Students in Los Angeles, Indiana Outwit iPads
Students in Los Angeles and Indiana wasted no time in cracking the security codes on their iPads and going to sites that were supposedly off-limits, like games, Facebook, and other social media. Who says our students are not smart?
Teacher Rebellion in Montclair
At a meeting of the Montclair, New Jersey, school board, the union president was speaking and was cut off. The teachers in the audience were outraged. So were sympathetic members of the public. Watch the video.
Correction: US DOE Closes Down “Doing What Works” Not “What Works Clearinghouse”
A reader writes and offers this clarification. It still remains the case that nothing mandated by the test-obsessed DOE is based on research or evidence: It’s not the What Works Clearinghouse that has been taken down. It’s still up and running: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ WWC does the evaluations–that’s what has been controversial because of the very, very narrow focus of their evaluation efforts.
Who Is Jared Polis? Jersey Jazzman Does His Homework.
After following Jared Polis’s personal attacks on me on Twitter, Jersey Jazzman decided to examine what Polis has done in Congress. He is good on some issues, like gun control and the environment. But when it comes to fiscal issues, he favors tax breaks for corporations and the rich. He praises Colorado’s SB 191, which bases 50% of teachers’ evaluations on test scores, which most researchers say
My Conversation with Salon: What Works and Why Corporate Reform is Failing
You might find it interesting to read a conversation I had with Sara Scribner, a teacher who writes for Salon.
A Recent Exchange with Congressman Polis
A reader asked me to post Congressman Jared Polis’ comment as a separate post. I agreed to do so, along with my response. I also recommend that you read his exchange with Jason Stanford, which I posted earlier. Stanford suggested that it was over the top to characterize someone as “evil” because you disagree with them. Stanford says there truly is evil in the world (think terrorism, think mass mur
Tim Clifford in WNYC Schoolbook on “Reign of Error”
Tim Clifford is a teacher in New York. In this article, published on WNYC’s blog ”Schoolbook,” he reviews my book Reign of Error. Tim focuses on the book’s solutions, which he describes as “womb to dorm.” Tim recounts the research-based proposals that I offer, and concludes: I don’t know about you, but I long for a public school system like this. Imagine a system in which students are healthy and
Florida Governor Appoints TFA Leader, 32, to State Board
Florida Governor Rick Scott appointed Rebecca Fishman Lipsey to the Florida State Board of Education. Lipsey describes herself as “a lifelong educator,” based on her long service to TFA. Meanwhile, TFA leaders continue to pop up in service to the nation’s most reactionary governors, including Jindal in Louisiana, Haslam in Tennessee, and McCrory in North Carolina. All these governors are bent on
Jared Polis Responds to Texas Columnist. Texas Columnist Responds to Polis.
Jared Polis, the multi-millionaire (or billionaire) Colorado congressman, went after me again last night on Twitter with rude, insulting comments. I guess he doesn’t like me. I was beginning to feel sorry for him. To see a public figure acting in such an embarrassing way on Twitter is, well, embarrassing. I wish I knew how to help him. Not only did he, in his rage, post a comment on this blog, b
Can Anyone from Chicago Explain Mayor Emanuel’s Spending Spree?
How many times have we read stories that Chicago faces a huge deficit? I can’t recall it was $600 million, or some other figure. But the huge deficit, plus “underutilization,” gave Mayor Rahm Emanuel the change to make history: He closed the largest number of public schools in history, at one fell swoop (50). But now he is going on a spending spree, building new schools and pledging to spend at le
Outrage: How Extremists Brought Vouchers to North Carolina
The extremists in the North Carolina legislature and in the governor’s mansion have decided that the state’s public education system must be subject to market pressures. That means they want public money put into private hands, as much as possible. North Carolina was once the most progressive of southern states. It is now among the most regressive, competing with Louisiana in a race to the bottom.
Who Is Jared Polis and Why Does He Call Me “Evil,” Part 2
Jonathan Pelto is trying to find out who this Jared Polis is. He took to Twitter to call me an “evil woman” and compare me to the Koch brothers as someone doing great harm to public education. It was puzzling to me. I have met him twice. The last time I saw him was three years ago. We know he is a member of Congress from Colorado, we know he sold his family’s greeting card company for $780 milli
Bloomberg Will Eliminate Guarantee of Seat in Neighborhood High Schools
Another parting shot from the lame-duck Bloomberg administration. Students will no longer be guaranteed a seat in their zoned neighborhood high school. Bloomberg has wanted an all-choice system for years, and this is his parting shot. Students list their choices, but the high school or the computer makes the decision. Most students now travel from 45 minutes to an hour to get to their assigned “ch
Who Owns the Public Schools of New York State?
In New York and other states, parents, teachers, and principals often feel as if they are on a runaway train. Someone controls their public schools, and it is not the local community. The state has a super-heavy hand, and decisions are handed down with no consultation. Hearings are held, but no one hears or listens to what the public says. Who took the public out of public education? How did this
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Tests Are Loaded with Errors
Heather Vogell, a stellar reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has done in-depth investigative reporting on the standardized tests that now are used to determine the fate of students, teachers, principals, and schools. She has found a surprising number of errors, though not surprising to those familiar with the testing industry. Read this article. How should a student respond to question
EduShyster: Teachers Advise Hollywood on How to Fix Failing Films
EduShyster discovered a witty teacher who decided that educators know best. That’s why they are educators. This is how it started: “When a teacher came across a recent interview on MSNBC with Hollywood director M. Night Shyamalan about his new book, I Got Schooled: 5 Keys to Unlocking Quality Education, he was struck by a thunderbolt of an idea. If Shyamalan, whose last film was a box office bomb
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Why DC Scores IncreasedEmma Brown of the Washington Post explains that DC test scores in math reached a historic high point because of a decision by DC officials. But the math gains officials reported were the result of a quiet decision to score the tests in a way that yielded higher scores even though D.C. students got far fewer m