My Article on the Promise and Peril of Technology in Schools
I was invited to write an essay on technology for “Scientific American.” I have not yet seen the issue so am not sure who else contributed. When I was invited, I was told that there would be articles by Bill Gates and Arne Duncan. As you know, there are a few differences among us. One of them is that I write very singe word that is published under my name. No one else writes my books, articles, bl
Do You Want a Cool Pseudonym Like Carlos Danger?
Slate.com has created a device that will generate a pseudonym for you. It is called the Carlos Danger Name Generator. Click here to go to the site. You too can have a really cool handle behind which you can do things that should remain secret. Just for the record, my alternate name is Antonio Hazard. What’s yours?
Are You a Quantitative Learning Gains Facilitator?
In this post that appeared on Valerie Strauss’ “Answer Sheet” at the Washington Post, David Lee Finkle takes on what passes for education “reform” these days. Finkle is a cartoonist and middle school teacher in Florida. Finkle takes on the myth that American schools are failing and points out that they are far more rigorous than ever. The federal government’s obsession with test scores is not i
Ohio: Big GOP Donor Must Open Charters’ Financial Records
This is breaking news. The Ohio Supreme Court let stand lower court rulings that require the White Hat charter corporations to open its financial records to the board members of the charters. White Hat is owned by David Brennan, one of the state’s biggest contributors to GOP campaigns. It is the state’s largest charter chain. The boards of 10 White Hat charters sued the company to gain access to t
Why Parents Should Oppose inBloom
In this post, New York City activist Leonie Haimson explains what inBloom is, how the U.S. Department of Education weakened privacy protections in 2009 and 2011, and why parents should demand the right to withhold their child’s confidential data from inBloom. The creators of inBloom talk about its benefits in creating customized learning tools, but Haimson warns that the real goal is to turn stud
Common Core: Is the Sky Falling?
As parent resistance to high-stakes testing rises, so does public rejection of the Common Core. Several states are considering debating whether to drop the standards, and two–Georgia and Oklahoma–are dropping the testing because of its cost. Stephanie Simon, who wrote many great investigative pieces for Reuters, has moved to Politico. There she questions whether Common Core is failing, a victim o
How Do You Measure Dedication?
Recently the American School Counselors Association held a conference in Philadelphia. At one session, the NCAA representatives explained the requirements for young athletes to become eligible for scholarships. A woman stood in line to ask a specific question. The person who shared this story with me asked her what school or district she was from. She said I am at Martin Luther King Jr. High Schoo
Please Help Marie Corfield Win a Seat in the New Jersey Assembly
Marie Corfield is a teacher who is running for the legislature in New Jersey. She will be a strong and effective voice for public education in a state where it is under attack by Chris Christie’s administration. Marie is having a “money bomb” on July 25. She needs our help. I will contribute to her campaign. I hope you will too. Here is Jersey Jazzman’s description of the Money Bomb with inform
Hucksters, Campaign Donors, Scam Artists: Open a Charter School in New Jersey!
The New Jersey Department of Education has approved six new charter schools to open this fall, and what a motley lot they are! Jersey Jazzman, with his habitual research skills, has assembled the cast of characters, and it is alarming, even by New Jersey’s low standards for charter authorizing. One, as described in a post by Mother Crusader, will be run by a man who was a major participant in a sp
Diane in the Evening 7-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Teacher: Predatory Uses of Data Endanger ChildrenThis teacher blogger takes issue with the opinion article written by Kerrie Dallman, the president of the Colorado Education Association, supporting inBloom, a project of Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch. She writes: “Aside from your support of inBloom in Colorado and the glaring ethics