Humor from Chicago: How to Spot a Corporate Reformer
Here is a new blogger–at least new to me. A Chicago teacher–or teachers–is employing wit and satire to portray the out-of-touch socialites who are devoting their time to school reform in the Windy City. Humor can be a powerful tool when combatting the failed ideas of the powerful.
Fred Smith: My Bronx Christmas Memories
Fred Smith, a testing expert who advises anti-testing groups and is quick to spot testing errors, sent me his Christmas memories. Diane, Thank you for your warm Christmas reminiscence. My father, Max, was born in Russia—Proskurov in the Ukraine in either 1912 or 1913. No one knew for sure and whatever records were kept were never computerized. He came with his older sister (Rivka = Becky) and mot
“All I Want for Christmas Is….”
A post from the wonderful Jan Resseger: A Special Christmas Wish for What Children Need This Year: Quality Teachers The Rev. John Thomas, the former General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, is now a professor and administrator Chicago Theological Seminary. His wonderful blog post for this Christmas is about the importance of quality public school teachers: All I Want for Chr
Some Stunning (and Shocking) Facts to Reflect upon This Christmas Day
This is a mind-blowing video about wealth inequality in America today. These are facts to reflect upon this Christmas Day. Inequality is huge and growing in our beloved nation. A tiny proportion of our population owns a vast amount of our nation’s wealth. Wealth inequality, like income inequality, has grown dramatically in the past generation. There really is a 1% that owns an unbelievable amount
Pope Francis on the the Dangers of Poverty and Inequality
I am not in the custom of quoting religious leaders, being a secular Jew, but I am nonetheless impressed by Pope Francis’ advocacy on behalf of the poor and his critique of the unfettered market. To clarify, I understand and believe in the values of a free marketplace of goods and services, but at the same time, I think that society has an obligation to make sure that the market is regulated suffi
The Christmas Spirit: A Dirt Road in Alabama
This is a beautiful story by Larry Lee about what happened when he told the story of a woman and her children living in a mobile home in rural Alabama. It is a story of kindness and the spirit of Christmas. Our country should not have so many people eking out a bare existence. There shouldn’t be such glaring inequality. But in the meanwhile there is spontaneous kindness. Lee begins: “Don’t you
My Memories of Christmas in Texas
As you may know, I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I am third of eight children. My parents were both Jewish, as am I. Yet every year we celebrated Christmas. Is this puzzling? It wasn’t at all puzzling to me and my siblings. Every Christmas, the family bought a Christmas tree, and we all joined in decorating it with lights, ornaments, and tinsel. Every Christmas morning, we woke up like a
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-24-13 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 This Fifth Grade Teacher Learned While Teaching in FinlandTim Walker moved to Finland with his family. They have moved permanently, as Tim’s wife is Finnish. Tim now teaches fifth grade in Helsinki. He experienced culture shock. Here is what he learned: children need time to refresh, teachers need time to refresh. Both groups