This Parent at Jenks Middle School Supports Rob Miller
A comment by a parent at Jenks Middle School, where the principal, Rob Miller, is being investigated for encouraging parents to opt out of a field test. (I mistakenly referred to him as the superintendent, he is the principal). As you will read here, the parents are fed up with the endless testing: “As a JMS opt-out parent, I can attest that this was a parent-led move. Of course Principal Miller
Superintendent Rob Miller: A Profile in Courage
Earlier today, I posted a story about a brave superintendent in Oklahoma, Rob Miller, who is under investigation by the State Education Department for encouraging parents to opt out of a field test. The parents said they did it on their own. Superintendent Miller said he obeyed the law. It was clear that he would not let the State Superintendent Janet Barresi, a member of Jeb Bush’s dwindling Chie
Ogden, Utah, Decides to Let Non-Educators Try Their Hand
Two years ago, after the resignation of their superintendent, the Ogden, Utah, school board chose one of its own members to take over as the leader of the schools. Brad Smith, a lawyer, may be the only superintendent in the state who has never been a teacher and has no credentials. This is innovative, for sure. Nations like Finland and Korea would never allow a non-professional to take over a lea
Julian Vasquez Heilig: Who Is Living in an “Alternate Universe”?
The ever-dazzling Julian Vasquez Heilig here addresses the burning issue of the day: whose opinion matters? Or stated another way: who lives in an “alternate universe”?
When Are Reformers Accountable?
This reader wants to know: “I think at some point they have to be able to point to some tangible benefit of “reform” to the majority of people. It’s been more than a decade. Every year it’s just more mandates and less funding. The funding that does come isn’t towards anything that we find “valuable”. I didn’t ask for an elaborate school grading system that changes every year and I think testing ki
Is Free Speech Dead in Oklahoma?
I just learned that Rob Miller, principal of the Jenks Middle School in Oklahoma, is under investigation for possibly encouraging parents to opt out of a field test. According to the Tulsa World: Jenks Public Schools participated in and encouraged a movement to opt students out of field tests last April, an Oklahoma State Department of Education investigation found. In a July 7 report provided to
Fred Klonsky Reviews “Reign of Error”
Fred Klonsky came to hear me lecture at Elmhurst College, near Chicago, and writes about how my last book helped him argue against some of the harmful policies mandated from the state and federal government. He goes on to write that teachers are more than recipients of policy, bad or good, and I agree with him. But as I say in the book, it is important to stop doing the wrong things so that it is
What de Blasio Told NYC’s Power Elite
This is what Democratic nominee Bill de Blasio told the Association for a Better New York. This is an organization of powerful people, many in the real estate industry. They have been cool to him in the past. This speech won a standing ovation, according to this morning’s New York Times. How many elected officials in your city or state would say what de Blasio said here: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: O
Arne Duncan’s Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Day
Are the supporters of corporate reform coming unglued? Mike Klonsky thinks so. Of a sudden, Secretary Arne Duncan says his critics are “inhabitants of this alternative universe.” What has happened to make him angry? Why would he mischaracterize critics as people who insist that we can’t fix the schools until we fix poverty. I don’t know anyone who makes that claim. Duncan, au contraire, seems to t
Mark Naison: Why Corporate Reform Is Doomed to Fail
Mark Naison, one of the founders of the Badass Teachers Association, explains in a few words the harsh truth that will not be discussed at NBC’s Education Nation by its lineup of CEOs and rightwing governors: The more teachers are scripted and rendered voiceless, the less likely it is that talented people will want to be teachers or remain in the classroom. Why can’t they understand that they are
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Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGTODAYIs Free Speech Dead in Oklahoma?I just learned that Rob Miller, principal of the Jenks Middle School in Oklahoma, is under investigation for possibly encouraging parents to opt out of a field test. According to the Tulsa World: Jenks Public Schools participated in and encouraged a movement to opt students out of fiel