Who Abandoned the Children of Philadelphia?
A new survey shows that Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate of any of the nation’s 10 largest cities. 28% of the city’s people are poor, as are 39% of its children. The national child poverty rate is 23%. Now we know from reformers that poverty is no “excuse” for low test scores, but we also know from the reality-based world that low income is highly correlated with low test scores. If you
Connecticut: Yes, Democracy Matters
Hugh Bailey argues that fighting democracy is a losing battle. He refers to the struggle over the future of the public schools of Bridgeport, Connecticut, which has involved an ongoing battle by the mayor to gain control of the schools (he lost a referendum when the public said no) and now involves a court battle to keep Paul Vallas as superintendent. He was hired, Bailey says, by an illegitimate
An Eloquent and Incredibly Brave Child Speaks at the UN
Malala Yousafzai, the teenager who was shot in the head by Taliban thugs who don’t want girls to be educated, spoke at the United Nations and was amazingly eloquent in calling for free, compulsory education for every child. What an incredible and heroic young woman. Some heard her and got goosebumps. The attempt to murder her made her more courageous. ““Let us pick up our books and our pens,” M
IMPACT Has No Impact
Long Island principal Carol Burris recently examined the effects of Michelle Rhee’s IMPACT program in DC. It was started in 2009. By now they have enough data to identify all the great teachers, right? They know enough to demonstrate whether three great teachers in a row closes the achievement gap, right? But test scores in D.C. have been nearly flat since IMPACT was adopted. The achievement gap i
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Indiana: “It’s the Money, Stupid”Karen Francisco writes that she is often asked to explain what a charter school is. She used to say that it was a publicly- funded school that is exempt from many state regulations in exchange for higher accountability. But now she sees falling charter schools turn into voucher schools or go shoppin