To Be a Hero
Our dear friend and frequent commentator KrazyTA writes: What times we live in when— “One must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being.” [May Sarton]
San Diego’s Cindy Marten is No Hero Superintendent
On the very day that I posted my view that San Diego is the best urban district in the nation, Mario Koran wrote in Voices of San Diego that Cindy Marten does not believe in hero superintendents. He writes: Spoiler alert, San Diegans: Cindy Marten isn’t a hero who has swooped in to save your children. If that sounds a little bristly, consider this: She doesn’t think students need saving. “The idea
Anthony Cody: Who Are the Critics of Common Core?
The news earlier today that the Koch brothers are joining the fight against Common Core complicates the political calculus surrounding the controversial standards. The Politico article gives the impression that the rightwingers are the main critics of Common Core by failing to mention that the most zealous advocates for Common Core are Jeb Bush, Michelle Rhee, Joel Klein, the Business Roundtable,
Arthur Camins on Bill Honig’s Post: Is This the Way Forward?
Arthur Camins is director of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. After reading Bill Honig’s post about Common Core in California, he wrote the following comment: Bill Honig makes an argument to consider: Maybe there is a potential alternative to having to choose between accepting tight linkage between the
Burris: We Must Protect Our Students’ Personal Data, Not Store It on a Cloud
Carol Burris, the articulate and prolific principal of South Side High School in Rockville Center, Long Island, New York, here responds to state officials about the importance of student privacy. New York is one of the few–perhaps the only–state that has stubbornly insisted that all student data will be uploaded to the inBloom website funded by the Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation, en
Why San Diego Is the Best Urban District in the Nation
Something magical is happening in San Diego. It is a good school district. Teachers and administrators and the school board are working towards common goals. San Diego, in my view, is the best urban district in the nation. I say this not based on test scores but on the climate for teaching and learning that I have observed in San Diego. It’s not the weather, which of course is usually magnificent.
Will Fight Against Common Core Encourage Charters, Vouchers?
As readers of the blog know, critics of the Common Core span the political and ideological spectrum. So do supporters. Many who consider themselves liberals oppose the imposition of grade-by-grade standards that are inflexible and take away teachers’ ability to tailor instruction to the needs of their students. Early childhood advocates are critical of CC’s demand to force academic instruction in
North Carolina: The Puzzling Silence of Governor Jim Hunt
When Governor Jim Hunt was in office, he was a national leader on behalf of improving education. He advocated for higher teacher salaries, he advocated for early childhood education, and he took pride in the steady improvement in North Carolina during his tenure. Now he runs the Hunt Institute, which has been active in teaching governors across the nation about education issues. I was a member of
Anthony Cody: Confessions of a Teacher in “Virtual Charter School Hell”
Darcy Bedortha is a guest writer for Anthony Cody’s blog. She tells her story as a Lead Teacher for a K12 virtual charter school. She confirms all the worst fears of critics of virtual charters. They make a lot of money. They are passionate about profits, not students. Students need one-to-one contact with a human being. They don’t get it. In a long and heartbreaking post, she writes: I was an Eng
Stop Reckless Charter Expansion in This Small Town in California
On January 15, there will be a crucial vote to allow the expansion of charter schools in Morgan Hill, California. As the post below points out, Morgan Hill is a small town of 40,000 with only 8 elementary schools. Rocketship wants to open 2 new charters in this small community, which will effectively destroy public education. Please read this post and send an email to the Santa Clara Office of Edu
Bill Honig: Why California Likes the Common Core Standards
Many people who post on this blog–including me–have expressed grave doubts about the Common Core standards–about how they were created, funded, evaluated, and promoted, as well as their connection to high-stakes testing and evaluation of teachers by test scores. Others, including me, worry about the Common Core testing and the fact that the two federally-funded testing consortia decided to long th
YESTERDAY
Two Teachers, Father and Son, Chastise Arne Duncan for His Constant Sniping at Public Education
The Weintraubs, Robert and David, call out Arne Duncan in this article in Education Week. They sharply chastise him for his constant refrain that American schools are failing, stagnating, falling behind. He is like an abusive basketball coach who kicks his players and shrieks at them: LOSERS! You are LOSERS! You should ALL be FIRED! He lacks the leadership skills–or for that matter, the knowledge
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-6-14 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 Educators in North Carolina Say About Recent Legislative ChangesThis last year, the legislature and governor in North Carolina enacted legislation affecting the teaching profession in North Carolina. Scott Imig and Robert Smith at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington decided that it was important to hear how the legi