CPS Fired a Teacher by Calling His Mother
What a strange bureaucracy is Chicago Public Schools. Also, like many bureaucracies, cold and heartless. CPS fired veteran Chicago teacher Xian Barrett by informing his mother. The principal called his mother and read a script. It’s not like Barrett is a minor. Why wouldn’t they have the nerve to call him directly? The mass layoffs follow an unprecedented mass closing of 50 schools. Could this b
Vultures Circle Detroit Art Museum
Watch the billionaires scoop up the treasures of the Detroit Institute of Art. Is ours a society where the public sector can be ransacked for gain, where legislatures and governors walk away from any responsibility to protect the common wealth?
Weston: Why Grading Schools Is a Fraud
Michael Weston, a teacher in Hillsborough County, Florida, explains here why giving letter grades to schools is a phony and a fraud that does nothing to improve education. It may be former Governor Jeb Bush’s proudest accomplishment and the linchpin of the “Florida miracle,” but it is still utterly worthless. Weston, who is running for school board (and who was recently fired for being outspoken)
Joshua Starr Searches for Néw Measures
Superintendent Joshua Starr in Montgomery County, Maryland, is searching for ways to measure students other than test scores. The district has commissioned Gallup to develop measures of social and emotional factors. Sounds good but why not do what Sidwell Friends, Exeter, Andover, Lakeside Academy, and schools in Finland do: Trust professional judgment. HuffPost reporter Joy Resmovits tweeted th
Stop Bullying Now
I just learned from a reader about a new group in Pittsburgh to stop bullying. It reminded me to share with you my thoughts about a current movie called “Bully.” I saw it on a cable station as an “on demand” movie. A friend urged me to see it. He was right. It is gripping and heart-breaking. It tells the story of several children who were bullied, taunted, teased, ridiculed on a daily basis by o
Diane in the Evening 7-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The Game in Detroit: PensionsIn a series of legal maneuvers, Governor Snyder of Michigan and his emergency manager rushed to plunge Detroit into a historic bankruptcy. The judge was not pleased. “Prior to her ruling on Friday, she criticized the Snyder administration and Attorney General’s Office for what appeared to be hasty actio
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 7-20-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGTODAYVultures Circle Detroit Art MuseumWatch the billionaires scoop up the treasures of the Detroit Institute of Art. Is ours a society where the public sector can be ransacked for gain, where legislatures and governors walk away from any responsibility to protect the common wealth?by dianerav / 57min Weston: Why Grading