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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
Well, we got to know a little bit about Zephyr Teachout, who was supposedly the chosen candidate of the Working Families Party. But in the last 48 hours, it became clear that Governor Cuomo wasn’t going to let that party line slip away from him. It is impossible to know what promises were made, whose arms were twisted, what deals were struck, but Governor Cuomo got the endorsement of the WFP tonig
Crazy Crawfish, aka Jason France, used to work in the assessment division of the Louisiana State Department of Education. He has sources there, and he knows the games that officials can play to make data look better or worse. In this post, he asserts that State Commissioner of Education John White, with two years in TFA and a few years in Joel Klein’s NYC Department of Education, came to Louisian
Finnish Schools Not Relying on Ed Tech
Caitlin Emmaof Politico.com paid a visit to Finland and was surprised to discover that teachers are not depending on educational technology. By contrast, American schools are spending billions of dollars on tablets, laptops, and other devices. She writes: “Finnish students and teachers didn’t need laptops and iPads to get to the top of international education rankings, said Krista Kiuru, ministe
Jonathan Pelto Exploring Challenge to Governor Malloy in Connecticut
Blogger. And former state legislator Jonathan Pelto must raise $250,000, in amounts no larger than $100 to challenge Governor Malloy. The laws protect incumbents and those with deep pockets or friends with deep pockets. Jon reports he is off to a strong start.
Tearing Our School Apart: Is it Worth It?
Under current federal and state laws, test scores are supposed to go higher every year. Every year, the students are a different cohort, but their scores must be higher than those who preceded them. High expectations–no matter how unrealistic–are supposed to produce high achievement. Think of it this way, if students are running track and can barely jump over a 3′ bar, raise the bar to 4′ and see
Motoko Rich Shows: Far Right Opposes Common Core
It is getting to be a dizzying experience to read about the Common Core on the Néw York Times. When Motoko Rich reported from Tennessee, she found an unlikely left-right alliance questioning the standards. A few days later, and the familiar script is back in place: only the far right opposes this fine experiment. Once again, Mike Petrilli is trotted out to defend them. This seems to be his job no
Motoko Rich Shows: Unlikely Alliances For and Against Common Core
Until now, the New York Times has followed Arne Duncan’s formula to explain opposition to Common Core, which is to demonize critics as Tea Party yahoos. However, Motoko Rich wrote a story about the unlikely alliances that are forming on both sides of the issue. Supporters of the Common Core cross a wide spectrum and include big corporations and anti-public education zealots like Jeb Bush and Mich
HISD Hiring Teachers in North Carolina!
The Houston Independent School District is taking advantage of abysmal salaries in North Carolina. HISD is holding a job fair today in Raleigh, hoping to poach some of NC’s terrific but underpaid teachers. “HISD is promising a starting salary of $46,805. “In a response to the ad posted on Facebook, North Carolina state Representative Graig Meyer (D-District 50) notes the average salary for teach
YESTERDAY
NYSUT Supports Districts That Opt Out of State Field Tests
The New York State United Teachers issued a statement supporting th districts that are opting out of state field tests. “ALBANY, N.Y. May 30, 2014 – As tens of thousands of students statewide prepare to begin vfield testing” questions for future state exams, New York State United Teachers President Karen E. Magee said today more time should be devoted to teaching – not testing – and called for an
ConnectEDU Goes Bankrupt, 20 Million Student Data Files at Risk
Leonie Haimson, leader of Class Size Matters and a student privacy hawk, reports on the bankruptcy of ConnectEDU. Data mining is big business. She writes that: “ConnectEDU was one of the three data dashboard companies chosen by the NY State Education Department to receive a statewide set of personal student data through the inBloom data cloud, as part of their “EngageNY Portal.” Now ConnectEDU h
Cuomo Plays Hardball with Working Families Party
Governor Cuomo is trying to persuade other statewide candidates to refuse the Working Families Party endorsement if they choose an independent to run against him. His goal is to punish the party if it does not endorse him. There is a battle going on for the future of the Democratic Party. Will it be a progressive party, or will it vie with Republicans to hold the line on taxes and budgets? Will i
Business Group in NY Pledges $500,000 Campaign for Common Core
Who supports the Common Core standards? who opposes them? Are the critics right or left? A new group in Néw York has been created to spend $500,000 to promote Common Core. This article says the group consists of business organizations but its prominent supporters are the Gates Foundation, the Helmsley Foundation, Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst, and the Gates-funded Educators for Excellence. Allege
Teachers in New Mexico Burn Their Evaluations
New Mexico recently released teacher ratings, 50% based on standardized test scores. The teachers are hopping mad, because they know that the evaluations do not truly measure their quality, and the tests are not good measures of what students know and can do. In Taos, teachers burned their evaluation reports. Teachers in Albuquerque also burned their evaluations as a sign of protest. During the
Who Is Zephyr Teachout?
The Working Families Party, a small party in Néw York state, will hold its convention Saturday in Albany. At that time, the party will decide whether to endorse Governor Cuomo for re-election or run its own candidate. Polls show that Cuomo wins easily if he does not face a credible challenger on the left. He has lined up Mayor Bill de Blasio’s support and is wooing labor leaders who are active in
Parents in New York: Say NO to Field Tests!
Parents, there is one sure way to stop the testing mania that is devouring your child’s education: Say NO to the next round of field tests, scheduled for June 2 to June 11. Don’t let Pearson and the State Education Department steal more time from your child that should be spent learning, playing, dancing, singing, and studying. Want to learn more about the campaign to Change the Stakes? Open this
The Hidden Benefit of Charter Schools
Jersey Jazzman goes through the reasons why the corporate elites and rightwing think tanks love charter schools. It is not because they get better results. They don’t. It is not because they save money. They don’t. They are very effective at busting unions. Nearly 90% of the nation’s charters are non-union. This makes possible a flexible workforce that works long hours, accepts whatever pay man
An Important New Study on Efforts to Privatize Teacher Education
Teachers College Press has published a major study of venture philanthropy and its efforts to introduce market forces into teacher education. It was written by Kenneth Zeichner and Cesar Pena-Sandoval of the University of Washington in Seattle. The article focuses on the key role of the NewSchools Venture Fund in promoting legislation to authorize charter academies to train teachers and principal
New York City’s Teachers Adrift, Victims of Reform
During the decade or so in which Mayor Michael Bloomberg totally controlled the public schools of New York City, he relied on test scores as the measure of students, teachers, principals, and schools. His was a managerial mindset devoid of any philosophy of education or of any concern for the lives of individuals or communities. Collateral damage was unimportant, and many people fell under his whe
Carol Burris: Anybody But Cuomo
Carol Burris eloquently explains why she will vote for Anybody But Cuomo. She remembers when Democrats fought for good public schools for all. She remembers when Democrats saw funding public schools as a civic obligation, not as “throwing money at the problem.” She wants a governor who believes in public schools, and that is not Andrew Cuomo. She writes: “I stood with one thousand others on a
MAY 29
Schneider: New Orleans and the Big Lie Revealed
Earlier, I posted about “the triumph of reform” in New Orleans, referring to an article in the Washington Post on the final conversion of that district to all-charter. One commenter said there are still six public schools in New Orleans, but even so the point of the article was that this is the first urban district in which all or almost all schools are privately managed. Mercedes Schneider, writ
I Am Not a Candidate for Political Office
In the past two days, there has been speculation in the media that I might be a candidate for governor on behalf of the Working Families Party. I have not sought this designation nor am I running for any political office. There are many well-qualified candidates, and I expect that WFP will choose one of them. Regular readers of this blog know that I had major surgery on May 9 to replace a knee t
Triumph of Reform: Last Public School in New Orleans Closes
Lyndsey Layton of the Washington Post describes the triumph of the reform movement in New Orleans: The last public school has closed for good. A few observations. All schools in New Orleans are now charter schools. . It’s hard to compare achievement pre-and post-Katrina because so many students never returned after the hurricane. Test scores are up, graduation rates are up, but populations are d
For-Profit Firm Will Open Largest Charter in Florida
Academica, the largest charter chain in Florida, won approval to open the state’s largest charter school in Miami-Dade, with 3,000 “student stations.” The firm operates for-profit. A month ago, the Miami Herald reported that the chain was under federal investigation for its business practices. A report yesterday by the Florida League of Women Voters pointed out that Academica has key connections
FairTest: Update on Resistance to High-Stakes Testing
The 2013-2014 school year may be winding down but Testing Resistance & Reform Spring actions activity continues to accelerate. Remember that back issues of these weekly news summaries are archived at http://fairtest.org/news Local Delaware School Board Pursues Opt-Out Policy http://www.doverpost.com/article/20140522/NEWS/140529891/10082/NEWS Florida Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers Questi
Top 25 University Presidents Paid Nearly $1 Million Per Year
Citing a study by the Institute for Policy Studies, the New York Times says the salaries of the top 25 college/university presidents average nearly $1 million a year. “The study makes some disturbing observations about “the top 25.” Student debt is worse than at other schools. Administrative spending is twice the spending on student aid. The percentage of tenured faculty members fell dramatically,
New York: Report from the Frontlines
The following letter was written by a principal in Néw York City. He describes what so many educators feel: Education is being destroyed by excessive, pointless testing. The sad fact is that testing no longer functions as a way to inform teachers and parents and to help children but as a blunt instrument to wear children down and demoralize their teachers. Subject: Student and testing burn out. “T
Oregon Educator: When Did the Federal Role Change from Equity and Integration to Control?
Oregon Educator, a high school principal in that state, poses some hard questions about the federal role in education. The federal government puts up about 12% of the cost of public education but has grown increasingly assertive about exercising maximal control over state and local decision-making. She writes: “In 1965, President Johnson’s landmark education bill was designed to equalize school
Mercedes Schneider on the Warm Relationship Between Gates and Pearson
Somehow I missed this piece when it appeared several months ago. It is a Mercedes classic, where she shows her skill at reading tax returns and connecting the dots. You may or may not recall that Attorney General of New York Eric Schneiderman fined the Pearson Foundation $7.7 million for engaging in activities related to its for-profit parent Pearson. In some regions, this fine would be referred
Joshua Katz’s Fabulous TED Talk on Our Toxic Culture of Education
Set aside about 17 minutes and watch this wonderful video. Joshua Katz, a high school teacher, connects all the dots. This is a truly outstanding presentation. Watch it and help it go viral. He shows how our present “toxic culture of education” is hurting kids, stigmatizing them as early as third grade by high-stakes standardized testing, while the vendors get rich. He connects the dots: the tes
Russ Walsh: “Reformers” Don’t Know What Motivates Teachers
Russ Walsh writes that corporate reformers have no idea what motivates teachers so they impose their own flawed ideas. Few have ever taught. They listen to economists, most of whom see education as an economic activity, not a humanistic activity. First, they decided that the teacher is the most important determinant of student test scores (not true, the best predictor of student scores is family i
MAY 28
Breaking News: Florida League of Women Voters Releases Bombshell Charter Study
The Florida League of Women Voters just released a bombshell study of charters across the state. The study shows that charter schools do not perform better than public schools; that charters are more segregated than public schools; that many charters funnel money to religious organizations; that a significant number of charters operate for profit; and that the charter industry has captured control
Cleveland Elementary School: Why Close an Excellent School?
Cleveland Elementary School in upstate Cleveland, New York, was once designated a “failing school.” But with a united community and hard work, the school improved and was named a Blue Ribbon school of excellence in 2010. It was recognized again in 2013. It continues to enjoy strong community support, but the Central Square Board of Education decided to close the school because of declining enrollm
Beardsley Reviews Huffman’s Claims About Tennessee
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, one of our nation’s pre-eminent experts on value-added assessment, here reviews a TED-X talk by Tennessee Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman, boasting of the tremendous growth in test scores as a result of his policies. Beardsley points out the curious fact that Tennessee started using VAM in the 1990s with little to show for it. But, there were those Tennessee NAEP s
Heilig: A Tribute to Maya Angelou
Julian Vasquez Heilig here recalls some of the words of Maya Angelou, one of our nation’s greatest writers. She was born in 1928 in St. Louis, raised in Stamps, Arkansas, and died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I met this great woman once, when she spoke at the 100th anniversary dinner of the New York Public Library. She said that the beauty of the public library was that its great
A Hero in Los Angeles: Stuart Magruder
When I first learned that Superintendent John Deasy planned to spend as much as $1billion to equip everyone in theLos Angeles school district with iPads for Common Core testing, I was amazed that the district could afford such a large expenditure. Then I learned from reading Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times that TE district would pay for the iPads from a 25-year construction bond fund approve
Help Sponsor Researchers to Study Failure of Vouchers in Chile
Professor Julian Vasquez Heilig of the University of Texas is trying to raise funding to take a research team to Chile to study the failure of the voucher progr. He needs your help. Tickets cost either $1,000 round trip or 30,000-60,000 frequent flyer miles. Please consider sponsoring a member of his research team. We can learn from what happened in Chile. With so many states adopting voucher plan
Thankful for John Ewing
John Ewing wrote a brilliant article called “Mathematical Intimidation.” If you haven’t read it, please do. It demolishes VAM. He calls on mathematicians to speak out. And at Brown, we read here, he spoke out: “John Ewing, Executive Director of the American Mathematical Society and President of Math for America, was the speaker at a Brown commencement forum today. He spoke to a packed audience on
Jon Pelto Exploratory Committee for Governor of Connecticut Is Open
Jon Pelto has taken the first steps towards running for Governor of Connecticut. He has formed an exploratory committee to determine strategy and a course of action. If you want to help Jon, the information is available in this post. In a democracy, anyone should be able to run for office, but the process is so cumbersome and expensive that it discourages those like Jon who don’t have access to v
Peter Greene: Don’t Blame Obama for Failure of CCSS
Conservatives who support the Common Core like to blame Obama for making it radioactive. They say that if he and Arne had stayed out, CC would have been non-controversial. Their involvement awakened the Tea Party and others who reflexively dismiss whatever Obama is for. Peter Greene says balderdash. “It’s Obama’s fault. “The state-led initiative was chugging right along, moving forward without a
MAY 27
Marie Corfield: In Honor of Retiring Educators Everywhere
Marie Corfield, tireless advocate for children and teachers, prepared a speech to honor her retiring colleagues in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. She noted that on that night, the schools of New Jersey were losing 500 years of experience. Too many good teachers leaving, retiring. She writes: “Within the first 6 months of Christie’s first term the number of public school employees who filed for
A Lovely Review of David Greene’s Néw Book
We have had our fill of books about what’s wrong with our schools, most written by non-educators with an ax to grind. Fortunately there is a new genre of books now appearing, mostly from publishers willing to take a chance with a new author. This new genre consists of books written by experienced teachers, who tell about real life in real schools and offer insights into realistic ways to improve
New Mexico: Another VAM Disaster
Thus far, the concept of VAM–or value-added measurement–has an unbroken record of failure. Wherever it has been tried, it has proven to be inaccurate and unstable. Teacher and student records are erroneous. Teachers are judged based on students they never taught. VAM demoralizes teachers, who understand they are being judged for factors over which they have little or no control. The major perpetr
Yong Zhao: Shanghai May Drop Out of PISA, Not Interested in Being #1
This is stunning news from Yong Zhao of the University of Oregon. Zhao, who was born and educated in China, reports that Shanghai education officials may stop participation in PISA. Zhao, a critic of the international race for test scores, writes on his blog: ““Not interested in #1 on International Tests, Focusing on Reducing Academic Burden: Shanghai May Drop Out of PISA” is the headline of a
Heidi Nance: I Am Teacher, Hear Me Roar!
Heidi Nance, a teacher in El Paso, Texas, tells the story here of a decision that changed her life. She decided to stop pretending that policy and politics had nothing to do with her. She would stop passively supporting policies that she knew were wrong. She made a decision to become an active advocate for her children and her profession. She made a decision to take an active role in shaping event
Step Right Up and Buy Higher Test Scores. You Will Laugh Your Head Off!
This is one of the funniest YouTube videos I have ever seen (excluding a few about dogs and cats). I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Watch it and forward it to your superintendent or your school board. Remember how I always say that VAM is Junk Science. Here is one of the world’s leading assessment experts, and his message mocks VAM as just plain Junk. It features the great assessment
MAY 26
Invasion of the Robot People into U.S. Education
When Bill Gates spoke to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards a few weeks ago, he explained the Common Core standards by referring to the value of the electric plug in standardizing appliances across the nation. Bear in mind that children are not appliances and that learning is not an electric plug. Otherwise…I am not sure what he was talking about other than the beauty of stand
Jonathan Pelto Mulls Third Party Challenge to Governor Malloy in Connecticut
Jonathan Pelto, ex-state legislator and prolific blogger, is deciding whether to mount a challenge to Governor Dannell Malloy, based in large part on Malloy’s embrace of the agenda of the privatization movement in Connecticut. Pelto here describes reactions from friends and foes. In my view, this would be an honorable challenge. Teachers and parents should not vote for a governor–whether it is Ma
Obama Brings NCLB-Think to Higher Education
The Obama administration wants to rate institutions of higher education, based on factors like cost,graduation rate, income of graduates. Most college and university presidents are upset. It didn’t help that one administration official said that comparing the cost and quality of institutions of higher education should be no more difficult than comparing blenders. For some reason, the Obama adm
Mercedes Schneider Offers a Memorial Day Tribute to her Daddy
This post by Mercedes Schneider is a lovely illustrated tribute to her father, who was a veteran of World War II. I must say, as I grow older, I grow more cynical about war. Since Vietnam, people have been referring to World War II as “the good war.” And there is no doubt that Hitler and his racist ideology had to be stopped. Yet, I was struck the other day by a friend’s observation that World W
A Worried Mother in Chicago
This mother writes in response to an article by a Chicago principal, Troy LaRavierre. I understand this mother’s anxieties. She wants the same things for her child that Mayor Rahm has at the University of Chicago Lab School. Instead, her son got scripted lessons that were developmentally inappropriate, that were dully academic instead of joyful. If only there were a way to keep the politicians–Bus
LAUSD Removes Critic of iPad Mess from Oversight Committee
The Los Angeles school board removed architect Stuart Magruder from its Bond Oversight Committee. Magruder was outspoken and critical of Superintendent John Deasy’s decision to use money from a 25-year construction bond to buy iPads for every student and staff member of the district for Common Core testing. Voters approved the bond issue for construction and repair of facilities of schools. But De
How Rahm Emanuel Favors Campaign Donors Over Kids
This post by Ken Previti directed me to a hugely important story that I had missed. David Sirota of Pando and Ben Joravsky of The Chicago Reader unearthed a story of money, politics , and greed that is startling. The headline is that Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s top donor bought a big bloc of stock in Marriott hotels shortly before Marriott won a very lucrative contract from the city. The deeper story i
A Textbook Case of Charter Skimming
Charter schools were created to help the neediest students. Now, however, many charters skim off the most advantaged students and avoid those who are needy. This harms the public schools, removing their best students and overloading them with the students who require the most services. It doesn’t get any clearer than this: “Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 in Gurnee filed a laws
Corporate Reform Strikes Camden (UPDATE AND CORRECTIONS)
Camden, Néw Jersey, is one of those impoverished districts that lost local control and was taken over by the state in 2013. Recently, the Chris Christie administration hired a young, ex-TFA, ex-Joel Klein guy as superintendent, and it was clear that the district was headed for demolition. This past week, the trouble started as layoff notices went out to more than 200 teachers. Students walked out
The Reason Jeb Bush Supports Common Core
The usual narrative about the politics of Common Core describe it as a split within the Republican Party. On one side are the extremist members of the Tea Party, fearful of a federal takeover. On the other side are “moderate” Republicans like Jeb Bush, eager to make American students globally competitive. The Southern Poverty Law Center thinks that the grassroots radicals want to use Common Core
MAY 25
Governor Corbett Blames Union for Child’s Death
When people write Pennsyvania Governor Tom Corbett to complain about the devastating effects of his budget cuts on the children of Philadelphia, he responds by blaming the teachers’ union for not accepting even deeper cuts. A few days ago, a first-grader died; there was no school nurse on duty. Her position had been cut from five days a week to one day a week plus another occasional day. This was
Graduation Advice from Bill Gates
Tim Farley, concerned educator and parent in upstate Néw York, found a commencement speech delivered by Bill Gates in 2007. Much to his own surprise, he was inspired by Gates’ advice and thought it was relevant to the problems of today. Tim Farley writes: ———————- Diane, I was researching some quotes to add to an upcoming Academic Awards night and stumbled upon these words of advice from Bill Gate
Peter Greene: Why “Research” Doesn’t Tell Us Whether a School is Working
Peter Greene steps into a debate about whether schools are “working.” One answer: let research tell us. Greene disagrees. Research, he says, depends on the questions you consider important. In the past, communities decided what they wanted their schools to do. He writes: “Because what works and what doesn’t work is not a matter of good research at all. Or rather, the research doesn’t matter.
Jonathan Lovell: The Magic of Learning to Listen
Jonathan Lovell has been leading writing workshops for many years. In this delightful post, he describes his struggle to finish his own dissertation, and the flights of fancy that kept blocking his path. He uses graphics creatively to reflect his state of mind. You watch his thinking evolve. Watch a writer at work and lament with him that the Obama administration eliminated the minimal funding
Has Arne Heard About NAEP?
Someone sent me this clip from Tennessee, where Arne Duncan was trying to salvage the federally-funded online Common Core test called PARCC. “DUNCAN: TENNESSEE CAN STILL SALVAGE TESTS: At Brick Church College Prep in Nashville, Tenn., Education Secretary Arne Duncan showered the state with praise for becoming the fastest improving state in the country. But it still has a long way to go, he said a
Lloyd Lofthouse on Teacher Pay
Regular reader Lloyd Lofthouse has gathered some useful information on teacher salaries. He writes: Here’s a link to a map that was published by The Washington Post that shows the average annual public school teachers pay for each state for 2013. Now, to be clear, an average means many teachers are paid less and some paid more. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/12/15/how-mu
Laurel Sturt: Who Are the Biggest Bullies in Education?
Laurel Sturt says that old-fashioned schoolyard bullying has evolved into Internet malice, protected by anonymity. She says bullying has become a national pastime for some political leaders. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has cultivated a reputation as a bully, jabbing his finger at lesser mortals. And then bullying is built into education policy–federal, state, and local. She writes: “Thou
MAY 24
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.
Good News: Missouri Governor Jay Nixon Will Veto Voucher Bill
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
An Apology to My Readers
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 Warns About Louisiana Data Fraud
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.
Sue M. Legg: Reflections on Segregation
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 sure 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
