Testing Expert Calls for Moratorium on Common Core Testing
Fred Smith, who worked for many years in the research department of the New York City Board of Education (back when it had a research department, not a public relations department), offered the following testimony at public hearings in New York City on the Common Core testing (he was limited to only two minutes to speak): My Two Minutes at the December 11, 2013 Forum in Manhattan – Spruce Street S
Wendy Lecker: CT Governor Dannell Malloy Can Tell It to the Judge
Wendy Lecker, a civil rights attorney in Connecticut, remembers when Connecticut Governor Dannell Malloy was a champion for equitable funding. But no longer. He recently spoke at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and boasted about the success of his “reform” program. According to Lecker: At his AEI speech, Malloy shockingly dismissed the need to provide all childr
College Presidents Pan Obama Plan to Make College Affordable by Rating Them
A new Gallup poll shows that most college presidents don’t think much of President Obama’s plan to “make college more affordable” by rating them. The Obama plan relies on metrics to determine which colleges are best and most affordable and assumes that student consumers will use this information to make better choices. Somehow, this process is supposed to make college “more affordable,” although i
Missouri State Auditor May Investigate Commissioner of Education
A report from Missouri says the state auditor may launch an investigation of state Commissioner of Education Chris Nicasrto, who gave a contract to an Indianapolis firm that was not the low bidder. The firm is known for its love of privatization as a cure for big-city schools. Teachers unions, legislators, and the St. Louis branch of the NAACP have called for Nicastro’s resignation. The St. Louis
New York Regent Betty Rosa: State’s Program Designed to Create Failure
The New York Board of Regents is determined to pour unprecedented sums into more standards, more tests, and more tests and more standards. Two Regents have opposed this determined focus on standards and testing: Regent Betty Rosa of the Bronx and Regent Kathleen Cashin of Brooklyn. Interestingly, these are two of the few experienced educators on the state board. In this article, Regent Rosa blasts
Should New York Regents Privatize the State’s Research Function?
New York established a privately funded “Research Fellow” group to implement the Race to the Top agenda of Common Core implementation and testing. This group was funded by the Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and the chair of the Regents, Merryl Tisch. “Two of the charities bankrolling a controversial $18 million education fellowship program also gave millions to a data company to which
Dasani: The New York Times Should Win a Pulitzer Prize for This Powerful Series
The New York Times just concluded a five-part series of articles about a beautiful 11-year-old girl named Dasani. It is called “Invisible Child.” The series was written by investigative journalist Andrea Elliott. She deserves a Pulitzer Prize for illuminating the life of this child and her family. Here is part 1. Dasani is homeless. She is one of eight children, who lives with her parents in a hom
EduShyster on KIPP, Padded Cells, and the Great Test Score Game
EduShyster notes the convergence of three happenings: 1. The New York Daily News breaks the story of KIPP’s “padded cell” for disruptive children. KIPP officials declare they will continue using the padded cell–actually, a closet with a window–as a “calming” space. 2. Simultaneously, the New York Times writes an editorial praising KIPP for its successful methods in educating black and Hispanic ch
North Carolina: Home Schools May Qualify for Vouchers
Lindsay Wagner of NC Policy Watch reports that North Carolina law may permit home schools to qualify for public funding. Nonpublic schools in North Carolina will have little or no supervision over their standards or academic performance. Wagner writes: “The school voucher program is intended for use at private schools only. But thanks to weak laws and a lack of capacity to ensure compliance, any
YESTERDAY
Advice from Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Abraham Lincoln: “If there is anything that a man can do well, I say let him do it. Give him a chance.” Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.” My thought: Do we have the courage, the intelligence, the integrity, and the fortitude to change our vision for educa
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: What Happens When Educators Make Their Own Documentary?In 2011, Rocky Killion, the superintendent of schools in West Lafayette, Indiana, had an idea: What if we made our own documentary about the schools? What if we became our own production crew? What if we traveled the country and interviewed experts with our questions? They did