Randi to Christie: Give the People of Newark Their Schools
Cami Anderson, the state-appointed superintendent of Newark public schools, has grown increasingly high-handed in recent weeks. In driving through her so-called “One Newark” plan, she suspended principals who dissented, she stormed out of a meeting of the elected advisory board, and now she has announced she will no longer meet with the board. Read Politico’s account here. Randi Weingarten sent t
YES! Reaching the Public with “The Myth of Our Failing Schools”
YES! Magazine devotes a special issue to public education and its findings will not surprise readers of this blog. The lead article by executive editor Dean Paton is “The Myth Behind Public School Failure,” demonstrating that our public schools are NOT failing. Here is the line that follows the title: “In the rush to privatize the country’s schools, corporations and politicians have decimated sch
Will 2014 Be “The Year of Action”?
Jeff Bryant here describes the unprecedented wave of activism that is ready to launch in spring 2014. This is the year that parents, teachers, students, and concerned citizens mobilize to stop the juggernaut of high-stakes testing and privatization. This is the year we demand that Race to the Top go away, to be replaced by genuine concern for education, children, and equity for purr neediest chil
Act Now! Michigan Proposes to Gut Special-Education Regulations
With the peculiar disregard for children that characterizes the current state government of Michigan, the state hopes to reduce legal protections for children with disabilities. According to Marcie Lipsett, the time to speak up and organize is NOW. She writes: “The Michigan Department of Education is proposing catastrophic changes to the rules that govern how students with disabilities and “Ind
Who Is the Man Funding the Vergara Trial?
David Welch is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who is spending millions of dollars in legal fees to try to strip teachers of any due process rights or job security. Who is he and who are his allies? This investigative report provides some answers, though no one can truly explain the animus towards teachers that blames them for poverty, inequitable funding, large classes, poor leadership, racism, i
Breaking News: New Data Show High Expulsion Rates from Charter Schools in Chicago
Mayor Rahm Emanuel once praised the Noble network of charter schools in Chicago as having a “secret sauce” for success. Part of its “secret sauce” was fining students $5 for every disciplinary infraction. Some families owed the school hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That was one way of pushing out difficult students. It works. But that’s not all. A new report from Chicago Public Schools sho
What Candidates SHOULD Say About Education
Our good friends in Pennsylvania writing at the Yinzercation blog have developed an excellent checklist by which to judge gubernatorial candidates. Their own Governor Tom Corbett has been a determined foe of public education, and his approval rating hovers around 20%. Many candidates are challenging him. Read this post to learn what friends of public education should demand from those who seek
Rahm, You Forgot About Arts Education!
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is known for his love of the arts. But not for children in Chicago Public Schools. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Wendy Katten, 773-704-0336 Raise Your Hand Survey Reveals Arts Instruction Sorely Lacking in CPS 65% of reporting schools do not offer two hours of weekly arts instruction, as stated by Mayor Emanuel CHICAGO, February 20, 2014 — In a recent survey regarding arts ins
Jonathan Pelto: Steve Perry’s School Performs Below Hartford Public Schools
It is a strange world we live in, when schools are compelled to compete for “customers” and when some chain schools hold themselves up as owners of a “secret sauce” to produce high test scores, and some individuals market themselves as savants. We have a plethora of savants, individuals who claim that they alone have cured vexing educational problems. They boast, and their boasting naturally draws
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-25-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The Vergara Case and Other People’s Children: A Teacher’s ViewThe Vergara trial in Los Angeles prompted this National Board Certified Teacher to reflect on the power dynamics in LAUSD. And how it affects the students. The trial is funded by a very wealthy tech entrepreneur whose legal team claims that due process rights for teacher