Network for Public Education Endorses Baraka for Newark Mayor
The Network for Public Education has endorsed City Councilman Ras Baraka for Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He is a career educator who opposes school closings and supports reduced class sizes and other research based strategies. We are proud to support him and believe that his election will begin a movement to restore democracy to education in Newark, whose schools have been under state control fo
NY Saga Heats Up as Advocates Blast Regents
The Regents pledged to tweak the botched Common Core rollout, which caused Governor Cuomo to accuse them of backing away from tough teacher evaluation (they didn’t). Now parents and educators condemn the Regents for failing to address their concerns: From: “NYS Allies for Public Education” Date: February 10, 2014 at 4:40:37 PM EST To: “‘NYS Allies for Public Education’” Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE R
Cuomo Blasts Regents for Common Core Fumbling
Governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement blasting the Regents for seeming to delay the tough teacher evaluation that Cuomo wants. Common Core has turned into a giant mess. The Regents and Commissioner John King want to appear to compromise without compromising. The governor condemns them for compromising. Here is the Regents’ statement. This is the report of the Regents Working Group that ca
NC Democrats Blast McCrory Pay Plan
North Carolina Governor McCrory tried to defuse criticism of his hostile policies toward teachers by offering a pay raise to teachers in their first five years instead of responding to a call by former Governor Jim Hunt to lift salaries to the national average. NC teachers are now 46th in the nation in salary. Under McCrory’s proposal, 70% of teachers get no raise. Salaries for teachers have been
Long Island Poll: 86% Thumbs Down on Common Core
Even as the Néw York Board of Regents made minor tweaks to the Common Core standards and testing, a poll by News 12, Long Island’s only TV news station, showed simmering anti – Common Core sentiment in this crucial suburban area. 8% say Delay It 86% say Eliminate It 6% say Leave It Alone Long Island has been a hotbed of anti-Common Core activism. A special committee of the Regents reviewed the b
NY Times: Are Parents to Blame for Low Test Scores?
The Néw York Times blog published a debate about whether parents are to blame for “failing schools.” The question is: “Do parents care enough about schools?” Various writers offer their opinions. The debate is based on President Obama’s assertion in his State of the Union address that parents don’t demand enough. Of course, that begs the question of which schools are “failing” and how they are
Los Angeles Lawyer: How to Fire a Teacher
Ron Lapekas, an attorney in Los Angeles, submitted the following comment to the blog about the Vergara trial, in which plaintiffs claim that tenure (due process) for teachers violates the civil rights of students. The case of the plaintiffs is funded with millions of dollars by a wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneur, who thinks that teachers should be fired at the will of their employer without hea
Jon Stewart Interviews Bill de Blasio: Hilarious!
This is a fabulous interview of Bill de Blasio by Jon Stewart. Bill is funny, smart, terrific! What a change! And watch to see how great it is to live in Brooklyn. Laughter, not hectoring.
Schneider: Updates on State-by-State Common Core Controversies: Part 3
Mercedes Schneider here reports on the ongoing debates about Common Core standards and tests in the states. Links to the earlier posts are included in this one. The reason for the controversy is the lack of democratic process in imposing the standards. Imposing them by stealth was not a good idea. The public doesn’t know what they are, and their merits and demerits were never discussed and debated
Peter Greene on #evaluatethat
Peter Greene, who teaches high school English in Pennsylvania, here reviews the Twitter outburst with the hash tag #evaluatethat. The campaign on Twitter began as a way to point out that teachers do far more important things for students than get measured on standardized tests. And it grew. Greene points out that people in many occupations go beyond their job descriptions. So what is the point
What Went Wrong with Common Core Testing in Nashua, New Hampshire
Not long ago, I posted a news story about the problems with Common Core testing in Nashua, New Hampshire, where teachers reported serious flaws with the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Here is the letter from John Nelson, the principal of Fairgrounds Middle School, which contains details about the problems, as reported by teachers. FROM: JOHN NELSON RE: SMARTER BALANCE TEST This communication
A Message from James Meredith to BATS
This just in from the BATs: “ On February 12th the Badass Teachers Association was honored to get this amazing message from James Meredith via his co-author William Doyle. BATs will be honoring Meredith’s The American Child’s Education Bill of Rights with a special event on February 10-13. Here is that amazing message: A MESSAGE TO AMERICA’S TEACHERS The destiny of America is in your hands. We are
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-9-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Public Schools Across NY See State School Aid Decline Due to Cuomo BudgetI can’t find a link for this story, but I have the newspaper in front of me. (Thanks to a reader, here is the link: http://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/84-of-li-school-districts-to-get-less-aid-than-6-years-ago-under-cuomo-budget-plan-1.6973979) It is