Microsoft Abolishes Stack Ranking, Schools Required to Use It
In a stunning reversal of policy, Microsoft announced that it was abandoning the practice of “stack ranking,” in which every employee is ranked and rated, and those with the lowest ratings are fired. Lisa Brummel, head of human resources, said in a statement: No more curve. We will continue to invest in a generous rewards budget, but there will no longer be a pre-determined targeted distribution.
Texas: Is the Age of the Hero Superintendent Coming to an End?
This superb article in the Texas Observer by Patrick Michels is one of the most astute and hopeful I have read in months. It chronicles the idea of the school superintendent as super-hero: the man or woman who can reshape the schools and achieve astonishing goals solely by force of will and personality. The story is about Mike Miles, the superintendent of Dallas, but it is really about the nationa
Science Standards Under Fire
The Next Generation Science Standards are under attack for a variety of reasons. Even defenders of the Common Core are dissatisfied. Read here to learn why.
Jack Schneider: Arne Duncan’s Obsession with Data
Jack Schneider here describes the frustrating and ultimate fruitless pursuit to create the perfect data system to measure the quality of schools and teachers. The waivers from NCLB were supposed to provide greater flexibility but they provided no relief from the standardized testing mania.
Chicago Parents to CPS: We Prefer Teacher Grades to Standardized Tests
The Chicago parent organization PURE (Parents United for Responsible Education) called on Chicago school officials to de-emphasize standardized testing and pay greater attention to teachers’ judgment. PURE issued this press release today: Parents give district a “D” for its test-focused policy Chicago, IL: Today, tens of thousands of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) parents will flock to their childre
A First-Grade Math Test in the Common Core
Children in some countries don’t start school until age 7. Yet here we are suddenly pressured to believe that children in first-grade, usually age 6, must be able to solve math problems or our nation will fall behind the global competition. Carol Burris, the principal of South Side High School in Rockville Center on Long Island, New York, obtained a copy of the first grade math test. Some of the q
Los Angeles Times: Putting Bureaucrats First
The Los Angeles Times has a strange editorial today, first excoriating the new board majority for pushing Superintendent Deasy too hard and acting as though they were in charge, not he. This is weird, because the board is elected and Deasy is their employee, not their boss. Then they blamed the board (the “reform” board that they admired, which was aligned with Deasy’s agenda) for not vetting the
Wendy Lecker: Common Core Violates Connecticut’s Constitution
Wendy Lecker is a civil rights attorney and an education activist. In this column in the Stamford Advocate, she argues that the Common Core standards violate the Constitution of the State of Connecticut. The state constitution clearly states (as most people once understood) that the purpose of public education is to equip young people for citizenship. Yet the Common Core standards ignored this fun
David Greene: Why “Reign of Error” is NOT a Page-Turner
David Greene, master mentor of teachers in Néw York City, reviews “Reign of Error” here. THROW THE JACOBINS OUT. After quite a while I just finished reading Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error. When most people compliment a book, they tend to call it a page-turner. I can’t say that about Diane’s book. For the first 20 chapters, that was impossible. I had to stop, dog-ear, or bookmark page after page o
Anthony Cody Interviews Florida Teacher Who Was Member of Common Core Review Team
Mike Archer, a Florida teacher of English language arts, was one of the few teachers invited to participate in the initial review of the Common Core standards. Mike shared his story with Anthony Cody, who posted an interview with him here. Archer says he had some input, managed to get a few things tweaked, but ultimately concluded that the Common Core would stifle creativity and teacher profession
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Parent: How Can I Save My Child from Common Core Testing?A letter from a parent in New York City. Any advice for her? I just learned about Common Core Standards this afternoon at a school orientation in Queens, New York. I have a 1st grader and a child in kindergarten. I am told my child will have a test tomorrow and he is expe