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What About Those Lazy Teachers?
A reader wrote to complain that many teachers have an easy job, don’t work hard, and are paid too much for the little they do. This teacher responds: “I am one of those assistants in that classroom, a special education classroom. I would like to see you do it. I want you to change a teenager’s diaper while keeping them from tearing up the changing area and watch two other children and keep them sa
A Florida Parent Listens to Ben Austin About Parent Revolution
This is a hilarious description of a conference call in which Ben Austin of Parent Revolution joined with Congressman George Miller of California to discuss the value of parents seizing control of their schools. Rita Solnet, the Florida parent activist who joined the conference call, quickly learned that parents were not allowed to ask questions, only journalists. She heard Ben Austin claim that
When Is a Conflict of Interest NOT a Conflict of Interest?
The title of this post is not a trick question. When the state of Louisiana is involved, and when the conflict of interest concerns Teach for America, there is NO conflict of interest. Kira Orange-Jones, the executive director of TFA in New Orleans, was elected to the state board of education with the help of contributions from wealthy donors across the nation. Questions were raised by critics abo
YESTERDAY
Principal: “Who Is Going to Help the Children of Florida?”
A principal writes about the sharp drop in school grades, caused by a change (again) in the grading system by the state: “As a principal of a school in Florida who ‘fell’ from a B to a C, despite all the news press of the lack of reliability in the change in grades, our parents will still think our school is ‘getting worse’. In reality, our scores are the same or better than last year. Trying to e
How Arizona Discriminates Against Public Schools
A comment from a reader in Arizona: “I live in Arizona, am freshly retired from the US military, and have no children. Even from this vantage point, it doesn’t take much effort to see that Arizona’s under paid, hard working (at multiple jobs), parents are too busy trying to survive to notice that their legislators are feeding their tax dollars to private school corporations, by the buckets! We ca
Jersey Jazzman: Reform Comes to Montclair
Jersey Jazzman does his customary digging to show what is happening in Montclair, New Jersey, long considered one of the state’s best districts. Reform means more testing. Reform means excluding the views of patents, students, and the community. Reform means that the town has a superintendent trained by the unaccredited Broad Academy and determined to raise test scores.
NC: Schools Lose, Corporation$ Win
A reader explains the logic behind North Carolina’s budget cuts and other school “reforms”: “They cut millions in education in NC to give corporations $365 Million in tax cuts. “So with Citizens United, they have financed their own re-election campaigns for next year by giving the corporations the money to donate. See how Teabagastan Politics work?”
End of Jeb Bush Miracle? Florida Grades Collapse
Jeb Bush has toured the country boasting of the Florida miracle. Central to the miracle is the letter grades for schools. But the state just reported that the proportion of A-rated schools fell from 48% to 29%. Is the Jeb miracle over? The schools didn’t suddenly get worse. The grading system is arbitrary, capricious, and meaningless. As Fairtest points out, the state has changed the formula at
Anthony Weiner and the Politics of Shamelessness
The most amazing thing about Anthony Weiner is that he is still running for mayor of New York City despite the revelations about his tawdry behavior. Maybe he will drop out because his poll numbers have plummeted in the last few days. Maybe he already has, and I haven’t heard the news. It is upsetting to hear the “man on the street” say that he doesn’t care about Weiner’s behavior because it is pe
Mark Naison: How TFA Is Destructive
Mark Naison sent the following thoughts about Teach for America: Why Teach for America is Seductive to Mayors and Legislators and Destructive to Everyone Else Teach for America offers states and municipalities the opportunity to subcontract their teaching to non-union workers, saving large expenses in pensions and health care. Such a policy saves money, as subcontracting usually does; but it destr
Teacher: Ripping Off Taxpayers Is Easy in Arizona
A teacher in Arizona sent this comment: “I live in Arizona, am a certified teacher who came from a civilized state, and have taught in four different charter schools here. These are public schools often being run like private schools. There is an infamous one here that gets away with having an entrance exam in order to weed out all but the best of the best. Consequently, this school is consistentl
TFA: We Won’t Be Scabs in Chicago
The TFA director in Chicago said that corps members would not take the jobs of teachers who were laid off. He said the positions were being eliminated and would not be offered to TFA. TFA members were also affected by the layoffs, he said. However, in late June, “Chicago Public Schools agreed to support up to 325 new teachers and 245 second-year teachers for a cost of nearly $1.6 million — more th
Is Corporate Reform a “House of Cards”?
This is a clever, sharp video about corporate reform. It comes with the endorsement of the notorious BAT teachers. It is the first of a series explaining the nefarious role of the privatization movement and its pretense to be “for the kids” as it destroys their community public schools. If this is a sample of the BAT work, we can expect that the house of cards will be toppling soon. The reformers
JUL 25
Ct. Court: Vallas Can Stay During Appeal
Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled that Bridgeport Superintendent Paul Vallas could stay in his job while appealing a lower court decision that he lacked the qualifications for his job and should leave at once. The Bridgeport citizens who sued to remove Vallas issued this statement: STATEMENT OF CARMEN L. LOPEZ & DEBORAH REYES-WILLIAMS This decision, which was rendered without a hearing or ar
When Chemtchr Fell in Love with Science
This wonderful comment was posted in response to my article in “Scientific American”: “This is very special for me, because 51 years ago, on July 25 1962, my mother gave me a subscription to Scientific American for my 13th birthday. She bought me the current issue, cut out the subscription form and mailed it, and then gift-wrapped the magazine. She also baked me a heart-shaped cake (make a 9″ squa
North Carolina: Public Education in Peril
Dr. June Atkinson, the state superintendent of instruction in North Carolina, said, ““For the first time in my career of more than 30 years in public education, I am truly worried about students in our care.” Lindsay Wagner summarizes the damage done to public education by the North Carolina legislature: It cut more than $500 million from the state’s public schools. It passed a voucher program to
Crazy Crawfish Investigates the Recovery School District in St. Helena’s Parish
Are you in the mood for a demonstration of investigative scholarship written in journalistic style? If so, curl up in a comfy chair and read this saga, wherein the LouisianaRecovery School District makes claims that cannot be substantiated. If this is true, if data are so easily manipulated and fabricated, why should we trust any data from state, local, or federal officials who seek advantage by
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 every single word that is published under my name. No one else writes my books, articles,
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
JUL 24
9-Year-Old Tells Chicago School Board: Stop the Closings!
Asean Johnson, a nine-year-old student in Chicago, read the riot act to the Chicago school board. He told them they should be helping schools, not closing them. He made more sense than any of the grown-ups on the other side of the podium. He had only two minutes, and he used them well: “With tears sliding down his cheeks Johnson told the school board, “You are slashing our education. You’re pullin
Protesting Co-Location of Charter School in Los Angeles
One of the worst of the corporate reform policies is co-locating privately-managed charter schools inside public school buildings. It creates fights over space and resources. It sets parent against parent. One school (the charter) gets preferential treatment. Often, the charter has a rich and powerful board of directors. Co-location–or charter school invasion–creates what some call academic aparth
Teacher: Predatory Uses of Data Endanger Children
This 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 and privacy issues the system poses, I have some real problems with your argument that teachers need inBloom as a
Pa Supt: State Funding Is Criminal Negligence
At a discussion of equity and excellence in education in Pennsylvania, John Sarandrea, the superintendent of the Néw Castle district, said: “I don’t have any problems saying this, because it’s true: Poor kids are getting the shaft right now,” he said to loud applause from the audience. “How can you possibly not invest in these children early, knowing what will be the outcome if you don’t?” Sarand
Major DFER Leader Supports Spitzer
This is a twist. Boykin Curry, a major hedge fund manager and Wall Street power broker, sent out an email endorsing Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced ex-governor who is running for City Comptroller. Curry was happy with Spitzer when he was governor because he was very supportive of charter schools. Spitzer resigned the governorship after it was revealed that he paid prostitutes on numerous occasions. N
Gary Rubinstein: Who Supports the Status Quo?
This is one of Gary Rubinstein’s best posts, wherein he challenges the new co-leader of Teach for America to give more thought to his facile reference to “the status quo.” The post follows some tweets between Gary and Matt Kramer. Gary explains that those who disagree with TFA are not defending the status quo. Gary writes: “I could easily make a list of things that I’d like to change. I could bo
How Choice Schools “Hitchhike” in Ohio
Ohio has a thriving choice sector, but neither vouchers nor charters have ever been approved by voters. Legislators know that the public–nearly 90% in public schools–would not support funding vouchers or charters and never has. So they find clever ways to establish choice programs and fund them without asking the voters’ opinions. Currently, as the post below shows, legislators have figured out h
Why Did the U.S. Department of Education Abandon Student Privacy Rights?
In 2009 and again in 2011, the U.S. Department of Education changed the regulations in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), making it easier for third parties to gain access to private information about students. The DOE is being sued by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) on behalf of student privacy. Arguments will be presented on July 24 in federal district court.
Newark’s Teachers’ Village: Your Tax Dollars at Work for TFA
Jersey Jazzman reports in excruciating detail about Teach for America’s bold plan to expand in New Jersey, which seems to happen most often in states with rightwing governors and/or legislatures. Their expansion is linked with a $150 million development in Newark that will build three new charter schools and provide low-rent housing for their teachers. One of the major backers is Goldman Sachs, wh
A New Film That Celebrates the Success of Public Schools
In this essay, Peter Dreier contrasts the films of the corporate reformers with a new film that shows the struggles, challenges, and successes of an American public school. Dreier usefully follows the money behind the corporate-funded films “Waiting for Superman” and “Won’t Back Down.” The common link between them is Walden Media, owned by arch-reactionary Philip Anschutz. Dreier writes: “It is
Louisiana Will Test 3- and 4-Year Olds
Louisiana will begin testing large numbers of preschool children this fall to determine their academic readiness. If they are found to be not ready, it is not clear who will be held accountable: their teachers? Their families? “The goal, they say, is to create a grading system like the current School Performance Score reports for public elementary and secondary schools, which are ranked for stud
JUL 23
Teacher in Sumter: How We Saved Our Schools
Last Monday, more than 800 people turned out for a school district meeting in Sumter, South Carolina, to oppose their Broad-trained superintendent. Parents, teachers, and the community came together to protect their schools against privatization. This teacher writes: “Hello from Sumter, South Carolina. I am a veteran teacher here. Dr. Ravitch’s books and blog have been important sources of informa
A Broadie Superintendent Resigns
After a divisive two years as superintendent of schools in Sumter, South Carolina, Randolph Bynum resigned. The community expressed relief. At a meeting Monday night, more than 800 people showed up to express opposition to Bynum. More than 150 teachers left the district during his brief tenure. What do they teach at the unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy? How to run a top-down organizat
Breaking News: Dallas Supt Under Investigation
Mike Miles, the Broad-trained superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District, is under investigation by the Board of Education’s Office of Professional Responsibility. According to investigative journalists, OPR is inquiring into charges that Miles interfered with an official inquiry and manipulated the bidding process for contracts. An internal report to the board was published on the
Pennsylvania Releases Some Findings on Cheating
Apparently in response to Daniel Denvir’s article accusing the state of Pennsylvania of dragging its feet on an investigation of cheating on state tests, the state released some information. Just remember whenever you hear a governor or other politician boasting about test scores that they have no idea (and neither will you) whether the gains were produced by mindless test prep (where students le
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
JUL 22
Superintendent or CEO?
A reader encourages us to watch our language and use the right titles: “PLEASE, PLEASE stop referring to Paul Vallas or Arne Duncan as “Superintendent” of Chicago Public Schools. They were CEOs – because in Illinois, they were unqualified to be Superintendents. If you’re the CEO, you don’t need an education background.”
This Post Went Viral Today
Congratulations to Yevonne Brannan, whose post about the legislative attack on public education in North Carolina went viral today. Nearly 30,000 people read her post. That is amazing! Congratulations, Yevonne, and forgive me for misspelling your first name in the post. Yevonne is one of the leaders of Public Schools First NC. She and other devoted parents, teachers, and citizens will win this b
Georgia Withdraws from PARCC Testing Consortium
The U.S. Department of Education is prohibited by law from interfering in curriculum, but Secretary Duncan was itching to get the Common Core standards adopted. First, he said that states would not be eligible for a share of $5 billion in federal stimulus funds unless they adopted common college-and-career-readiness standards. Wink, wink, almost every state agreed to adopt the Common Core. Then t
North Carolina: A First Look at the Destruction of Public Education
Lindsay Wagner is an excellent journalist at NC Policy Watch. She covers the legislature. Here is her summary of the slash-and-burn policies that the legislature applied to public education: 1. Vouchers. $10 million set aside. This week, legislators will consider vouchers for students with disabilities. This is an ALEC priority, but ironically students with disabilities have greater rights and pr
Connecticut Teacher On Vallas’ Record
A 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://madisonamps.org/2012/05/23/who-is-paul-vallas-and-why-is-he-coming-to-madison/ Vallas launched the na
Louisiana: $615 Million for Consultants, $0 for Home Care for Disabled
Governor Bobby Jindal eliminated a $4 million program that provides home care for people with developmental disabilities. You know, the state can’t afford it. But the state treasurer pointed out that the Louisiana Department of Education spent an astonishing $615 million on consultants in the five years from 2005-2010. According to the local media: “State Treasurer John Kennedy gave Gov. Bobby J
Pelto: The Background of the Vallas Controversy in Bridgeport
Jonathan Pelto, a blogger who is considered an “electronic graffiti” artist byPaul,Vallas, is a former Democratic legislator in Connecticut. Here he summarizes the background of the Vallas controversy, which began when the Dannel Malloy administration dissolved the elected Bridgeport school board and engineered a state takeover. This move was challenged in court and ruled. Illegal. However, the i
Vallas Refers to Bloggers as “Electronic Graffitti”
These days, the blogosphere has become a medium for democratic expression. With so few mainstream media still in existence, blogging has become an important forum for those who have no voice. Today’s New York Times has an article about the controversy surrounding Paul Vallas in Bridgeport. Vallas speaks contemptuously of bloggers as “electronic graffitti.” The article speaks dismissively of the fa
OECD Wants to Measure And Grade Universities
The OECD is so pleased with the “success” of international testing for K-12 that it wants to bring the same testing to higher education. Then, presumably, it would be possible to compare higher education across nations and see who is best, who ranks lowest, and get everyone to compete on the terms that OECD chooses. This is nothing less than a bold power grab by OECD, which arrogates to itself the
Can Children Be Measured Like Corn As They Grow?
Amy Prime is a second grade teacher in Iowa and a parent of five children. She knows how different each of her children are. In this article, she wonders how the Common Core will work, and she draws an analogy with farmers growing corn. Her analogy begins like this: “It is easy to like the common core in theory. We want all of our kids to have the same skills when they graduate, right? But the p
Rethinking Schools: The Trouble with Common Core
Secretary Arne Duncan would have the world believe that the Common Core standards are opposed only by extremists and people who believe in flying saucers. But it is not true. While much of the energy against the Common Core has come from Tea Party people who fear a federal takeover of public schools, there are also thoughtful critics on the left side of the political spectrum. I would begin by men
The First Review of “Reign of Error”!
This is the first review of my new book. Kirkus sends out early reviews that are read by journalists, librarians, and others in the publishing industry. This reviewer provides an accurate summary of the book. He or she got the main point and presents it succinctly here. REIGN OF ERROR The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools Author: Diane Ravitch Review I
JUL 21
A Tragic Day for Public Education in North Carolina
Yvonne Brannan of Public Schools First NC sent the following comment: “It is a tragic day in NC for our public schools, their teachers and students. The cuts to education reflect a very aggressive attack on public education. Eliminating $110 million for teacher assistants, eliminating teacher tenure, eliminating class size limits for K-3, no raise again this year, all of these unnecessary cuts wi
NC Legislature: $5.1 Million for TFA
As reported earlier, the far-right North Carolina legislature voted to start vouchers and to end teacher tenure. But there was good news for TFA: the far-right Republican majority allocated $5.1 million for Teach for America. The governor’s education advisor Eric Guckian is an alum of TFA. TFA presents itself as passionately devoted to equity, but its major funding comes from the far-right Walton
Why Teacher Tenure Matters
I reported a few minutes ago that the extremist North Carolina legislature agreed to end teacher tenure. I pointed out that academic freedom will disappear. Joan Baratz Snowden, who has studied and written about the teaching profession for many years, says the consequences are even worse than loss of academic freedom. She writes: “Seems to me the more critical issue is not so much academic freedo
Breaking News: NC Legislature Approves Vouchers, Ends Teacher Tenure
The North Carolina legislature reached agreement on a budget that initiates vouchers in 2014 and ends teacher tenure. The Republican leadership hailed the budget deal as a huge improvement for public education, which of course it is not. Vouchers are terrible public policy that will harm the public education system by draining dollars from it to fund religious schools. No voucher experiment in th
Lance Hill: A Principal Paid $115,000 for a School with 13 Students?
Lance Hill reports that Steve Barr has hired a principal at a salary of $115,000 for a charter school with an enrollment of 13 freshman students. Perhaps the reason enrollment is so low is that Barr hyped the schools as “the most dangerous school in America” on a TV show in Oprah’s channel. Some parents pulled their kids out. But now Barr can demonstrate how he “turned around” the “most dangerous
TeacherKen: Is There a Pension Crisis?
TeacherKen, aka our friend Kenneth Bernstein, who often comments here, reflects here on “the great pension scare.” Ken reflects on a blog post by Paul Krugman, the Nobel-winning economist and regular writer for The New York Times. Krugman says the scare is vastly exaggerated. The topic is particularly timely because pensions are under attack in several states and in Detroit, following the declar
San Jose Online Courses Flop
Enthusiasts of online education are forever gushing about the prospects for high-quality, low-cost education, delivered to masses of students sitting at a computer. In January, San Jose State announced a partnership with a firm called Udacity, and the results to date have been a disappointment. Udacity is funded by equity investors as the next new big thing. Technically, the Udacity program is not
Percy Bysshe Shelley on the Billionaire Boys Club
I was trying to decide which poem to share with you, when I saw that a reader suggested one of my favorites: “Ozymandias.” What a lesson this poem teaches about life, time, the illusory nature of power and fame. And when we read it, we ask ourselves what matters most, what endures, what can we do in this life that matters? Ozymandias I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: “Two vast and t
Michigan Debates Common Core
Strongest supporters of Common Core: business community, Jeb Bush, StudentsFirst, other corporate reformers. Strongest critics: Republicans. As usual, the debate is framed as rightwing vs. rightwing. It is way more complex than that. There ought to be a law that anyone commenting on or writing about the Common Core should be required to read them first.
Los Angeles Times: A Wise Editorial about NCLB and Race to Top
The Los Angeles Times published a first-rate editorial about the disastrous federal micromanagement spawned by NCLB. It also takes the Obama administration to the woodshed for its own misguided micromanagement of the nation’s public schools. It says: “The nation is ripe for rebellion against the rigid law and the Obama administration’s further efforts to micromanage how schools are run.” It adds:
This Teacher Does Not Love inBloom
Peg Robertson read the article in the Denver Post in which the president of the Colorado Education Association praised inBloom and said that it would provide great learning tools. Peg is a teacher and parent in Colorado, and she is a leader of United OptOut. She is opposed to inBloom. Here she explains why. Read her article in its entirety. Here is the core of her critique of the teacher who suppo
This Teacher Loves inBloom
InBloom is very controversial, to say the least. This is the collaboration funded by the Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation, to gather confidential student data and aggregate it into a massive database. The actual work will be done by Wireless Generation, which is part of Joel Klein’s Amplify, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. Many parents are unhappy about the relea
A Teacher’s Letter to Bill Gates
Teacherbiz writes a friendly but very candid letter to Big Brother Bill Gates. Teacherbiz has some good advice: “You know that feeling you get when you think you’re doing something good—and then you realize you’re actually doing harm? I’ve experienced it, and it’s not a good feeling—and the only way to get rid of that bad feeling is to change your course of action and make up for the damage you’ve
JUL 20
Whose Opinion Will You Advocate Today?
A teacher sends this description of what passes for critical thought in his school. Read it through and ask yourself whether it makes any sense always to advocate someone else’s opinion. What if their opinion is wrong? What if they are spouting nonsense? If everyone advocates someone else’s opinion, will we be lost in a Tower of Babel where no one has any authority, and everyone is advocating some
Michael Brocoum on the Wreckage Caused by Mayoral Control
Michael Brocoum recounts his experience as a New York City public school teacher: “I was a teacher at the Bayard Rustin High School for the Humanities in NYC from 1990 – 2010 and taught before at several other schools in NYC. I also taught Economics as an adjunct at the State Univ. of NY at Farmingdale before that (1975-77). “BRHS was an excellent school with students opting to attend that didn’
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
