Thanksgiving Day Resources
It’s that time of year, and I’ve just updated The Best Sites To Learn and Teach About Thanksgiving. Additional suggestions are welcome…
Teaching Intuition With Star Trek
For teachers of the International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge course, I thought I’d how I introduce the concept of “intuition” (as I’m sure you’ll know if you’re a TOK teacher, intuition used to be taught as part of the “emotion” Way of Knowing, but has now “graduated” to being its own WOK). An episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation is our entry point…. First, I show a clip introducing th
Is the Seattle Times Fair and Balanced?
In an earlier post today, Anthony Cody questioned just how independent our news media are. A reader from Srattle has a vivid demonstration of the way the Seattle Times plays the education issue. Puget Sound Parent writes: I’m still waiting for the Seattle Times to explain why they gave multiple pages of coverage to Michelle Rhee when she was here last February. (However, not one mention of the che
Leo Casey Defends Randi Weingarten Against Critics
I thought Randi wrote an excellent letter in response to Mercedes Schneider’s questions. I repeat, as i have in the past, that Randi is a personal friend. We disagree about the Common Core, but that does not diminish our friendship. The fact that Randi engaged in this dialogue shows her willingness to listen to criticism and to respond thoughtfully, as she did. This is a trait I admire. I too have
Bloomberg Declines to Expand Model School
During the Bloomberg years, the Department of Education has had a public relations staff that declared major successes whenever a new idea is launched, without waiting to see how things worked out. It is always good to be willing to try new ideas, but it is even better to withhold judgment until they have had time to prove themselves. But that has not been the New York City way these past dozen ye
How Embarrassing for Rhode Island!
According to the Providence Journal, Rhode Island won plaudits from the National Council on Teacher Quality. The newspaper, which is notorious for its inattention to background, describes NCTQ as a “nonprofit, nonpartisan research and policy group.” This is not accurate. As I have described on this blog in detail, NCTQ was created in 2000 by the rightwing Thomas B. Fordham Foundation at a time whe
Cody: Are Newspapers Independent or Lapdogs of Their Owners?
Anthony Cody wrote a post in which he reviews how the newspapers have reacted to important issues. First, there was the great editorial in a Vermont newspaper, patiently explaining that public schools belong to the public, “not hedge fund managers and entrepreneurs,” and they serve public purposes. Then he points to the Lap Dog editorial in the Los Angeles Times, which defended embattled superinte
Moody’s: Charters Pose Serious Risk to Struggling Cities
Back in the olden times, advocates claimed that charters would provide healthy competition and beneficial innovation. This would benefit the public schools and urban districts as well. But it turned out to be a false promise. By skimming off the best students in poor neighborhoods, charter schools leave the public schools in worse condition, overburdened with the neediest students that the charter
Mother Crusader: Chris Christie’s Education Policies “Wildly Unpopular”
Mother Crusader writes that the confrontation between Governor Chris Christie and teacher Melissa Tomlinson called attention to the governor’s Achilles’ heel. His education policies are “wildly unpopular.” He wants vouchers and charters, not public schools. And he has demonstrated contempt for teachers, especially women teachers, on several occasions. One unscientific poll reported that 79% think
An Open Exchange Between Mercedes Schneider and Randi Weingarten
I have a simple policy: When you are fighting for your life, you don’t get into battles with the others on your side. There is a long history of doctrinal and personality battles that have split the opposition to those in the highest seats of power. The story of leftwing politics is a history of doctrinal quarrels. My first job when I arrived in New York City was as an editorial assistant at the N
Jamie Gass: Is Common Core Legal?
Jamie Gass, who directs the conservative Pioneer Institute in Boston, is a historian and a determined critic of Common Core. While most conservatives support Common Core (Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal, Mitch Daniels, Tony Bennett, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce), Gass opposes Common Core and the testing because–among other reasons– he thinks that both are a violation of federal law. Read his latest col
The Bloomberg Reforms: An Assessment
The Bloomberg years have been good for New York City in some ways; for example, smoking has been extinguished in all public and even many private places. The mayor’s dedication to public health is highly commendable. But other things have been disastrous. The mayor has succeeded in making Manhattan a playground for international tourism and the uber-rich, but the explosion of new residential const
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: New Jersey: Why You Should Vote for Marie Corfield for State AssemblyIf you live in New Jersey, you are probably stuck with Chris Christie, whose education policies are disastrous for the state. He trashes his state’s teachers and public schools at every opportunity, even though New Jersey has the second highest scores on the feder