All Week 8-10-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER
EdWeek and the Gates Love Affair that Just Won’t Go Away
In the Digital Education blog at Education Week, Q&A: Bill Gates on Teaching, Ed Tech, and Philanthropy provides Gates with yet another platform to (this time) continue his re-messaging campaign. Yep, he uses words like “magical” (did you get goose bumps?), but if you read carefully, as Jersey Jazzman did, Gates has simply learned to soften his […]
YESTERDAY
Extremely Speculative Use of NAEP Data by “Reformers”
As much as I respect Steve Sawchuk, his “When Bad Things Happen to Good NAEP Data” is an example of When Good Reporters Face Bad Spin. He recounted examples of “misnaepery” or the misuse of NAEP data. In doing so, Sawchuk demonstrated a false equivalency between egregious violations of scholarship by Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee’s […]
Memphis Commercial Appeal Picks Black Scapegoat to Blame for Charter School Cash Drain
The Gates plan for consolidating Memphis and Shelby County Schools has resulted in the kind of community fragmentation that has not been seen anywhere before. At the poor core of Memphis are now almost forty charter chain gangs set up to segregate and contain black children, and they will complement the remaining public schools of […]
Common Core Gravy Train: Profit for Coleman, College Board, and Testing Mania
Along with Michelle Rhee’s gravy train of hypocrisy, public education in the U.S. is under assault from the gravy train of profit driven by Common Core: The College Board is redesigning four of its testing programs so they reflect the Common Core State Standards and can be used for accountability, a project that adds yet […]
AUG 15
Does @PeterMDeWitt like macaroni and cheese?
You never know what might be said on @the chalkface radio. Last night we interviewed the PRINCIPLED PRINCIPALS’ PRINCIPAL—Peter DeWitt. How is it possible to talk about macaroni and cheese, AC/DC, “getting off”, data, common core, and ANGER? Listen for yourself. And if you actually learn how to kick a little reformer butt by the […]
This isn’t your normal “I Quit” teacher video. #highered
Personally, I’ve tried to keep a pretty low profile. You must be thinking, “You’re nuts!” But no, I have. I’ve been very careful in the last couple of years especially to keep my name OFF of things. I do the best I can to go as “Chalk Face,” even though anyone with two fingers can […]
How Much Value Added for Divorce?
How about having some freakin’ Common Core Standards on how to teach kids about surviving their parents’ divorce? Watching this HBO documentary, “Don’t Divorce Me!” got me thinking about how utterly ridiculous and destructive this entire high stakes accountability policy actually is in the real world, where most of us live. How many points, data adjustments or […]
This is why we can’t have nice things. Because Klout.
Good God Almighty, folks are seriously upset, or whatever, I don’t know, because the guy from Fordham posted the top Klout people in education on Twitter. It’s been analyzed and discussed. Klout. Really? A pointless algorithm? I guess some egos have been demolished it seems. But seriously, that Petrilli guy from Fordham who released it, not […]
AUG 14
The myth of failing schools and the unforgiven sins of wealth and power
There are no failed or failing schools! But there are plenty of buildings that serve as museums to display the failed social policies and economic disparities inflicted by politicians and their wealthy financiers. A kindergarten class overcrowded with 35 children who lack basic healthcare, nutrition, and access to books and safe neighborhoods is NOT an […]
TEA Challenges Huffman/Haslam Plan to Tie Licensure to Value-Addled Test Scores
You have to take the 18 minutes to view this news conference announcement in order to appreciate the profound unfairness of using VAM for ANY high stakes decision. For more context, detailed discussion, and a survey of the mountain of research studies, buy the book. Tagged: teacher certification, teacher licensure, Tennessee schools, value-added
New Media, New Public Intellectuals | the becoming radical
New Media, New Public Intellectuals | the becoming radical.
AUG 13
@DianeRavitch speaks the language of #optout
In case you missed @the chalkface radio (special Monday episode with Dr. Diane Ravitch) here’s your chance to listen to radio brilliance. We spent the entire day getting ready for our interview with Dr. Ravitch. However, five minutes before the show started Shaun and I realized we had no ability to contact our guest. Guess […]
Missionary Zeal and the Paradox of Paternalism | the becoming radical
Missionary Zeal and the Paradox of Paternalism | the becoming radical.
Paul Toner, MA TURNcoat, Leads Charge for Common Core and PARCC
Lawyer, corporate stooge, and MTA President, Paul Toner has sold teachers down the river in Massachusetts with support for test score based teacher evaluations, more segregated corporate reform schools, and now the Common Core testing delivery system. Toner has a propaganda piece at the MTA site that once again applies lipstick to the pig that he […]
AUG 12
Class-action status denied in Chicago. Ok. But…
In a suit to halt school closures, a judge denies class-action status to African-American and special needs students and families suing CPS. Huh. I’m no lawyer. But don’t they organize students into, you know, classes in school? Class of 2013, 2014, and such? Class rings, classroom, class rank? Schools are all about tracking, sorting, grouping, […]
Open Letter to the Media, Politicians, Reformers, B/Millionaires, and Celebrities | the becoming radical
Open Letter to the Media, Politicians, Reformers, B/Millionaires, and Celebrities | the becoming radical.
New York Mayoral Candidates: Fly Me to Cincinnati
When New York mayoral candidates lead reporters and editors of the New York Times on a field trip expedition to the hinterlands of Cincinnati schools, you have to know there is something awful at home they would rather everyone forget. The awful something in this case, of course, is the test-bombed remains of New York’s […]
Massive Document dump from @unitedoptout. How about it? #optout
The good folks at UOO are working very, very hard to give you all the information you need to take a stand. You won’t be going into this blindly. So, check out their Truth and Justice campaign, which for this phase includes a slew of new documents, toolkits, brochures, and flyers for you to […]
AUG 11
First NCTQ and now CAEP: Nightmares for Teacher Education.
I have posted about NCATE and the CAEP a few times. But here it is: The new standards, finalized by the CAEP Commission on Standards and Performance Reporting in June after a public comment period, contain controversial new requirements such as minimum program-entry standards and consideration of graduates’ performance in the classroom, including value-added data and any […]
AUG 10
Email from a #TFA school admin requesting a grade change. For.No.Reason.
I have the email embedded for you below. The interesting item is the whole inspirational quote thing in the email signature. I blocked most of it out, but I wanted to leave the end, “No Excuses.” Indeed. Tagged: admin, grade change, TFA
GUEST POST from Robert Rendo on #commoncore.
Common Core or no Common Core, standards for what children should know by a certain age (skills or content) have always been in flux and controverted. The CCSS is, I think, on an extreme part of that spectrum of flux. The consensus reality and research that more or less corroborates what, for example, a fifth […]
Superintendent Rella: “If it sounds too bad to be true, it’s not!”
Test scores in New York being released is having unintended consequences, such as the entire testing regime of the recent 30-year accountability era being systematically unmasked. I invite you to read the letter from Superintendent Joseph V. Rella to Senator Kenneth P. LaVelle, which offers near the end: If you believe that any of this […]
New NY Scores Prompt Increased Interest in Opting Out of Next State Tests
Reblogged from Diane Ravitch's blog: Long Island's Newsday has a story about growing interest by parents in opting out of state testing. It says that the terrible scores will increase the number of parents who don't let the schools test their children. William Johnson, the superintendent of Rockville Center district, says the scores are essentially […]
I recommend you all take this #TFA internal survey and give ‘em your thoughts
Here’s the link to a Google survey. Let the record reflect! Tagged: survey, testing, TFA
Letter from a NY Superintendent to Sen. Lavalle on #commoncore testing
Embedded for your reading pleasure, followed by the empty condolences of Mr. King. Tagged: ccss, common core, king, letter, new york, superintendent