Tweed Insider Defends de Blasio Plan to Help Struggling Schools, Not Close Them
An insider at the NYC Department of Education defends Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio’s plan to support schools instead of closing them. For nearly the past dozen years, Mayor Bloomberg has followed an agenda of closing schools and opening schools. This insider, anonymous for obvious reasons, says de Blasio is right: “The New York Post has already begun its propaganda campaign against Mayor-elect de
GAO Report: DC Voucher Program Riddled with Problems, Needs Oversight
The Federal GAO released a report sharply criticizing the D.C. voucher program. According to Stephanie Simon in Politico.com: “The voucher program in Washington D.C. is riddled with failings and does not maintain adequate controls to ensure that participating private schools are physically safe or academically accredited, according to an investigation by the U.S. General Accounting Office.” The G
John King Opposes K/2 Testing
Amid massive parent protests against Common Core testing in grades 3-8, NY Commissioner John King announced the state’s opposition to K-2 testing, which was never mandated. He said, “”We support the drive to prohibit standardized testing of pre K through 2nd grade students.” That’s a step forward. Now let’s hope that he takes the next logical step and eliminates the dysfunctional educator evaluat
Surgeons United Who Care for America?
Charles Parrish of Wayne State University submitted the following proposal: Surgeons United who Care for America (SUCA*) This is to announce the establishment of a new approach to surgery in the United States: Surgeons for America (SUCA). Following in the high-heeled footprints of Michelle Rhee and Wendy Kopp, we will employ the model of Teach for America (TFA). That model involves the recru
Please Buy This Book and Understand the Tragedy of “Reform”
When I returned from the hospital, I had a large stack of mail. Among my mail was a tiny illustrated book, the kind you usually buy for 8-year-olds, called “From Once There Was a School to A School Was Once There.” It was written by Michael Mugits and illustrated by Anna Liu-Gorman. The book tells what happens to a beloved neighborhood school after cuts in the budget, increased enrollment in chart
After Two Disastrous Meetings on Long Island, State Officials Have One More
Things have gone badly for New York state officials at each of their community forums. Parents and educators have turned out in large numbers, and have overwhelmingly opposed the state’s mandates about Common Core and testing. Frustrated locals have booed and jeered in anger and gotten nothing but bland assurances that the state is listening. The next meeting on Long Island will be held on Novembe
More NY School Districts Withdraw from Race to Top
The number of suburban districts in New York State dropping out of the state’s Race to the Top program continues to grow, largely because of parent concern about the data-mining of their children’s private records. These districts received relatively small amounts of money in exchange for accepting many mandates. This article sums up the current situation: Twenty-eight school districts in the Lowe
Marc Epstein: The Task Before Mayor de Blasio, part 2
Marc Epstein, a career educator in the New York City school system, wrote an earlier post on Mayor de Blasio’s task of “cleaning the stables.” He refers to the Herculean task of cleaning the Augean stables. This was a dirty job, thought to be impossible, but Hercules succeeded. We hope that Mayor de Blasio will as well. Marc Epstein writes: Cleaning The Stables – Part II Now you tell us? After 12
A Teacher Discouraged by Large Class Size
Received as a comment: As a 1st grade teacher with 28 students, I can empathize with the parents concerns; however, we have been forced to become managers rather than teachers. The class is too large, there is little room to move around, the students must be kept working at all times in order to maintain control, and most of the work is repetitive and boring for them. We do our best with what we
Is Common Core Illegal? Did Duncan Break the Law?
When I worked in the U.S. Department of Education in the early 1990s, I was frequently reminded by colleagues and counsel that the Department was forbidden by law from interfering into what was taught in the schools. When the Department made grants to professional groups of teachers and scholars to create “voluntary national standards,” I made a point of never interfering in their work. I extolled
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A Wonderful Review of “Reign of Error”This is one of the best reviews of “Reign of Error” that I have read. Because it was written as an editorial, it didn’t go into close detail, as others have, but it went right to the point: What she claims is that many tried-and-true practices work; many new-fangled innovations now favored by