The Wall Street Journal Gets It Backwards
The Wall Street Journal responded to Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio’s choice of Carmen Farina as chancellor with bitterness. The editorial calls her “a competent steward of the failing status quo.” How could they overlook the fact that Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been the status quo for twelve years? How could they neglect that federal education policy–George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind and Barack
Farina-de Blasio: The Sniping Begins
In a story in Huffington Post today, former NYC Deputy Chancellor Eric Nadelstern complained that New York City’s new Chancellor Carmen Farina has not spelled out exactly how she plans to raise the graduation rate or solve every other problem that the Bloomberg administration, in which Nadelstern served, left unsolved. Farina’s appointment was also met with a mixture of concern, skepticism, and g
Breaking News: Mayor-Elect Chooses an Educator to Lead NYC Schools!
For the past dozen years, New York City has had a procession of school chancellors who were not educators: a banker, a prosecutor, a publisher, a former deputy mayor. Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio made a daring–and wise– decision to select a professional educator to run the nation’s largest school system, which enrolls 1.2 million students. His search narrowed to three excellent candidates, all of w
Will Mayor de Blasio Grant Clemency to Doomed Schools?
Marc Epstein taught at Jamaica High School in Queens, New York City, for many years. The school is under a death sentence, which means the end of many programs that served children with different needs. Here he makes a plea to Mayor de Blasio to save some of the doomed schools. A De Blasio Clemency? This is the time of year that governors and the president issue pardons and clemencies. They a
Anthony Cody Reviews the Role of the Teachers Unions as Advocates in 2013 and 2014
Anthony Cody reviews his own sharp criticism of teachers’ unions during the past year for their support of the Common Core standards in 2013. Cody questions why teachers have no one to support them when they question the validity of the Common Core. He doubts that a one-year moratorium on high-stakes testing of the Common Core will matter much. In a column that he cites, he wrote: In effect, the C
California Governor Jerry Brown Blasts Test-Based Reform
Governor Jerry Brown is certainly the most interesting and thoughtful state leader on education. In 2009, when he was state attorney general, he wrote a blistering rebuke to Arne Duncan in opposition to Race to the Top. He has consistently opposed the overemphasis on standardized testing. In 2011, he vetoed legislation that didn’t go far enough to stop the misuse of test scores. Earlier this year
How Standardized Testing Destroys Creativity and the Joy of Learning
This post was written by Don Batt, an English teacher in Colorado: There is a monster waiting for your children in the spring. Its creators have fashioned it so that however children may prepare for it, they will be undone by its clever industry. The children know it’s coming. They have encountered it every year since third grade, and every year it has taken parts of their souls. Not just in the
Mark Naison for Governor in 2014!
Every state should have a write-in candidate–or a major party candidate–who shares the agenda of the Restore Recess Party. I pledge to support the candidacy of Mark Naison for Governor of New York in 2014. Let’s start a national movement that spreads everywhere and gets the attention of candidates who want the votes of parents, grandparents, and educators and everyone else who care about kids and
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-29-13 Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Edward F. Berger on the Ignorant Mindset Destroying American EducationEdward Berger invites you to watch some important TED talks, which he uses to make a point about the appalling ignorance of some of our key “thought leaders.” Berger writes: To get the most out of this blog, view Ted Talks 2011 – Knowledge Is Power. #1: Sir Ken R