Another Child Dies in Philadelphia School Without a Nurse on Duty
A first-grade student died in a Philadelphia school whose nurse was not on duty because of budget cuts. The child was given CPR and sent by ambulance to a hospital, where he died. In a story by Daniel Denvir, nurse Amy Smigiel said: “There is no net for the staff or the children,” she says. “There’s no requirement to have any kind of medical team. It’s my job as the nurse to make sure there’s a
Another District in Néw York Says No to Pearson Field Tests
Add Spackenkill to the list of districts in New York that will not administer the Pearson field tests in grades 4 and 8. More are on the way. When districts realize that they have the power to say no, that’s when we begin to clip the wings of the testing industry and begin to restore reasonable balance to education as well as a reasonable balance of power between the state and localities. Boycott
Two More NewYork Districts Boycotting Pearson Field Tests
Add White Plains and Rye Neck to the list of districts that are refusing to administer the Pearson field test in New York. Boycotting districts: Babylon Bellmore/Merrick CHSD Comsewogue Fairport HFL Glen Cove Great Neck Happauge Jericho Manhasset Merrick Mount Sanai North Bellmore Ossining Pittsford Plainview Old-Bethpage Rye Neck Rocky Point Syosset West Irondequoit Webster White Plains
Many New York Districts Are Boycotting Pearson Field Tests
Things are not working out so well for the corporate reformers in Néw York. They expected that the abysmal scores on the Pearson tests would cause parents to turn against their public schools; they expected parent demands for vouchers and charters. Instead, parents are furious at the Néw York State Education Department for testing their kids for seven hours, and they are furious at Pearson for ma
Ossining District in New York Will Not Give Pearson Field Test
I honor the Ossining School District in Néw York for having the good sense and courage to say “no” to field testing. The school superintendent Raymond Sanchez says in the letter below that he must protect instructional time for the students, who recently lost seven hours to testing. Enough is enough! The people of Ossining have confidence in their public schools. The school budget recently passed
Even Conservative Texans Know that K12 is a Hoax
Donna Garner is a retire teacher in Texas. She is conservative, politically and pedagogically. She is furious that the State Education Department is expanding the virtual charter school K12. Her commentary below shows what a hoax K12 is. Imagine getting credit for two years of Spanish in only eight weeks, and credit for one year of Environmental Science in only two days! Meanwhile, K12 gets full s
Shocker: Texas Lifts Enrollment Caps on K12
K12, the online charter corporation founded by the Milken brothers, has received a series of terrible evaluations. The NCAA recently denied a score of K12 “schools” credit because of the poor quality of instruction. A CREDO study in Pennsylvania concluded that virtual charters performed wose than public schools or brick-and-mortar charter schools. Major stories in the Néw York Times and the Washi
Paul Jones: A Hero Superintendent in Texas
Every once in a while a superintendent tells the parents in his district what is in his heart, not the bureaucratic blather that usually comes out automatically. Paul Jones is the superintendent of the Paris Independent School District in Texas. He posted a letter to the parents in his district on its website letting them know that the test scores do not define their child. No doubt he also under
Eduardo Porter Recycles the Conventional Wisdom
Eduardo Porter recaps the conventional wisdom about American schools, recapitulating in one column all the same tired cliches as Rhee, Gates, Duncan, and our other corporate reform titans. Our scores on international tests are mediocre. Yes, they have been mediocre since 1964, when the fist such test was given. No, I take that back. We were not mediocre in 1964, we came in last. And in the last f
Bill Moyers Explains Why Hedge Fund Managers Love Charters
Hedge fund managers supply the millions that enable charters to thrive. They are big givers to charters, and they are big givers to political candidates who support charters. The hedge funders’ political arm is called “Democrats for Education Reform,” even though their agenda looks like the traditional GOP agenda of privatization, choice, and competition. Bill Moyers explains the hedge funders’ l
John Kuhn Explains How Budget Cuts Devastate Rural Schools
John Kuhn is the superintendent of the small Perrin-Whitt Independent School District in rural Texas. He is an eloquent speaker and supporter of public education. He has spoken at national events and recently published two new books. He knows that the schoolssuffernot only fro budget cuts but from Washington’s wildly unrealistic expectations. He knows it would be nice if every student were bound f
Georgia: Valarie Wilson Leads for State Superintendent
Yesterday Georgians voted for state superintendent of schools. The Network for Public Education endosed Valarie Wilson, a former school board member from Decatur. After surveying all the candidates, NPE concluded that Wilson would be a strong leader for public schools and children. In a crowded field, Wilson finished first with 32%, and will be in a runoff with the runner-up, who received 26% and
Glenn Beck’s Angry and Ignorant Book About Common Core
Over the years, we have seen a steady dumbing down of American culture, especially in the mass media. Whether newspapers, radio, or television, we have lost many of our well-educated, cultured, well-informed thinkers. Often they have been replaced by shock jocks, ranting talk show hosts, and an entire cable channel devoted to trashing liberals, liberal social programs, and labor unions. I miss Wa
CTU Reports on School Closings In Chicago, One Year Later
NEWS RELEASE FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin Midnight, May 21, 2014 312/329-6250 New CTU report analyzes massive public school closings on one-year anniversary “Twelve Months Later: The Impact of School Closings in Chicago” examines myriad of CPS’s Broken Promises CHICAGO—The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) released today a report on the state of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) one year
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-20-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: North Carolina Teacher Takes Senator Curtis to TaskThis letter came from Stuart Egan, one of North Carolina’s National Board Certified Teachers. The state has more NBCTs than any other, and almost the lowest salaries of any state. Egan responded to Senator David Curtis’s letter brushing off science tea her Sarah Wiles. Stuart Egan