Poverty Matters
It is all the rage among the pseudo-reformers to dismiss the importance of poverty. Although most of the pseudo-reformers grew up in affluence, attended elite private school, and send their own children to equally splendid private schools, they feel certain in their hearts that poverty is a state of mind that can be easily overcome. All it takes is one great teacher. Or three effective teachers in
The Vergara Case: The Corporate Reformers Blame Teachers, Ignore Social Science
Julie Gutman Dickinson, a pro-union lawyer, here explains that the Vergara case is not what it appears to be. Its wealthy corporate backers say that teachers are to blame if students get low scores, ignoring decades of social science about the effects of poverty and inadequate resources. Their attack on teachers is a convenient way to divert attention from the impact of massive budget cuts that de
Teacher: Who Is Making Real Money? Vendors.
A teacher describes the incessant arrival and departure of vendors, each with a different program and remedies: “From what I noticed as a teacher, the extra money given to the low performing schools was used to pay VENDORS. Our school district paid some company to come in and “help” the teachers. The guy walked around a lot, then hired people from all over the US. My “helper” came to MI all the wa
Teacher: Pay Attention to the Devastation in North Carolina
A teacher writes: “Diane, I am a special education teacher in Eastern NC. I have taught in some wonderful schools in Buffalo, NY and Richmond VA before coming down here to open my doors to foster children who are involved with the juvenile justice and mental health departments. My teaching role is to work with self contained students with behavior issues.I feel I am a humble person who doesn’t to
Secrets of Test Success at Success Academy
Eva Moskowitz, an attorney who served on the New York City Council and was chair of the education committee, opened her own chain of charter schools in Harlem in 2006. Moskowitz is an interesting, brilliant woman with a Ph.D. in history. Her chain initially was called Harlem Success Academy, but has since been renamed Success Academy, presumably because it is now moving into other neighborhoods. H
A Miracle on Long Island?
Kevin J. Glynn, a teacher who founded Lace to the Top (those ever-present green laces and green bracelets that are meant to remind us that children are more than a test score)*, sends an exciting report from his school district on Long Island. The powers that be have abolished test prep! Kevin writes: The message to teachers changed today in the South Country School District, and tomorrow the acti
David Sudmeier: Music Doesn’t Lie
This post arrived as a comment. It bears directly on one of the major issues in the Common Core: Will uniform national standards encourage or discourage creativity? Bill Gates wrote recently that teachers would be more creative because of the CC, but on second reading, it seems what he meant was that the publishers and innovators would develop new apps for teachers to use and deliver lessons. He w
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 3-1-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGRobert Shepherd’s Reformish LexiconRobert Shepherd, a frequent contributor to this blog, has started his own blog. Our of our brilliant friend’s first contributions is a “Reformish lexicon ” in which he attempts to translate the language of “reform” into plain English. If you have more words for him, send them in. There a