Chile: Dismantling the Most Pro-Market Education System in the World
The following post was written by Mario Waissbluth, President of Educación 2020 Foundation, a Chilean citizen’s movement founded in 2008. Its latest reform proposals (in Spanish) are called “La Reforma Educativa que Chile Necesita”, and were published in April 2013. A book on this subject (in Spanish) is also available. These proposals were mostly adopted by and included in the educational program
Swedish Experiment in Privatizing Schools Floundering
Scholars such as Henry Levin have earlier warned that the Swedish experiment in privatization is promoting greater social segregation and not improving education. Reader Chiara Duggan adds this recent Reuters article, with her comment on the failure of market-based reform. Will anyone tell Arne Duncan or will he continue to follow the guidance of (Sir) Michael Barber of Pearson? Duggan writes:
A Remarkable Teaching Experience
Read this teacher’s account of her experience in the D.C. public schools before they descended into test-prep obsessive policies. She raised the money to take her class to her native state of Montana. And what a trip they had! After you read it, ask yourself this question: Would they have learned more by prepping for the standardized tests or by their extended and amazing field trip?
More on Chile’s Education Reforms
I wrote to Professor Mario Waissbluth, who has previously written for the blog, about the new turn of events in Chile. In his previous posts on the blog, Professor Waissbluth explained that Chile’s free-market system had been an educational disaster. In his last post, before the recent elections, he wrote: Previously, I wrote in this blog a 3-part sequence describing the Chilean educational syst
Peter Greene: TNTP’s Brilliant Néw Idea
If you have an eye for quackery, as Peter Greene does, you will never run out of material in the world of reform tomfoolery. In this post, Greene has fun with TNTP’s brilliant new way to identify better teachers: multiple-choice test. I kid you not. TNTP used to be called The Néw Teacher Project. According to legend, it was founded by Michelle Rhee, although partisans of Wendy Kopp say it was he
Why Doesn’t the New York Times Understand the Controversy Over Common Core?
In story after story, the New York Times consistently misses the essence of the controversy surrounding Common Core. Today’s New York Times gives its lead article on page 1, column right, top of the fold, to the battle raging within the Republican party, about the Common Core. On one side is Jeb Bush, standing up for the Common Core standards (presumably a moderate, let’s not talk about his figh
Vivian Connell’s Journey: On Her Way
You have read here about the courageous journey of Vivian Connell. She lives in North Carolina, where she was a teacher for many years. In 2010, discouraged by the state legislature’s hostility to teachers and low salaries, she left the classroom to enter law school. She graduated last May with honors. Vivian recently learned she has ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and she returned to teaching for what
Advice from a Charter Teacher in Ohio: Regulate Us!
This teacher read the post about Gulen charter schools and wrote the following comment: This is so eerily similar to my job-it is a shame that there is poor oversight in these types of schools. I work in a Ohio-based charter school. I’m under great stress due to this under performing school. Misleading marketing leads unsuspecting parents to the school with inaccurate curriculum/academic expecta
Matt Farmer: Graze to the Top, or How a $4.35 Billion Federal Program Became a Laughing Stock
Matt Farmer, a lawyer and public school activist in Chicago, wrote a brilliant satire of the Obama administration’s Race to the Top. You may recognize Matt Farmer as the brilliant litigator who cross-examined and tried billionaire Penny Pritzker in absentia. At the time, Pritzker was a member of the Chicago Board of Education, merrily cutting services for the children in public schools while raisi
A Gift to Readers of This Blog
Every once in a while, I come across something so delightful that I want to state it with you. Here it is.
What Myra Blackmon Learned in School About Restorative Justice
Myra Blackmon, a regular columnist for The Online Athens Banner-Herald (Ga.), frequently substitutes in her local elementary school and enjoys it. One day recently, the class of second-graders was rude and undisciplined. When the regular teacher returned, she did not discipline or punish the students. She had each of them write a letter of apology to Ms. Blackmon. Ms. Blackmon was moved. She wri
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 4-19-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGDid Brandeis Abandon its Commitment to Debate and Reason?Jon Zimmerman is a colleague of mine at New York University and a fellow historian of education. He uses his deep knowledge of history to write on many topics. He is amazingly prolific. Zimmerman writes: NEWSDAY April 16, 2014 Brandeis Betrays its Educational Missio