Our Unaccountable, Corrupt Charters in Ohio
A reader writes: “How do you like this for accountability??? Lack of regulations, accountability and transparency invites charter school fraud “Pet care, alcohol, vacations and other personal purchases were charged to taxpayers via Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy charter school, according to a 2013 state audit. The school misspent $520,000 in public money. Two former officials from the Cinc
Richard Hake Defends Testing with No-Stakes
From a reader: “You might be interested in a related discussion list post “The Defiant Parents: Testing’s Discontents – Response to Hunt” [Hake (2014)]. The abstract reads: *************************************************** ABSTRACT: In a post “Re: The Defiant Parents: Testing’s Discontents” [Hake (2014)], I pointed to the “vigorous leadership, voluminous messaging, and pro-public-/anti-private-
Michael Powell on the “Gilded Crusade” for Charters
Thank goodness, there is one journalist at the New York Times who sees the big money behind the charter “movement.” It is Michael Powell, who writes a political column. Michael Winerip used to write a clear-eyed weekly column on education for the Times, but for no reason, his column was dropped, and there is no more regular education columnist. Winerip used to be a scourge of those who love high-
Worcester, Massachusetts, Newspaper Urges Parents to Opt Out Of State Testing and Reject Common Core
The Worcester Telegram commended parents who choose to opt out of state testing and reminded parents that they–not the federal government, not the GatesFoundation–are the ultimate controllers of their children’s education. The paper laments the fact that Massachusetts dropped its successful state standards to chase federal dollars. After reviewing the genesis of Common Core,the newspaper conclude
Bloggers Propose the Fight of the Century
The bloggers at VAM have proposed what they call “the fight of the century” to replace “the fight of the century that wasn’t.” They refer to the debate that never happened between Michelle Rhee and me. They refer to efforts by Lehigh University to set up a debate between us on February 6, which did not happen because Rhee kept raising new demands and eventually backed out when she said she could n
Peter Greene Deconstructs the Conservative Defense of Common Core
Conservatives have a problem: they don’t like federal overreach. They supposedly like local control. But so many conservative thought leaders like Bobby Jindal, Jeb Bush, and Michelle Rhee support the Common Core that they have to figure out how to justify why a program beloved by the federal Department of Education should appeal to conservatives. Peter Greene explains what a heavy lift this is a
Bloggers: Join the Education Bloggers Network!
If you blog and if you support public education as a pillar of our democracy, consider joining the Education Bloggers Network. This is an informal group that was assembled by Jonathan Pelto of Connecticut. There are no responsibilities or burdens, just the opportunity to share your work with others across the nation who share your passion and interests. Please contact Jonathan Pelto at jonpelto@gm
What Arne Said in Boston
As EduShyster said in her previous noted article, Arne Duncan’s visit to Boston gave him another opportunity to tout charter schools as the answer to what ails American education, and to tell his favorite writer at the Boston Globe how terrible U.S. public education is. Although Massachusetts is the highest performing state in the nation and performs as if it were one of the highest performing nat
EduShyster: Arne’s Secret Visit to Boston
EduShyster here breaks the story of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s secret trip to Boston. It must have been secret because, she reports, not a word appeared in the Boston media. He used his time in Boston to tout “no excuses” charter schools and a “turnaround” school that demonstrated the great success of his grand theory: Fire everyone and the school miraculously improves. But, as EduShyste
Burris and Aja: The Myth of “Equity” and Common Core
Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School in Rockville Center, New York, and Alan A. Aja, assistant professor of Puerto Rican and Latino Studies at Brooklyn College (City University of New York) here explore and explode the claims that the Common Core Standards will promote equity for the most disadvantaged students. The assertion is often made that these standards, because they are common
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 3-15-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGAn Innocent/Guilty PleasureA couple of years ago, I read an article in The New Yorker about the federal government’s efforts to shut down health-food cooperatives that sell raw milk. The story focused on California, where SWAT teams descended on sellers of raw milk and locked them up. What is “raw milk,” I wondered. It is