Chicago: Rahm’s Demolition Derby for Public Schools
An independent investigation found that nearly half of Chicago’s charter schools are under-enrolled, but the mayor-controlled school board plans to open more. This will drain more students and resources from the public schools. Mayor Emanuel hopes to destroy public education as his legacy to the city. The mayor’s hand-picked board will vote tomorrow on authorizing 31 new charters. FOR IMMEDIATE R
On the Road Again….
After a long hiatus, recovering from travel-related deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the legs), I started my traveling again this week. (My trip to Chicago last week to speak to MLA didn’t count, but I can’t recall why. Arbitrary.) I am speaking at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Wednesday at 7 pm. The plan was to fly to Gainesville on Wednesday morning, via Atlanta. But life does
John Merrow Comments on a “Rigged” Match: Rhee vs. Ravitch
John Merrow, who doggedly pursued the cheating scandal in D.C. here takes issue with someone named John Buntin who wrote of a fictional match-up between Michelle Rhee and me. Merrow chides Buntin for ignorance of the facts that Merrow covered. He sent this letter, but got no reply: “I have a couple of observations about your Rhee/Ravitch piece that I hope you don’t mind my sharing. The first is
Best Friends Forever: Chris Christie & Eli Broad
The Eli Broad Foundation gave Néw Jersey $430,000 for Broad-style corporate reform. There was one strange string attached: the money would keep flowing only if Chris Christie remained governor. This is how Rick Cohen of the Non-Profit Quarterly described this cozy deal: “The Broad Foundation grant is in support of various educational reforms in the state, with performance benchmarks such as a 50
Arizona: 25 Néw Charters to Open in Phoenix
Twenty-five new charter schools will open in Phoenix, targeting low-income Latino students. The project is funded mainly by the Walton Foundation. The schools will rely on Trach for America recruits. The story in the NY Times notes that charter schools in Arizona get more public funding than public schools and charter schools get lower test scores. This is privatization for the sake of privatiza
Ohio: Former State Monitor Questions Gulen Charters
The following was sent by Bill Phillis of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy: Denis Smith, a retired public school teacher, administrator and former charter school consultant at the Ohio Department of Education, sent the message below to the editor of The Columbus Dispatch. January 16, 2014 Denis Smith, a retired public school teacher, administrator and former charter school consultant at
Errol Louis Gets It: Merit Pay Is Useless
Errol Louis is one sharp journalist. He is a newscaster for NY1, the city’s local all-news TV station. I have benn interviewed by him a few times and have always been impressed by his insight. In this article, he explains how dumb merit pay is. He notes that Governor Cuomo has proposed a $20,000 bonus for the state’s “highly effective” teachers. He didn’t say how he would pay for it. Maybe he wo
My Speaking Schedule This Spring
My speaking schedule from now to mid-Summer. More details will be added as the date gets closer. January 22: Gainesville Fl – University of FL 7 pm lecture January 31: Showing of documentary “Rise Above the Mark” at Butler University in Indianapolis February 1: Louisville KY – Kentucky School Boards 9:45 a.m. lecture February 3: New York Performance Standards Consortium 9 am lecture February 11: R
Jersey Jazzman: The Newark 5 Are Not Alone!
The indefinite suspension (firing) of five principals in Newark–who spoke out against the closure of their schools– by Chris Christie’s appointee Cami Anderson is going viral! Time for an anti-bullying program in New Jersey. Jersey Jazzman shows in this post that the bullying agenda of Governor Chris Christie is advancing in many New Jersey towns, but it is no longer hidden. Veteran journalist e
Reader: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Call for “Creative Extremists”
A reader sent this full expression of Dr. King’s vision of the best kind of extremism: “The quotation, as presented, is quite truncated. Here are Dr. King’s full words: ” So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In
David Berliner Invites You to Try a Thought Experiment
David Berliner has designed a provocative thought experiment. He offers you State A and State B. He describes salient differences between them. Can you predict which state has high-performing schools and which state has low-performing schools? The Roots of Academic Achievement David C. Berliner Regents’ Professor Emeritus Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Arizona State University Let’s do a thoug
Maureen Reedy: How We Can Turn the Tide in 2014
Maureen Reedy taught in public school in Ohio for 29 years. She ran in 2012 for the state legislature and narrowly lost. She continues to be a leader in the fight against destructive privatization and excessive high-stakes testing. She writes: New Year’s Resolutions For Public Education: First of all, Kudo’s to Ohio’s Plunderbund investigative journalist, Greg Mild, public school teacher, for his
Julian Vasquez Heilig Gives a Lesson to Senator Harkin About TFA
This is a true story. A mother who lives in Iowa wrote her Senator to complain about her daughter’s terrible experience in Teach for America. Her Senator is Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Committee responsible for education. The Senator sent her a response which she found unsatisfactory. She sent the Senator”s letter to me, and I asked Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig of the University of Texas to re
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Are You Sick of Highly Paid Teachers?Thanks to Jennie Shanker for tweeting this to me. It appeared in the Daily Kos. It shows how to adjust the wages of teachers.7 by dianeravitch / 1h Edward Johnson: What Does Dr. King’s Legacy Mean Today?Edward Johnson is a community activist in Atlanta who fights tirelessly for a wiser approach