Carol Burris on the Slow, Noisy Death of Common Core
Carol Burris says that Common Core is dying “the death of a thousand cuts.” Its supporters claim that the critics represent the extreme right, notably the Tea Party. Of course, the Tea Party is vociferous against the Common Core, but they are not alone. In Néw York, the Tea Party does not have a large presence, yet opposition is strong, coming mainly from suburban parents. The Chicago Teachers Uni
Laura Chapman: Student Growth” is Lipstick on a Pig
Laura Chapman says it is no improve my to substitute student how in test scores than plain ole test scores. Not reduce teaching and learning to multiple choice test questions. She writes, in response to this post: “Instead of judging schools solely by test scores, they might be judged–at least in part–by student growth.” This is not an improvement of any kind, but the precise language from Race t
Salon Notices Charter School $100 Million Scam
Did you think that the mainstream media would completely ignore major report on $100 million in charter school fraud, corruption, and abuse? I did not see coverage in the Néw York Times or any other print publication. I did not see coverage on the networks or cable news stations. But Salon picked it up. Salon recognized this as a story of white collar crime. A story of entrepreneurs ripping off
This is a great interview. How I wish there were hundreds more journalists like Bill Moyers. Here Peter Dreier of Occidental College interviews Bill Moyers, who is our greatest living journalist. Here is a small sample of a fascinating exchange: “Q: We’ve always had an upper class in America. What’s different now? “Moyers: The rich today are richer, there are more of them, they have round-the-c
FairTest: Anti-Testing Momentum Grows
Opposition to the testing madness of the Bush-Obama administrations continues to escalate, as parents, teachers, and student react to excessive testing across the nation. Here is the Fairtest update: An increasing number of stories report criticism of Common Core tests and rising opposition to other high-stakes standardized exams. This week’s clips include updates from 20 states, several excelle
Our Brilliant Students: Stop Bashing Our Kids
I used to be one of those people who complained that the younger generation was not as smart as my generation. I met adolescents who had never heard of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” or some other piece of literature that I thought was central to our literary tradition. Or, I noticed that all the cash registers were computerized to compensate for cashiers who didn’t know how to make change. It
Gerardo Barboza: Translation Into Spanish of Letter about OECD and PISA
Gerardo Barboza has translated the letter of protest against league tables into Spanish. He writes: Dear Dr. Ravitch, Please find the translation of the “Open letter to Andreas Schleicher, OECD, Paris” into Spanish language at http://www.englishincostarica.org/cartaabierta.html. It is my contribution to the invaluable efforts made by you and the distinguished group of scientists and academics ar
Is This the Real Reason that Cuomo Wants a $2 Billion Technology Bond?
A reader posed this question about Governor Cuomo’s reason for promoting a $2 billion bond for new technology. He wrote this after seeing that Pearson and AIR are dueling over control of PARCC assessments, which will ultimately provide several BILLIONS in revenue to the testing corporation with the contract. Pearson recently won the PARCC contract, being declared the sole bidder. AIR is suing: T
Gerri K. Songer: Standardized Testing Does Not Produce Good Education
Gerri K. Songer is a literacy specialist and Chair of Illinois Township High School District 214. Here she reminds us of the limitations and misuses of standardized testing. ################# Songer writes: What good is a dot that is not connected? Common Core State Standards (CCSS) proponents assert that consistent, rigorous education standards are key to a competitive business climate. Yet, adv
5-13-14 LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: TFA: The Kids Are Not AlrightWhen asked about Teach for America, I always answer that the recruits are terrific, very smart, very idealistic, but the organization is greedy, self-serving, and power-hungry. This commenter disagrees. He/she thinks that the recruits should know better. She/he thinks that if they are smart, they should