackers to obtain them, rewrite them, release them, sell them, etc. becomes irresistible.
Question of the Day: When Does 40% = 100%?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Public school activist Leonie Haimson notes in her post about New York’s new educator evaluation plan that the plan includes this proviso: “Teachers rated ineffective on student performance based on objective assessments must be rated ineffective overall.” Haimson writes: “This means despite the claim that there are multiple measures, one year’s worth of unreliable and […]
Do Students Perform Better When the Course Is “Harder”?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
The Hillsborough district in Florida pays superintendents a bonus if more students register for AP courses. It doesn’t matter if they pass the exams or get credit, just register. Here is the result: only 22% passed the Algebra 1 end of course exam. No matter. The superintendent gets a bonus. This idea that low-performing students […]
Pelto: Charter Chain Lies About College-going Rate
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
One of the disturbing behaviors of charter chains is their boasting. All too often, when someone looks past the press release, they find data games, fudging of the numbers, or falsehoods. Jonathan Pelto, a former legislator who follows Connecticut politics and concentrates on education, says that the boasts of a major charter chain in that […]
Anthony Cody: Is the Tea Party Right About Common Core?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
There is a surprising overlap between the views of the Tea Party and those of some in the left towards the Common Core. In Indiana, Democrats and Tea Party activists combined to defeat far-right State Superintendent Tony Bennett and elect educator Glenda Ritz. Democrats opposed his support for privatization and his haughty treatment of teachers: […]
Testing Insanity in NY: New Tests for Gym, Music, Art, K-2
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Testing is moving from onerous to ridiculous. In response to the new teacher evaluation agreement, where every teacher must be evaluated in part by student test scores, the city education department is moving rapidly to develop new tests for every teacher, including teachers of physical education, music, arts, and even kindergarten through second grade. At […]
Hope for Public School Kids in L.A.?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A letter from a reader in Los Angeles: Hi Diane. I thought your readers would be interested to hear that the light might be shining in Los Angeles. Could it be that there is some good news on the horizon for Los Angeles public schools? This Tuesday the school board will vote on a resolution […]
What Is edTPA and Why Do Critics Dislike It?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Teacher educators continue to speak out against edPTA. this is an assessment of teacher performance that will be administered by Pearson. Here is a critique by Julie Gorlewski, a teacher educator at SUNY, New Paltz, New York. The edTPA is a standardized assessment of teaching that is being required in many states, including New York […]
John King’s Teacher Evaluation Plan
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
New York had the misfortune to win Race to the Top funding. That $700 million will eventually cost the state billions of dollars. Commissioner John King just released his plan for Néw York City, where the mayor and the United Federationof Teachers failed to reach agreement. King’s big new idea? Student surveys will be part […]
Burris to King: Listen and Learn
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Carol Burris, a principal of a high school in Long Island, New York, tells a sorry tale of a heavy handed effort by an official of the Néw York State Education Department to intimidate Peter DeWitt, an elementary school principal in upstate Néw York. DeWitt has a regular blog hosted by Education Week. He ran […]
L.A. Times: Parent Trigger=Parent Trap
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
The Los Angeles Times is not at all pleased with the way the so-called “parent trigger” is working out. The editorial board wants a more open, transparent process. The editorial does not point out that only one organization has pushed the idea that parents should seize control of a public institution. “Parent Revolution”–funded by billionaires–wrote […]
Google and the Death of Privacy
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
There is good reason to be worried about the effort by the federal Department of Education to create a massive database. Doing so is part of Race to the Top. There is reason to be concerned about inBloom, the project funded by Gates and managed by Rupert Murdoch. In this review of a new book […]
Sharp Increase in Homeless Kids in NYC
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Yoav Gonen and Frank Rosario in the New York Post report a spike in the number of homeless students in the New York City public schools. They write: “More than 53,000 city public-school students lack a permanent home — a fivefold increase over 2008, figures show. “While the economy’s collapse led to a huge spike […]
“Mrs. Ratliff” Lives
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
I received a letter from a veteran teacher who recognized herself as my teacher Mrs. Ratliff, whom I wrote about in chapter 9 of my recent book The Death and Life of the Great American School System. When I read about all the schemes to measure the worth of students by the test scores of […]
A Gift for You This Sunday
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
I love this poem, and I want to share it with you. It was written by W. H. Auden. It is like a song to me. In Memory of W. B. Yeats by W. H. Auden I He disappeared in the dead of winter: The brooks were frozen, the airports almost deserted, And snow disfigured […]
Professors at San Jose State: No Thanks to Online Courses
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Faculty at San Jose State University have signed a letter opposing the administration’s decision to use online courses developed by faculty at Harvard, MIT, and other eastern universities. The San Jose professors see the adoption of online courses as a deliberate strategy to replace them and downsize their departments. The professors of the humanities are […]
Wisconsin: Vouchers Will Go Statewide
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Governor Scott Walker is a hard-right conservative who wants a market-based school system–or no system at all, just a free market where consumers go to any provider they want. Despite the failure of vouchers in Milwaukee, Walker is pushing for statewide vouchers. He is getting his way, step by step. I wonder if he knows […]
G.F. Brandenburg Deconstructs Rhee
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
In this post, blogger and former math teacher G.F. Brandenburg dissects a speech by Michelle Rhee. What he finds especially amazing is that Rhee doesn’t acknowledge her own role as chancellor of the D. C. Schools as she rid into the flaws of public education. He notes that the achievement gap grew during her time […]
Who Needs PowerPoint?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Whenever I am going to lecture, someone asks if I plan to use PowerPoint. And I always say “no, I just need a microphone and a glass of water.” I know that is retrograde, but to date I have found most PowerPoint presentations to be disruptive or simplistic. I hate it when someone puts up […]
Why Other Nations Fear Race to the Top
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
A reader writes about his experience at an international conference: Last May I had the privilege to be invited to the Van Leer Education conference in Jerusalem with outstanding educational leaders from across the globe. Award winning Teachers, Principals, University Professors and Director Generals/Heads of State were there to discuss the topic “Regulation and Trust”. […]
On Common Core: The Leading Groups Are Wrong Again
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Yesterday I posted a statement endorsed by leading education organizations that endorsed the Common Core but called for more time to implement the new standards. ############## This reader disagrees. The reader commented: “The joint statement issued by the National School Boards Association, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principles, and […]
“Parent Trigger” Sets Parents Against Parents in Los Angeles
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
It has been three years since the passage of “parent trigger” legislation in California, and the law has produced nothing but strife among parents, teachers, and administrators. Corporate reformers backed by billionaires like to say that “kids can’t wait,” but the hostile “trigger” creates strife and the illusion of change, not better schools. Good schools […]
Almost a Debate Between Rhee and Me
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
I have never debated Michelle Rhee. I am ready and willing whenever she is. At a panel discussion convened by Henry Louis Gates Jr. at Martha’s Vineyard in 2011, Michelle and I were on the same panel. I arrived a day early, knowing how beautiful Edgartown is. Michelle arrived literally one minute before the panel […]
Shame on TIME for Supporting Rahm’s School Closures
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
TIME magazine put Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on its cover and praised him as a new kind of “pragmatic” Democrat, the kind that busts unions, ignores parents, and cultivates the approval of the business community. That is certainly a ne kind of Democrat. For a critique of TIME’s fawning coverage, read the article by Peter […]
Teacher: Why I Oppose Merit Pay
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Merit pay is a zombie idea. It fails and fails and fails again, but legislators just want more of it. This teacher explains why he doesn’t want it. There are many reasons to oppose merit pay. 1. It doesn’t work. It failed just in the past few years in Nashville, where the bonus for higher […]
Dare They Send Their Child to the Neighborhood School?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Andy Hines, a writer and stay-at-home dad, describes his family’s debate about where to send their child to school. They live in San Diego, one of the nation’s best urban school districts, but most advantaged parents shun the neighborhood school. Instead they seek out magnet schools, charter schools, religious schools–anything but the neighborhood school. Michael […]
Should This Parent “Shut Up”?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
This parent posted a comment expressing her outrage about tests that no child passed. She was told to “shut up.” Aside from the fact that this is rude language, it’s bad advice. Parents should speak up. They should organize. Alone, they are powerless. When they organize, like the parents in Texas who created Texans Advocating […]
Leading National Groups Support Common Core But Insist on Better Implementation
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
A joint statement by the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National School Boards Association, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals expressed support for the Common Core standards, but called for more time to prepare teachers, students, and schools for the new standards. Their polling showed […]
Does Anyone Care?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Two mothers meet at a rally to protest the school closings in Chicago. One mother shows the other her cell phone. It has pictures of children on it. It is a Facebook page. The second mother explains, these children will be killed if they cross the line into another neighborhood. That’s my son’s picture. He […]
Kids Are Never Too Young to Learn to Make Money
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
EduShyster reports here about a charter school in Utah where the goal of schooling is commerce. Starting in kindergarten, the curriculum is all about buying and selling: “HighMark administrators are quick to point out that the school is not a pint-sized business school. Instead, key business concepts and principles are integrated into every aspect of […]
NYC Parent Explains Why Parents Dislike Bloomberg’s “Reforms”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
This reader echoes a frequent complaint expressed by parents in New York City. Mayor Bloomberg’s choice program gives choice to schools, not students. Sometimes one wonders if he is literally aiming to drive middle-class parents out of the school system and into charters, which will rescue their children from schools that the Tweed gang neglected. […]
Gary Rubinstein on the Changing of the Guard at TFA
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Wendy Kopp stepped aside as CEO of Teach for America and will devote her time to leading the new international arm of TFA, an allied organization called Teach for All. Teach for All will bring the TFA model to nations around the world. Here, Gary Rubinstein checks out the personae of her successors. One he […]