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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 toFail
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
YESTERDAY
NC: We Don’t Want No Teachers No-how
Before you write to tell me that the headline has a triple negative and to correct my grammar, please be aware that it was written knowingly and with a sense of outrage. In this article, Lindsey Wagner of NC Policy Watch describes the massive demoralization of teachers and the prospect that some teachers will leave North Carolina to find a state where teachers are not treated with contempt, as th
Connecticut Principal: What Is School Reform?
In this post, Jonathan Pelto combines two excellent articles by a retired principal in Connecticut. The veil is lifting over the misappropriation of the honorable word “reform.” Across the nation, it has become a synonym for more testing, more privatization, and dependence on inexperienced “teachers” who will almost all be gone within three or four years. This principal has the wisdom of experienc
NYC Community Takes a Stand Against Charter “Co-Locations”
The Community Education Council in District 3 on the upper west side in Manhattan passed the following resolution last night, unanimously. Be it noted that the CECs reflect parent opinion but under mayoral control are powerless: Public hearing is Oct. 10, 6 pm, at MS 149/207, 34 W 118th St. COMMUNITY DISTRICT EDUCATION COUNCIL 3 District 3 Community Superintendent CEC3 Resolution Vol. 13 (P) No. 8
Meet Anthony Cody at Connecticut College on October 24!
This will be a wonderful event. You will love hearing Anthony Cody and other leading advocates for Real Reform. WHAT: “School Reform(?)” A Talk By Anthony Cody on the multiple and often contradictory messages and meanings of school reform. WHEN: Thursday, October 24th 7:30PM WHERE: Connecticut College, Ernst Common Room, Blaustein Humanities Center, 270 Mohegan Avenue New London, CT 06371 SPONSOR:
EdWeek Takes Note of NBC’s “Education MisinforNation”
I am reposting this because I immediately discovered I left off the link. No excuses! I have said in the past that I am dismayed that Education Week takes money from the foundations it covers, like Gates and Walton. I have said that I am dismayed at its shameless advocacy for the edtech shlock and profiteering now inundating the schools. But Education Week has great reporters, who tell it like i
EdWeek Takes Note of NBC’s “Education MisinforNation”
I have said in the past that I am dismayed that Education Week takes money from the foundations it covers, like Gates and Walton. I have said that I am dismayed at its shameless advocacy for the edtech shlock and profiteering now inundating the schools. But Education Week has great reporters, who tell it like it is. In this blog, Mark Walsh reports on the controversy over NBC’s biased selection of
TeacherBiz Reviews “Reign of Error”
Ani McHugh, who blogs as TeacherBiz, wrote about the book after she heard me speak in Philadelphia on September 16. She was impressed that despite my age, I still spoke with “the energy and passion of a much younger woman.” She doesn’t realize that 75 is the new 55. She brings to her review the unique perspective of Philadelphia, a city under siege, trying to maintain a semblance of education desp
Moi Naturale: My Bad Experience with KIPP
Moi Naturale is a new blogger. She is Evan Seymour, who worked for KIPP in New Orleans until she learned that had a disability and was unceremoniously abandoned, including losing her health insurance. This is her report on her disenchantment with charter schools. I will be perfectly frank here. I have seldom criticized KIPP. In part, it is because I like Mike Feinberg, one of the founders. I was v
Researchers: Literary Fiction Is Excellent Preparation for Real World
There have been many debates since the promulgation of the Common Core standards about the appropriate balance between literature and “informational text.” The writers of the Common Core think that American children spend too much time reading fiction, not enough time reading “informational text.” But the New York Times reports a new study, published in the journal Science: “It found that after re
Mole in Success Academy Speaks
I received an email from an anonymous teacher in Eva Moskowitz’s charter chain called Success Academy (formerly known as Harlem Success Academy until Eva decided to move into other neighborhoods in New York City). When everyone else in the state bombed on the Common Core tests, Eva’s schools had high scores. I asked the teacher about what happens inside these hallowed halls. The teacher said the t
A Good Discussion at Stanford
I spoke at Stanford on September 30, and afterwards there was a panel discussion with Stanford’s Linda Darling-Hammond and Hoover Institution economist Eric Hanushek, moderated by veteran journalist Peter Shrag. There was a commentary afterward by doctoral student Channa Mae Cook, who had been a charter principal in New Orleans. I have known all of the panelists except for Channa Mae Cook for many
OCT 03
Jim Horn Reviews “Reign of Error”
Since my earlier post of Jim Horn’s thoughtful review contained an incomprehensible autocorrect error, I am reposting here. Haste makes errors. My stubborn insistence on doing everything on my own comes with a price. My apologies. Jim Horn has been a thorn in the side of the know-nothings for many years. He’s smart, he’s tough, and he has a long memory. In this review of “Reign of Error,” he remin
Mercedes Schneider Follows the Gates Funding of Common Core
Mercedes Schneider has been meticulously scouring the Gates website to see which groups are being paid to research, support, promulgate, evaluate, study, review the Common Core standards. This is her sixth post on the subject. There will be more. After you go through her posts, the question you might reasonably have is: Who was NOT funded to development, implement or advocate for the Common Core
Jim Horn Reviews “Reign of Error”
Jim Horn has been a thorn in the side of the know-nothings for many years. He’s smart, he’s tough, and he has a long memory.. In this review of “Reign of Error,” he reminds me of my own long sojourn in the wilderness of bad ideas. Now, I am happy to say, he welcomes me into the fold as an ally in the fight to preserve public education. He generously concludes: “It took a long time for Dr. Ravit
“Kids in the System” Reviews “Reign of Error”
Blogger David Chura, who blogs at Kids in the System here reviews Reign of Error. This is what David does and has done: “For the last 40 years I’ve worked with at-risk kids, kids “in the system”–foster care, group homes, homeless shelters; psych hospitals, drug rehab; special education, alternative high schools.” When he picked up the book, he expected to hear more bad news. But this book is not a
What to Do with Your Child’s Test Scores: Send ‘em Back!
Some parents in New York have devised a creative way to protest the absurdly hard Common Core tests that most kids “failed” last spring. They are sending the scores back to the State Commissioner John King. The word is getting out. The tests were designed to create failure. Test makers know exactly how each item will “function.” Whether the question is hard, easy, or in the middle. When they asse
OCT 02
An Interview in San Francisco
Michael Krasny is one of the best book interviewers in the nation. I love to appear on his show because he asks good questions. And that brings out the best in me. This reader thinks you should listen: “This might not be news to Diane’s readers, but I wanted to mention that her September 30 interview on KQED’s Forum with Michael Krasny is well worth a listen. You can find it on the NPR smart phone
David Sirota: Who Does Obamacare Benefit? What Is the Fight About?
David Sirota says that the big winners under Obamacare are the big insurance companies. Read this fast, as it will be online only for 20 hours, then goes behind a paywall. Or copy it and save it. Here is a sample from one of our great investigative journalists: “In this made-for-TV cartoon series, the battle over the new law has been depicted as a fight between competing small guys. Bam! Democra
Matthew Di Carlo Deciphers Latest DC Test Scores
Given that D.C. has become a Petri dish for Rhee-style reform, every test score release is treated as earth-shattering. Matthew Di Carlo of the Shanker Institute says not so fast. Reporting on test scores is far more complicated than it seems, and the public never understands that the setting of the cut scores is a decision made by humans, not a matter of scientific weights and measures. He wri
The Right-Wing Agenda of MinnCAN
Here is a summary of a recent mayoral forum in Minneapolis, sponsored by MinnCAN. MinnCAN is a spinoff of ConnCAN and 50CAN, organizations that promote school choice and look askance at public education. To be fair, they are quite happy to take public dollars, but to run their schools with rules that are very different from those that govern public schools, which are not allowed to pick their stud
A Good Book about the Attacks on Teachers
Ken K. Kumashiro’s Bad Teacher! How Blaming Teachers Distorts the Bigger Picture should be on your reading list. He has written a thoughtful critique of the current fad in which it is fashionable to blame teachers for the ills of society and for low test scores and student misbehavior. The current fad eliminates any accountability for those who make the laws, write the regulations, decide the poli
Accountable Talk Blogger Reviews “Reign of Error”
Accountable Talk, a popular education blogger, here reviews Reign of Error. He or she writes: The book is a thorough excoriation of the reform movement. Starting with who the major players are and how they stand to benefit financially from their “reforms”, Ms. Ravitch unravels, one by one, all the myths spun by the corporate raiders looking to cash in on public education dollars. She lays bare the
EduShyster: Adell Cothorne Speaks!
Adell Cothorne is the brave principal in Washington, D.C., who reported to her headquarters that she saw cheating going on. She was featured on a PBS Frontline special about the uncertain legacy of Michelle Rhee. What happened after she reported cheating by a group of staff? Nothing. Nothing except she became persona non grata for blowing the whistle. For a long time, her lawyer told her to remain
Louisiana Educator Reviews “Reign of Error”
Louisiana Educator is a blog written by one of that state’s finest educators, now retired, Mike Deshotels. He reviews Reign of Error here. It is hard to pick a single excerpt from his review because every paragraph is compelling. (I tried but was not very successful.) Deshotels writes: In this, her latest meticulously researched book, Ravitch describes the myths upon which the current corporate re
OCT 01
HECHINGER Report: Inside Story on L.A. iPad Fiasco
Here is a very interesting story in the HECHINGER Report about what went wrong in Los Angeles, after the district decided to send $1 billion on iPads. Poor planning, poor implementation, a rush to get them in the hands of students without thinking about how to make it work or what might go wrong.
Heckuva Job, Reformers!
Reformers often say that they love “great” teachers. They think that if they drive out all the “bad” teachers, then “the best and brightest” will flock to teach in the schools. They think they are restructuring the profession to make it attractive to the top third of those who graduate from the very best universities. This comment from a teacher: I feel both embarrassed and horrified to be a t
Arne Duncan Blasts Critics of His Reforms as “Armchair Pundits”
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan blasted critics of Race to the Top and his “reforms” as “armchair pundits.” Anthony Cody writes about his remarks here and reproduces part of his remarks (not the part where he boasts of his many “accomplishments” as Secretary of Education). I expect he made no reference to the high levels of demoralization among teachers and principals documented by the annual
L.A. Times Columnist Asks Whether iPads Are Worth $1 Billion
Columnist Steve Lopez says that the L.A. officials rushed into the iPad deal without thinking through the problems. Students broke the security codes to use them for fun. Many went missing. Biggest uncertainty: is the content any good? Who will be held accountable, he asks.
Charter School Scandal in DC at Expense of Kids with Disabilities
Emma Brown of The Washington Post reports on an outrageous scandal at the city’s oldest charter school: “Former senior managers and the board chairwoman of the Options Public Charter School for at-risk youths diverted millions of taxpayer dollars that were meant to fund programs for students, according to a lawsuit District authorities filed Tuesday. “The lawsuit filed in D.C. Superior Court claim
Blogger South Bronx School Reviews “Reign of Error”
The blogger at South Bronx School got an audacious idea after reading “Reign of Error.” He decided to rewrite Mel Brooks’ comedy “The Producers,” only this time Max Bialystock is fleecing investors not in a Broadway play, but in a charter school. He writes: “Max Bialystock: Don’t you see, darling Bloom, glorious Bloom? It’s so simple. STEP ONE: We found the worst charter school ever , a surefire
EduShyster Reviews NY Times’ Punditry on Teacher Education
In this post, EduShyster takes on Joe Nocera, columnist for the Néw York Times. As pundits are inclined to do, he relies on anecdotes and a discredited study to pronounce that teacher education is the cause of our nation’s educational decline. Please let Joe know that our nation’s schools are not declining. Please, someone, send him a copy of my book. Forget it, I will ask my publisher to do it.
Mr. Gates, Don’t Wait a Decade. You Are Wrong.
A letter from a teacher: At the classroom level, every day matters, as experienced teachers reach out and teach not only academic content, but also social skills, problem-solving skills, coping skills…the list is endless, the individual needs are varied, and yes, we differentiate all of the time. However, now we need to document everything, keep the data charts and strategies current and ongoing,
Indianapolis: Ground Zero for the Privatization Movement
Rod Ellcessor of the Indiana Education Association raises a question: what kind of “new Democrat” wants to eliminate unions and public schools? He writes: “Diane, unfortunately, we are besieged by the Mind Trust in Indianapolis. Bill Gates’ money is one of the primary sources for the Mind Trust which allows TFA to be placed in the Schools in Indy. As the Director of the Indianapolis Education Ass
Mercedes Schneider Writes an Open Letter to John Merrow
Mercedes Schneider teaches in Louisiana. She has repeatedly explained that there was no “New Orleans Miracle,” as the media wants us to believe. In this post, she expresses her disappointment that John Merrow refuses to accept her invitation to meet her in New Orleans and refuses to acknowledge her existence. And she chastises him for abandoning his pursuit of the facts in DC. Of course, anyone
Mike Klonsky Reviews “Reign of Error”
This is Mike Klonsky’s review of “Reign of Error.” I love his metaphor of the Texas Paul Revere. I remember when I first met Mike Klonsky. I wanted to find someone in Chicago who would help me navigate the city to introduce my last book, “The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education.” My blogging partner Deborah Meier introduced me by ema
In Which Whitney Tilson and I Find Common Ground
You have never seen the name Whitney Tilson on my blog before now. Tilson is a hedge fund manager who is a major supporter of KIPP, Teach for America, and Democrats for Education Reform. I have heard that he has written unpleasant things about me, like calling me a union shill. I avoid mentioning him as I see no value in personalizing issues and I try not to become engaged in ad hominem exchanges.
LA Times: The Charter School Mistake
The Los Angeles Times invited me to write about my concerns about charter schools. This was brave, because the editorial board supports charters, although with occasional backsliding. An excellent editor worked closely to get it shortened and to tighten the argument. Here is the result. I wrote this article on the flight from Denver to Seattle. I do my best writing on airplanes because there are n
A Very Thoughtful Review of “Reign of Error”
The blog of The Assailed Teacher offers one of the best, most thoughtful reviews of the book I have read. The writer is a history teacher and demonstrates the care and concern for context that typifies the best historical thinking. First, he describes the books I wrote previous to “Reign of Error” and previous to my abandonment of the nostrums of the right. Thankfully, he recognizes that my histor
Why VAM Is a Sham
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley of Arizona State University is one of the nation’s leading authorities on teacher evaluation. She has the advantage of having taught middle school math for several years. She understands better than almost any other researcher just how flawed value-added measurement is. Next year, her book on the limitations of test-based accountability will be published. I invited her to c
Kay McSpadden: Why “Invisible Man” Belongs in the Schools
These days, one is surprised to hear any good news coming out of North Carolina, which has achieved national ignominy for its governor’s and legislature’s relentless attacks on public education and teachers. Yet there is good news, as teacher Kay McSpadden explains, the Randolph County school board reversed its decision to remove Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” from its schools and libraries. The
SEP 30
The DC Miracle Continues to Unravel
Valerie Strauss reports that the DC principals’ evaluations are in and half got low ratings. Only 11 percent were “highly effective.” As Strauss puts it, time to blame the principals for the disrict’s achievement gaps and low scores.
Red Queen in LA Asks: “Who Is Diane Ravitch?”
Here is a good blog by a Los Angeles parent who asks the question, “who is Diane Ravitch?–and explores the answer. I know who I am. I am one of eight children, born in Houston and a graduate of the Houston public schools. I was lucky enough to be admitted to Wellesley College, where my friends included incredibly talented women. I graduated in 1960. I married a wonderful man two weeks after col
Matt Taibbi: Who Is Looting Your Pension Fund?
In this stunning article in Rolling Stone, Matt Taibbi describes the cool deals that have enriched hedge fund managers while the pensions of public employees are whittled away. His article is based on research conducted by investigative journalist David Sirota for the Institute for America’s Future. Read Sirota’s article in Salon here, with a link to the full report. And here. A sample: “A study
Should the Gates Foundation Be Sued for Wrongful Termination?
This reader notes that Bill Gates admits that we won’t know if his education “stuff” works for a decade. Yet based on Gates’ support for evaluating teachers by student test scores, teachers are losing their jobs. These are real people, who need to feed their children, not data points in an experiment. Meanwhile, most researchers agree that the metric is flawed, unreliable, and unstable. Thus comes
NYCDOENUTS Reviews “Reign of Error”
A NYC teacher who calls his or her blog NYCDOENUTS has written a wonderful review of “Reign of Error.” Teachers understand that this book may be (to use Arne Duncan’s favorite phrase) a “game changer.” You see, big money can buy legislators, it can buy ads, it can buy media. But words and ideas can beat big money in a democracy, if we organize. NYCDOENUTS concludes: “In the final chapters of the
Patrick Welsh: Four Decades of Failed Reforms
Patrick Welsh is an experienced teacher who writes often in the Washington Post about the real problems of schools. If only the editorial board of the Post–besotted with the failed strategies of corporate reform–would heed the wisdom of Patrick Welsh! In this article, he describes the many reforms that have been imposed in teachers in his high school since he started teaching forty years ago. The
Can Schools End Poverty?
Matt Bruenig has written in many journals. He also has a blog, where this post appeared. He analyzes a fairly straightforward question: Can schools end poverty? The column is a commentary on the “reformers” who say that we can’t end poverty until we fix schools, or something to that effect. We have heard the same statement from Michelle Rhee, Arne Duncan, Joel Klein, Bill Gates, and others. Duncan
Bill Gates: We Won’t Know for a Decade Whether Our Ideas Work
In the early years of this century, Bill Gates felt certain that he knew how to fix the nation’s high schools. He pumped $2 billion into breaking them into smaller schools, often Nader the same roof. In 2008, he decided he was not pleased with the results,and he dropped that idea. Then, he decided that teacher evaluation was broken, and he would use his billions–plus the billions of Race to the
Suburban New York Parents Don’t Believe Common Core Tests
New York’s first Common Core tests, administered last spring, produced a dramatic score decline. 70% of the students across the state allegedly “failed.” State education leaders said the tests set a new “benchmark.” They implied that the tests demonstrated the failure of the state’s schools, that more “reform” was needed, and that more years of testing and accountability would cure the widespread
Wendy Lecker Reviews “Reign of Error”
Wendy Lecker is senior attorney for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity at the Education Law Center. She writes frequently in Connecticut newspapers about education issues and advocates on behalf of students. Here she reviews Reign of Error. She notes, quoting the Nobelist Niels Bohr, that true experts are willing to acknowledge their mistakes and learn from them. She then goes on to write: Another Nob
In Which Jared Polis and I Find Common Ground, Maybe
Gary Rubinstein’s analysis of the charter schools founded by Congressman Jared Polis showed that the schools posted low test score growth. Congressman Polis responded in a comment (posted below) that this was understandable because his charter schools enroll very low-performing students, many of whom barely speak or read English, and many of whom are overage for their grade and far behind. It is u
SEP 29
Gordon Wilder: Why the Obsession with Test Scores?
Reader Gordon Wilder wonders why we lost sight of the purpose of education: “My view: People have forgotten what real education is about, the search for ultimate values: good, truth, beauty. To value integrity, love etc. It is searching out the best ideas of humanities greatest minds, greatest teachers. It is NOT about passing test scores. When this first came out – the “nation at risk” era, we la
Jersey Jazzman Asks a Good Question
Jersey Jazzman wonders why I have not been invited to appear on any of the national television shows, not only because I represent a challenge to the status quo but because my new book. Published September 17, will appear as #10 on the Néw Uork Times bestseller list next week. The good news is that I received an invitation to appear on the Chris Hayes’ MSNBC show next Friday October 4. Still hop
Corporate Education Reform Is in Big Trouble
When the news gets out that the corporate reformers’ narrative and their signature line are false, their crusade to turn schooling into a marketplace loses its rationale. Here is a review of “Reign of Error” by columnist/editorial writer Robyn E. Blumner of the Tampa Bay Times. What if our schools aren’t failing? What if Jeb Bush and his minions are wrong? What if the cause of low test scores re
Jonathan Lovell:Think of This When Critics Rage
Jonathan Lovell noticed that several critics of “Reign of Error” have attacked me, instead of engaging the issues I raise in the book. Jonathan teaches writing at San Jose State. He sent me this couplet, written by Alexander Pope: “Yes, I am proud; I must be proud to see Men, not afraid of God, afraid of me.” After I met him in Berkeley on Saturday night, he wrote as follows: “The Alexander Pope
EduShyster Explains the Murkland Turnaround
At the 2012 Democratic national convention, the governor of Massachusetts raved about the success of a school called Olive Gardens, where the 80% of the staff was fired, and many inexperienced TFA were brought in. EduShyster points out that the Charlotte M. Murkland Elementary School is even more successful, yet there were no shoutouts at the Convention, no trips to the White House, no national pr
Your Sunday Gift: Time to Laugh Out Loud
This is one of the funniest satires of current education thinking that I have read in a long time. It was written by Russ Walsh of Rider University. Russ describes the development of a new assessment program for toddlers, to determine if they are career-and -college ready The acronym for the new program is TIT for TAT. No experts in early childhood education were involved in developing the new ass
Dallas Board Will Decide Fate of Superintendent Miles
After an internal investigation raised questions about the actions of Dallas Superintendent Mike Miles, the school board will have a closed meeting on September 30 to decide whether to discipline him. Miles is a graduate of the unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy. Stay tuned.
Young Poet Brilliantly Slams Ed-Cruelty
This is a stirring, eloquent poem at a slam in Boston, by a young man whose sister teaches new immigrant children. After one year in a new country, they must take standardized tests in English. If they fail, their teachers fail. This is madness. Listen for three minutes and hear his vivid imagery of cruel Federsl policy
A Teacher’s Advice to Governors
Some governors and legislatures look on Teach for America as a way to save money, because most leave after two or three years at the bottom of the salary structure and never collect a pension. This teacher has a suggestion for them: “Governors who feel 1 and 2 year turnover of Teach for America teachers is the way to excellence should resign after 2 years to let someone else take over.”
Jeff Bryant Reviews “Reign of Error”
Jeff Bryant locates Reign of Error within the context of a coming “education spring,” a growing grassroots rebellion against a failing corporate reform movement. Parents, students, educators, and citizens are fighting back and winning, often in unexpected places, like Texas. The mask is falling away from the faux “reform” movement, whose main effect has been to demoralize teachers and impose a reg
SEP 28
Two Interviews on NYC’s NY1 about Testing and “Reign of Error”
I thought you might find these back-to-back interviews interesting. I am wearing the same clothes because the tapings occurred only minutes apart. The other thing you might notice if you see my lectures or appearances on YouTube is that I am almost always wearing the same jacket but usually in different colors. When I find something I like, I stick with it. I will never make the list of America’s
Please, Someone, Give Condoleeza Rice a Copy of “Reign of Error”
Yesterday, I received a notice from a group in Indianapolis called “The Mind Trust” about their bringing Condaleeza Rice to Indianapolis to talk about education. Echoing a lame report issued by a task force for the Council on Foreign Relations, which she co-chaired with Joel Klein, Rice warned that America’s public schools were so terrible that they had become “our greatest national security cris
Tennessee: Protests Against Kevin Huffman Increase
Educators and school boards in Tennessee continue to express their opposition to State Commissioner Keven Huffman’s policies and autocratic style of leadership. The Marshall County board of education sent a letter of protest against Huffman to the governor and general assembly. The linked article says: ““We want Marshall to be number one in the state, but we have to have time to do that,” Marsha
Take Action in Philly Against Corporate Rule
Jenny Shanker, the wonderful daughter of legendary labor leader Al Shanker, alerted me to a very important protest planned for Monday in Philadelphia. The Gates Foundation and their showcase Mastery Charter, plan to meet at the Union League Club, the symbol of elitism in Philadelphia. How appropriate. Read the link and do your part. I wrote to Jennie and said, “We live in a mad time, where billi
Do You Need a Laugh Today? Read This.
Julian Vasquez Heilig is the most creative blogger I know in terms of his brilliant combination of flashy graphics, research, and informed commentary. Here he describes the century-long battle between the managerial elites—who believe that schools can be improved by data, management, mandates and standardization, always controlled by them–and the pedagogical crowd–who have fought the managers tha
Guess Who Is Trying to Gut Your Pension?
Educators know that their pensions are under attack. Some policymakers and pundits opine that the fabulous pensions paid to public employees are going to cause our economic system to collapse. You won’t hear them say much about the yawning income inequality gap, the growing share of the nation’s wealth now flowing up to the top 1%, or the disappearance of the middle class, as good jobs are outsour
Paul Horton Reviews “Reign of Error”
Paul Horton is a history teacher at the University of Chicago Lab School and a passionate supporter of public education. Here he reviews Reign of Error. He calls his review “The One Percent’s Solution and the Betrayal of Public Education.” That is a good summary of the book right there. Horton traces the nation’s commitment to public education to its earliest days: After the Revolution, but before
Philly Teacher: May 100% of Your Students Score Proficient by 2014!
This was written by Raniel Guzman, who is a teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and an adjunct professor at Esperanza College of Eastern University: May 100 % of your students score proficient or above on standardized tests by 2014. An attributed Chinese proverb is often wished upon one’s enemies by asserting, may you live in interesting times… This understated “curse” levi