HECHINGER Report: Inside Story on L.A. iPad Fiasco
Here is a very interesting story in the HECHINGER Report about what went wrong in Los Angeles, after the district decided to send $1 billion on iPads. Poor planning, poor implementation, a rush to get them in the hands of students without thinking about how to make it work or what might go wrong.
Heckuva Job, Reformers!
Reformers often say that they love “great” teachers. They think that if they drive out all the “bad” teachers, then “the best and brightest” will flock to teach in the schools. They think they are restructuring the profession to make it attractive to the top third of those who graduate from the very best universities. This comment from a teacher: I feel both embarrassed and horrified to be a t
Arne Duncan Blasts Critics of His Reforms as “Armchair Pundits”
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan blasted critics of Race to the Top and his “reforms” as “armchair pundits.” Anthony Cody writes about his remarks here and reproduces them in full. Does Duncan think that teachers and principals are armchair pundits? Does he think that researchers who have demonstrated the futility of value-added assessments like Linda Darling-Hammond (candidate Obama’s educati
Charter School Scandal in DC at Expense of Kids with Disabilities
Emma Brown of The Washington Post reports on an outrageous scandal at the city’s oldest charter school: “Former senior managers and the board chairwoman of the Options Public Charter School for at-risk youths diverted millions of taxpayer dollars that were meant to fund programs for students, according to a lawsuit District authorities filed Tuesday. “The lawsuit filed in D.C. Superior Court claim
L.A. Times Columnist Asks Whether iPads Are Worth $1 Billion
Columnist Steve Lopez says that the L.A. officials rushed into the iPad deal without thinking through the problems. Students broke the security codes to use them for fun. Many went missing. Biggest uncertainty: is the content any good? Who will be held accountable, he asks.
EduShyster Reviews NY Times’ Punditry on Teacher Education
In this post, EduShyster takes on Joe Nocera, columnist for the Néw York Times. As pundits are inclined to do, he relies on anecdotes and a discredited study to pronounce that teacher education is the cause of our nation’s educational decline. Please let Joe know that our nation’s schools are not declining. Please, someone, send him a copy of my book. Forget it, I will ask my publisher to do it.
Mr. Gates, Don’t Wait a Decade. You Are Wrong.
A letter from a teacher: At the classroom level, every day matters, as experienced teachers reach out and teach not only academic content, but also social skills, problem-solving skills, coping skills…the list is endless, the individual needs are varied, and yes, we differentiate all of the time. However, now we need to document everything, keep the data charts and strategies current and ongoing,
Indianapolis: Ground Zero for the Privatization Movement
Rod Ellcessor of the Indiana Education Association raises a question: what kind of “new Democrat” wants to eliminate unions and public schools? He writes: “Diane, unfortunately, we are besieged by the Mind Trust in Indianapolis. Bill Gates’ money is one of the primary sources for the Mind Trust which allows TFA to be placed in the Schools in Indy. As the Director of the Indianapolis Education Ass
Mercedes Schneider Writes an Open Letter to John Merrow
Mercedes Schneider teaches in Louisiana. She has repeatedly explained that there was no “New Orleans Miracle,” as the media wants us to believe. In this post, she expresses her disappointment that John Merrow refuses to accept her invitation to meet her in New Orleans and refuses to acknowledge her existence. And she chastises him for abandoning his pursuit of the facts in DC. Of course, anyone
Mike Klonsky Reviews “Reign of Error”
This is Mike Klonsky’s review of “Reign of Error.” I love his metaphor of the Texas Paul Revere. I remember when I first met Mike Klonsky. I wanted to find someone in Chicago who would help me navigate the city to introduce my last book, “The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education.” My blogging partner Deborah Meier introduced me by ema
In Which Whitney Tilson and I Find Common Ground
You have never seen the name Whitney Tilson on my blog before now. Tilson is a hedge fund manager who is a major supporter of KIPP, Teach for America, and Democrats for Education Reform. I have heard that he has written unpleasant things about me, like calling me a union shill. I avoid mentioning him as I see no value in personalizing issues and I try not to become engaged in ad hominem exchanges.
A Very Thoughtful Review of “Reign of Error”
The blog of The Assailed Teacher offers one of the best, most thoughtful reviews of the book I have read. The writer is a history teacher and demonstrates the care and concern for context that typifies the best historical thinking. First, he describes the books I wrote previous to “Reign of Error” and previous to my abandonment of the nostrums of the right. Thankfully, he recognizes that my histor
LA Times: The Charter School Mistake
The Los Angeles Times up invited me to write about my concerns about charter schools. This was brave, because the editorial board supports charters, although with occasional backsliding. An excellent editor worked closely to get it shortened and to tighten the argument. Here is the result. I wrote this article on the flight from Denver to Seattle. I do my best writing on airplanes because there
Why VAM Is a Sham
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley of Arizona State University is one of the nation’s leading authorities on teacher evaluation. She has the advantage of having taught middle school math for several years. She understands better than almost any other researcher just how flawed value-added measurement is. Next year, her book on the limitations of test-based accountability will be published. I invited her to c
Kay McSpadden: Why “Invisible Man” Belongs in the Schools
These days, one is surprised to hear any good news coming out of North Carolina, which has achieved national ignominy for its governor’s and legislature’s relentless attacks on public education and teachers. Yet there is good news, as teacher Kay McSpadden explains, the Randolph County school board reversed its decision to remove Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” from its schools and libraries. The
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Suburban New York Parents Don’t Believe Common Core TestsNew York’s first Common Core tests, administered last spring, produced a dramatic score decline. 70% of the students across the state allegedly “failed.” State education leaders said the tests set a new “benchmark.” They implied that the tests demonstrated the failure of the