Wake County Unanimously Passes Resolution Protecting Its Teachers from Bad Law
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps common sense will prevail in embattled North Carolina. Here is the Wake County board resolution, passed unanimously tonight. Media Release WCPSS Communications Samiha Khanna (919) 431-7716 skhanna@wcpss.net For Immediate Release | March 4, 2014 Board of Education requests repeal of new teacher contract legislation The Wake County Board of Education unanimously passed a r
BREAKING NEWS: Wake County Board Says NO to Anti-Teacher Law!
The latest news from North Carolina: “A victory this evening. The nine-member Wake County NC (16th largest district in the U.S., 150K students) unanimously passed a resolution opposing legislation that requires local Boards of Education to offer four-year contract to only 25% of teachers of all who are deemed “effective.” No one supports this divide and conquer strategy aimed at killing teacher ca
Who Loves Standardized Testing? No One!
The Network for Public Educstion has called for Congressional hearings to investigate the misuse, overuse, and multiple costs of standardized testing. A panel about accountability st Austin’s SXSW, Randi Weingarten and Duncan’s former Assistant Secretary for Communications Peter Cunningham, discussed the issue. Then NPE’s peerless leader Anthony Cody asked the first question. “Will you support ou
9 Moguls Take Home $2.6 Billion
While most people are struggling with a tough economy, nine tycoons cleaned up last year. Nine tycoons took home more than $2.6 billion, according to the Wall Street Joirnal. “Nine founders of four of the world’s largest private-equity firms together collected the sum–more than twice as much as they made in the prior year–through dividends and other payments. The executives each took home more t
Jason Stanford: “Education Spring” Is Right Around the Corner
Veteran political analyst Jason Stanford attended the Network for Public Education conference in Austin, and he sensed the beginning of a movement against high-stakes testing and the corporate takeover of public education. He writes: “In the state where high-stakes testing began, a few hundred teachers, academics, and activists came together last weekend to hasten what one leader called an “Educ
Rhode Island Board Chairman Accuses Educator of “Grandstanding”
Eva Mancuso, the lawyer who heads the Rhode Island Board of Education, accused the superintendent of schools in Providence, Susan Lusi, of “grandstanding” because she came out against using NECAP as a high school graduation requirement. Lusi sided with the Providence Student Union, which has steadfastly opposed the use of a standardized test for graduation. Mancuso and State Commissioner Deborah
Ah! The Missing Few Minutes Were Captured After All by Video
Here is the website where you will find the speeches by me, Karen Lewis, and John Kuhn. Initially, I read that the last few minutes of my speech were not recorded, but apparently two film makers were at work, and the missing piece is there after all on a spare YouTube video. The panels were amazing. The conversation invigorating. How wonderful it was to meet people we knew only by their Twitter
Speeches from NPE Conference
The keynote addresses by Karen Lewis, John Kuhn, and me may be found at http://www.schoolhouselive.org/ Unfortunately, the last three minutes of my speech were not recorded. Lost in space and time. Watch, enjoy, feel energized, and get to work. Right now!
Peter Greene: Why the “Reformers” Will Lose
Peter Greene writes here on why the “reformers” will lose. The subject of my speech at the NPE conference was “Why We Will Win.” I will post it when I find the link in a few minutes. Peter notes that no one espouses the “reformer” agenda unless they are paid to do so. On our side, as we saw at the NPE conference in Austin, everyone is a passionate and knowledgeable volunteer, unpaid and deeply
Larry Lee: Alabama Is Lucky to Have Tommy Bice As State Superintendent
Larry Lee, a native Alabamian who is devoted to public education, is an admirer of State Superintendent Tommy Bice. Here he explains why: Education Matters By Larry Lee How many legislative hearings have I attended in my life? Too many is probably the correct answer. But I recently witnessed something in one that I’ve never seen before. A standing ovation. It was a joint meeting of the Alabama Se
Cleveland Charter Fails: Don’t Blame Founder, He Is Not an Educator
The Lion of Judah charter school in Cleveland is closing, and the founder was sentenced to five years probation. “Prosecutors last year accused Romey Coles Jr. and other officials of the Lion of Judah charter school of funneling at least $1.2 million in public funds to businesses associated with the troubled charter school….” “Prosecutors left Coles’ sentence up to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Ju
Diane Ravitch at NPE Conference (4th pass) on Vimeo #npeconference
Diane Ravitch at NPE Conference (4th pass) on Vimeo: Diane Ravitch at NPE Conference (4th pass) from Vincent Precht on Vimeo.NY Teacher Mercedes Schneider shreds Common Core from NPE Conference #npeconferenceNY Teacher Mercedes Schneider shreds Common CoreThe Network For Public Education | NPE CALLS FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGSThe Network For Public Education | PRESS RELEASE – NPE CALLS FOR CONGRES
Nevada: Teacher Explains How Corporate Reformers “Play” with Education
From Angie Sullivan in Nevada, where the rich play, kep taxes low, and are privatizing the public schools: “Some of the most wealthy people in the world live in Nevada. What do billionaires and business people do for fun in Nevada? Reform public education of course! What do Casino Tycoon Elaine Wynn, Amazon.com Jeff Bezos, and Zappos Tony Hsieh have in common? Teach for America and ALEC inspire
Billionaire Arnold Backs Both Sides in Rhode Island Race
Texas billionaire John Arnold, who has drawn attention for his interest in public sector pension reform (meaning that public sector pensions are too generous), is supporting both sides of the gubernatorial race in Rhode Island. David Sirota wrote about how the Arnold Foundation underwrote a PBS special on the pension crisis and underwrote a Brookings Institution report on the same subject. PBS re
How to Talk Real to Your Pearson Trainer!
The voice of a new blogger! At least, new to me. Glad to make his/her acquaintance. This post was written by a veteran teacher who knows how to get students to love literature. But it is a brave new world, and now the teacher must be trained to say the right words and terms by a “perky” Pearson trainer. She tried! She really, really tried. She traded jargon with the trainer, blow for blow. But in
David Berliner: Why We Must Support Public Schools and Their Teachers
In an essay posted by Gene Glass, the distinguished researcher David Berliner here explains the importance of public education and the heroic role of teachers. Gene Glass writes: The Teacher as Sisyphus Sisyphus was a king whose sins were punished by being made to push an immense rock to the top of a hill every day only to have the rock roll back down each night. Philosophers and poets for centur
Paul Buchheit: How Privatization Destroys Education
The handover of public schools to private control is a defining feature of President Obama’s Race to the Top. Make no mistake, as the President likes to say, Race to the Top has been a mighty force for privatization. Although there are some charter schools that are managed by dedicated educators, the charter movement is now largely powered by ambition, a passion for control and power, and–yes–gree
YESTERDAY
Opt Out Movement on the Rise: School Officials Worried
This spring may be the biggest mass protest against standardized testing ever, and school officials are worried, according to Education Week.
Mercedes Schneider: First Thoughts on NPE Conference
There will be more to come from Mercedes Schneider, who reports her first thoughts here.
NPE Calls for Congressional Hearings on Testing
At the conclusion of its first annual conference, the Network for Public Education announced a call for Congressional hearings on testing: NPE Calls for Congressional Hearings – Full Text March 2, 2014 NPE News We are writing to request that the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee hold hearings to investigate the over-emphasis, misapplication, costs, and poor implementation of high-sta
Joe Bower’s Reflections on First Conference of the Network for Public Education
Joe Bower, a school leader in Canada, joined us in Austin for the first national conference of the Network for Public Education. Here are his reactions: I spent the weekend in Austin, Texas at the first Network for Public Education (NPE) and it was fantastic. You can find my day 1 post here and my day 2 post here. Here are 3 things I learned from The Network for Public Education Conference: 1. Re
Guy Brandenburg Reports on the First Conferece of the Network for Public Education
Guy Brandenburg writes here about the first conference of the Network for Public Education, just concluded in Austin, Texas. Nearly 400 educators, parents, and activists met to brainstorm about how to roll back the corporate attack on public education. It was huge, exciting, energizing, and the beginning of a new day.
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-3-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Julia Sass Rubin: School Performance Measures Are Poor Measures of School PerformanceJulia Sass Rubin here analyzes “school report cards” in New Jersey. This analysis was published last year but is as valid now as it was last May. Rubin writes: “Comparing schools to those with similar demographics is a good idea that highlights tha