Phony “Revival” of Arts Education in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Los Angeles Fund for Public Education (co-founded by Superintendent John Deasy and some of the city’s wealthiest citizens) will contribute $750,000 to revive arts education in that city’s public schools. Teachers will receive training to integrate arts education into math, social studies, and other areas of the curriculum. This is a sad response to the gutti
Idaho Approves TFA for “Teacher Training”
Idaho just recently approved Teach for America as a “state sanctioned vehicle for the preparation of teachers in Idaho.” At first I thought this was an April Fools joke but it isn’t April. The weakest aspect of TFA claims is its “preparation” of teachers in only five weeks. If that is all it takes, then teaching is not a profession but a job for temps. Travis Manning, a high school English teach
Students Seeking Debt Relief Get Duped Instead
John Hechinger of Bloomberg News has unearthed the unsavory practices of the “debt relief” industry. These are loan sharks that advertise that they will help people pay off their students loans, then charge them as much as $1,600 for services they could get for free from the government. It is a good business, but it preys on uninformed people. It is best to be informed, know your rights, contact y
Deasy Defies New L.A. Board Majority
When the Los Angeles school board prepared to elect a new president, Superintendent John Deasy let it be known that he might resign if Richard Vladovic won the election. Vladovic won by 5-2. The two nay votes came from outgoing president Monica Garcia and her ally Tamar Galatzan. Before the election, there were rumors that Vladovic was under investigation for verbally abusing board employees, an
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 shopping for an authorizer with low or no standards. She writes: “If I’m feeling less charitable, I expla
William Mathis: NCLB Reauthorization is a Bipartisan Disaster
William Mathis, a former school superintendent in Vermont, now associated with the National Education Policy Center, analyzed the proposed legislation of both Democrats and Republicans and finds that both parties have no understanding of the damage wrought by No Child Left Behind. Washington insiders continue their hapless crusade to “reform” the schools by high-stakes testing and privatization. T
Diane in the Evening 7-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Moskowitz “Success Academy” Sues to Block State AuditWhen New York State Comptroller Tom Di Napoli informed Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy charter chain of his intention to audit its financial records, the corporation sued to block the audit of public funds on grounds it was unconstitutional. According to the story in a legal jo