SKrashen:
The common core: Don't forget what the real problem is.
Sent to the Seattle Times, May 15, 2014I think the common core math standards are lousy on purpose, made lousy so that parents will complain ("2+2=What? Parents rail against Common Core math," May 15).The common core architects will then make some adjustments, enough to stop the most vigorous complaints. Many complainers will then be satisfied and the public will be impressed with how op
MAY 11
Does Shanghai have the world's best public schools?
Does Shanghai have the world's best public schools?Sent to Newsweek"Lessons from the world's best public school" (May 9) considers Shanghai to be the "world's best education system" (p. 30), because Shanghai's scores on international tests such as the PISA are at the top of the world. As Newsweek notes, however, Shanghai is "one of China's richest cities" (p. 31) and
MAY 10
Response to Southern Poverty Law Center Statement on the Common Core
Response to: Public Schools in the Crosshairs: Far-Right Propaganda and the Common Core State Standards (Southern Poverty Law Center). http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/publications/Public-Schools-in-the-Crosshairs-Far-Right-Propaganda-and-the-Common-Core-State-Standards I agree that the debate about the common core must be rooted in the facts, and that the "propoganda machine on the
MAY 09
Reading for points vs. reading for pleasure
Sent to the Christian Science Monitor, May 9, 2014The book popularity data from "What are kids reading? Books like 'Hunger Games,' but classics, too," (May 8) comes from reading done in preparation for tests, not reading for pleasure. The data comes from reading done as part of the Accelerated Reader (AR) program. AR sells tests that students take after reading a book. Students are award
MAY 08
12th grade NAEP scores: Does the common core deserve the credit?
Sent to the Hartford Courant, May 7, 2014It is a premature to give the "new academic standards" of the common core credit for Connecticut's good performance on the 12th grade NAEP reading test ("State Students Excel On 'Nation's Report Card'," May 7). First, the improvement was not uniform: Grade 8 scores increased less than grade 12 scores, and grade 4 scores stayed the same a
MAY 06
Amount of time for testing "just right"?
The headline for "Survey: More Educators Think 'Just the Right Amount' of Time Is Spent on Testing" is deceptive. Yes, a slightly smaller percentage of teachers think there is too much time taken for testing, and a slightly larger percentage think there is "just enough"time taken for testing compared to two years ago, but 52% of teachers still think there is too much time prep