Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, October 17, 2013

10-17-13 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:





First In-School Reform? Teacher Autonomy
The reform agenda has focused almost entirely on in-school only so-called reforms.That paradigm is essentially flawed since the greatest barriers to in-school learning by students and effective teaching by teachers are out-of-school poverty and inequity.However, once we address social reform, in-school reform must begin with teacher autonomy; consider this about Finland:Teachers in Finland – trust

Diane Ravitch and Reformers' Feelings
When Diane Ravitch, in Reign of Error, discusses charter schools, she makes it clear that not all charters impose a “no-excuses” mentality. When discussing the reformers’ public relations machine and its “well-honed message,” she analyses their language and writes, “when they speak of “no-excuses,” they mean boot camp culture.”In a rational world, Ravitch’s careful distinctions, as in the above se

10-16-13 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Diane Ravitch Documents the Danger of "E-land"In Reign of Error, Diane Ravitch writes, “Some - a small but important number – believe they are acting rationally by treating the public education sector as an investment opportunity.” Who can argue with that conclusion?Ravitch is tough on Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his chief of staff, Joanne Weiss. Ravitch did no