Schools Matter:
Schools Matter All Week
Nonstop hi-tech testing
Sent to the Los Angeles Times, March 14, 2014Not mentioned in the Times' editorials (March 13, 14) is the astonishing amount of testing required by the Common Core and the requirement that testing must be done online. No Child Left Behind "only" required tests at the end of year in reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school. The common core aims to test all subjects in all g
Corporate Welfare Queen, Eva Moskowitz, Strong Arming of School Staff and Students to Save Her Empire
from the Nation:On the first Tuesday in March, thousands of students, parents and teachers rallied at the New York state capitol in Albany to protest what the media quickly dubbed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “war” on charter schools and minority students. Eva Moskowitz, the founder of the Success Academy charter network and one of the mayor’s fiercest critics, closed all twenty-two of her
Doug Martin on Workers' Voice Radio Show, March 14, Today
by Doug MartinI will be joining labor studies professor Patrick Hill and unionist and blogger Randy Obenchain for a discussion on the Workers' Voice Show at Indiana University Kokomo's Radio Free Kokomo tonight, Friday March 14th, from 5-6 pm. I am a big fan of this show, since I learn something new every time I listen in. I, too, hope to cover some new ground that I haven't mentioned on air yet
MAR 13
Tennessee House Votes 82-11 to Halt Implementation of Common Core: Haslam/Huffman Rebuked
It is essential that you call your state senator and urge her to vote with the House on this. Find your senator here.from the Tennessean:Tennessee lawmakers voted to delay the Common Core education program for two years, as opponents staged an ambush Thursday morning on the floor of the state House of Representatives.A coalition of Republicans and Democratic lawmakers used an unrelated bill on Am
Common Core Presentation for Public Forums
From Rog Lucido:In the ongoing effort to debunk the Common Core Standards and associated testing, I have created a PowerPoint called Common Core Exposed. I have posted it in two downloadable versions. The first is a Read Only version that can be used at one’s own pace for presentations at school boards, parent meetings and the like. References for each slide are below each slide by just hitting Es
John King's "Bar Exam" for Teachers Who Are Paid Like Clerks
Lawyers' median pay? $113,000. Teachers' median pay? $53,000. Judicial law clerk? $47,000.Ready or not, here comes John King's Pearson test: New York Education Commissioner John King and a Board of Regents committee have released a full-throated endorsement of the state's controversial new teacher certification system.In a statement distributed this morning, King rejected calls to postpone the
Memphis Schools to Cut 800 Jobs As This Year's Charter Outlay is $78,000,000
Shelby County Schools2014-15 proposed general fund budget: $961. 3 millionSalaries: $558.6 millionEmployee benefits: $178.6 millionContract services: $82.4 millionCharter schools: $78 millionSupplies and materials: $38.8 millionOther charges: $16.9 millionCapital outlay: $7.2 million Debt service: $658,940This year, alone, Shelby County plans to close ten schools and turn them over for charter
Parent Files Suit to Establish Opt Out Legal Precedent
MD parent files suit over MSA opt out and sets precedent for futureassessmentsMarch 11, 2014Cindy Rose of Frederick County has taken the matter of MSA opting out to court by filing an emergency motion for injunctive relief. She is asking the court to force Frederick County Public Schools to allow her child to remain in her classes and not be administered the
MAR 12
Does the data support charters? Does the data support test-centered schooling?
Sent to the Wall Street Journal, March 12, 2014"Cuomo steps up for charters," (editorial, March 10) claims that New York charter school students outperform students in nearby traditional schools. But charters can often be very selective in who they admit, and can expell "problem" students. Were these factors included in the New York analysis? Despite their advantages, studies s
Keeping Corporate America White and Privileged
If you thought the SAT was just for keeping the riffraff out of Harvard and for keeping Brown white, then think again. The SAT is becoming a standard measure of high rolling job applications.As Stephen Colbert said last night, now with Wall Street asking for SAT scores from 30 years prior, you can be assured that one miserable day from 11th grade can determine the course of your entire life. So th
Using the Common Core Testing Delivery System to Label, Sort, Segregate
From WaPo:. . . .In New York for example, one of the first states to roll out the new curriculum, scores from Common Core tests dropped like a stone—and the achievement gaps dramatically widened. In 2012, prior to the Core’s implementation, the state reported a 12-point black/white achievement gap between average third-grade English Language Arts scores, and a 14-point gap in eighth-grade English
MAR 11
Yes, let's drop the SAT essay. While we're at it, let's drop the SAT.
Sent to the NY Times, March 11 Re: "Can writing be assessed?" March 10.There is no point in testing writing form, i.e. the use of conventional writing style, grammatical accuracy. Research consistently tells us that writing form comes from reading, not from writing and not from study.Writing itself is a powerful tool for solving problems and making yourself smarter. This requires ma
Breaking News: Diane Ravitch Has Breaking News about Randi
Acting as Randi Weingarten's unofficial press agent, Diane Ravitch faithfully catalogs Randi's continued bobbing and weaving to preserve her standing with the billionaires who made her, while maintaining her job as President of AFT. Tough task, especially since the teachers who pay Randi's $400,000 salary are fed up with the corporate union that Weingarten has built and the policies it promotes a
The Charter School Advantage is Built on Discrimination and Inequity
Heilig writing from Express-News:. . .The achievement gap is real, and it must be fixed. But I don't believe charter schools writ large have found the magic elixir. Charters are diverse, with many models. In recent years, so-called corporate charters have swept into San Antonio, dazzling the media with high test scores and college-going rates. These franchises include KIPP, IDEA, Great Hearts, BAS
MAR 10
Rochester Teachers Sue Over Bogus VAM Scores
by Christine Fien:The Rochester Teachers Association filed a lawsuit today (read the complaint below) alleging that the new teacher evaluations are unfair because they fail to adequately account for the effects of severe poverty on students. The suit names John King, commissioner of the State Education Department; the State Board of Regents; the State Education Department; the University of the St
University Profs Support Chicago Boycott Against High Stakes ISAT
University educators support CPS teachers refusing to testFebruary 28, 2014STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR CHICAGO TEACHERS REFUSING TO ADMINISTER THE ILLINOIS STANDARD ACHIEVEMENT TESTFROM UNIVERSITY EDUCATION FACULTYAs university faculty whose responsibilities include preparing future educators, we support the action of teachers at the Saucedo and Drummond elementary schools in Chicago who are refusing
First of Many Tennessee Lawsuits Filed Over Use of High Stakes Value-Added Testing
Andy Spears has more here.From WATE in Knoxville:NOXVILLE (WATE) - The Tennessee Education Association has filed a lawsuit against the Knox County Board of Education saying its use of Tennessee Value Added Assessment System estimates in high-stakes bonus decisions is unconstitutional."It is unacceptable for any teacher to be punished financially or otherwise as a result of unreliable, flawed
Bill de Blasio Under Fire from Wall Street Billionaires and Vulture Philanthropists
Corporate Welfare Queen, Eva MoskowitzWith the Oligarchs now marching out Eli Broad's rabid poodle, Steve Barr, to attack Bill de Blasio for his position on charter schools, the Mayor has his hands full. Thankfully, he is not flinching, even with the lead corporate welfare queen and snapping hyena, Eva Moskowitz, in full attack mode. With her half-million dollar salary at stake, Little Eva cancel
Support Chicago Boycott of ISAT
Support Chicago Teachers’ Test Boycott: Call and Sign PetitionChicago teachers, joined by parents and students, are boycotting the Illinois ISAT tests at several schools. The district is threatening teachers with loss of certification, and bullying and intimidating parents and students who have opted out or wish to opt out of the ISAT.They need your support. Please call the Chicago Board of Educat
MAR 09
Michelle Rhee Loves Bob Behning and Other Indiana Right-Wingers
by Doug MartinMichelle Rhee’s political funding machine has entered Indiana, and the fake Democrat who once spoke at the statehouse with former governor Mitch Daniels and has been involved in one scandal after another is now handing cash to the rightest of the right-wing in Indiana, the latest none other than ALEC member Bob Behning. In 2013, Rhee’s Students First PAC, registered in California, s
The common core: An untried curriculum plus nonstop testing
Sent to the Salt Lake Tribune, March 9, 2014M. Donald Thomas is right: "Common Core supporters (are) providing misinformation" (March 7). In addition to the points he makes, there are other serious problems.First, the common core standards are untested. There were no pilot studies. Second, the common core requires a huge increase in testing; research has indicated that increasing testin
MAR 08
No Unnecessary Testing, Not No Testing
Submitted to the Indy Star, March 8, 2014Tim Swarens writes that "Diane Ravitch’s opposition to accountability isn’t realistic," (March 7) because we need to "identify those who excel and those who lag behind."Agreed. But we don't need to test every child every year on every subject to find this out. The NAEP test, a zero-stakes standardized test, is given to samples of studen