The Day Mark Naison Caught the Attention of TFA
Mark Naison, a co-founder of the Badass Teachers Association (BATS), is America’s Education Gadfly par excellence (that is, assuming that a BAT can also be a gadfly). NAISON, a professor of African-American studies at Fordham University, knows how to get under the skin of the powerful. He recently released a sharp video from his very own EduNews, criticizing Teach for America. TFA—that financial
The Nation Investigates: Teacher Jail in Los Angeles
Are classrooms overflowing with sexual predators? Some school leaders in Los Angeles think they are. The Nation reports on a special investigation where teachers are challenged to clear their names. It starts here with the question of how teachers can prove their innocence. “Iris Stevenson hurt no child, seduced no teenager, abused no student at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. This is what
Family Cat Saves Boy from Vicious Dog Attack
This is a wonderful video posted on YouTube of a cat saving a little boy from a vicious dog. Does it have any meaning for the world of education? Maybe not. Maybe so, but I won’t strain the obvious metaphor. Is your child that little boy? Who is the dog? Who is the cat? What is the evidence? Use your critical thinking skills.
A Reader Explains the Purpose of Charter School Waiting Lists and Lotteries
A reader left this comment: ************************** I worked in the front office of a charter school for two years. We marketed heavily in the neighborhood and would get hundreds of applications for a school that had anywhere from 30-40 seats available in Kindergarten and 0-2 seats per class available in grades 1 and up. I remember the crestfallen looks on parents’ faces when it was announc
How Much Money Was Spent on the Newark Race and Who Spent it?
The recent victory of Ras Baraka in the mayoral race in Newark was truly a people’s victory. The central issue was the future of Newark’s schools, which have been under state control since 1995. Baraka was opposed by a charter school supporter named Shavar Jeffries, who was bankrolled by out-of-state hedge fund managers, Democrats for Education Reform, and other Masters of the Universe. Blogger
Wow! Detroit EAA Spends $240,000 on Credit Card Debt
Legislators called for an investigation of the Educational Achievement Authority after the Detroit News revealed that Governor Rick Snyder’s favorite “reform” had piled up $240,000 on credit card debt. “Among the findings: $178,000 was spent on hotel and airfare to 36 cities from April 2012 to February, while another $10,000 was spent on gas for Covington’s chauffeured car, $25,000 for IKEA furni
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 5-17-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGRhode Island Supreme Court Rejects Equality of School Funding: Sorry, Kids!Almost sixty years to the day of the U.S. Supreme court’s historic Brown decision, the Rhode Island Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit against the stste’s inequitable funding system. The court said it was “deeply concerned” and acknowledged that the