Hilarious Ode to Charlotte Danielson!
If you are a teacher, trust me on this one: Danielson, oh Danielson, I still hear your domains calling, My data's down, my numbers falling, I became a "one" When I met Danielson. Based on Glenn Campbell's "Galveston"; how these guys came up with that choice I have no idea, but well done, folks! My sense is that Charlotte Danielson is a sincere educator who wants to m
SEP 12
On the New TFA Study: People, Calm Down!
I really don't have time to take a long, hard look at the new Teach For America study, which "confirms" that TFA "works" because its randomized design is the "gold standard," and anyone who doubts this is "quibbling." There's been some good reporting on this: start with Dana Goldstein and Stephanie Simon, two journalists who regularly stop and think for a m
SEP 09
Preview: Short Excerpt from @DianeRavitch's "Reign Of Error"
I wrote a review of Diane Ravitch's new book, Reign of Error, this weekend. I was honored to receive an advance copy, and I'll let you know when and where my review appears. Diane's book is available to the public September 17th. As part of the review, I transcribed a paragraph: “But the wounds caused by centuries of slavery, segregation, and discrimination cannot be healed by testing, stand
SEP 08
New Depths of Ignorance For the Star-Ledger
ME (speaking with mouthful of muffin): Would it be wrong for me to write a post entitled: "Star-Ledger Editorial Board: the Stupidest People on Earth!" MRS. JAZZMAN (looking up from sipping smoothie): Yes, it would. Not only is it unnecessarily provocative, it's untrue. They're not the stupidest people on Earth. ME: But they wrote this! For perspective, know that the reforms [NJ Democratic gube
SEP 07
Three Years Ago a Star Was Born: Marie Corfield
It's hard to believe, but it was three years ago this very day when an art teacher from Flemington stood up to a bully named Chris Christie and gave him a piece of her mind: Keep in mind, this was before we had heard Christie compare teachers to drug dealers and tell reporters to "take a bat out" on a 76-year-old state senator and call an Iraq War veteran an "idiot." Marie Corfield was among th
Why Does Anyone Listen To Mike Bloomberg?
Only a few more months and we won't have to listen to Mike Bloomberg rattle off nonsense like this anymore: You’re a believer in the empirical, in data. But after all the changes in standards, is there any credibility in the test scores and graduation rates?It is very hard to explain complex numbers in a sound bite. But when the numbers went up, you were very happy to say so.Yes. Compare
Free Your Hair; Free Your Mind
[WARNING: UNCHECKED SARCASM AHEAD] Sadly, it look like political correctness has won the day in the fight to groom people of color: In the wake of an outcry over an Ohio charter school's attempt to ban "afro-puffs and small twisted braids," the institution’s dean has apologized and said the policy was taken out of context. Because there's clearly a non-racist "context" for telling black parent