L.A.’s Business Community Fights to Save Deasy
A leading member of the bar and a member of the California Board of Regents is urging the Los Angeles school board to retain Superintendent John Deasy, who recently threatened to resign. The letter was signed by George Kieffer, a Schwarzenegger appointee to the state Board of Regents in 2009. Business leaders are working hard to hold on to Deasy, despite his poor relations with the educators of Lo
Los Angeles Parent: Who Runs Our Schools?
As parent activist Karen Wolfe explains here, Los Angeles is in the district of a power struggle over control of its public schools. Wolfe says the voters elected school board members to reflect the will of the people. Superintendent John Deasy has threatened to resign as his way of pressuring the elected board to do what he wants and to get the business community to demand that the board let De
Indiana: Does the Public Have a Right to Know What Public Officials Do?
State Superintendent of Instruction Glenda Ritz is suing because the state board of education, appointed by Governors Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence, took a vote to strip her of any role on reviewing the A-F grading system when she was not present. She is the chair of the board, by law. The decision was made in secret, without an open meeting. Indiana Lesley Weidenbrener says the suit raises import
Will Mark NAISON Run for Governor of Néw York?
Mark Naison, professor of Afrivan American studies at Fordham University and co-foundr of the BATS, is considering throwing his hat into the ring as a write-in candidate for Governor of Néw York. I would vote for him! He calls his new party the Restore Recess Party. Here is his platform: From: mnaison
A New Hero for Public Schools in Texas?
A letter from a reader notes a worrisome trend in Texas, where money talks loud: Diane, Maybe we have a new potential hero in Texas, Representative Lon Burnam. I received this Alert this week from his office concerning the proliferation of Charters in Texas and the potential harm to district credit ratings (financing for new construction). I have previously been contacted by a person doing resear
NY Principal: “Reforms” Kill Love of Learning
Tim Farley is a brave man and a fearless educator. He wrote the following letter and he also testified in a similar vein to State a commissioner King. Tim Farley is a principal in New York state and his wife Jessica is a teacher. In addition, they are parents of four school-age children. They have been participants in the most disastrous, mandate-driven, top-down experimentation on students, teach
New York Principal Sounds Off at First of King!s New Listening Tours:
After Commissioner John King had a disastrous meeting with parents in Poughkeepsie, he canceled his remaining five open meetings. But the Board of Regents decided what was needed was even more meetings, so King is now holding more meetings around the state, though so far not in New York City. At his first new round of meetings, one principal got up and spoke fearlessly about what was happening in
Another Perspective on International Test Scores
The Atlantic published a very interesting article about the latest international test scores by Julie Ryan, and the title is significant. It says: “AMERICAN EDUCATION ISNT MEDIOCRE, ITS DEEPLY UNEQUAL.” That’s an apt way of saying that poverty drags down test scores. This is true of every standardized test, whether it is the state tests, the SAT, the ACT, the NAEP or international tests. As I w
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 10-26-13 -13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGBill Gates Explains Why His High School Experience Was So GreatAll students should have the high school experience that Bill Gates had. A wonderful campus with a rich curriculum, experienced teachers (79% with advanced degrees), small classes, excellent arts programs, great sports activities, up-to-date science laboratori