For-Profit Charter Blankets Detroit Free Press with Ads
The Detroit Free Press is running a week-long series about Michigan’s charter sector. The first story was about a $1 billion industry with no accountability and poor results. Most charters in the state operate for profit. The industry’s response? National Heritage Academies, a for-profit charter chain, bought up the advertising space around the story to tout their wares. See the screen shot.
U.S. Department of Education Bails Out Failing For-Profit College Chain
Peter Greene comments here on the U. S. Department of Education’s decision to bail out Corinthian Colleges, Inc., a for-profit chain. Not so long ago, the U.S. DOE pledged to monitor predatory for-profit colleges. Not so, it seems. Not now. Greene writes: “Corinthian has a somewhat checkered past. Okay, checkered might be generous. They have grown prodigiously since being founded in 1995, a
Arizona: State Commissioner John Huppenthal as Sock Puppet
Arizona State Commissioner of Education John Huppenthal admitted he left many comments anonymously on blogs. This is causing him some problems in his re-election campaign, as some of his comments were highly insulting and inflammatory to various groups. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry canceled plans to honor him at its annual awards ceremony. Here are what one blog calls his “top te
Peter Greene: What Is “Whole Brain Teaching?”
Yesterday I posted a clip of students at Nashville Prep chanting the answers to questions. I should have mentioned that chanting the answers to questions was a common practice in mid-nineteenth century schools. Students would chant their geography lessons, for example, singing out the names of continents or mountains or oceans. They did not necessarily knew where to find them on a map, but they kn
Jason Stanford: Former Texas Commissioner Robert Scott Was Right About Testing and Common Core
Texas journalist Jason Stanford says it is time to recognize one of the heroes of the Education Spring: former Texas Commissioner Robert Scott, who bluntly said that high-stakes testing had grown too powerful and who warned that Common Core was intended to create a national curriculum and testing system. He came under a lot of criticism at the time and had to step down, but he has been proven righ
BATS Vote “No Confidence” in Arne Duncan
On the eve of the national conventions of the two major teachers’ unions, the BATS–a voluntary association of 48,000 teachers–voted “no confidence” in Arne Duncan and called for his replacement. This is their statement: “Badass Teachers Association Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2014 More Information Contact: Marla Kilfoyle, General Manager, BATs Melissa Tomlinson, Asst. General M
The Catch in Starbucks’ Offer of Free College Education for Workers
Starbucks received wonderful publicity for its offer to pay the tuition of thousands of workers who took online courses at Arizona State University. But there is a catch. “Any Starbucks employee who works at least 20 hours per week will soon be able to complete his/her junior and senior years of college at Arizona State University (ASU) Online, thanks to a deal between the coffeehouse colossus and
Anthony Cody: Is Gates’ Moratorium Real or a Tactic to Defuse Opposition?
When the Gates Foundation issued a press release calling for a two-year moratorium on the use of test scores to evaluate teachers, its position met a mixed reception. Some saw it as a victory for the critics of high-stakes testing; others as an attempt to weaken the critics by deferring the high stakes. Anthony Cody says, don’t be fooled. The Gates Foundation gives no indication that it understan
Detroit Free Press Investigation: Michigan Charters Get Poor Results, Have No Accountability
After a year-long investigation, the Detroit Free Press published a scathing report on the state’s thriving charter sector. Charter schools receive $1 billion in taxpayer funding with virtually no accountability. They get worse results than traditional public schools. 140,000 children attend charter schools in Michigan. Michigan has more for-profit charters than any other state. The for-profit
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-22-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: EduShyster Interviews Jose Luis Vilson about His New BookEduShyster interviewed Jose Luis Vilson, New York City teacher and blogger, about his new book, “This Is Not a Test.” Vilson has woven together the story of his own life with narratives about his students and classroom experiences. My impression, when I read his book, is that