Elizabeth Warren and I
I have recently read that Senator Elizabeth Warren is a supporter of school vouchers. This made people who despise public schools, like certain hedge fund managers, tingle with joy. At last, a progressive who is as contemptuous of public education as they are! At last, someone who will support their efforts to dismantle our nation’s precious democratic institution whose doors are open to all. Abo
Peter Schrag Reviews the Vergara Case
Peter Schrag has written sensibly about education issues for many years. In this article, he analyzes the complexities of the Vergara trial, in which a rich and powerful coalition of corporate reformers are trying to eliminate due process rights for teachers. In the end, he argues, the outcome of the trial won’t change much for poor kids. If the plaintiffs win, some very good veteran teachers may
How Many Hours Should It Take to Test Children in Grades 3-8 in Basic Skills?
Principals, teachers, and parents in New York state complained that the Common Core tests for grades 3-8 were too long. The tests for math and reading together take about 7 hours. Commissioner John King responded in a recent speech at New York University that students were spending “less than 1%” of the school year, which is sort of an odd way to explain (defend) 7 hours of testing for little chil
Kurt Vonnegut: How to Get a Real Education
In 2006, Xavier High School students wrote letters to their favorite authors, inviting them to visit their school. Kurt Vonnegut–then 84–was the only one to reply. He wrote a letter explaining that he was too old to make the visit, but he offered them sound advice about how to get a real education. Please read his letter. Among other things, it speaks to the current obsession with bonuses and
How Many Tests Must a High School Teacher in New Jersey Give?
In this post, New Jersey high school teacher Dan Ferat reflects on how many tests he is now required to give to his students, as compared to ten years ago. Here is a sample, read it all: So, in only ten years, we have gone from students taking five exams per year (six for juniors with the HSPA) to 34 exams per year (30 for seniors) with many more in sight because there will be a PARCC for EVER
What Would Cesar Chavez Say About the “Reformers”?
One of the most absurd conceits of the “reformers” is that they are leaders of the civil rights movement of our time. They bust unions. They strip teachers of hard-won due process rights. They include in their ranks the titans of Wall Street. How long can they pretend that they have any common ground with Martin Luther King Jr., who died while helping the sanitation workers of Memphis who wanted a
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-15-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jack Schneider: Teachers Are Not the ProblemJack Schneider, a historian of education at Holy Cross University, deconstructs the claim that the biggest problem in education today is the quality of teachers. The clarion s of the Status Quo never tire of telling us that “great” teachers can turn every student into college-bound schola