How Many Voucher Frauds in Louisiana? No One Knows
The voucher program in Louisiana continues to amaze. It is a living demonstration of what happens when public officials abandon responsibility for the children and institutions in their care. Watch what happens when the state gives children a voucher for public funds and then says that whatever choice they make is okay. John White memorably said last year: “To me, it’s a moral outrage that the gov
“Declaration of Independence” by United Opt Out
United Opt Out has consistently spoken against the abuses of testing and high stakes for students and teachers. Here is a link to their Declaration of Independence and to other important information about them. And here is their Declaration of Independence from corporate education reform. United Opt Out National http://unitedoptout.com IN OPPOSITION, July 4, 2013 The unanimous Declarati
Peter DeWitt: Is Arne’s Defense of Common Core Falling Apart?
Peter DeWitt, in his outstanding blog at Education Week, pulls apart Secretary Arne Duncan’s aggressive defense of the Common Core. In his speech to the nation’s new editors, Duncan ridiculed the critics as though they were almost all paranoid nuts. That is unfortunate. Reasonable people have legitimate concerns about how the Common Core will work, and Duncan would do well to address them. Some ar
Farewell to Mayor Villaraigosa: Pragmatist or Lacky of the Rich?
As Antonio Villaraigosa exits the mayoralty of Los Angeles, there will be both tributes and brickbats. Among other things, he will be remembered for his failed attempt to take control of the public schools and for his hostility to teachers, to their union, and to public education. On his watch, there was “an explosion” in the number of privately managed charter schools, a high priority for the bil
How Teachers Crashed the Economy
We have heard in state after state that teachers’ pensions and wages must be curtailed because they–and other public workers–are destroying the economy. Those greedy, selfish teachers and principals! However. The Economic Policy Institute in DC reports that in 2012 the average CEO made 273 times the wages of the average worker. Now it is very important to understand the concept of shared sacrifi
Diane in the Evening 7-7-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Scenes I’d Like to See: Pundits TeachingA reader, Karl Gabbey, has a proposal: “MAD Magazine once had a page in each edition entitled, “Scenes We’d Like To See,” that depicted a bit of “Schadenfreude” about people who deserved it. It might be fun to see loudmouthed politicians and assorted corporate types who consider themselves “e