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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
Schneider: Oklahoma Rejects Common Core, But…
The Oklahoma legislature voted decisively to drop the Common Core standards. “On May 23, 2014, both the Oklahoma House (71-18) and Senate (31-10) voted to dump the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). “All that is left is for Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin to sign the legislation, HB 3399, into law. (Fallin was not governor when Oklahoma signed on for CCSS as part of Race to the Top {RTTT} in 2010.
Here is a first for this blog: Governor Jay Nixon joins the honor roll for his courage in promising to veto a voucher bill passed by the State Legislature. The State Senate has enough votes to override his veto, but the House does not. Governor Jay Nixon recognizes that the state has an obligation to provide quality public education for every child. It must meet that obligation by providing ever
As you know, I went for knee surgery on May 9. From that date until now, I have been blogging on either an iPad or a cell phone. When I got back to my desk computer, I just discovered over 300 comments that somehow went missing. I approved those that were real. My apologies for losing them during the period. I am sure you understand.
Crazy Crawfish has gotten wind of test score manipulation in the Louisiana Department of Education. He believes employees were directed to scrub the scores to make Néw Orleans and the Recovery School District look good, while making traditional schools look bad. Only a few high-level employees are in the know. He calls on them to blow the whistle now.
A few people who remember the world that preceded the Brown decision felt inspired to write about it. This is by Sue M. Legg of Florida. She is a retired faculty member from The University of Florida “who used to run the ‘dreaded’ statewide assessments for the Florida DOE back in the days before everyone in every grade seems to be tested everyday.” Sue Legg writes: “Reflections on Segregation” Tw
Edushyster: What Happens When the Obama Administration Treats Medicine Like Education
Edushyster asks the inevitable question: what is the one aure way to improve medicine? The Obama administration has found it: pay for performance! It hasn’t worked in education, but that’s no reason not to try it in medicine. What happened: totally unexpected side effects: “Here’s where our story takes a completely unexpected and yet astonishingly familiar turn. Intended to reward *high quality
Reformer Vs. Deformer: Who Is Who?
Robert M. Berkman, veteran mathematics teacher in New York City, posted this graphic contrast on his blog, called Better Living Through Mathematics. This is not a multiple-choice quiz. Who is the Reformer? Who is the Deformer? One guess.
Gene Glass: This is the BASIS Sales Pitch
Gene Glass, a distinguished researcher, wrote the following about a charter chain that is regularly lauded by U.S. News & World Report: Ever Hear a BASIS Schools Sales Pitch? The Basis charter schools – some ten schools in Arizona and a couple more in places like San Antonio and Washington, DC – have long been a fascinating subject for this blog and others. US News & World Report continues
My Spam Box: A Source of Endless Amusement
For some time, I have wanted to share with you some of the comments in my spam box. Currently there are more than 150,000 items in my spam box. Usually I take the time to empty it out, but I haven’t been attentive lately, so it just grows and grows. Some of the items are hilarious, like this one that arrived today: Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you reli
Jack Hassard: Protect Your Children, Opt Out of Testing
Jack Hassard, emeritus professor of science education ay Georgia State University, describes what happened when a family in Marietta decided to opt their child out of state testing. Their school used scare tactics, threatening to have them arrested. They stood their ground, and the school backed down. Hassard contacted parents in Texas who told him of the bullying tactics in Austin schools, all i
YESTERDAY
New Post: Duncan Says Racial Segregation Has Worsened, But No one Is Accountable
I posted this on my trip home from the hospital earlier today. I made a mistake and hit “publish” before I wrote the post. Here is the post that was supposed to accompany the title! In a speech to the Education Writers Association, Arne Duncan said that racial isolation has gotten worse in the past two decades, including (one assumes) during his own tenure in office. An article in Education Daily
Teacher in Palm Beach County: How I Am Evaluated
Thanks to Arne Duncan, almost every state now has an elaborate teacher evaluation plan. There is no evidence that the pans identify teachers correctly, but they are widespread because Duncan believes and he is Secretary of Education, with more certainty than any of his predecessors. What hath Arne wrought? Here is an account I hope he reads. It shows what a mess he has made in thousands of school
Maryland: A Teacher Tells a Candidate for Governor Why She Won’t Vote for Him
Brenda Payne, who teaches in Baltimore County, wrote the following open letter to Douglas Gansler, a candidate for governor of Maryland. It was published in the Baltimore Sun. We need more teachers like Brenda Payne, fearless, articulate, activist, to set this country on the right track. Below are a few paragraphs from Brenda Payne’s letter to the Baltimore Sun. To read the entire letter, open th
Long Island: Housing Segregation Causes School Segregation
Sixty years after the Brown decision, and despite federal and state anti-discrimination laws, residential segregation not only persists but is growing. Long Island, Néw York, has highly segregated communities and schools. As this article in the Long Island Press shows, this is not accidental. Nor is it a reflection of the incomes of black and white families. Even when black families can afford to
Gary Rubinstein: Who Is the Real Michael Johnston?
Gary Rubinstein writes in this post about Michael Johnston and his long association with him. Today Johnston is known in Colorado as the state senator who wrote the most punitive, anti-teacher law in the nation. At present, Harvard students are protesting the invitation to Johnston to speak at commencement Gary knew him from Teach for America. He describes a young man who understood and cared ab
Agassi Charter Firm Plans to Raise $1 Billion for New Charters
The firm created by Andre Agassi with investors plans to an additional $1 billion to build new charters in urban districts. Investors say the offer is appealing because of the returns. Agassi formed a new investment partnership with capital investor Bobby Turner called Turner-Agassi. It has already built 39 charters. “Among the Turner-Agassi fund’s investors is the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundatio
Bob Shepherd: How We Perpetuate Racial Inequity
Bob shepherd responded to the sixtieth anniversary of the Brown decision with these thoughts: 1. Today, a century and a half after the end of slavery, 38.2 percent of African-American children live in poverty. 2. Today, a century and a half after the end of slavery, we routinely jail or imprison people for breathing while black. A recent study in California found that white teens in that state use
Michelle Obama: The Arts Raise Test Scores (!)
A reader sent me this story with this comment: “Bizarro world.” First Lady Michelle Obama promotes arts education because the arts raise test scores. The administration said 35 schools would get federal turnaround funding for the arts because early evidence shows that the arts lead to higher math and reading scores. Time to stop and think. The Bush-Obama high-stakes testing policies have diminish
MAY 22
Arthur H. Camins: Have We Abandoned Our Neediest Children??
Arthur H. Camins, the Director of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, sharply critiques current education and social policy. He writes in this post that we have given up efforts to reduce poverty and segregation, policies that would produce the greatest number of young people. Instead, our nation’s leaders are prepa
Are Charter Schools Short-Changed?
$’Way back in the early days of the charter movement, its advocates were certain that these deregulated schools would not only produce better results but they would cost less. Central office bureaucracies wasted resources that could be directed to the classroom. Taxpayers would see significant savings. Win-win-win. Over time, however, charters leaders changed their tune. They wanted exactly the s
The Portelos Case: Why Tenure Exists
Francesco Portelos, tenured teacher in Néw York City, was just exonerated after a suspension that lasted 826 days. The Néw York City Department of Education tried to fire him, but he refused to leave. Nearly $1 million was spent in this long ordeal. Just recently, Portelos won, was exonerated, given a $10,000 fine for some minor offense, and restored to his classroom. No, wait, he was not restored
Pennsylvania On Track to Starve Philadelphia Schools
The City Council sparred with the state-appointed School Reform Commission about how and whether the Philadelphia schools would get enough funding to open in September. Under the current budget, another 1,000 staff may be laid off, and class size will soar over 40. Neither Governor Corbett NPR the legislature appears willing to help the district, even though they have a constitutional duty to do
Rick Cohen: What Happened to Zuckerberg’s $100 Million?
Rick Cohen admired an article in The Néw Yorker about Cory Booker and Chris Christie’s grand plan to overhaul the schools of Newark, which inspired Cohen to write his own reflections. Cohen has written an informative article about the fate of Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to Newark. Originally the money was supposed to transform Newark into an all-charter district, a model for the nation. Th
Gary Rubinstein: Does Learning Math Make Students College-Ready?
Gary Rubinstein, a math teacher, plays the role of the heretic and wonders whether students need more than 5th or 6th grade math unless they plan to be math majors. His answers: no, maybe, no. He writes: “‘No’ because as a Math teacher and a Math lover, I do think that the ‘importance’ of Math is overstated. Like Music and Art, Mathematics is one of the most amazing creations (discoveries?) of
Laura Chapman: The Problems with EdTPA
Laura Chapman writes: Unfortunately, this next generation of teachers is not just subject to manipulation by Teach for America. The new EdTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) is one of the new gatekeepers for entry into teaching. EdTPA was designed by scholars at Stanford. It has been rubber-stamped by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). AACTE represents 800 teach
Alan Singer: We Don’t Need EdTPA
Pearson administers a new teacher certification program called edTPA. The acronym stands for Teacher Performance Assessment. Student teachers must pay $300 to be evaluated and tested. In this article, Alan Singer explains why education faculty and their students reject edTPA. Although some states are delaying implementation, Arne Duncan is forging ahead to make this process a national requirement
MAY 21
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 New York 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 retired 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
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
MAY 20
In Which Mercedes Schneider Flays Pearson
Mercedes Schneider here reviews the transcript of a board meeting of Pearson in April 2014. Anyone can read the transcript but is allowed to quote only 400 words. That was Mercedes’ challenge. What struck her was that Pearson’s business plan is heavily tied to adoption of CCSS. In this case, contrary to the assurances of Bill Gates, national standardization promotes monopolization, not competitio
Peter Greene: Are You a Serious Person or a Silly Person?
Peter Greene has determined that some people in the world of education are serious and some are very silly. Serious people understand that words have consequences. They seek some congruity between their reality, their values, and their goals. Greene identifies a number of people who are very silly. For example: “The Hedgemasters backing the charter movement are not serious people. Charters are
Laura Chapman on Sludge and Conflicts of Interest
Reader Laura H. Chapman has a provocative critique of the way that money and power has compromised some education leaders. If she looked at the list of prominent education organizations (like ASCD) that have accepted millions from the Gates Foundation to promote Common Core, she would find lots more sludge. She comments: Unfortunately this take-over has been aided and abetted by the sludge and com
North Carolina Teacher Takes Senator Curtis to Task
This 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 writes: I am a high school teacher from Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Schools. On Monday, May 12, I read an article
North Carolina Teacher: “I Am Embarrassed to Confess: I Am a Teacher”
Sarah Wiles, a science teacher in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools with six years experience and a master’s degree, sent an email to every member of the North Carolina General Assembly with the subject line: “I am embarrassed to confess: I am a teacher.” This was her email: “From: Sarah Wiles “Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2014 6:47 PM “Every year there is a debate on teacher compensation. This is onl
Hundreds of Scholars Criticize PISA; Schleicher Defends It
A letter written by State University of Albany’s Heinz Dieter Meyer and educator Katie Zahedi protested the negative effects of PISA on education goals because of its emphasis on standardized tests and international competition. The letter has been translated into many languages and collected hundreds of signatures from scholars and educators around the world. The letter was addressed to Andreas
Just How Meaningful Are Those Value-Added Ratings?
The studies of value-added measurement keep on coming, and the findings usually show what an utterly absurd idea it to think that teacher quality can be judged by student test scores. In a just world, Arne Duncan would be held accountable for the stupid and harmful theories he has imposed on the nation’s public schools. The U.S. Department of Education has become a malignant force in American educ
MAY 19
Weingarten and Darling-Hammond Call for a New Accountability
Randi Weingarten and Linda Darling-Hammond have co-authored a major new statement on accountability. They write that: “If we assume that the goal of accountability should be better education, the test-and-punish approach must be replaced by a support-and-improve model. A new approach should ensure that students get what they really need: 1) curriculum, teaching, and assessment focused on meaning
Strauss: What Does Arne Think of New VAM Studies?
Valerie Strauss notes the growing number of studies that debunk the value of judging teacher quality by the rise or fall of test scores, and naturally she wondered what Secretary Arne Duncan thought about them. There was the report of the American Statistical Association, which said: l “VAMs should be viewed within the context of quality improvement, which distinguishes aspects of quality that can
Bob Braun: Cami Will Lay Off 500, including 200 Teachers
The election for Mayor of Newark is over, but state-appointed superintendent Cam Anderson reminds everyone she is still in charge of the schools. Bob Braun reports that Cami will cut 500 Newark public schools employees, “including 200 teaching positions, 200 central office employees, and nearly 100 non-instructional workers, including clerks and aides. The resulting layoffs will follow tenure and
Peter Goodman: The Only Way Obama Can Avoid Defeat in November is to Fire Arne
Peter Goodman, a political analyst who is close to the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, concludes that the November elections are looking increasingly bleak for President Obama and the Democrats. It is beginning to look like Democrats could lose control of the Senate, which would leave Obama with little more than veto power. This could have serious consequences. Credit Obama with t
Another Principal in Chicago Speaks Out Against Political Interference
A few days ago, I posted a letter by Troy LaRavalierre, a principal in a Chicago elementary school, protesting the administration’s indifference to the views of the system’s professionals. He wrote boldly about efforts to stifle criticism and enforce a compliant attitude. Happily he is not alone. Another principal Adam Parrott-Scheffer, principal of Peterson Elementary School, has joined in prote
Peter Greene: Why the U.S. DOE Will Soon Send an Ambassador to YOU
Peter Greene is convinced that Arne Duncan is about to launch a series of new Ambassador programs, to spread the good word about the GREAT job that he is doing. Why hide your light beneath a bushel or a barrel or a boxcar when the DOE has so many successful initiatives (especially if you work in its public relations department)? Greene says keep your eyes peeled for these great initiatives: “Am
Katie Zahedi Explains Why Many Educators Reject PISA
Educator Katie Zahedi and Professor Heinz Dieter Meyer wrote a letter critical of PISA’s emphasis on high-stakes testing and global competition. The letter has been translated into several languages and has gathered more than 1,000 signatures. If you wish to dign the letter, it is here. Andreas Schleicher, director of PISA, disagreed with their letter and denied their critique. Since it is imposs
MAY 18
The Day Mark Naison Caught the Attention of TFA (LINK FIXED)
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
MAY 17
Reflections on Brown
I am writing this from my hospital bed. I am at a rehab center after getting a total knee replacement. I keep thinking how dumb I was. I didn’t hold the railing as I went downstairs and landed full-force on my knee, tearing out every major ligament. Now there is some titanium thing in there, a long row of metal staples, and standing on that leg is painful, almost as painful as bending it. All day
Richard Rothstein: The Promise of Brown May Yet Be Saved
Richard Rothstein deeply believes that racial integration is essential, yet recognizes that school integration has been losing ground. This was inevitable, he argues, because the federal government has failed to use the powers it has to promote housing integration. Rothstein is hopeful that a shift in the political winds could bring to office an administration committed to integrating American so
Teacher in Utah to Lawrence Kudlow: Take My Job, Please
Speaking on Morning Joe (MSNBC), Lawrence Kudlow complained that the average teacher makes $120,000. This is not true. The national average is about $56,000. This teacher in Utah earns far less. He/she writes: “Every year since 2008 in my district in Utah, I have had more students with DECREASING salary. Because of the lack of will of the legislature to properly fund education, contract days ha
Lecker: There is a Growing Grassroots Movrment for Equity
As segregation grows worse than it has been for decades, the problems are worsened by current “reforms.” School privatization intensifies segregation, high-stakes testing creates cause for closing struggling schools instead of helping students. As Wendy Lecker writes, there is a growing grassroots to prevent the corporate takeover of public education and to turn schools into profit centers. The v
Cross-Posted on Huffington Post
This is the article that appeared at 9 am on Congress reviving a dual school system. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-ravitch/will-congress-revive-a-dual-school-system_b_5343445.html
Donna Brazile: Privatization Is No Substitute for Integration
Donna Brazile, Democratic Party strategist, laments the nation’s retreat from school integration in recent years. Vouchers and charters are no substitute for integrated schools with equitable resources. She cites the example of Milwaukee, which has had vouchers and charters since 1990. Today, Milwaukee has low performance on national tests, and neither the voucher schools nor the charter school
Larry Kudlow Thinks Teachers Make $120,000 Yearly
Media pundit was interviewed on the Morning Joe Show where he asserted that teachers make $120,000. This, apparently, is an outrage, showing what leeches teachers are. Apparently you can say anything on these talk shows because they are about opinions, not facts or information or knowledge. Of course, he was wrong. Rebecca Klein writes on Huffington Post that the average teachers’ salary is $56,3
Rhode 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 funding disparities hurt poor urban children most, but passed the buck. “Not our problem,” the court said. Here is a summary from the Education Law Cen
The Mistake of the Southern Poverty Law Center
I think there are plenty of well meaning people on different sides of the Common Core issue. It serves no useful purpose to divide people into good guys and bad guys. This is one of those tangled questions where we do best to debate the pros and cons of the Common Core, without challenging the motives of those with whom we disagree. No doubt, there are some who seek to make profit or who are trou
Will Congress Commemorate the Brown Decision by Reviving a Dual School System?
Congress is considering new charter legislation, awarding more money to the charter sector, which will operate with minimal accountability or transparency. The bill has already passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan majority and now moves to the Senate. Make no mistake: on the 60th anniversary of the Brown decision, Congress is set to expand a dual school system. One sector, privat
Community Groups File Civil Rights Complaints Against Destruction of Public Schools
Grassroots community groups in Néw Orleans, Newark, and Chicago filed complaints of violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the Justice Department and the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. They seek an investigation of racially discriminatory school closings in their communities. They wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary Arne Duncan: “Journey for Justice is
