Before Detroit’s Fire Sale Begins, Call the Experts
With bankruptcy looming, buzzards are flying by to pick meat off the Motor City’s bones. Before they do, someone should talk to experts on the dangers of privatization: Contact: Richard Allen Smith July 23, 2013 rasmith@inthepublicinterest.org **** MEDIA AVAILABILITY**** As Detroit Contemplates a “Fire Sale” of its Assets, Privatization Experts are Available to Discuss the Dangers of Selling Pub
How Enron $till Put$ Student$ Fir$t
Enron may have gone bankrupt, and its employees may have lost their life savings, but it left some people very rich. Here EduShyster tells the story of Texas billionaire John Arnold. He is one of the lucky few who managed to walk away from the Enron debacle with more than $3 billion. Some former Enron execs are doing time. Not Arnold. You know he must be smart because he got out before the roof f
NYC Educator: Making Big $$ in Bloomberg’s NYC
Arthur Goldstein, who teaches English language learners in a high school in Néw York City, realized he is missing out on the way to get very rich in Mayor Bloomberg’s education system. Certainly not by teaching because the mayor doesn’t care for teachers. It is not by teaching in a charter but by operating a charter like Eva and Geoffrey. The teachers turn over rapidly but the CEOs do very well
Kevin Huffman and the Mind of a Reformer
Kevin Huffman, Tennessee state education commissioner, has decided that children with disabilities need to take the same standardized state tests as other children. For many years, children with severe disabilities took an alternative test, but Huffman wants to put an end to that. He says it is time to stop lying to these children. “For years, the state has been hiding children with disabilities
Bruce Baker: One of the Dumbest Ways to Evaluate Teachers
Bruce Baker here examines a “graduate school” created by charter schools where their inexperienced teachers train new teachers how to produce high test scores. The model is a charter in New Jersey called North Star that gets great “growth scores” but has remarkably high attrition rates, especially among black boys. Baker writes: “But is a school really successful if 50 enter 5th grade, 1/3 are g
How Many Times Can Charter Operators Fail and Still Survive?
Darcie Cimarusti—aka Mother Crusader—has done some heavy duty investigation and research. She was trying to figure out who were the movers and shakers behind the Jersey City Global Charter School. She knew that New Jersey Commissioner of Education Chris Cerf boasted about the care with which he selected new charter schools and their operators. But she was not convinced. It didn’t take much digging
Daniel Denvir: Pennsylvania Covering Up Major Cheating Scandal
Daniel Denvir, crack investigative journalist in Philadelphia, reports that the state has dragged its feet on an investigation of a major cheating scandal. Despite evidence of high rates of erasures, the state has done nothing and refuses reporters’ requests for information. Denvir writes: “Over the last two years, inquiries were closed or altered with little explanation, and state and school ad
Diane in the Evening 7-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Connecticut Teacher On Vallas’ RecordA Connecticut teacher named Linda who comments frequently on the blog decided to research the record of Paul Vallas. This is her summary: “I have been keeping track for a while now…easy to goggle Vallas and Pelto, Ravitch, Mercedes Schneider, Philly Notebook, George Schmidt, substance news. http