Ed Berger Gives a Test to the “Reformers”
Blogger Edward Berger has a test for those who claim to be reformers. What do you know about teaching? How long did you teach? What gives you the authority to tell teachers how to teach? And that’s just the beginning. He concludes that most reformers are quacks.
Honor Dr. Rella for Standing Strong This Saturday
If you live anywhere on Long Island or near it, you should show up to meet and greet Dr. Joseph Rella, a hero educator who spoke out against New York State’s nutty and abusive scoring system. The event is on Saturday at noon. I received the following notice from his admirers: Dr. Joseph Rella, superintendent of Comsewogue School District, has created an opportunity for everyone who wants to end hi
Philadelphia Parents: Do Not Open the Schools!
Philadelphia parents have taken a strong stand against the budget cuts that have decimated their children’s schools. They say, “Don’t open them unless they are fully funded.” Parents were responding to the district superintendent’s statement that the opening of school may be delayed. Last spring the district laid off nearly 4,000 teachers and other staff. “I am in the unfortunate position today of
A Warning to the Anti-Common Core Group in New York
Three days ago, I posted about a new group formed to stop Common Core in New York. I watched and saw vehement arguments among the comments, especially about the extent to which the group was bipartisan or nonpartisan. The group is called Stop Common Core in New York State. Here is the link to the website: www.stopccssinnys.com or www.stopcommoncoreinnewyork.com. It has a FB group page https://www
The Great North Carolina Puzzle
Here is a puzzle for someone to solve. Governor Pat McCrory in North Carolina says that he did not cut the education budget. He says that the state is spending more than ever on education. This legislator says the budget was not cut, and anyone who says so is expressing “an outright lie.” And this legislator agrees. But every district is laying off teachers, teachers’ assistants, assistant princip
Why We Love Monica Ratliff
What is not to love about Monica? She beat the Billionaires Boys Club, which had assembled a massive campaign fund to defeat her. She was trained as a lawyer, worked in civil rights law, then became a teacher. She has taught for 12 years in a high-poverty school. She won election to the LAUSD school board as a long-shot underdog. Here she gently explains to a host on the Fox Morning Show that all
Teacher: What I Learned as a Student in Chile
As corporate reformers demand a free-market system, where charters and vouchers are easily available, and schools compete for students, it is wise to take note of Chile. Chile is the one nation that implemented Chicago economist Milton Friedman’s ideas into its education system, at the behest of military dictator Pinochet. This is a comment by a teacher who studied in Chile: “I was studying abroa
Fort Wayne School Board Votes to Disregard Bennett A-F Grades
The Fort Wayne Community School Board passed a resolution by a vote o 6-1 to discontinue using the A-F grading system created by disgraced former State Superintendent Tony Bennett. The South Bend, Indiana, school board is considering the same resolution: RESOLUTION OF THE FORT WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS BOARD OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES TO CEASE RECOGNITION OF ITS SCHOOLS BASED UPON THE BENNETT A-F
Anthony Cody: Lessons from the NY Test Debacle
Anthony Cody has written another brilliant column, this one explaining the lessons of New York’s disastrous Common Core testing, in which 70 percent of the state’s children allegedly “failed.” I say allegedly because this was failure that was designed and manufactured by State Commissioner John King. King predicted what the scores would be before the students took the tests. How did he know? He de
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-13-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Chile: The Most Pro-Market School System in the World, Part 2This is the second is a series of three articles written by Professor Mario Waissbluth of Chile for this blog. In this series, he describes the school system in Chile, which is based on testing and choice. Chile´s Education (II): The results of the most neoliberal system
