Needed: School Nurses
Earlier today, I posted Daniel Denvir’s article about the death of a 12-year-old who was having an asthma attack. The school in Philadelphia has a nurse only two days a week, and that day there was none. This reader comments: “I knew that this would happen. I taught in Phila for years and am now retired. Poor children seem to have high incidences of chronic ailments. Asthma is one. These children
Child Abuse in New York: Bubble Tests for Kindergarten
The mighty machine that Leaves No Child Untested has now arrived in kindergarten, as tots in New York City encounter their first standardized tests. Children are now learning what matters most in school and getting ready for the Common Core tests, which will place them on a sure path to college- and career-readiness. No more nonsense about sharing and caring. Our nation is falling behind other na
Why the Sacramento Bee Did Not Mention My Visit
When I spoke in Sacramento last week about today’s failed fads in education, the town’s leading newspaper ignored my appearance. They ignored it even though I was introduced by Tom Torlakson, the state superintendent of education, and even though 1,000 people filled historic Memorial Hall. Now I know why. They published five stories about Shaq O’Neill! I have nothing against Shaq. He is great. W
The Unavoidable Topic? Can Schools End Poverty?
A reader sent these comments: “The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.” ― Voltaire. Schools can not end poverty by simply making sure all students are “career and college ready”. As long as the rich and powerful continue take most of the wealth for themselves, we will have poverty. Wealth is finite. Instead of looking to schools to solve the problem, “we are likely to
The Two Faces of John Arnold
A friend in a conservative think tank said it was time for me to write a post praising John Arnold for giving $10 million to keep Headstart alive during the federal government shutdown. Arnold was an Enron trader who left with $3 billion before the Enron scam collapsed, destroying the pensions of everyone who worked there. Other Enron executives went to jail, but Arnold got out before the collapse
EduShyster: Heartbreak and Splitsville in the Corporate Reform Movement
In case you missed the last week of the long-running drama and comedy series, called “Corporate America Wants to Love Public Education to Death,” EduShyster fills you in. You will laugh and cry as you watch leaders of the movement tear their hair out as they argue about whether the mighty scam perpetrated by the virtual charter schools are truly “reform” or are they, well, scams. You will snicker
Today: The Blog Has Had 7 Million Page Views!
I really don’t want to give indigestion to the corporate reformers so early in the day, but I have this one consolation: there are so few of them. Put them all together in one room, and they might fill the grand ballroom of the Hyatt-Regency. That is, if they each bring a friend. But I will tell the news because it proves yet again that we are many, and they are few. This blog has now had more th
A Philadephia Teacher Reviews “Reign of Error”
A blogger called ” Don’t Forget South Central” reviewed “Reign of Error” in ttlatiom to the children and schools of that much maligned and abused city. This is a cry from the bottom of the well, who knows that his or her dedication has been met with contempt by the powerful. A sample: “Reign of Error concludes that disparaging schools makes it easier for the public to accept their destruction an
High-Tech Trouble in Fort Bend, Texas, and Guilford County, North Carolina
The Fort Bend Independent School District in Texas bought iPads for students in grades 2-8. After nineteen months, the district put a stop to the 1:1 program and commissioned a report on the initiative, which was “scathing,” according to an article by Ben Herold in Education Week. Guilford County, North Carolina, bought Amplify tablets for all its students, using millions from Race to the Top mon
Pasi Sahlberg’s Lessons for the U.S.
Pasi Sahlberg–the great scholar and expert on Finnish education– has been named a visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, starting in January 2014. This is great news for Harvard but even greater news for the U.S. because it means more people will have a chance to hear him and learn from him. I heard Pasi speak at the National Superintendents Roundtable in Washington, D.C.,
Crazy Crawfish Reviews “Reign of Error”
Louisiana blogger Jason France blogs as Crazy Crawfish. He worked in the assessment and accountability of the state department of education, so he has the inside scoop on data manipulation for political posturing and glory. In this post, he worries about being too late, but I would say he is just in time. “Reign of Error” gave him the political and historical context he needed. He writes: “Just
Mercedes Schneider On Gates and CCSS
Mercedes Schneider has undertaken an immense task. She decided to spend her free time–when she is not teaching–trying to figure out how much the Gates Foundation paid various organizations to write, develop, implement, promote, and advocate for the Common Core standards. This is a herculean job because the foundation has been so free-handed with its money. To its credit, the Gates Foundation has a
Andrea Gabor: inBloom, Student Data: Follow the Money
In this brilliant and frightening post, Andrea Gabor connects the dots that lead from your child’s personal, confidential information to a data cloud where marketers can hack into everything they want to know about your child. Whose money is behind it? One guess. Who is making money and providing the service? One guess. This is not a trick question, nor is it multiple-choice. This is the future, f
Petrilli: Schools Are Best Way to End Poverty
Before I had my own blog, I shared a blog called “Bridging Differences” with Deborah Meier, hosted by Education Week. We had a great run of five years, and then I started this blog. Since then, Deborah has had exchanges with various conservative thinkers. Currently, she is trying to “bridge differences” with Michael Petrilli of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute. In this post, Mike argue
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Mark Naison Reviews “Reign of Error”Mark Naison is the tireless advocate who co-founded the BATs (otherwise known as the Bad Ass Teachers). Wherever I go, I find BATs. He has created a genuine force, an outlet for teachers who want to act and feel helpless. As BATs, they are ready to act and they do. Here he reviews Reign of Error.