Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, November 10, 2013

11-10-13 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:



4 Corporate Education Reform Talking Points That Are Flat-Out Lies
If you listen to the buzz coming from the airwaves about education reform these days, you may notice that many things are starting to sound much too familiar–some even vomit-inducingly so.  It’s almost as if someone gave the spokespeople from state education departments, private curriculum and testing firms, and astroturf groups the same script and […]

Our episode with TX Superintendent John Kuhn
Here’s the link. Good guy. New book out for him, Test and Punish. Check it.

The Impact of DCPS IMPACT: An Actual DC Teacher’s Perspective
Introduction This piece is a response to a recent report titled, “Incentives, Selection, and Teacher Performance: Evidence from IMPACT” by Thomas Dee and James Wyckoff (2013). This response attempts to offer a ground-level perspective from a teacher working within a high poverty neighborhood public school; It’s not trying to undermine the report’s findings. In fact, […]

The Poverty Trap: Slack, Not Grit, Creates Achievement
The Poverty Trap: Slack, Not Grit, Creates Achievement. via The Poverty Trap: Slack, Not Grit, Creates Achievement.
Beware the hagiography in #edreform
As of late, it has been observed by me the profligate use of the first person when referencing reform crusades on either side of the debate. Beware of excessive uses of “I.” Beware of the innumerable anecdotes about how much of a fighter you are, but then see very little in terms of actual, you […]

YESTERDAY

Co-location is more frustration than cooperation
This is a picture of the DC Mayor Vincent Grey and the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visiting my school for a brief 60 minute press conference on the recent NAEP results. I haven’t even looked through the report yet, so I have no comment on that. [Let me say how much this visit screwed […]
Kids lose, hurts kids, child abuse, and such.
Just throwing this out there. All over the education reform debate, participants argue that certain things “hurt kids,” “kids lose,” “child abuse.” I find them grating. But why? I get it, trust me. Teachers work with and for young persons. We do things that are good for children in our care, and some things are, […]
Educational Bedrock: The Teacher-Student Relationship
In 2003, the (then) Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) supported teachers in creating a set of standards and corresponding curriculum for a new program designed to both promote the teaching profession and provide high school students with a solid idea of what classroom teaching entails. The resulting program, STAR (“Students Teaching and Reaching”) was instituted […]
United Opt Out’s Spring Event: Re-Education through #optout!
It’s official.  United Opt Out’s Spring event planning board (after meeting in a closed door session) has targeted one of the epicenters of Reformer attacks on public education and community schools—Colorado—for an intervention! Douglas County Education Reformers Beware! Denver Education Reformers Beware! Jefferson County Education Reformers Beware! Here’s what we know so far. We are […]

All Week 11-9-13 @ THE CHALK FACE
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: All Week @ THE CHALK FACE Open Letter to My Local Teacher’s UnionDear President Elizabeth Davis, First and foremost, I wish to extend warm felt congratulations to you, and Ms. Candi Peterson. I wish both of you a successful term as President and General Vice President of the Washington Teacher’s Union. My name is Angel L. Cintron Jr., and I’m a third year DCP