NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education:
Thanks! Here is My Post on “Education Nation” | Diane Ravitch’s blog
A reader sent me the post I wrote earlier today about “Education Nation.” After it was posted and several people tweeted it, it disappeared. I was not aware that it disappeared until someone wrote to ask why I had taken it down. Of course, I had not taken it down. But when I googled it, ...read moreThe post Thanks! Here is My Post on “Education Nation” | Diane Ravitch’s blog appeared first on NPE
Crazy White House Proposal: Rank Colleges Based On How Much Graduates Earn | Alternet
By Les Leopold Crazy White House Proposal: Rank Colleges Based On How Much Graduates Earn Team Obama wants to turn higher education into yet another financial instrument. The Obama administration is transporting Wall Street logic into higher education by proposing to measure the value of a college by the earnings of its graduates. This conceptual ...read moreThe post Crazy White House Proposal: Ra
U.S. House Kicks Off Renewal of Career and Technical Education Legislation | Politics K-12 – Education Week
By Alyson Klein on September 20, 2013 12:34 PM Career and Technical Education legislation has always been bipartisan—and lawmakers in the House are hoping that an upcoming reauthorization can continue the tradition. CTE is the largest federal program for high schools, funded at about $1.13 billion. And its focus—career education—fits in with House leaders’ current ...read moreThe post U.S. House K
Open Letter to President Obama: The One Book You Should Read on Public Education: Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error | K-12 News Network
Dear President Obama, You must read Professor Diane Ravitch’s latest book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools. You won’t like it. No one likes reading about their failures. And that’s exactly WHY you should read it. Your legacy is at stake. You risk having Race ...read moreThe post Open Letter to President Obama: The One Book You Shoul
Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee’s “missing” campaign finance report | Wait What?
As required by law, in the days leading up to Bridgeport’s recent Democratic Primary for Board of Education, all the various campaign committees filed their campaign finance reports. That is all the committees filed their required reports except for one… The Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee, the committee chaired by Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testa, failed ...read moreThe post Bridgeport
Teach For America: Feel Good Spin vs. Dose of Reality From A Corps Member | Cloaking Inequity
often receive notes and email from Teach For America teachers who have regret about their decision to join the corps (Please encourage teachers to send them to me. I will publish them here on Cloaking Inequity to give them voice). Should you believe the positive spin from your local TFA lobbyist, Mathematica, TFA recruiters, College ...read moreThe post Teach For America: Feel Good Spin vs. Dose o
Diane Ravitch’s blog | A site to discuss better education for all
For many years, young children applying to enter elite private schools in New York City had to take the ERB, which was supposed to be like an SAT for toddlers. Now these schools have decided to drop the ERB as an admission test because of the pervasiveness of test prep. According to a story in ...read moreThe post Diane Ravitch’s blog | A site to discuss better education for all appeared first on
Bloomberg’s Board Racing to Give Away More Public Space | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Time is running out on the Bloomberg administration, so his compliant board will vote at its next meeting in October on a record giveaway of public school space to privately managed charters. The panel, which has a majority of members appointed by the mayor, will consider more than 40 proposals for co-locating schools at two ...read moreThe post Bloomberg’s Board Racing to Give Away More Public Sp
BASIS Charters’ educational trade secrets | Blog For Arizona
by David Safier It looks like one of those heavily redacted CIA documents with page after page of “I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you” information blacked out. But it’s not a CIA document. It’s the BASIS application to open a charter school in San Antonio, Texas. The document is 400 ...read moreThe post BASIS Charters’ educational trade secrets | Blog For Arizona appeared first on NPE
Bobby Jindal’s Voucher Hoax | Diane Ravitch’s blog
When the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against Louisiana’s voucher program, on grounds that it threatened to undermine court-ordered desegregation, Jindal went on a well-publicized rant against the DOJ, claiming politics. Suddenly, Jindal presented himself as a leader of he civil rights movement, trying to save poor black kids from failing public schools. His ...read moreThe post Bobby Jin
Special Master Steven Adamowski’s wild spending spree with Connecticut’s tax dollars | Wait What?
Since the Malloy administration gave Steven Adamowski his no-bid contract to serve as “Special Master” for Windham and New London, Adamowski has collected a salary of about $450,000 for himself and another $168,000 for his staff. Add in over $140,000 more for health and insurance benefits, $17,000 for travel and $29,000 for equipment and it ...read moreThe post Special Master Steven Adamowski’s w
Superintendent: State’s reform strategy is to throw darts and see what sticks | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 20 at 9:41 amE-mail the writer Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman (www.tn.gov) On more than a few occasions, I have found myself trying to explain a policy change which in my view is not best for students, teachers, or the district I have been hired to serve. Worse, many of ...read moreThe post Superintendent: State’s reform strategy is to throw
Pitbull Is “Bringing Sexy Back” To Education, And Not Just In The 305 | Mother Crusader
No, I didn’t make up that title. He really said that. “Sometimes what happens is that education is no longer sexy,” Pitbull said. “It’s no longer cool. I want to tell them or help put together either curriculum or schools where it does entertain them or engage them. One way or another, I want to ...read moreThe post Pitbull Is “Bringing Sexy Back” To Education, And Not Just In The 305 | Mother Cr
‘Go Public’ School Documentary Screens This Weekend | The Frying Pan
by Frying Pan Staff on September 18, 2013 Frying Pan News reviewer Vivian Rothstein called Go Public: A Day in the Life of an American School District “an antidote to the doom and gloom pronouncements of Waiting for Superman and other recent corporate-sponsored films.” This documentary, created by Jim and Dawn O’Keeffe, memorably follows 50 ...read moreThe post ‘Go Public’ School Documentary Scree
California takes a left turn on state exams – The Washington Post
By Lyndsey Layton, Published: September 19 E-mail the writer California is on a collision course with the U.S. Department of Education over its plans to suspend standardized tests this school year – a move that Education Secretary Arne Duncan says is wrong-headed. Concerned that other states might follow suit and in an attempt to shut down ...read moreThe post California takes a left turn on state
All in For Profit | EduShyster
A Wall Streeter explains why he’s bullish on for-profit education company K12 By Mazinger Z As president Coolidge once said, the business of American business is rent seeking. No surprise then that the efficiency, resources and ingenuity of our profit-seekers are increasingly being enlisted in the fight to turn around our failed and failing public ...read moreThe post All in For Profit | EduShyste
New Noble Charter School Plan On Hold As Parents, Activists Blast Proposal – Belmont Cragin – DNAinfo.com Chicago
By Ted Cox on September 19, 2013 2:06pm CITY HALL — A city planning commission tabled plans to build a new charter school in Belmont Cragin after parents and education activists blasted the proposal. Activists from the Albany Park Neighborhood Council, Action Now and Voices of Youth in Chicago Education attacked what they called a diversion ...read moreThe post New Noble Charter School Plan On Hol
Signing petition gets school leader’s testimony canceled | timesfreepress.com
NASHVILLE — A Middle Tennessee school director said he was discouraged from testifying before a legislative panel on behalf of new student benchmarks after Gov. Bill Haslam’s chief of staff learned he also had signed a petition criticizing Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman on other issues. Lawrence County Schools Director Bill Health made the assertion in ...read moreThe post Signing petition g
FAIRTEST: Pearson’s History of Test Foul Ups | Diane Ravitch’s blog
FAIRTEST has warned about the misuse of standardized testing for years. As an organization, it serves an invaluable purpose and exists on a shoe string. It should be funded by Gates, Broad, and Walton. Instead it is funded by you. Here is FAIRTEST’s chronology of Pearson’s testing errors over the years. PEARSON’S HISTORY OF TESTING PROBLEMS ...read moreThe post FAIRTEST: Pearson’s History of Test
100 Bloggers and Diane Ravitch | Reclaim Reform
Posted on September 18, 2013 by Ken Previti On Sept. 18, 2013 between 7:30 and 8:30 pm, about a hundred bloggers listened to and spoke with Diane Ravitch in a Shindig Video Chat event that was historical. Never before has an author launched a book by asking education bloggers to review her book, review it ...read moreThe post 100 Bloggers and Diane Ravitch | Reclaim Reform appeared first on NPE Ne
Online courses don’t live up to hype – Caitlin Emma – POLITICO.com
By CAITLIN EMMA Massive open online courses were supposed to revolutionize — and democratize — higher education. But two years since their debut, the initial buzz seems like nothing but hype. Millions have signed up for online courses sponsored by elite colleges, yet they report high dropout rates and disappointing student performance among those who ...read moreThe post Online courses don’t live
Feds should launch Bennett investigation | NWI Times
By Doug Ross doug.ross@nwi.com, (219) 548-4360 or (219) 933-3357 The latest allegations against former Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett — that state computers and possibly staff were used for his campaign fundraising — sound like something that might have happened in Lake County. In fact, that’s what Lake County Surveyor George Van Til is accused of ...read moreThe post Feds shoul
Tilson short-selling K12Inc. | Schooling in the Ownership Society
You would think that the online learning company, K12Inc. would find synergy with hedge-funder Whitney Tilson, the money bags behind DFER and a co-founder of TFA and KIPP board member. But no! Tilson would never let ideological unity get in the way of super-profits. So Tilson is having his T2 Fund short-sell the hell out of ...read moreThe post Tilson short-selling K12Inc. | Schooling in the Owner
Is education about increasing earning power? | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 20 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer I recently published a post by author Alfie Kohn that was highly critical of a book review in The New York Times by author and journalist Annie Murphy Paul, who was reviewing Amanda Ripley’s new book, “The Smartest Kids in the World.” Kohn accused ...read moreThe post Is education about increasing earning power? | The Answer
SEP 19
Bloomberg Administration Plans to Scrub Emails | Diane Ravitch’s blog
A whistleblower inside the DOE in New York City told me the Bloomberg administration plans to eliminate all emails. I assumed they were reacting to the Indiana scandal, where Tony Bennett’s emails showed that he engaged in grade-fixing and assembling lists of campaign donors. Maybe yes, maybe no. But what we learn from this story ...read moreThe post Bloomberg Administration Plans to Scrub Emails
Charters to face steep fines for late teacher pension payments | catalyst-chicago.org
By: Rebecca Harris / September 19, 2013 State lawmakers have passed a bill that dramatically increases the fines for charter schools that make late payments to the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund. The pension fund is giving charter schools until Oct. 1 to pay up, and pension fund President Jay Rehak says more money is already ...read moreThe post Charters to face steep fines for late teacher pension
Three Questions, Two Answers from the Department of Education | Anthony Cody – Living in Dialogue
By Anthony Cody on September 19, 2013 3:47 PM A little more than two weeks ago, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held a phone-in press conference. I submitted several questions online, but they were not addressed during the event. However, reporters on the line were assured that unanswered questions would be given high priority. So ...read moreThe post Three Questions, Two Answers from the Depar
Colorado Congressman calls America’s leading public education advocate, Diane Ravitch, “an evil woman.” | Jonathan Pelto – Wait What?
Wait, What? No really, a Democratic Congressman from Colorado named Jared Polis Colorado tweeted “don’t know how I can bring myself to read another book by that evil woman who is doing so much harm to public education.” Friend and fellow public education blogger, Jersey Jazzman, picked up the tweet and wrote on his blog; “Diane Ravitch ...read moreThe post Colorado Congressman calls America’s lead
Should Teachers Have to Beg Online to Fund Classroom Supplies? | Alternet
It says a lot about education today that teachers have to use sites like Reddit Gifts and Donors Choose to get markers and paper. September 19, 2013 Alice Kunce was elated to start a job as a remedial reading teacher in Arkansas. Then she arrived at her classroom and reality set in: I walked into ...read moreThe post Should Teachers Have to Beg Online to Fund Classroom Supplies? | Alternet appeare
Will Phila. be the graveyard of public education? | philly.com
Karen Heller, Inquirer Columnist POSTED: Thursday, September 19, 2013, 3:01 AM Congratulations! Our state has won national attention in the public schools debate. Education historian and activist Diane Ravitch told an overflow crowd at the Free Library on Tuesday, “The state of Pennsylvania is ground zero for the destruction and privatization of education.” Who wants ...read moreThe post Will Phil
TAMPA: Gov. Rick Scott considering executive action to address Common Core controversy | MiamiHerald.com
BY KATHLEEN MCGRORY, STEVE BOUSQUET AND ALEX LEARY TAMPA — Florida Gov. Rick Scott is considering an executive order to address growing controversy over the Common Core State Standards. Scott provided few details Wednesday, but hinted that the order would involve the new tests aligned to the education standards. Florida was planning to use national ...read moreThe post TAMPA: Gov. Rick Scott consi
Plain Talk: Wisconsin’s school vouchers are a scam | The Cap Times
The recent news release from the State Department of Public Instruction revealing that 67 percent of the applicants to the Walker administration’s expanded school voucher program are already attending private schools elicited cries of “scam” from many quarters. And well it should have. That two-thirds of the voucher applicants had their children already enrolled in ...read moreThe post Plain Talk:
Did This Little Election Strike a Big Blow to Education Reform? | The Atlantic
Progressives and unions say a primary in Connecticut last week shows momentum is turning against the corporate-backed charter-school movement. MOLLY BALLSEP 17 2013 Paul Vallas was hailed for his work in post-Katrina New Orleans, but controversy has dogged him in his current post in Bridgeport, Connecticut. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press) In the world of education reform, ...read moreThe post Did
Achievement Gap Misnomer for Equity Gap, pt. 1 | the becoming radical
[NOTE: I am reposting two pieces from Daily Kos (June 26, 2011, and April 29, 2012) to address the issue of achievement gaps, which I consider a misnomer for the equity gap.] Why the Achievement Gap Matters and Will Remain EdWeek features a story that is a typical crisis report on education in the U.S. that has ...read moreThe post Achievement Gap Misnomer for Equity Gap, pt. 1 | the becoming radi
NYC Whistle Blower: How the DOE Is Like Enron | Diane Ravitch’s blog
I know a mole inside the New York City Department of Education. He/she knows how the DOE manipulates data to burnish the mayor’s image. This is a good reason to oppose mayoral control of the schools. He/she says the mayor’s small schools close with regularity; that the data cannot be trusted; that the Department has ...read moreThe post NYC Whistle Blower: How the DOE Is Like Enron | Diane Ravitch
Poll: Philly blames Corbett and Nutter, not teachers, for schools crisis | Philadelphia City Paper
By Daniel Denvir Published: 09/17/2013 Gov. Tom Corbett, Mayor Michael Nutter, the School Reform Commission, and myriad self-described education reform groups have all cited the School District of Philadelphia’s catastrophic budget crisis to demand major concessions from teachers and other workers. But Philadelphians don’t blame teachers, according to a new poll from Pew Charitable Trusts. ...read
West Palm Beach charter school terminated over daily field trips | South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
By Karen Yi, Sun Sentinel 7:45 p.m. EDT, September 18, 2013 The charter school opened two weeks late in a facility without enough classroom space. So each day it sent its high school students on field trips to vocational adult centers, museums, churches and the library. Upset that the students were falling behind on academics, ...read moreThe post West Palm Beach charter school terminated over dai
Common Core flak may spur changes | Arizona Central
By , Cathryn Creno The Republic | azcentral.com Tue Sep 17, 2013 10:30 PM Arizona’s superintendent of public instruction wants to take the politics out of the Arizona Common Core Standards without loosening any requirements of the state’s tough new academic program. On Tuesday, John Huppenthal said the term “Common Core” has become so politically ...read moreThe post Common Core flak may spur chan
The Common Core money war | Stephanie Simon and Nirvi Shah – POLITICO.com
One of the most expensive political fights in America this year isn’t over a Senate seat or a governor’s mansion. It’s about what your kids learn in school. Tens of millions of dollars are pouring into the battle over the Common Core academic standards, which aim to set a course for students’ progression in math ...read moreThe post The Common Core money war | Stephanie Simon and Nirvi Shah – POLI
Diane Ravitch Responds To Your Questions | On Point with Tom Ashbrook
Our hour with Diane Ravitch, a former assistant secretary of education and a current education historian and policy analyst, drew a lot of activity on our website and social media feeds. Many of you were really sold on Ravitch’s hard-charging stance on education reform and what she sees as the privatization of American public education, ...read moreThe post Diane Ravitch Responds To Your Questions
Life in Rahm’s Chicago. We’re collecting toilet paper for our schools. Did you know the Koch brothers own Quilted Northern? | Fred Klonsky
They’re holding toilet paper drives in the Galewood neighborhood. Budget cuts have meant no toilet paper. Let other cities fight over the Core Curriculum Standards. We’re fighting over Scott. Did you know the Koch Brothers own Quilted Northern? I’m thinking there must be a connection somehow. Ben Joravsky: Mayor Emanuel had just finished another press ...read moreThe post Life in Rahm’s Chicago. W
School district monitoring students’ social media posts | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 19 at 5:00 am A California school district has hired a contractor to monitor what some 14,000 students post on Facebook, Twitter and other social media in an effort to find students who may be displaying suicidal thoughts, being bullied, or in need of other help. Many other school districts ...read moreThe post School district monitoring students’ social me