David Sirota: Who Is Holding School Children Hostage?
Crack investigative journalist David Sirota takes a close look at the gangster tactics that billionaires are using in New York City, D.C, and Denver. This article will be “unlocked” on its website for only 9 hours more. Please read it NOW. Consider subscribing to NSFWCORP, which specializes in investigative reporting. Hostage-Taking In The Classroom By David Sirota Dispatch unlocked: Subscrib
Carol Burris: Commissioner John King Has Lost All Moral Authority
In this post, award-winning Long Island principal Carol Burris catalogues the disasters associated with the New York State Department of Education. The recent disastrous appearance of Commissioner John King in Poughkeepsie, where he first lectured the audience, and then was shocked when parents had opinions of their own, put his own lack of moral authority and lack of leadership skills on display.
Terrific Review of “Reign of Error” in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Eleanor Chute, who covers education in Pittsburgh, wrote an excellent review of “Reign of Error” in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. With the rise and dominance of the Internet, there are ever fewer cities and towns with newspapers, and book review sections have almost died out. Even the New York Times book review seems to have half as many pages as it did a decade ago. So given the limited amount of
Why John King Canceled All Future PTA Meetings: “Special Interests” Took Over
New York State Commissioner John King’s office issued a statement, explaining that the parents who booed and ridiculed him were being “manipulated” by “special interests.” Who are these “special interests” that have the power to befuddle parents about what is in the best interest of their children? Presumably, he meant the teachers’ union. Maybe he forgot that the AFT and NEA are big supporters of
How New York City Department of Education Dumps Low-Performing Students into Struggling Schools
Here is a link to the report of the Annenberg institute of School Reform, which documents that the New York City Department of Education has systematically steered students with the highest needs to the lowest-performing schools. This guarantees that the students will not get the services they need, and guarantees that the struggling school will fail and close. It is shameful.
Jesse Hagopian: Yes, Resistance is Growing Across the Nation!
Jesse Hagopian brought a rate moment of truth to the corporate-dominated Education Nation show when he spoke on behalf of his colleagues at Garfiekd High in Seattle. He instantly became the voice and face of the movement to stop pointless and punitive high-stakes testing. Imagine: a real classroom teacher sitting among the CEOs and governors. They speak Reformy platitudes, he is the voice of exper
Resmovits: Texas Gets NCLB Waiver, But–Gasp!–Obama Goals Equally Impossible
I confess I have not followed all the twists and turns of the proposals to reauthorize the failed No Child Left Behind law. Almost everyone except its original sponsors agrees that it failed, yet Congress is locked into the same stale assumption that the federal government is supposed to find a magical formula to measure test scores and punish teachers, principals, and schools. Congress, in its wi
The Bush-Obama Era: Built on Ignorance by Non-Educators
A reader writes: “What I would really like to see is Arnie Duncan in a seventh period class, of whatever subject he could be certified in, implementing his signature policies. Only someone who has never taught in a public school could with a straight face implement race to the top. Should add, it would be a good idea if he took a tests-and-measurement class that might help understand the fundamen
Dr. Joseph Ricciotti: How CCSS Ruins Kindergarten
Dear Diane, As an outgrowth of reading your new book, “Reign of Error” and reading your blog, I have written the op-ed piece below to the Connecticut Post. Thank you for all you do in your support of public education. Regards, Joe Ricciotti The Developmental Inappropriateness of the CCSS for Kindergarten Children Ricciotti, Joseph To: edit@ctpost.com To the Editor, I recently had an opportunity to
VAM Is a Sham in Florida
A comment from a reader in Florida: “I went to an Orange County Florida school board meeting and afterwards told a couple members “I am the world expert on the VAM -potentially” I smiled. They had not even looked at the equation. No one in that room or probably in the administrative building for 180,000 students had even looked at this. What had they almost passed the last meeting? Flunking, then
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Lubic: The Cozy Nepotism in Los AngelesMight Makes Right When Viewing LAUSD and California Nepotism…..or does it? By Ellen Lubic, Educator and angry taxpayer Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times printed two stories that affect public school education, and those who ‘dabble’ in it. One was by journalist Howard Blume on the Billion Dolla
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 10-12-13 -13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGDid ACT Scores Go Up in Dallas Because of Data Manipulation?A reader sent the following comment. I can’t vouch for its authenticity but urge reporters in Dallas to do so: A newly exposed DISD controversy involves claims that college readiness improved in 2012/13 under Mike Miles. This claim is on page 218 of the “Data P