More on Ritz Lawsuit Vs Governor Pence in Indiana
This news article Explains the background of State Superintendent Glenda Ritz's lawsuit against Mike Pence, Governor of Indiana. The state board-Whose members were appointed by former Governor Mitch Daniels and his successor Mike Pence, moved to strip monitoring of the state's controversial AF grading system from the office of State Superintendent Ritz and turn it over to the Republican-controlled will
Glenda Ritz Sues Governor Mike Pence for Violating State Constitution
Governor Mike Pence, in his continuing efforts to make sure that the duly elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz is stripped of her constitutional authority as chair of the state board of education, has encouraged the state board to hold secret meetings when Ritz was not present. At a recent meeting, the Pence board voted to transfer authority over the A-F grading system fr
EduShyster Crashes Jeb Bush’s Party
Some party! EduShyster crashed it and couldn’t find many happy events. Hanna Skandera, one of the shrinking number of Jeb’s Chiefs for Change, was a no-show. Tony Bennett, ex-Indiana chief, ex-Florida chief, was not sure whether to lecture on A-F grading systems. Rahm Emanuel insisted he was not a reformer, maybe just a passerby. Was anyone happy? Sounds more like a wake than a party. Are the
A Message from a Teacher Where School Shooting Occurred
This comment just arrived. Read it and weep for two lost lives. Think of the children whose social and emotional needs are ignored in pursuit of test scores “Dear Diane, “I do not know if you will get this or not; however, I am so grateful to receive this particular communication. You have done an excellent job of explaining the purpose of charter schools. “I am writing from Spark, NV, where the
Only 1% of NY Teachers Rated Ineffective
Hoping to calm teachers’ fears about the state’s new, untested, and probably invalid teacher evaluation system, Commissioner John King announced that only 1% of teachers were rated ineffective. NYC scores were omitted due to failure to reach agreement on time. “ALBANY—More than 90 percent of teachers outside New York City have earned high ratings in the state’s first year of mandated performance
Commissioner King Opts Out
Commissioner King and the New York Board of Regents have scheduled 16 events around the state to tell parents how terrific the Common Core is, how good they should feel about their child’s failing grade on the Common Core tests, and how overall magnificent the State Education Department is. There are 12 hearings and four televised presentations. No hearings are scheduled for Néw York City, althoug
Mother of 2nd Grader: Does This Make Sense?
This mother has adapted a question that she says appears in her child’s homework assignment. Is she exaggerating? If you have a child in this grade, please chime in. “Second grade question: If Jack and Jill go up the hill, and a bucket of olives is $5.00 then how much tapenade can John concoct with boughten oil. (Actually not far off from actual 2nd grade math homework – infer that Jack=John, unde
Wendy Lecker: Common Core Uses Our Children As Guinea Pigs
Wendy Lecker, who is a civil rights lawyer, writes here that the Common Core standards have been rolled out without any forethought. Children are being tested on materials they have never been taught. States do not have a curriculum that aligns with the Common Core standards. The federally-funded tests are being developed independent of the curriculum, which does not exist. Teachers are not prepar
THIS IS HUGE!!! No Testing at This School! Parents Say NO!
Almost everyone agrees that high-stakes testing for little children is a huge mistake. The parents not only wrote their elected officials, they took direct action. More than 80% of the parents of the children at the Castle Bridge Elementary School in New York City refused to allow their children to be tested. They opted out. The tests were canceled. NO TESTS. NONE! The parents knew that the only
Susan Ochshorn: It Is Wrong to Test Small Children!
Susan Ochshorn, who advocates for early childhood education, is aghast at the idea that children as young as four or five are expected to take standardized tests. She explained that experts in early childhood education were appalled by the idea of testing young children with bubble tests. Then she discovered a school where anti-testing sentiment had grown to include not only the principal and the
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Schneider on DC IMPACT Study: Already ObsoleteDespite the glowing hyperbole in the media, Mercedes Schneider says there is nothing new in the results. The study is dated, there is missing data, the effects of the cheating scandal remain unknown, and the investigation of the cheating was turned over to an accounting firm with no exp