NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education:
NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education
2013 in Review Part 3: Gatesian Reforms Rejected | Anthony Cody – Living in Dialogue
By Anthony Cody on December 27, 2013 5:31 PM In the year 2013, what was wrong with corporate reform became even clearer, and we also made a strong case for an alternative vision for public schools. In 2012, I spent considerable time working on a dialogue with representatives of the Gates Foundation, because I had ...read moreThe post 2013 in Review Part 3: Gatesian Reforms Rejected | Anthony Cody
Best and worst education news of 2013 | NYC Public School Parents
Here’s a brief look back at the best and worst education news of the past year. These are the six best, from my perspective of course; please put your nominations in the comment section below! via NYC Public School Parents: Best and worst education news of 2013.The post Best and worst education news of 2013 | NYC Public School Parents appeared first on NPE News Briefs.
Ohio Parent on State’s Dual System of Publicly Funded Schools | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Susie Kaeser lives in Cleveland Heights and is former director of Reaching Heights. She serves on the national board of Parents for Public Schools. She writes: I prefer to ignore charter schools. I know good people who work in them and use them. Charters don’t appear to have much to do with my school district. ...read moreThe post Ohio Parent on State’s Dual System of Publicly Funded Schools | Dia
Anatomy of Charter School Advocacy | the becoming radical
When I wrote Why Advocacy and Market Forces Fail Education Reform in 2011, the acceleration of charter school advocacy hadn’t quite gathered the momentum that we are experiencing at the end of 2013. If charter school advocacy has proven anything, however, it is that my basic premise has come to fruition: Once again, the caution of ...read moreThe post Anatomy of Charter School Advocacy | the becom
US Dept of Education Rejects District’s Concerns | VAMboozled
A school district in South Carolina, educating approximately 45,000 K-12 students, received a US Dept of Education Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant and recently requested a one-year extension to delay the full implementation of its TIF-funded (and federally backed at the tune of $23.7 million) teacher evaluation system. The US Dept of Education noted that ...read moreThe post US Dept of Educatio
Some Governors and Common Core: “Hot Friends Cooling” | deutsch29
December 26, 2013 Hoping to advance your own political career? Better be quiet about Common Core. Amazing how a number of formerly outspoken, pro-CCSS governors have strategically opted for silence (or some other form of distance) regarding the now-highly-charged CCSS. via Some Governors and Common Core: “Hot Friends Cooling” | deutsch29.The post Some Governors and Common Core: “Hot Friends Coolin
Darling-Hammond Deplores Failure of No Child Left Behind and Test-and-Punish | janresseger
This morning, December 26, Linda Darling-Hammond spoke with Steve Inskseep on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. You can listen or read the transcript here. Darling-Hammond is the Stanford University professor who was considered seriously by President Barack Obama back in 2008 to be his Secretary of Education, although Obama eventually went with his Chicago buddy, ...read moreThe post Darli
I Answer Four Questions | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Ray Salazar, a teacher in Chicago, wrote a blog post asking me to respond to four questions. I will try to do that here. I am not sure I will accurately characterize his questions, so be sure to read his post before you read my responses. Before I start, let me say that he obviously ...read moreThe post I Answer Four Questions | Diane Ravitch’s blog appeared first on NPE News Briefs.
Jason Stanford: Time to Investigate Pearson in Texas | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Jason Stanford, an independent political journalist in Texas, calls for an investigation of Pearson in Texas. Stanford noticed that New York’s State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman extracted a settlement of $7.7 million from Pearson because of the co-mingled activities of its charitable foundation and its for-profit activities. He believes that is similar problems would be ...read moreThe post
How hard is teaching? | The Answer Sheet
BY VALERIE STRAUSS December 27 at 4:00 am How hard is teaching? Here are some answers to the question: via How hard is teaching?.The post How hard is teaching? | The Answer Sheet appeared first on NPE News Briefs.
Tough Questions to Ask About Charter Schools | With A Brooklyn Accent
The powers that be in the Democratic Party, including our President, have made Charter Schools their main vehicle for educational renewal in low income communities. And there are more than a few civil rights leaders, and elected officials in Black and Latino communities who view them as a chance to give families in their neighborhoods ...read moreThe post Tough Questions to Ask About Charter Schoo
Ignorati Honor Roll 2013: Pundit Version | School Finance 101
December 26, 2013 As 2013 comes to an end, it’s time to review some of the more ridiculous claims and arguments made by pundits and politicians over the course of the past year. A definition of “Ignorati” is important here: Elites who, despite their power, wealth, or influence, are prone to making serious errors when ...read moreThe post Ignorati Honor Roll 2013: Pundit Version | School Finance 10
Spellings Doubles-Down on “Incredibly Complicated” High-Stakes Testing | @ THE CHALK FACE
BY PLTHOMASEDD 1 COMMENT While political and popular debates teeter on the brink somewhere between surreal and catastrophic—consider the mess that is Sarah Palin homophobic-splaining the Phil Robertson controversy—the media access afforded Margaret Spellings may be reaching a level that rises about worse-of status for just a single year. I have offered the worst Op-Ed ...read moreThe post Spelling
Why Does Chicago’s Michael Madigan Love Gulen Charters? | Diane Ravitch’s blog
What a fabulous story! Chicago Public Schools, known for their love of charters, turned down a proposal to open two new Concept charters. The one existing Concept charter school in Chicago had unimpressive test scores. So Concept went to the Illinois State Charter School Commission and won their charters! What a coup! How did it ...read moreThe post Why Does Chicago’s Michael Madigan Love Gulen Ch
CPS says no to charter schools, but Michael Madigan says yes | Chicago Sun-Times
When Concept Schools Inc. wanted to open two charter schools in Chicago last year, it sought permission from Chicago Public Schools officials. The answer was no. CPS officials have allowed the rapid expansion of charters. But they turned down Concept. They said the charter operator, headquartered in Des Plaines, didn’t merit being allowed to expand ...read moreThe post CPS says no to charter schoo
Amid mass school closings, a slow death for some Chicago schools | MSNBC
By Trymaine Lee CHICAGO— After Parrish Brown graduates from Walter Dyett High School this spring, it’s likely he’ll never set foot in that school building again. Not for a 10-year reunion or to catch up with former teachers or to admire the gleaming trophies inside the school’s display case. Because if all goes according to ...read moreThe post Amid mass school closings, a slow death for some Chic
DEC 26
Students Of New York City Tell Their New Mayor How Standardized Testing Squashes The Learning Bug | Upworthy
I was never a good test-taker when I was a student. And when it came to standardized testing, I simply hated it. They were always boring, and it was impossible to get excited or all that creative about a test. But the school kept forcing us through hours of preparation nonetheless. Well, some parents and ...read moreThe post Students Of New York City Tell Their New Mayor How Standardized Testing S
11 telling stories about 2013 school reform | The Answer Sheet
BY VALERIE STRAUSS December 26 at 4:00 am I know it’s more common to do a Top 10 list but here are 11 of The Answer Sheet’s most popular posts in 2013, some that I wrote and others that some of my wonderful guest writers have authored. I have chosen posts that seem to me ...read moreThe post 11 telling stories about 2013 school reform | The Answer Sheet appeared first on NPE News Briefs.
Ignorati Honor Roll 2013: Pundit Version | School Finance 101
As 2013 comes to an end, it’s time to review some of the more ridiculous claims and arguments made by pundits and politicians over the course of the past year. A definition of “Ignorati” is important here: Elites who, despite their power, wealth, or influence, are prone to making serious errors when discussing science and ...read moreThe post Ignorati Honor Roll 2013: Pundit Version | School Finan
Poverty doesn’t matter! Really? | Seattle Education
“Homelessness and poverty up close is hard. It smells, actually in my room this year, it takes from the very fiber of a being, it is destructive to those that stand in uselessness looking as well as those suffering it. I’m dealing with a woman and her child suffering terribly now — she should never ...read moreThe post Poverty doesn’t matter! Really? | Seattle Education appeared first on NPE News
FERPA does not protect student privacy, and never did | Crazy Crawfish’s Blog
I’ve been debating for a few months on how to tackle this topic in a way that is both informative and engaging while providing firmly grounded sources that back up my analysis. I’ve finally decided that might be too ambitious, and certainly a lot to tackle in a single piece Rather than let anymore grass ...read moreThe post FERPA does not protect student privacy, and never did | Crazy Crawfish’s B
The Fordham Strong Arm of Letter Grades for State Standards | deutsch29
In my previous post, The Importance of Common Core for Nationally-pervasive Ed Reform, I cite the 2009 Broad Foundation report in which a number of major reformer “participants” told America of the reforms it might expect to be in place in 2012– one of which is the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Among the list of ...read moreThe post The Fordham Strong Arm of Letter Grades for State Standards
Government Shutdown Beats Ravitch, Common Core as Hottest Topics | Politics K-12 – Education Week
By Alyson Klein on December 26, 2013 1:01 PM We’re coming into the home stretch of 2013—a rollercoaster year on the federal budget front, and a pivotal point for the administration’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act waivers and its marquee competitive grant program, Race to the Top, as well as for implementation of the Common ...read moreThe post Government Shutdown Beats Ravitch, Common Cor
2013 in Review Part Two: The Year the Common Core Began to Unravel | Anthony Cody – Living in Dialogue
By Anthony Cody on December 25, 2013 3:05 PM It was supposed to be easy. The campaign was one of shock and awe, intended to overpower and silence anyone with the nerve to criticize. Most of us first heard of the Common Core when we learned that 45 states and the District of Columbia had ...read moreThe post 2013 in Review Part Two: The Year the Common Core Began to Unravel | Anthony Cody – Living
The U.S. Government Wants To Rank Our Colleges. Why? | Forbes
The U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, has come up with a plan to produce official government rankings of our universities. The plan was announced this past August, and over the past month, the Obama administration has been holding public forums around the country to get input about its plan. But it seems like they’ve already made up their ...read moreThe post The U.S. Government Wants To
‘We Are Creating Walmarts of Higher Education’ | The Atlantic
Universities in South Dakota, Nebraska, and other states have cut the number of credits students need to graduate. A proposal in Florida would let online courses forgo the usual higher-education accreditation process. A California legislator introduced a measure that would have substituted online courses for some of the brick-and-mortar kind at public universities. Some campuses ...read moreThe po
Teacher: Child Abuse in My Classroom | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Mark Naison, co-founder of the BATs, sent me this story by a teacher: The Child Abuse Imposed by Testing: By Bronx Teacher Chris Whitney I had a student leave my classroom in an ambulance last year during the middle of a practice test. He was having an asthma attack brought on by panic. He kept ...read moreThe post Teacher: Child Abuse in My Classroom | Diane Ravitch’s blog appeared first on NPE N
Portland Students Stage Walkout In Support of Teachers | Alternet
December 26, 2013 | Some 70 students walked out of Wilson High School on December 13 to demand smaller class sizes and show their support for the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT), which is in the midst of heated contract negotiations with the Portland Public Schools (PPS). Holding signs that read “Unlimited class ...read moreThe post Portland Students Stage Walkout In Support of Teacher
Diane Ravitch: Changing education from the grassroots up | District Administration Magazine
Diane Ravitch is outspoken in her criticisms of education in this country. Her latest book Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools (Knopf, 2013), pulls no punches in its arguments against testing, the charter school movement, and federally driven mandates. But Ravitch knows of what she ...read moreThe post Diane Ravitch: Changing education
Islamic cleric linked to U.S. charter schools involved in Turkey’s political drama | The Answer Sheet
BY VALERIE STRAUSS December 26 at 7:00 am A Muslim cleric who lives in seclusion in Pennsylvania and has been linked to a network of more than 135 public charter schools in the United States is believed to be deeply involved in the political drama that is unfolding in his home country of Turkey. The ...read moreThe post Islamic cleric linked to U.S. charter schools involved in Turkey’s political d
Common Core’s “Dishonest Debate” and Its “Convoluted and Frustrating Curricula” | Scathing Purple Musings
The efforts of republican governors and state policymakers to advance and implement Common Core is becoming more arduous by the day. Especially when they are receiving fire from their own side and in traditionally friendly publications. Consider this penned by two American Enterprise Institute scholars in National Review: The Common Core opens the door much ...read moreThe post Common Core’s “Dish
School Testing Systems Should Be Examined In 2014 | NPR
Our series on the future continues with a discussion about education. Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep talks to Linda Darling-Hammond, a former adviser to President Obama, who is dismayed to see his administration build on the high-stakes testing requirements introduced by the Bush administration. Copyright © 2013 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms ...read moreThe post Schoo
11 telling stories about 2013 school reform | The Answer Sheet
BY VALERIE STRAUSS December 26 at 4:00 am I know it’s more common to do a Top 10 list but here are 11 of The Answer Sheet’s most popular posts in 2013, some that I wrote and others that some of my wonderful guest writers have authored. I have chosen posts that seem to me ...read moreThe post 11 telling stories about 2013 school reform | The Answer Sheet appeared first on NPE News Briefs.
Is Reformy John King’s Decree Worse Than NY Times Thinks? | NYC Educator
There’s a piece in the NY Times all about the issues with the new evaluation system. They’re the paper of record, so it must be accurate. I’ve no idea how large the school is, but I’m sure the Times reporter carefully considered its application to large schools, and understands completely what it means in a ...read moreThe post Is Reformy John King’s Decree Worse Than NY Times Thinks? | NYC Educat
Newark Plans to Close School Praised by Michelle Obama as “Phenomenal” | Diane Ravitchs blog
Jersey Jazzman reports that Newark officials, who love to close public schools, will close a school that First Lady Michelle Obama highly praised. When she visited Maple Avenue Elementary School in 2010, she praised the staff and called the school “phenomenal.”The Obama administration loves closing public schools and firing everyone who works in them. This ...read moreThe post Newark Plans to Clos
Recovery School District will be country’s first all-charter district in September 2014 | NOLA.com
By Danielle Dreilinger, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune The great educational experiment in New Orleans is taking a dramatic, albeit long-awaited, turn. New Orleans’ Recovery School District will become the country’s first all-charter system in September 2014, a year earlier than planned. Superintendent Patrick Dobard announced Thursday that he would cut short the phaseouts at Sarah ...read moreThe
DEC 24
The Regents Research Fellows: Who Are They? | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Whitney Yax has prepared an infographic that describes the web of connections and experience among the New York Regents Research Fellows. You will not be surprised to learn that many have a background in Teach for America, the New York City Department of Education, and New Schools for New Leaders. Nine of the 25 fellows ...read moreThe post The Regents Research Fellows: Who Are They? | Diane Ravit
Advocacy Groups Push Back on California’s Testing Plan | Politics K-12 – Education Week
By Alyson Klein on December 24, 2013 2:00 PM So remember how California is planning to suspend most of its accountability testing for a year in order to help the state’s schools get up to speed on new tests aligned with the Common Core standards? U.S. Secretary of Education of Arne Duncan is none-too-happy about ...read moreThe post Advocacy Groups Push Back on California’s Testing Plan | Politics
What to Watch for When Congress Writes Edu-Spending Bills | Politics K-12 – Education Week
By Alyson Klein on December 24, 2013 8:55 AM Think education advocates work is all done now that Congress is all done with the big budget deal? Think again. Now that lawmakers have decided to largely roll back sequestration (those automatic across-board cuts to education spending) for two years, advocates are rolling up their sleeves, ...read moreThe post What to Watch for When Congress Writes Edu
True Confessions: I Used to Give Kids Finish-like Breaks | Ed Notes Online
An American teacher now working in an elementary school in Finland, via the Diane Ravitch blog, writes about the differences. Finnish schools often schedule lessons into hour-long blocks: 45 minutes of instruction, 15 minutes of break. Students rarely have back-to-back lessons without breaks—and at the elementary level, it’s expected that children will spend their breaks ...read moreThe post True
View from Florida: Chicago charter scandals look familiar | Mike Klonsky’s SmallTalk Blog
Chicago’s scandal-ridden charter schools look eerily familiar to educators down here in Florida where public schools have long been free give-aways to Govs. Bush and Scott’s corporate and political cronies. It seems that almost anyone with blood or alcohol running through their veins can get a charter here in the Sunshine State — students and ...read moreThe post View from Florida: Chicago charter
A Special Christmas Wish for What Children Need This Year: Quality Teachers | janresseger
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 Christmas. “While the old holiday song suggests that children might ...read moreThe post A Special Christmas Wish for
Patrick Hayes on the VAM Fiasco in D.C. | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Patrick Hayes is a teacher in Charleston, South Carolina, who is leading the fight to block test-based, value-added evaluations of teachers in that district. As many posts on this blog have iterated and reiterated, most researchers think that VAM is flawed and error-ridden. (Check out Audrey Amrein-Beardsley’s blog VAMboozled and Edward Haertel’s ETS lecture.) Hayes ...read moreThe post Patrick Ha
De Blasio: Schools chancellor announcement likely next week | GothamSchools
by Geoff Decker, at 9:18 pm Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio said today that he probably won’t announce his choice for schools chancellor until next week — just days before he officially takes control of the Department of Education. At a press conference introducing the two latest members of his City Hall leadership team, de Blasio ...read moreThe post De Blasio: Schools chancellor announcement likely n
What This Fifth Grade Teacher Learned While Teaching in Finland | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Tim 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 take frequent breaks during the day. But that’s not all: ...read moreThe post What This Fifth Grade Teacher Learned While Teaching