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TODAY
An Educator Awakens to the Grim Realities of Life
This teacher left a powerful comment about how he became educated about real life by teaching. The myths he had learned in his youth fell away when confronted by the children whose lives are burdened by poverty. Please tweet this comment. It should go viral. Add your voice. This reader said in a comment: “People harass me for talking about poverty all the time. I come from a middle class, white fa
Help the U.S. Department of Education Evaluate State Tests
The U.S. Department of Education on its official blog asked for help and advice in evaluating state testing systems aligned with the Common Core. Forget the fact that the U.S. Department of Education is barred by law from doing anything to control or direct curriculum and instruction. How about offering your help? Here is a suggestion posted as a comment: “First of all let’s address the standards
NC Teacher: Walk in Our Shoes
This teacher in North Carolina has an invitation for the legislators cutting the schools’ budget and the pundits who applaud them: Walk in our shoes. She writes: “I’d like to put out a call to every politician who had a hand in passing NC’s new budget. To every policy maker who thinks this is a good (or even just acceptable) idea. To every parent forsaking public education. To every taxpayer
YESTERDAY
Bobby Jindal Has a Hissy Fit When Justice Department Defends Desegregation
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal went into a partisan rant before a far-right audience, complaining that the U.S. Department of Justice had sued to block the state’s voucher program. The legal action was taken to prevent vouchers from undermining desegregation in counties (parishes) that remain under court order. In a bizarre twist, Jindal portrayed himself as a champion of the civil rights of po
Cuomo Wants “Death Penalty” for “Failing Schools”
New York Governor Cuomo wants a “death penalty” for “failing schools,” He was referring to the public schools of Buffalo, which is one of the state’s poorest districts. He threatened state takeover, mayoral control, or charters. None of his remedies has ever succeeded. But they will extinguish democracy. Democracy is not the cause of low achievement. If Cuomo ignores poverty and segregation, he
A BAT Attends Florida Governor’s Ed Summit
Michael Weston, Hillsborough County teacher, attended Florida Governor Rick Scott’s three-day education summit. But Governor Scott had better things to do. He was busy meeting with Jeb Bush, who is the state’s education expert. They discussed the future of education in Florida. Parents were not happy that the Governor skipped the chance to meet with them. Weston is a BAT, and this is what he saw.
One Secret of Success Academy’s Success
We know a few things for sure about Eva Moskowitz’s NYC charter schools. We know they have very high test scores. We know that the Broad Foundation was so impressed by the test scores that it awarded the charter chain $5 million to expand. We know that the chain wants to expand to 100 schools in the next decade. Now we know something else, something that had long been suspected. Success Academ
NPE Candidate Battles Koch Brothers in Douglas County, Colorado
Please view the website of the Network for Public Education, where you can find the links and photos that accompany this announcement. Koch Brothers Enter the Douglas County Race NPE-endorsed Candidate Faces AFP-Backed Tea Party Candidate NPE-endorsed candidate Ronda Scholting now faces an opponent in the Douglas County School Board race who is supported by the Koch brothers. This week, it was an
E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Opposes Value-Added Teacher Evaluation
E.D. Hirsch, Jr., the founder of the Core Knowledge curriculum, wrote an article opposing value-added teacher evaluation, especially in reading. Hirsch supports the Common Core but thinks it may be jeopardized by the rush to test it and tie the scores to teacher evaluations. He knows this will encourage teaching to the test and other negative consequences. Hirsch believes that if teachers teach s
Computer Glitches Are Commonplace at Big Publishing Corporations
A reader submits the following comment. He or she might also have noted the computer failures of testing companies this past spring, for example, in Indiana and Oklahoma. The reader says: Pearson has a pattern of poor performance nationwide, stretching back for more than a decade. For example, A. In 2002, a computer glitch caused malfunctions in some online math tests and Pearson incorrectly faile
What Did Martin Luther King, Jr., Teach Us?
Note to readers: I cross-posted this at Huffington Post 30 minutes ago. Please leave comments there as well as here. Spreading our story. I had a note from an outstanding superintendent in a fine suburban district in New York, someone I greatly admire. He is experienced and wise. He has the support of parents, staff, and community. He runs one of the state’s best school districts. He wrote of the
Extra! Extra! Read All About It! NY Times Goes RFA!
I hope Norm Scott, retired New York City teacher, blogger, and videographer, will forgive me for posting this hilarious satire, rather than merely putting up a link. The unwritten rule of the blogosphere is that you post the link so the other person, who wrote it, gets traffic. Please open this link and give Norm the traffic he deserves. You will enjoy his site, which reflects his wisdom and wit.
George Wood: Why Does Ohio Keep Changing the Rules for Judging Schools?
George Wood is superintendent of Federal Hocking School District and an articulate supporter of public education in a state where public education is under siege by the governor and legislature. How can schools function in an atmosphere of constant turmoil and interference by politicians? Here are his thoughts about the state’s new report card for schools: A perspective on the State’s new report
Retired, But Still a Teacher, Miss the Kids
In response to a post about a teacher’s last day of teaching first grade, this retired teacher wrote the following: I read this while sitting on the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and soon was sobbing uncontrollably. My husband returned from the deck, saw me reading on my phone and asked if someone died. It’s been one year since I retired after 34 years of teaching. Last Day’s letter rekindled all the
BAT Founder: Education “Reform” Is a Coup D’Etat
Mark Naison is one of the founders of BAT, the Badass Teachers Association. He says that what is happening to public education today is nothing less than a coup d’état, a stealthy takeover of public education by elites who know little or nothing about education. Some do it for the power; some for greed; some for ideology. Whatever their reason, it is time to resist. Naison writes: “There Has Been
AUG 29
My Favorite Question Of the Week, Month, and Year: Who ARE These Guys?
In an earlier post, Arthur Goldstein explained the absurd evaluation scheme adopted at his school, where teachers will be allocated the score for the whole school if they do not teach a tested subject. This reader asks the question that Butch Cassidy asked the Sundance Kid: Who ARE these Guys? Meaning, this is so crazy, it makes no sense, why are they doing this to us? This reader wonders too: “Th
State Audit Says Houston Charter Misspent $5.3 Million in Federal Funds
The Texas Education Agency charged that a charter school in Houston misspent $5.3 million in federal funds on cruises, first-class air tickets, and other personal expenses for the owners and managers. “The report found rampant conflicts of interest and numerous questionable expenses involving Varnett superintendent Annette Cluff and her husband, Alsie Cluff Jr. He’s the school facilities and oper
Goldenberg Enters the Blogosphere Blasting Common Core
Michael Paul Goldenberg, a frequent commenter here, has entered the blogosphere on his own by writing for the Chalkface, a site for lively and controversial opinion. In his first entry, he questions the logic of introducing the Common Core to all grades simultaneously. Doing so, he cogently argues, defeats the purpose of assuring coherence and continuity across the nation.. The child in fifth gra
Our Thoroughly Insane Teacher Evaluation System
This is a letter from Arthur Goldstein to his colleagues at Francis Lewis High School in Queens, New York. Arthur is chapter chair of his school, where he teaches English language learners. He also had a terrific blog called NYC Educator. This is what he told the staff about the new teacher evaluation system: Dear colleagues: Today our Measures of Student Learning Committee met to decide precise
Great News! EduShyster Selected to Lead Camden, NJ, Schools
No doubt reacting to the news that New Hersey has selected an inexperienced young man with no obvious qualifications to run the Camden, New Jersey, public schools, EduShyster has concocted a hilarious parody in which she is the one hired for the job. She acknowledges that she has no experience, has never run a school or a district, and has never set foot in Camden, but she insists that these are p
Jose Vilson: Stop and Frisk Those Test Scores
Jose Vilson is one of New York City’s best teacher bloggers. In this post, he notes that Mayor Bloomberg experienced two major setbacks within a matter of days: First, his education legacy collapsed along with the new state test scores showing that most students are “failing.” The Mayor felt compelled to defend the lower scores, calling them “very good news,” when he should have been calling foul
What Do Public Educators Do? They Educate the Public!
This reader responds to the findings of the PDK/Gallup poll, which showed a shift in public opinion against testing, against using test scores to evaluate teachers, and against public release of teacher personnel files and ratings. “We said last year that we had a lot of hard work to do, to inform and educate the parents we work with, to organize communities and form effective coalitions of resist
Is Experience Necessary to Be a “Great” Teacher?
The New York Times has a good debate this morning about the value of experience for teaching. The debate was prompted by a very controversial article last week in which charter leaders claimed that two or three years of teaching was good enough, and that they liked the constant turnover of bright inexperienced teachers. The title of the article actually referred teachers who had a “short career b
This Is What a Real Educator Sounds Like
Several months ago, I honored Tom Scarice, superintendent of schools in Madison, Connecticut, for his brave opposition to corporate reform and top-down mandates. Instead of letting Arne Duncan impose high-stakes testing on his students and staff, Scarice created a community study group to chart the district’s future. Please read what he told the community as school opened. No jargon. No reformer
Do Civil Rights Groups Want More High-Stakes Testing?
A group called the Campaign for High School Equity made news the other day when it criticized Arne Duncan’s NCLB waivers and complained that the waivers might reduce the amount of high-stakes testing for poor and minority students. Mike Petrilli at the conservative think tank Thomas B. Fordham Institute challenged me to admit that the civil rights groups were leading the charge to protect high-sta
What He Learned at the “Worst School in Texas”
Education debates in D.C. and the media tend to be dominated by what economists and think tanks say. What is needed most and seldom heard is the voice of teachers. Here is a brilliant new voice that should get as much air time as Bill Gates, Joel Klein, and Arne Duncan. What are the chances? In this article at Salon, John Savage describes his experience teaching at J.E. Pearce Middle School in Aus
AUG 28
Juan Gonzalez: Harlem Success Academy Suspends Losers
In this article in the New York Daily News, award-winning investigative journalist Juan Gonzalez examines the high suspension rates at the Harlem Success Academy charter schools of Eva Moskowitz. Gonzalez writes: “Success Academy, the charter school chain that boasts sky-high student scores on annual state tests, has for years used a “zero tolerance” disciplinary policy to suspend, push out, disch
LA Times: Charter Schools Should Not Hurt Public Schools
The Los Angeles Times has generally been very supportive of privately managed charter schools, but in an editorial today it dares to suggest that charter schools should not expand at the expense of public schools. In areferendum passed in 2000, intended to make it easier to pass bonds to support public schools, charter advocates slipped in a little noticed proviso that required public schools to
A Sad Measure of Dr. King’s Dream
Fred Smith, a testing expert who worked for years at the New York City Board of Education, now advises Change the Stakes, an anti-testing group. In this article, he analyzes the progress of nine schools in New York state that bear the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The schools are located in different cities and communities but they bear two common features: they are racially segregated, and
California Parent: Common Core Tests Are Not Good
This parent says her daughter is a top student but found the Common Core tests confusing. She doesn’t have keyboarding skills. How will the district pay for the necessary technology? By increasing class size? She writes: “My children are enrolled in school in CA and my daughter’s 6th grade class was “chosen” to take the Common Core test. She is a GATE identified high achiever, with almost perfect
Alfie Kohn Critiques the New York Times Book Review
Alfie Kohn here chastises the New York Times Book Review for adding its heft to the conventional wisdom: that our schools are “mediocre” and need to find some other nation to emulate; that test scores define success in school and in life; that test scores determine a nation’s economic prospects; that children must be treated like “hamsters in a cage” so they cram in enough facts to get those all-i
Aaron Pallas on New York’s Common Core Test Fiasco
Aaron Pallas is one of the wisest education scholars in New York, and therefore (as we New Yorkers all believe) in the world. He consistently brings a fresh perspective to the unfolding drama and spectacle that is now U.S. education. And he is one of the few academics willing to enter the arena and engage with current events. That is one of the clear benefits of tenure. In this post, Pallas says t
Dallas: Mike Miles’ Asst. Runs for School Board
Broad-trained Dallas Superintendent Mike Miles is in big trouble. He is under investigation for interfering with bidding for contracts and with internal audits; several of his top staff have quit; DISD teachers are quitting in large numbers; Miles’ family moved away from Dallas. But he has good news: Miles’ special assistant is running for a seat on the school board. Miguel Solis is not only runni
The March on Washington, August 28, 1963: My View
Fifty years ago today, I took the train to Washington, D.C., with my then-husband Richard to participate in the most important protest of our era. We were not part of a group, though we knew many groups that were involved. We went on our own, as citizens, who wanted to add our voices to others to demand a society free of the racial barriers that denied equal rights to Americans whose skin color wa
How the Gates Foundation Bought and Paid for Common Core
In this astonishing post, Mercedes Schneider documents how the Gates Foundation paid for every aspect of the Common Core standards. Gates paid to develop them; to evaluate them; to promote them. There seems to be no part of the Common Core that was not bought and paid for by Gates. Does it matter if one very rich man decides to create national standards and call them “state-led”? Schneider raises
AUG 27
Students Explain: “What Makes a Good Teacher?”
Bill Gates has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in search of an answer to the question: “What makes a good teacher?” Arne Duncan, building on his record in Chicago, knows what makes a good teacher: It is the teacher who raises test scores, and he has spent billions of dollars to induce every state to agree with him. Here, the students of Madison, Connecticut explain what makes a good teacher.
BAT Version of Wizard of Oz
Here is the latest creative product of the BATs. It is their version of the Wizard of Oz. Can you guess: Who is innocent Dorothy? Who is the Wicked Witch? Who is the Good Witch? Who is the Tin Man, who lacks a heart? Who is the Scarecrow, who lacks a brain? Who is the Cowardly Lion? Who controls the Flying Monkeys? And who is the Wizard of Oz?
Jon Pelto: Our Orwellian Education Policy
Jonathan Pelto here reviews the upside down world of education “reform,” where evidence-based policy is rejected as insufficiently innovative, while failed ideas are hailed as bold “reforms.” His blog is inspired by a great, great article by civil rights lawyer Wendy Lecker.
Paul Thomas: Shame on You, State Superintendent Zais!
Paul Thomas here describes how Mick Zais, state superintendent of South Carolina, misleads the public about the condition of education in his state, about how schools succeed, and what is needed to help them improve. Having found a high-poverty district that has higher-than-expected test scores, Zais uses this district to push the corporate reform agenda: Success is all about merit pay and “no exc
This Video Explains What Is Wrong with American Education
This is a video that uses the music of “Alice’s Restaurant.” It is filled with every bit of jargon and pedagogical nonsense that is now official policy in New York state and the nation. Watch this, listen to the steady flow of mandates, bureaucratese, official baloney, data-driven evaluation, and ask yourself: What does any of this verbal trash have to do with education? How does it relate to thin
Paul Horton: An Open Letter to the Nation’s EducationWriters
Paul Horton is a history teacher at the University of Chicago Lab School, one of the nation’s finest private schools. Because he has a keen understanding of history, he is outraged by the assault on our nation’s public schools. He wrote the following open letter to a large number of education writers. It should be widely circulated: Dear Country’s Best Journalists, I am a thirty year educator an
Can You Run a 4-Minute Mile? Why Not?
David Gamberg is superintendent of the Sourhold district in Long Island, Néw York. He understands something that state commissioner John King does not. Children are different. They develop in different ways and at different rates. They have different strengths and weaknesses. Experienced educators know this. The standard for high achievement in mile-long races is 4 minutes. Runners tried for years
Why I Endorse Bill de Blasio for Mayor of New York City
After much deliberation, I have decided to support Bill de Blasio for mayor of New York City. I thought long and hard, because I know and respect some of the other candidates. I issued the following statement to the de Blasio campaign. “I am proud to support Bill de Blasio for mayor of New York City. I support him because I believe he will be a great mayor with a fresh vision for the city, its fam
The Rip-Off Masters of Higher Education and How They Won
Now that President Obama has turned his attention to the problem of college affordability, it is also time to revisit a very important report that was released last year and buried by Beltway lobbyists. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released a blistering report in 2012 about for-profit “universities.” They have high
Duncan: Students with Disabilities Should Take Same Exams
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wants students with disabilities to take the same standardized tests as students without disabilities, reports Joy Resmovits at Huffington Post. The change “could have profound effects on some of the nation’s most vulnerable learners.” “Since President Barack Obama came into office, his administration has upheld and advanced policies that have increased the stak
Robert Scott: Ways to Reduce the Cost and Increase the Value of Higher Education
Robert Scott is president of Adelphi College in Long Island, New York. Here, he offers his ideas about how to strengthen higher education and direct federal aid more thoughtfully to students. First, he suggests a year of mandatory national service in communities after high school graduation. Rationale: This service year would help young people develop knowledge, skills, abilities and values outsid
Charter Schools in Ohio: No Better than Public Schools
Reformers love to test and rate and grade and rank everyone and everything: students, teachers, schools, etc. They love school report cards–where schools are assigned a single letter grade–because it sets up the D and F schools to be closed, then privatized. This enables them to churn the schools and introduce the principle of constant disruption, their favorite state of being. Disruption, you see
Congratulations, John Owen, “Bad Teacher” of the Year!
A terrific interview in USA Today with John Owen, who patiently explains what is really happening today in education. A sample: Q: You call yourself a “bad” teacher. When did this idea first occur to you? A: I was a bad teacher because I was a teacher. Today, “bad teacher” and “teacher” have become almost interchangeable. Listen to billionaire “visionaries” such as Bill Gates and Michael Bloom
David Sirota: How to Solve the College Debt Problem
David Sirota has a thoughtful and provocative column in Salon in which he argues that access to college has become so important that college should be funded like high school. In other words, public institutions of higher education should be paid for by taxes so that higher education is accessible and does not burden students with a mountain of debt. Citing Matt Taibbi, Sirota writes: “…economic a
China Adopts Ten Commandments of Education Reform, Reduces Testing
Yong Zhao, who was born and educated in China and is now a professor at the University of Oregon, reports on China’s new education reform plans To relieve the pressure on young children and to encourage creativity, China is reducing testing, homework, and tracking. Yong Zhao reports: “No standardized tests, no written homework, no tracking. These are some of the new actions China is taking to less
AUG 26
Churn, Churn, Churn, Is Not Good for Kids or the Teaching Profession
This is one of the most depressing articles I have read lately. It is a straightforward article about high teacher turnover in charter schools. It begins with quotes from a 24-year-old teacher in YES Prep in Houston, who is just starting his third year in the classroom, and he is already planning to move on. The principal of his charter school is 28. The New York Times reporter Motoko Rich points
The Atlantic: “Why Do Liberals Hate Cory Booker?”
We remember Molly Ball as the writer for The Atlantic who tried to persuade us in 2012 that Michelle Rhee really truly is a liberal and was taking over the Democratic Party. Of course, since then, we have seen StudentsFirst make campaign contributions to rightwing Republicans and to a handful of Democrats who support vouchers. We even saw her select a Tennessee legislator who sponsored notorious a
Special Education in New Orleans: “Thoroughly Broken”
Lance Hill, a New Orleans civil rights activist, describes the ongoing debacle of special education in that city. The Southern Poverty Law Center sued the state in 2010 for pervasive discrimination against students with special needs. Just recently, SPLC filed another suit against the state department of education, the state board of education, and Commissioner John White for continuing discrimina
Pennsylvania: Waivers Arrive, Punishments Follow
Blogger Yinzercation reports that Pennsylvania finally got its waivers from No Child Left Behind’s irrational goals of 100% success, only to face the equally punitive regime crafted by the Obama administration. ATP (Adequate Yearly Progress) will be replaced by SPP (Student Performance Profile). Three of the four new measures are based on standardized tests. No surprise there. Love those tests “
Charter Advocate Seeks to Oust Tom Torklakson
California State Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson is one of the best education leaders. As an experienced classroom teacher, he knows what teachers and students need. As a veteran of the Merchant Marine, he has a steady hand on the tiller. As a former legislator, he knows how to work with the legislature. He had the wisdom and foresight to avoid Race to the Top, knowing that a “win” would c
Tennessee Scandal: Worst School in the State Protected by Lobbyists
The worst-performing school in Tennessee is K12′s for-profit Virtual Academy. If it were a public school, it would have been closed by now. But K-12 is profitable and it hires good lobbyists so there will be no sanctions. “Students at the Tennessee Virtual Academy, an online school run for profit, learned less than their peers anywhere else in Tennessee last year, data released by the state last w
This Is a Great TV Special about Bipartisan Greed in DC
I saw Bill Moyers interview Mark Leibovich last night, and I was riveted to the screen. I began to understand that the privatization of public education is part of a much larger corruption in our politics. The power of greed is a mighty force. Once let loose on our schools, it will monetize the children. Please watch this when you have a free hour. You will be appalled and informed. And you will b
Kris Neilson on Michelle Rhee: Teachers’ Best Friend?
You will definitely want to read Kris Neilson’s description of Michelle Rhee’s upcoming tour, where she will dialogue with teachers about how to have a great teacher in every classroom. Rhee will hold “teacher town halls” in Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. You won’t want to miss the chance to engage in candid dialogue with one of America’s most famous reformers, who will tell you how sh
Bruce Baker: Madness in Philadelphia and Tennessee
Bruce Baker brilliantly explains how absurd the reformy policies are in both Philadelphia and Tennessee. In Philadelphia, teachers are being blamed for a massive deficit that was in fact caused by historic state budget cuts. In Tennessee, the reform plan is to tie teachers’ licenses to test scores, even though only 1/3 teach tested subjects. Baker explains: “The true reformy brilliance here is tha
Charlotte Danielson Says….DON’T DO IT!
This came from a New Jersey administrator who heard Charlotte Danielson speak about how to use her rubric: “At the NJAFPA Conference on May 29, Charlotte Danielson (creator of the Danielson Frameworks for Teaching evaluation system that so many states and districts have adopted) said in her keynote: “Using standardized test scores to assess teachers is indefensible.” Very strong words, considering
AUG 25
Letter To Georgia Board of Education in Support of Common Core Math
I received the following letter, addressed to the Georgia School Board. Dear Diane, I know that you do not support the Common Core State Standards, but I also know that you are willing to consider other points of view. Pasted down below is the text of a letter I have written to the Georgia School Board as they reconsider the CCSS at the request of the governor. The letter is also posted at the Mat
U.S. Department of Justice to Bobby Jindal: The Voucher Program is Illegal!
This post by one of Louisiana’s great bloggers reports that the state’s voucher program undermines federal desegregation orders. Pesky things, the Constitution, the law, and court orders. Cenlamar writes: Yesterday, the United States Department of Justice asked Judge Ivan Lemelle to issue an injunction preventing the State of Louisiana from providing taxpayer-subsidized school vouchers in 2014 to
Teachers Are Not Robots: Let Me Inspire Again
A teacher wrote this comment about school “reform”: One thing I loved about teaching when I first began, 24 years ago, was the degree of inspiration and creativity I could bring to my lesson plans. It made teaching and being a teacher exciting for me. My excitement was the motivation, it was infectious to the students and learning was the natural by-product. Now, everything is highly structured an
Reader: How to Make a Standard That Works
This arrived as a comment on a post about the Common Core: “Say I am designing a fastener for a product. I can VOLUNTARILY choose a standard fastener for less cost off the shelf. That will guarantee interchangability. I also have a certain degree of confidence as to the characteristics about the fastener in terms of strength and corrosion that the standards give me. But I also limit my design to
Florida BATS Launch Attack on Common Core
Investigative Kathleen McGrory reports in the Miami Herald that Common Core has critics on the left. This is noteworthy, because Secretary of Education Arne Duncan insists that the main criticism of Common Core comes from extremists and fringe groups like the Tea Party. He also insists that the federal Department of Education has had nothing whatever to do with the Common Core standards; after all
I Recommend This Book
This is a book written by John Owens, who left his own comfortable job in publishing to become a teacher in a high-poverty school in New York City. His eyes were opened by what he saw. This is his story of what he learned. “An explosive new look at the pressures on today’s teachers and the pitfalls of school reform, CONFESSIONS OF A BAD TEACHER presents a passionate appeal to save public school ed
Liz Hallmark for School Board in Rochester
Wouldn’t it be great if more teachers ran for school board and for the legislature? Then when policies are written and implemented, there would be an experienced voice at the table, explaining the consequences of decisions made far from the classroom. I don’t know Liz Hallmark, but I am very impressed that she knows teaching and learning, she cares passionately about the arts, and she would be a g
Larry Lee Writes to Checker Finn and Mike Petrilli about Alabama Accountability Act
Larry Lee is a native of Alabama who has taken a great interest in community schools. A few years ago, he was the lead author of a report about ten outstanding rural schools in Alabama. If you read it, you may find yourself crying when you learn how hard parents, teachers, principals, and communities are struggling to educate the children of poor rural communities. He wrote about the importance of
Why Microsoft Declined: A Rotten Employee Evaluation Rating System
An article by Will Oremus in Slate blames the decline of Microsoft on its poisonous stack-ranking system for evaluating employees. This system involves ranking employees in each unit from best to worst, then firing those with the lowest rating. This is demoralizing and causes bitter rivalries and office politics. Jack Welch is credited with devising this system of internal competition. It sets em
The Onion on TFA
What does The Onion think about Teach for America? This article provides the young corps member’s view, and the reaction of a student. I posted this when it first appeared, but it up is such a funny satire that I had to post it again.
Civil Rights Groups Call for Duncan’s Ouster
A large national alliance of civil rights organizations has joined under the umbrella heading of “Journey for Justice.” This coalition has called for the resignation of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. To understand why, read the flyer it distributed. Anyone who thinks that closing public schools and replacing them with privately managed charters and with vouchers is somehow part of the civil r
Gesell Institute: The Common Core Standards are Wrong for Young Children
The Gesell Institute of Human Development issued a statement in 2010 that was completely ignored, but its warning bears hearing. In March 2010, the Gesell Institute released this statement. It fell on deaf ears. The core standards being proposed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers are off the mark for our youngest learners. We at Gesell Institute
AUG 24
Any Antoinette Tuffs Left in Philadelphia Schools?
The story of Antoinette Tuff is a testament to the courage, the kindness, the decency, and the heart of a young woman who worked as a bookkeeper in an elementary school in Georgia. As the whole world must know by now, a gunman came into the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur, Georgia, with an AK-47 and 500 rounds of ammunition. He had a shootout with the police. He was obviousl
Virginia School Boards Fight State Takeovers
It is a curious fact that there has never been a successful,state takeover of a local school district. Correct me if I am wrong. Maybe there is one somewhere but I don’t know of any. Pennsylvania took control of Philadelphia in 2001, and Philadelphia is near bankruptcy. New York took control of the Roosevelt school district and increased its debt. New Jersey controls several of the state’s lowest
Her Last Day of Teaching First Grade
This came in my private email: As many of you know, I just retired from teaching, having spent most of my career in first grade. Over the last few years, my teaching had become gradually more restricted. Instead of running a center-based day, I was required to run scheduled periods of Fundations, Writing Workshop, Reading Workshop, and (this year) of Envision math. To encourage me to retire, my
Breaking News: Founder of Pennsylvania Cyber Charter Indicted
Nicholas Trombetta, founder of the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, has been indicted by federal authorities on 11 fraud and tax charges. Trombetta’s school is the largest cyber charter in the state and possibly the nation, with 10,000 students and annual revenues in excess of $100 million. Prosecutors said that Trombetta had stolen nearly $1 million. He “is accused of creating entity after enti
The Biggest Fallacy of the Common Core Standards: No Evidence
Lately, I have noticed that defenders of the Common Core are smearing critics as Tea Party fanatics and extremists. That is what Arne Duncan said to the nation’s newspaper editors last month, when he claimed that opponents of the Common Core are members of “fringe groups,” people who don’t care about poor kids, and people who falsely accuse the federal government of having something to do with the
What Is Happening in Muskegon Heights?
This reader reports on the for-profit charter chain that took control of the students in Muskegon Height, Michigan: “I have a close friend who works in this very charter school in Muskegon Heights. “If Mosaica isn’t the worst charter operation in America, it’s in the top ten. “A few observations from my friend: “1. They instituted a homeroom period at the start of the day. Students were ASSIGNED t
Chicago Parents Say: Follow the Money
Chicago Public Schools say they are out of money, but look where they are spending money freely. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Representatives available for print or broadcast media interviews Contact: Amy Smolensky, 312-485-0053 Parent Group, Raise Your Hand Blasts CPS for Budget Priorities – Cuts Disproportionately Hit District Run Schools while Charter and Central Office Spending Increases CHICAGO, A
Is Tennessee’s Charter Law Unconstitutional?
A lawyer representing the Metro Nashville school board contends that Tennessee’s charter school law is unconstitutional. John Borkowski, of the Washington. D.C., law firm of Hogan Lovells maintains that the 2002 law “seems to impose increased costs on local governments with no offsetting subsidy from the state,” which he said violates the Tennessee Constitution. Borkowski concluded that the state
How Should Schools Be Graded?
Mike Petrilli of the right-leaning Thomas B. Fordham Institute thinks that policymakers are wrong to judge schools by proficiency rates. In a thoughtful article called “The Problem with Proficiency,” he argues that it makes more sense to grade schools by whether their students show “growth.” He offers the example of a school where the proficiency rates (passing rates on state tests) are very low b
Anthony Cody: What Do Prisons, Post Offices, and Schools Have in Common?
Anthony Cody explains here the sustained assault on the commons, the effort to privatize institutions that were long considered public. He considers what happens when prisons are privatized, creating profits by reducing the quality of service and care. He shows why the post office is being privatized and who stands to gain. And he summarizes the ongoing effort to privatize public schools and turn
