All Week @ THE CHALK FACE
Bill Gates Tries to Fashion Teacher Support for His Beloved Common Core
One would think that if teachers supported the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), then teachers would take the initiative to rally around said CCSS. Not so. It seems that we need Bill Gates to tell us that we need CCSS. He did so today (Friday, March 14, 2014), in Washington, DC: Bill Gates is rallying teachers to […]
Another Blow to the Claim that Successful Charters Serve the “Same” Students
For years, charters have gotten away with the spin that they serve the “same students” as high-poverty charter schools. In almost every case, those brazen claims were transparently false, but they were repeated with such confidence that many seemed to believe them. Rarely was there an effort to explain the seemingly arcane issue of “backfill.” […]
MAR 13
Louisiana Parents: That Nameless Pilot Test is None Other Than PARCC
Corporate reform loves opaque communications. Never call a thing what it is. Use catchy lingo that disguises (and often contradicts) the reality behind a so-called reform. If this does not work, rebrand. Rename. Or drop the naming altogether. Anything to obscure the privatizer-benefiting true intent. This way, a disgruntled public might be fooled into believing that the […]
#commoncore standards or @slekar standards?
Fact! The common core standards were written to be tested. Fact! The tests will provide invalid data about students, teachers and schools. Fact! INVALID data will drive decisions to purchase curricular and instructional snake oil. Fact! Taxpayers will cover the costs. Fact! After spending billions of tax dollars we will learn AGAIN that America has an achievement […]
Beyond “Doubly Disadvantaged”: Race, Class, and Gender in U.S. Schools and Society
Beyond “Doubly Disadvantaged”: Race, Class, and Gender in U.S. Schools and Society. via Beyond “Doubly Disadvantaged”: Race, Class, and Gender in U.S. Schools and Society.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
Segregation and Charter Schools: A Reader
Segregation and Charter Schools: A Reader. via Segregation and Charter Schools: A Reader.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
MAR 12
Revisiting “Cliches and Abstractions” in the Context of Race, 2014
Revisiting “Cliches and Abstractions” in the Context of Race, 2014. via Revisiting “Cliches and Abstractions” in the Context of Race, 2014.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
MAR 11
On Vouchers In General and Particularly the 2014 All-voucher Arizona Push
Over the past year, I have received three glossy mailouts telling me that I can “enroll my child in private school for free.” The last one included the message, “Time is running out!” and added, “Is your child stuck in a failing school? Send them to a private school for FREE.” Nothing is “for free.” […]
What’s with all the white men in #edreform debates (PS, I’m a white dude)?
Let me begin. I am a white dude. I repeat: I am an average, everyday, Irish, white guy. Let me continue. When I earned my PhD in 2009, I wrote about the lack of men in education, internationally, and the various stereotypes that preclude their entrance into teaching, plus solutions to overcoming the diversity problem […]
Writing Is a Journey: Thoughts on Writing, College, and the SAT
Writing Is a Journey: Thoughts on Writing, College, and the SAT. via Writing Is a Journey: Thoughts on Writing, College, and the SAT.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
American Hustle: Ignoring Poverty in U.S. Needs More than 50-Year Anniversary
American Hustle: Ignoring Poverty in U.S. Needs More than 50-Year Anniversary. via American Hustle: Ignoring Poverty in U.S. Needs More than 50-Year Anniversary.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
MAR 10
Holy hell, my God almighty?!? AFT turns away Gates money? Outstanding.
Check out this article from Politico while I step outside to see if hell is frozen over. To wit: Weingarten said she didn’t believe Gates funding influenced the Innovation Fund’s direction, but still had to sever the relationship. “I got convinced by the level of distrust I was seeing — not simply on Twitter, but […]
Common Core: Why Money Trumps Evidence
Common Core: Why Money Trumps Evidence. via Common Core: Why Money Trumps Evidence.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
MAR 09
A User-friendly Tutorial on IRS 990s
One of the panel discussions in which I participated at the first annual Network for Public Education (NPE) conference was on investigative journalism. I chose to use my twelve minutes to only touch the surface on using IRS 990s (the tax forms for nonprofit organizations) as a research tool. In this post, I would like […]
How Do We Take Back Our Curriculum From Common Core?
Gary Stern, education reporter for Lo Hud, is a “not for hire” gun regarding education. He takes a reasoned approach to reporting and makes sure he gets his evidence lined up in a true journalistic fashion..with as little bias as possible. This is his latest comprehensive report on the Common Core. Please follow the links […]
Teaching Students, Missionary Zeal, and the Cult of Personality
Teaching Students, Missionary Zeal, and the Cult of Personality. via Teaching Students, Missionary Zeal, and the Cult of Personality.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical
MAR 08
Teach For America and The Nonprofit Industrial Complex
As the controversy around Teach For America grows, it is incredibly important to understand the role of venture philanthropy in education reform. This video provides powerful context in regards to how many nonprofits are used to maintain and exacerbate the injustices and inequalities in our world. Perhaps one of the most ad vanced mechanisms […]