David B. Cohen: A Thoughtful Analysis of Vergara Decision
David B. Cohen is a teacher who is a leader in the teaching profession in California. In this post, he offers a calm, thoughtful appraisal of the Vergara decision. While not agreeing with the decision, he points out ways in which the issues can be resolved in the future. He acknowledges his outrage towards the group that brought the case, which dared to call itself “Students Matter”:: “I’m suspi
The Vergara Trial Teachers Were Not “Grossly Ineffective”
I was curious to learn whether the plaintiffs in the Vergara trial actually had “grossly ineffective teachers.” The answer is “no, they did not.” Not only did none of them have a “grossly ineffective” teacher, but some of the plaintiffs attended schools where there are no tenured teachers. Two of the plaintiffs attend charter schools, where there is no tenure or seniority, and as you will read be
What Was the Evidence in the Vergara Case? Who Wins? Who Loses?
Judge Rolf M. Treu, who decided the Vergara case , declared that he was shocked, shocked to learn from Professor Raj Chetty and Professor Thomas Kane of Harvard about the enormous harm that one “grossly ineffective” teacher can do to a child’s lifetime earnings or to their academic gains. How did he define “grossly ineffective” teacher? He didn’t. How did these dreadful teachers get tenure? Clear
Teacher: A Victim of Connecting the Dots about Gates
Now that the Washington Post has identified how Bill Gates underwrote every aspect of the Common Core standards, everyone knows what some suspected. Readers of this blog were not surprised, because we had read Mercedes Schneider’s posts about Gates’ funding of the CCSS. But somehow, seeing it spelled out in detail in the Washington Post made it official. Here is a teacher who connected the dots. S
Peter Greene Dissects the Florida Miracle: All Testing All the Time
Peter Greene here picks apart an article by Patricia Levesque defending the Common Core, testing, and accountability. Who is Patricia Levesque? She is CEO of Jeb Bush’s organization called the Foundation for Educational Excellence. It is safe to assume that she speaks for Jeb Bush in celebrating the Flrida miracle, Common Core, and the immense value of standardized testing and accountability. Le
How Occupy Wall Street Changed Seattle
Peter Dreier of Occidental College explains how the Occupy Wall Street movement started a momentum that changed Seattle: Friends, An idea that only a year ago appeared both radical and impractical has become a reality. On Monday, Seattle struck a blow against rising inequality when its City Council unanimously adopted a city wide minimum wage of $15 an hour — the highest in the nation. In my new
Eva Moskowitz Will Apply for Another 14 Charter Schools in New York City
Thanks to legislation recently passed in Albany with the strong support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Eva Moskowitz announced that she will seek another 14 charter schools, expanding her network significantly. This August, according to her website, she will have “9,450 scholars at 32 schools” in the city. She is applying to the State University of New York, which is a friendly authorizer. The public s
David Hursh: Governor Cuomo Supports Privatization of Public Education
A cautionary tale:: Governor Cuomo and the effort to destroy public education in New York To be published in The Australian Educators Union journal the “Professional Voice” June, 2014. Please visit their website for the current and past issues: http://www.aeuvic.asn.au/publications_index_13_53773280.html David Hursh Professor Warner Graduate School of Education, University of Rochester Rochester,
Stephanie Simon: How Parents Organized and Beat Big Data
Stephanie Simon writes in politico.com about how parents organized, lobbied, agitated, and brought down inBloom. Simon writes: “You’ve heard of Big Oil and Big Tobacco. Now get ready for Big Parent. “Moms and dads from across the political spectrum have mobilized into an unexpected political force in recent months to fight the data mining of their children. In a frenzy of activity, they’ve catapu
Eric Cantor, Republican Champion of Charters, Defeated in Virginia
The report from politico.com on Eric Canto’s defeat: “HOUSE LOSES ‘CHAMPION’ OF CHARTERS AND CHOICE: Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor – crusader for immigration reform, school choice and charter schools – lost his primary race to Randolph-Macon College professor Dave Brat in an astonishing upset Tuesday night. Spectators said some of Cantor’s pet education issues aren’t necessarily at risk.
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-10-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: In Kentucky: A School Without Standardized TestsKentucky was the first state to implement the Common Core standards, and the first state to test them. The state has another distinction: It is one of the few states that has no charter schools. Communities in Kentucky are committed to their community public schools–so far. Kentucky h