NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education:
TODAY
Klein’s Amplify Tablets Crack the $17 Billion Market | Diane Ravitch’s blog
The New York Times magazine has a long article by Carlo Rotella about the first trial of the Amplify tablet in the schools of Guilford County, North Carolina. Amplify is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and run by Joel Klein, the former chancellor of the NewYork City public schools. Klein is certain that public ...read moreThe post Klein’s Amplify Tablets Crack the $17 Billion Market | D
Troubled Charter Chain Plans to Open Three Schools in North Carolina | Diane Ravitch’s blog
A charter chain that has run into legal problems in Philadelphia and Chicago plans to open three schools in NorthCarolina. Lindsay Wagner of the NC Policy Watch writes in the“Progressive Pulse”: “The NC Department of Public Instruction received 171 letters of intent last week from charter school operators keen on opening up new schools in time for fall of ...read moreThe post Troubled Charter Chai
My kid is not an idiot…Hooray for Standardized Testing? | Wait What?
Good News! My kid is not an idiot… Like parents all across Connecticut, I’ve been waiting patiently – and not so patiently – for my child’s Connecticut Mastery Test (Fourth Generation) results to arrive in the mail. The CMTs were, of course, given last March but the results are arriving late because Connecticut’s Commissioner of ...read moreThe post My kid is not an idiot…Hooray for Standardized
Atlanta Journal Constitution: Testing Errors Widespread | Diane Ravitch’s blog
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter Heather Vogell conducted a two-year investigation of standardized testing and discovered many errors in them. Yet with all these errors, the test scores are being used and misused to make life-changing decisions about students, teachers, principals, and schools. Standardized tests are a weak reed on which to base a decision ...read moreThe post Atlanta Jou
YESTERDAY
Tennessee school superintendents protest against state ed chief | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 13 at 1:59 pmE-mail the writer Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman (www.tn.gov) A number of school superintendents in Tennessee have signed on to a letter that asks Gov. Bill Haslam (R) to force the state’s education commission to stop implementing controversial school reform measures and take time to evaluate what ...read moreThe post Tennessee
Whatever Happened to Scientifically Based Research in Education Policy? | Alternet
No Child Left Behind calls for scientifically based research. But what if that research calls for repealing No Child Left Behind? September 12, 2013 | The federal education legislation popularly known as No Child Left Behind made a number of ambitious promises, such as closing the achievement gap, while lamenting the failed state of public ...read moreThe post Whatever Happened to Scientifically
Infographic: Don’t believe the HOAX | The Network For Public Education
The Network For Public Education | Infographic: Don’t believe the HOAX.The post Infographic: Don’t believe the HOAX | The Network For Public Education appeared first on NPE News Briefs.
Infographic: Don’t believe the HOAX | The Network For Public Education
The Network For Public Education | Infographic: Don’t believe the HOAX.The post Infographic: Don’t believe the HOAX | The Network For Public Education appeared first on NPE News Briefs.
‘Race to the Top’ for education a flop, report finds | POLITICO.com
By NIRVI SHAH | 9/12/13 10:05 AM EDT The Obama administration’s signature $4 billion Race to the Top initiative, designed to spur far-reaching education reforms across the country and raise student achievement, is largely a failure, an analysis released Thursday concludes. Most winning states made what the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education labeled “unrealistic and ...read moreThe post ‘Race to
Diagrams: recent grantees of the three big corporate reform foundations | Class Size Matters
Earlier this year, Class Size Matters investigated the grantees of the three main funders for corporate education reform. These three foundations, The Broad Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and The Walton Family Foundation, have sent their most recent grants to groups and organizations that promote the adoption of a free-market approach to education ...read moreThe post Diagrams:
Albany City Schools, Board of Education | albanyschools.org
Board adopts anti-testing resolution The City School District of Albany Board of Education has adopted a resolution calling on the New York State Education Commissioner and the state Board of Regents “to stop the over-reliance on standardized tests as a measure of student performance and princpal/teacher effectiveness.” “While the implementation of Common Core will ...read moreThe post Albany Ci
On the New TFA Study: People, Calm Down! | Jersey Jazzman
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 ...read moreThe post On the New TFA Study: People, Calm Down! | Jersey Ja
Race To The Top Competition Deemed ‘Impossible’ In New Report | The Huffington Post
By Joy Resmovits President Barack Obama’s signature education initiative, the Race to the Top competition, is “impossible” at best and damaging at worst, argues a new, controversial report. The 100-page report, released Thursday, argues that policies should tackle the effects of poverty while simultaneously making schools better. By not targeting out-of-school factors like nutrition and parental .
Budget crisis shutters libraries at 2 top schools | Philly.com
Susan Snyder, Inquirer Staff Writer POSTED: Friday, September 13, 2013, 1:08 AM When Central High School opened its new library in 2005 – a $4.5 million research and media hub funded by alumni – Apple named it a national model. Students visited it more than 147,000 times last year, more than 800 visits a day. ...read moreThe post Budget crisis shutters libraries at 2 top schools | Philly.com appea
Meanwhile in Bridgeport… “Mayor Finch will hold on to Vallas as long as he can.” | Jon Pelto – Wait What?
When Governor Malloy and Mayor Bill Finch tried to have the state takeover Bridgeport’s schools, The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled the move illegal. When Mayor Bill Finch tried to change the charter to do away with a democratically-elected board of education and replace it with one appointed by him, the voters of Bridgeport overwhelmingly defeated ...read moreThe post Meanwhile in Bridgeport… “M
Susan Ohanian: 28 Questions About Common Core | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Susan Ohanian addressed this letter to the top officials of the state of Vermont. She asks straightforward questions about the claims made for Common Core: what is the evidence? Who wrote them? Where is TE evidence that Vermont schools were doing a poor job? What will it cost to implement the Common Core? What makes the ...read moreThe post Susan Ohanian: 28 Questions About Common Core | Diane Rav
Democratic lawmakers call for investigation of former Indiana schools chief Tony Bennett | Indianapolis Star
Key Democratic legislators said Thursday that an investigation is needed into reports that former Indiana schools chief Tony Bennett kept campaign databases on Department of Education computers, possibly in violation of state law. Documents show Bennett, a Republican who left office in January after being defeated by Democrat Glenda Ritz, kept the databases on state ...read moreThe post Democratic
It’s Not Rocket Science-It’s Greed | educationalchemy
Driving to work today I was listening to BBC radio when they covered a story about the success of Finland’s Schools. The phenomena of Finnish schools is not new to anyone who follows education policies. And yet the simple truths about why they are successful continue to evade U.S. education policy makers (aka Billionaires and ...read moreThe post It’s Not Rocket Science-It’s Greed | educationalche
Study: Kansas cuts K-12 education funding by fourth-most in nation | CJOnline.com
By Tim Carpenter timothy.carpenter@cjonline.com Kansas imposed the fourth-deepest cuts in state funding to K-12 public education since recession threw government budgets into a tailspin and fostered a school finance austerity movement, a national survey showed Thursday. The nonprofit research organization Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C., published an inflation-adjusted a
California Ignores Duncan Ultimatum | Diane Ravitch’s blog
When California officials decided to skip its regular state tests while making the transition to the new Common Core tests, Secretary Arne Duncan warned them that he wouldn’t permit it. California’s leaders ignored Duncan’s warnings and threats. The state legislature passed the legislation to suspend the state tests. What a paradox! No one has pushed ...read moreThe post California Ignores Duncan
Latino Students Cannot Afford More Damage from High-Stakes Testing | Fox News Latino
By Lisa GuisbondPublished September 11, 2013Fox News Latino If the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law were successful, next year we would celebrate reaching its goals. Among those goals is closing achievement gaps between whites and English Language Learners (ELLs), including many Latinos. Sadly, large test-score gaps remain. Worse, Latino students, including ELLs, ...read moreThe p
Check out the Educational Jargon Generator
This fine academic tool was designed to assist in the writing of reports, grant applications, and other documents related to public schools. I believe that it will be particularly useful for people involved in writing reports for WASC accreditation. Amaze your colleagues with finely crafted phrases of educational nonsense! The javascript code is adapted from ...read moreThe post Check out the Educ
State and Locals to U.S. Senate: Rewrite No Child Left Behind Act | Politics K-12 – Education Week
By Alyson Klein on September 12, 2013 5:47 PM A collection of big-name state and local government groups really, really wants U.S. Senate leaders to bring a bill to the floor to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and soon. “State governments, localities, and schools need a long-term resolution for the issues raised by ...read moreThe post State and Locals to U.S. Senate: Rewri
Curricular Wars Fought Again and Again: How Come? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Phonics vs. Whole Language. Old Math vs. New Math. Knowing Science Subjects vs. Doing Science. Heritage Study vs. Doing History. Wars of words have been fought among politicians, parents, and educators over reading, math, science, and social studies in the past century. And those rhetorical battles reappear again and again over which way is best for ...read moreThe post Curricular Wars Fought Aga
What it’s like to have principal after principal after principal | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 13 at 5:00 amE-mail the writer In the great push by school reformers to improve the quality of teachers, principals and school leadership have been ignored — and that’s an unhealthy oversight. There is research suggesting that school leadership is every bit as important as quality teaching. Yet principal turnover ...read moreThe post What it’s like to have
The Weekly Update: Predatory capitalism, privatization, sequestration and our children, Common Core Standards and opting out | Seattle Education
Everyone is back in school, the privatizers are not letting up but parents, students and teachers are fighting back. Diane Ravitch is coming out with her new book on September 18th, a book that is totally awesome by the way. I will have a review posted on September 17th. We’ve got some great forums and ...read moreThe post The Weekly Update: Predatory capitalism, privatization, sequestration and o
SEP 12
Suit filed to stop teacher evaluation | ABQJournal Online
By Hailey Heinz / Journal Staff Writer A cadre of state legislators, teachers unions and an individual teacher have filed a legal petition against the state Public Education Department, seeking to halt the state’s new teacher evaluation system. The petition, filed Friday in 2nd Judicial District Court, claims that some elements of the administrative rule ...read moreThe post Suit filed to stop tea
Teachers implore state Board of Education to repair Trenton Central High School | NJ.com
By Jenna Pizzi TRENTON — “The violence in the streets is not going to kill us; it is the rot from the building that has the opportunity to kill us.” That is how Nick Cirillo, a social studies teacher at Trenton Central High School, characterized conditions in the deteriorating building today, as he joined other ...read moreThe post Teachers implore state Board of Education to repair Trenton Centra
Barbara Miner: The Voucher Boondoggle in Milwaukee | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Barbara Miner is a veteran journalist and photographer who has been writing about education and Milwaukee for many years. Her most recent book tells the history of public education in Milwaukee: Lessons from the Heartland: A Turbulent Half-Century of Public Education in an Iconic American City. In this blog, she explains the history of vouchers ...read moreThe post Barbara Miner: The Voucher Boond
Opposition’s emergence benefits city | Connecticut Post
In a city like Bridgeport, where an entrenched political establishment seemingly gets its way on everything, days like Tuesday don’t come around very often. Party-endorsed candidates lost across the city in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. The makeup of the City Council and school board will be dramatically different thanks to a combination of voter unrest and ...read moreThe post Opposition’s emerge
Arne Duncan to Senate GOP: My Obamacare Role is ‘Minimal’ | Politics K-12 – Education Week
By Alyson Klein on September 12, 2013 4:45 PM The president’s controversial, landmark health care law, aka the Affordable Care Act, is going to hit a critical implementation phase this fall. So what is U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan doing to help? Not much of anything, apparently. How do we know this? Duncan sent ...read moreThe post Arne Duncan to Senate GOP: My Obamacare Role is ‘Minima
John Merrow: Why He Won’t Cover Rhee Anymore | Diane Ravitch’s blog
John Merrow of PBS helped to make Michelle Rhee the national face of the privatization movement (often mistakenly called the “reform” movement). Merrow featured her on national television a dozen times, often adoringly. Like many others, he was impressed by her tough talk. But he came to realize that nothing she promised was happening. And ...read moreThe post John Merrow: Why He Won’t Cover Rhee
Report: NC’s Funding for Schools Much Lower Than Before Recession | NC Policy Watch
North Carolina has made extensive cuts to school funding since the start of the recession. These unnecessary cuts deepened the recession, slowed the recovery, and will make North Carolina less prosperous in the future. North Carolina has cut investment in K-12 schools by 8.6 percent since 2008 when measured by per pupil spending, a deeper ...read moreThe post Report: NC’s Funding for Schools Much
TN school superintendents ask Gov. Haslam to rein in Commissioner Huffman | The Tennessean
In an unprecedented move, school directors across Tennessee are calling for the governor and legislature to put the brakes on Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman and his reform ideas. The superintendents are tired of being treated like stumbling blocks on Huffman’s road to reform and want their opinions to be heard, according to a letter that ...read moreThe post TN school superintendents ask Gov
George Schmidt: How to Manufacture a Budget Crisis and Impose Harsh Remedies | Diane Ravitch’s blog
George Schmidt, who taught for many years in the Chicago Public Schools but was fired by Paul Vallas for releasing test questions, edits Substance News. Here is his analysis of Chicago’s perennial budget crisis: Sorry this is very long, but I have a hunch that many people will want to know how the “austerity” lies ...read moreThe post George Schmidt: How to Manufacture a Budget Crisis and Impose H
School named after KKK leader asked to change its name | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 12 at 1:32 pm In the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff category: A petition on change.org with some 75,000 signatures is asking a Florida school district to change the name of a high school that is named after Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and the first “grand wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan. ...read moreThe post School named after KKK leader asked
Mike Klonsky’s SmallTalk Blog: New York election victory points the way in Chicago
De Blasio’s overwhelming win in yesterday’s NY primary gives hope and new confidence to teachers and others who would like to see a similar outcome in the next Chicago mayoral election. De Blasio’s stand on school issues seems closest to that of some members of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus.and other potential anti-Rahm candidates. De ...read moreThe post Mike Klonsky’s SmallTalk Blog: Ne
Letter to the Fordham President on Assessment and US Department of Education Mandates | With A Brooklyn Accent
Dear Father McShane and Esteemed Academic Administrators I returned to my 44th year of teaching at Fordham with great excitement and a growing sense of trepidation about national trends in higher education and how they might effect the Fordham community. My classes have never been better. I have wonderful students who are excited about the ...read moreThe post Letter to the Fordham President on As
Corporate Reform Has New Setbacks | Diane Ravitch’s blog
A great article in Politico.com by Stephanie Simon acknowledges that the primary election in New York City was a rejection of Bloomberg’s education policies of the past decade. The rejection of corporate reform in New York City has national implications, as NYC was held up as one of the “stars” of the privatization movement. Similarly, ...read moreThe post Corporate Reform Has New Setbacks | Diane
What the New York Times Left Out | Diane Ravitch in the Huffington Post
Yesterday, the New York Times published an article about my forthcoming book that turned out to be a profile of me. The reporter, Motoko Rich, did a good job of describing me, my dog Mitzi, and the basic facts of my unusual philosophical and political journey over the past few decades. The headline was wrong, ...read moreThe post What the New York Times Left Out | Diane Ravitch in the Huffington P
Karen Heller: One counselor, 2,820 students | Philly.com
By Karen Heller, Inquirer Columnist POSTED: September 11, 2013 Let me tell you about Peter Zadro’s first day of school as an itinerant guidance counselor. Honest, that’s his title in the continuing drama of the Philadelphia school crisis. On Monday, Zadro visited three of his schools. “I was just trying to meet the principals,” he ...read moreThe post Karen Heller: One counselor, 2,820 students |
Let’s Reverse the Damage From Race to the Top, EPI Report Says | Politics K-12 – Education Week
By Michele McNeil on September 12, 2013 9:05 AM A new report by the Economic Policy Institute finds big flaws in the Race to the Top program and questions how much the $4 billion spent to spur education improvements in the states will actually narrow achievement gaps and improve student outcomes. The report was released ...read moreThe post Let’s Reverse the Damage From Race to the Top, EPI Report
Flipping Schools, The Story of Ohio Charter Schools | janresseger
Doug Livingston, the education reporter for the Akron Beacon-Journal, describes an old, old practice permitted by Ohio charter school law: Failing Charter Schools Often Close, Reopen with Little Change. “Analysis of Ohio Department of Education records for years prior to 2013 show(s) seven charter schools operated by for-profit management companies were closed for academic performance ...read mor
What the New York Times Article Left Out | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Yesterday, the New York Times published an article about my forthcoming book that turned out to be a profile of me. The reporter, Motoko Rich, did a good job of describing me, my dog Mitzi, and the basic facts of my unusual philosophical and political journey over the past few decades. The headline was wrong, ...read moreThe post What the New York Times Article Left Out | Diane Ravitch’s blog appe
Report: Race to the Top isn’t delivering big results | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 12 at 11:45 am The Obama administration’s signature education initiative, Race to the Top, can’t deliver much educational improvement in America’s public schools because there is a huge mismatch in its mandates and what is actually possible to accomplish with the provided funding and requirements, according to a new report ...read moreThe post Report: Race
Obama’s education gap: Rhetoric vs policies | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 12 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer There is a big gap between what President Obama says about educational equity and the consequences of his policies. Here’s a post on this by Arthur H. Camins, director of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of ...read moreThe post Obama’s education gap: Rhetoric vs policies |
Gates Money and Common Core– Part III | deutsch29
My first post on Gates and his Common Core State Standards (CCSS) spending includes information on his paying millions to the four key organizations involved in composing CCSS as well as to key education organizations and think tanks for their endorsement. My second post of this series examines Gates money paid to organizations influencing state departments and local school districts for the purpo
What does ‘quality teacher’ mean anyway? | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 12 at 4:00 am In the big push for “quality teachers,” the question about what that means gets short shrift. Here’s a piece on the subject by Mike Rose, a professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and author of several books. His most recent works ...read moreThe post What does ‘quality teacher’ mean anyway? | The Answer Shee