As Perth Amboy Turns
And the soap opera continues in New Jersey's Reformiest District™: The Board of Education will decide whether to put Superintendent Janine Caffrey on administrative leave for a fourth time at a special Oct. 2 meeting, Caffrey said. Although Caffrey decided she will not reapply for her position and will finish out her contract which expires June 30, she was still the recipient of a Rice notic
Why Isn't Diane Ravitch On My TV?
So it's now official: Diane Ravitch's new book, Reign of Error, is a New York Times bestseller, debuting at #10 on the hardcover non-fiction list. Congratulations to Diane on this outstanding literary achievement. In contrast, Michelle Rhee's book of last spring, Radical, never made it on to the NY Times list. It did terribly in the Amazon.com sales rankings; folks working in the publishing indus
SEP 25
UPDATED: Are Americans Allowed To Debate Education Anymore?
Time to once again play Spot The Pattern™! Before we begin, here's a clue about our theme: All emphases mine unless noted. Let's start with Montclair, NJ (click through to watch the video): When Montclair's teachers union president could not finish her prepared statement Monday night, the public did so for her. Copies of Montclair Education Association President Gayl Shepard's remarks were
SEP 23
The Continuing Problem Of the Wealthy, Reformy "Liberal"
Let's get back to America's Worst Congressman™, Jared Polis of Colorado: Don't bother trying to find this tweet: it's long gone. Funny how these things happen... But intemperate behavior seems to be Polis's m.o.; here's Diane Ravitch herself: In a series of Twitter posts last night, Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado called me “an evil woman.” He said that my ideas were harming public edu
SEP 21
They Only Win When You Give Up
This is depressing: When it came time yesterday for the question-and-answer session at state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf’s now-annual convocation with school superintendents, there was an awkward moment: nobody stepped to the microphone. “Oh, I know you have questions,” Cerf said wryly, aware of the challenges facing school leaders and their districts in a momentous year of change. And w
