Cuomo Won the WFP Endorsement by Promising to Act Like a Democrat
Peter Goodman here tells the sorry story of how Governor Cuomo won the endorsement of the Working Families Party by promising to act like a Democrat. For example, he promised to help Democrats gain control of the State Senate and to let localities raise the minimum wage, which are not big concessions from a Democratic governor. On education, where Cuomo has governed as a conservative Republican,
Growing Backlash Among Teachers Against Common Core
As we have seen in mainstream media coverage of the Common Core, there is a common–but fake–narrative about the Common Core. Secretary Duncan has repeatedly said that opposition to the Common Core comes from the far right, especially the Tea Party. We are also told that teachers like the Common Core. The underlying goal is to stigmatize critics and to belittle those who do speak up. A good place
Is College Worth The Cost? A Puzzling Question or Not?
David Leonhardt says the latest data demonstrate that a four-year college degree is worth the investment. In fact, it pays so well that it actually rewards those who get the degree. College graduates with a four-year degree definitely make more money than those who didn’t finish college or those with only a high school diploma. He concludes that everyone should get a four-year degree. “Not so ma
Ohio’s Charter Dropout Factories
Ohio has some of the worst charter schools in the country, which avoid accountability because their owners contribute generously to elected officials. Among the worst performing charters are those specifically designed for dropouts. Some of these schools teach students online. Can you imagine how ineffective it is to put a discouraged student in front of a computer instead of in a class with a li
John Merrow’s Poetic Critique of Bubble Testing, H/T Robert Frost
John Merrow demonstrates the incisiveness of poetry as a means of communicating complex ideas in his rewrite of Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall.” Merrow turns the poem into “Mending School,” a scathing critique of bubble testing. Used appropriately and sparingly, he suggests, the bubble tests may offer value. Used promiscuously, as they are today, they are a parasite that is consuming the host. They
Stephanie Simon: Who Is Mining Your Child’s Data?
Stephanie Simon has written a startling story about the corporations that are collecting information about your child. This is known as data mining, and it usually occurs without the subject’s knowledge or consent. One such corporation called inBloom went out of business because of parent concern about privacy. But there are many others doing the same work with less scrutiny. She writes: “The NS
Chetty and Friends Stand by their VAM
The American Statistical Association released a brief report on value-added assessment that was devastating to its advocates. ASA said it was not taking sides, but then set out some caveats that left VAM with no credibility. Can a school district judge teacher quality by the test scores of his or her students? ASA wrote this: “VAMs are generally based on standardized test scores, and do not di
Raj Chetty, VAM, Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, and Me
On May 3, I received an email from Professor Raj Chetty of Harvard University, informing me that his famous paper on value-added assessment of teachers was being published by the American Economic Review. The paper has three authors: in addition to Chetty, the other authors include John Friedman and Jonah Rockoff, also at Harvard. When the paper was first released, it was reported on the front pag
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-1-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The Crucial Race for State Superintendent in CaliforniaThe race for State Superintendent of Education in California pits veteran educator Tom Torlakson–who has held the job since 2010–against Marshall Tuck, who is closely associated with the privatization movement. A third candidate, Lydia Gutierrez, is notable in the race for her