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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
According to Eclectablog, John Covington will leave Governor Rick Snyder’s controversial Educational Achievement Authority for another job. The story was reported by the Detroit News. Covington, a graduate of the unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy, previously led the Kansas City district, which lost accreditation after his abrupt departure.
Jesse Rothstein, an economist at the University of California at Berkeley, tested for the defense in the Vergara trial. In this article in the New York Times, Rothstein contends that the elimination of tenure–the goal of the multi-millionaire (or billionaire) behind the lawsuit–might make it more difficult to recruit teachers for schools that enroll poor and minority children. Judge Rof Treu com
Walt Gardner questions the validity of the Vergara decision. Like others, he notes the weak evidence on which the decision rests. A witness for the defense guessed that 1-3% of the state’s teachers were ineffective, and the judge cherry picked that offhand assertion as a fact. Gardner believes the decision is a giant step toward busting unions and privatizing schools. Of course, this is exactly w
Michael Hiltzik is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times who sees through the spin and illusion surrounding the Vergara decision. The ruling will not change the material condition of any student. It will not reduce class size or produce more funding for the state’s ill-funded schools. He writes: “Critics of teacher unions maintain that they’re entrenched interests that block needed reforms. But
Superintendent Mark Henry Slams High-Stakes Testing
Mark Henry, superintendent of the Cypress-Fairbanks district in Texas, stood up and spoke out for common sense and education ethics. In this article, he explains why his district–the third largest in Texas–will not participate in a pilot test to evaluate teachers by student test scores. He writes: “This latest movement to “teacher-proof” education places additional fear, anxiety and pressure on
Robert Balfanz: How to Cut Dropout Rates
Robert Balfanz of Johns Hopkins University, in an article in the New York Times, offers some sensible and proven ideas about how to cut dropouts among the most vulnerable students. The likely dropouts can be identified as early as sixth grade, he writes, by attendance, behavior, and course performance. Half of all African-American male dropouts are concentrated in 660 high schools. “These 660
Superintendents: Slow Down CCSS Implementation
American Association of School Administrators say the Common Core must be slowed down. “Dear Colleagues: As we move forward in advocating on behalf of school superintendents, one of the hottest topics right now is the Common Core State Standards. I am pleased to share with you that AASA, The School Superintendents Association, released today a report on the implementation of Common Core and other
Heilig: BASIS Horror Stories, As Told by Parents
Wealthy Texans have raised millions of dollars to attract charter schools and enroll a large segment of San Antonio’s children in charter schools. One of the corporate chains that opened in San Antonio is called BASIS, started in Arizona as a school with high demands and a rigorous curriculum. Julian Vasquez Heilig has been following the progress of this chain. He here posts horror stories of abu
Public School Spending Fell in 2012, for First Time Since 1977
Teachers and administrators continue to feel the pain of budget cuts, long after the end of the recession of 2008. While politicians complain about the cost of schooling, those who work in schools are aware of an era of austerity and disinvestment in education. This article explains what happened. Federal stimulus dollars helped the schools weather the worst of the recession, but when federal sti
YESTERDAY
Kipp Dawson: Don’t Be Fooled By Pittsburgh Teacher Evaluations
I earlier reported that the latest data show that 97% of teachers in Pittsburgh received ratings of either “distinguished” or “advanced.” Similar findings have emerged elsewhere, which makes me wonder why it was necessary to spend billions of dollars to create these new evaluation systems, which are often incomprehensible. But Kipp Dawson, a Pittsburgh teacher wrote a comment warning that the eval
97% of Pittsburgh Teachers Get High Ratings
Billions of dollars have been spent to create new teacher evaluation systems. Here is one result: in Pittsburgh, 97% of teachers were rated either distinguished or advanced. Meanwhile budget cuts are harming children in Pennsylvania. For Immediate Release June 13, 2014 Contact: Marcus Mrowka 202/531-0689 mmrowka@aft.org http://www.aft.org Pittsburgh Teacher Evaluation Results Demonstrate Importan
Stephanie Simon: Are Teacher Unions Doomed?
In an article at politico.com, Stephanie Simon presents a gloomy portrait of the future of teacher unions. At the outset, she acknowledges that the unions have been the target of “a multimillion-dollar public relations campaign portraying them as greedy and selfish.” This campaign is funded by billionaires, millionaires, ALEC, powerful corporations (Koch brothers?), rightwing think tanks, and we
John Merrow on Vergara: The California Laws Are Indefensible
John Merrow says that the laws struck down by the Vergara decision are indefensible. Teachers get tenure after 18 months, but in most states it takes three or four years. Seniority, he says, discourages young teachers, who are first fired. The process of removing an ineffective teacher is far too complex, requiring some 70 steps. My view: The legislature should promptly remedy these defect
Professional Staff Congress at CUNY Opposes edTPA
This morning I posted a statement by a group of professors at City University of New York in support of the edPTA, which assesses the performance of those who seek certification to enter teaching. Let me make clear that I am not supporting or endorsing either side of this debate but am watching carefully, as I tend to be suspicious of all high-stakes testing. Soon after the post appeared this
Bridgeport: Where Is the Money for Néw Charters?
Bridgeport officials are worried. The state board of education approved the expansion of two charters and the addition of a new one. Local officials want to know where the money will come from and how the budget for the other 90% of the city’s children will be affected.
Teacher Educators at CUNY: Why We Support edTPA
In Support of a Performance Assessment of Teaching June, 2014 Beverly Falk, Professor and Director, Graduate Program in Early Childhood Education, The City College of New York Jeanne Angus, Assistant Professor and Program Director, Graduate Program in Special Education, Brooklyn College Greg Borman, Lecturer, Secondary Science Education, The City College of New York Nancy Cardwell, Assistant Prof
The Statistical Error at the Heart of the Vergara Decision
Jordan Weissman, a business correspondent for Slate, read the Vergara decision and noted that the judge’s conclusion hinged on a strange allegation. The judge quoted David Berliner as saying that 1-3% of the teachers in the state were “grossly ineffective.” The judge then calculated that this translated into thousands of teachers, between 2,750 and 8,750, who are “grossly ineffective.” Weissman ca
Virginia Court Declares State Takeovers Unconstitutional
A Circuit Court judge in Virginia declared unconstitutional a law that created a state takeover board for low-performing schools. Wonder if this was ALEC legislation? According to a release from the National School,Boards Association: “A Circuit Court judge has struck down a state school takeover board that would have stripped local school boards of their authority over low-performing schools, r
Randi Blasts Duncan for Betraying Teachers in Vergara Case
Randi Weingarten wrote a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, criticizing his sympathetic response to the Vergara decision, which held that tenure and seniority were unconstitutional in California. She wrote: “This week, we needed your leadership; to demonstrate that teacher and student interests are aligned; that we must press—60 years after Brown v. Board—for educational equity; that
FBI Raids 19 Gulen Charter Schools in Midwest
The FBI and two other agencies conducted raids with search warrants at 19 Concept charter schools in Illinois and two other states. “The FBI and two other federal agencies conducted raids in Illinois and two other states at charter schools run by Des Plaines-based Concept Schools, FBI officials said Tuesday. “Search warrants were executed at 19 Concept schools in connection with an “ongoing white
JUN 12
Teacher: Tell the Stories About Tenure and Gender Discrimination
In response to the debate in the New York Times “Room for Debate” about the Vergara decision, teacher H.A. Hurley commented on the historical perspective I offered, showing that tenure was part of women teachers’ struggle against the pervasive gender discrimination of superintendents and school boards. Hurley writes that gender discrimination persisted long into the 20th century. She writes: “Dia
Debating the Vergara Decision in the New York Times
This is a debate about the Vergara decision in the New York Times “Room for Debate,” featuring Eric Hanushek and Michael Petrilli supporting the decision, and Brian Jones and me criticizing it. Brian Jones, by the way, is running for Lieutenant Governor of New York on the Green Party ticket, with Howie Hawkins running for Governor.
Kevin Welner: The Silver Lining in the Vergara Decision
Kevin Welner, director of the National Educational Policy Center in Colorado, is both an education policy analyst and a lawyer. He read the Vergara decision and saw a bright side. While he was struck by the weak evidence for the judge’s conclusion, he thinks the case might open up an avenue to advance lawsuits based on the importance of equality of educational opportunity. He writes: “Although I
Williams and Kilfoyle: Why “Reformers” Today Are Not the Civil Rights Movement
Yohuru Wiliams and Marla Kilfoyle explain here why reformers today are not entitled to claim the legacy of the civil rights movement. Their essay was written to mark the 50th anniversary of what was known as Freedom Summer, when advocates for civil rights risked their lives to advance the cause of freedom and equality. They begin their essay: “One of the more disturbing narratives employed by co
Carol Burris: Will Cuomo Have a Primary Challenger Who is Strong on Education Issues?
Carol Burris has been one of the leading voices in opposition to corporate education reform in New York state. Whenever anyone tries to imply that opposition to the Common Core comes only from the Tea Party, there is Carol Burris–a progressive high school principal–as a counter-example. Burris has led the principals’ revolt against high-stakes testing and against evaluating educators according t
Mercedes Schneider on That Union-Hating Ad in USA Today
Mercedes Schneider did the research last year to expose the hack work of the so-called Center for Union Facts. This is a PR firm for corporate America that has no credentials regarding education. Its agenda is union-busting, Here is her post about the full-page ad in today’s USA Today, brought to you by the same folks who do not know that the highest-scoring states in the nation (on NAEP) have
USA Today: Full-Page Ad Bashing Unions
See this ad in today’s USA Today. Funny the ad doesn’t mention that the highest performing states in the U.S. on the NAEP are Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut, all of which have strong unions. Or that the states at the bottom of the NAEP ratings do not have strong unions (or, in some states), none at all. The ad was underwritten by the deceptively named “Center for Union Facts,” wh
Chicago Teachers Union Reacts to Vergara Decision
The Chicago Teachers Union reacts to the Vergara decision in California. Here is the key quote: “If we really want to improve public education, let’s provide all children the financial and social resources that children in David Welch’s home of Atherton, CA, the most expensive zip code in the US, have. Then we need to let teachers, the real experts in curriculum and instruction, do their work wit
Salon: Is America Abandoning Public Education?
This article in Salon tries to understand education from an economic perspective. It says that the great expansion of public education occurred when our factories were expanding and we needed more workers. Now, with outsourcing and autation, society and our elites are less willing to invest in education, and so we live in an era of austerity and privatization. Eric Levitz writes of the Obama admi
Dana Goldstein: What Will the Vergara Decision Change?
In an article in The Atlantic, Dana Goldstein explains the reasons for tenure–mainly to protect against politically motivated hiring and firing–and she assesses the likely effects of the decision. She agrees that California’s current timeframe for tenure decisions is far too brief. Teachers need at least three years to demonstrate that they are qualified for the protection of tenure. But “Is the
Iris Rotberg: How the PISA Tests Mislead the World
Dr. Iris Rotberg of George Washington University writes that international tests have been fraught with methodological problems for fifty years. None of the problems have been addressed or corrected, yet today the international tests such as PISA are driving educational policy in dozens of nations, all competing for higher test scores. Rotberg writes: “The methodological critiques of international
Charters In Néw Orleans Explain Why Students Must “Walk the Line”
Many charters in Néw Orleans tape a line in their hallways and insist that students must walk on the correct side of the line. Reporter Danielle Dreilinger of the Times-Picayune writes here about this controversial policy and includes a video created by the charters to explain the value of this practice. “Critics say it prepares students for prison, not college. A civil rights complaint filed th
JUN 11
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.
JUN 10
The Expert Witnesses for the Plaintiffs in the Vergara Trial
According to the text of the Vergara decision, two expert witnesses for the plaintiffs were Professor Raj Chetty of Harvard and Professor Tom Kane of Harvard. Professor Chetty, the judge said, testified that “a single year in a classroom with a grossly ineffective teacher costs students $1.4 million in lifetime earnings per classroom.” Dr. Kane testified that students in LAUSD taught by a teacher
The Text of the Vergara Decision
Here is the text of the Vergara decision, ruling the laws governing tenure and seniority unconstitutional.
New York Times: Gates Foundation Calls for a Moratorium on High Stakes Attached to Common Core Tests
Now, as we all know, Bill Gates paid over $2 billion for the Common Core standards. They are supposed to be the linchpin of a coordinated system: standards, tests, teacher evaluations based on test scores, school closings, turnarounds, etc. but a funny thing happened on the way to the millennium. Parents and educators got angry. Some hated the tests. Some hated the standards. Some hated the federa
Peter Greene: How Can the Corporate Bullies Lie with a Straight Face?
Peter Greene doesn’t understand how the corporate bullies are celebrating their victories over teachers. He can’t understand how they lie about doing it “for the kids.” They talk about equity and social justice as they attack teachers’ hard-won rights, and they know they are making it up. He writes: “I mean, bloody hell, guys? Do we all have “stupid” written on our foreheads? Can you not even do
Peter Greene Deconstructs Arne Duncan’s Statement on Vergara Decision
Peter Greene explicates for you what Arne Duncan really meant in his statement about the Vergara decision. He concludes: “God, just when I think the Obama administration has found every conceivable way to signal that they consider teachers vermin to be stepped on and crushed, they find one more way to drive that point home. At this point, I think the GOP would have to run a convicted ax murderer
Arne Duncan Hails Vergara Decision
Here is Arne Duncan’s statement on the Vergara decision that tenure and seniority are unconstitutional. Not a word about the real causes of unequal opportunity: poverty and segregation.. Who would have believed that a Democratic administration would stand by silently as collective bargaining rights are rolled back (Wisconsin) and would hail a court decision removing due process from public school
The Vergara Verdict: Tenure and Seniority Laws Ruled Unconstitutional in California
Here are two accounts of the decision in the Vergara trial. This one appears in politico.com. This one appears in the New York Times. The plaintiffs argued that poor and minority children suffered because they had ineffective teachers who could not be fired. Lawyers for the teachers unions maintained that the causes of low performance were poverty and inadequate school funding. The plaintiffs pre
Gates Foundation Wants to Delay High-Stakes for Common Core
Realcleareducation.com reports that the Gates Foundation favors a moratorium on the consequences of Common Core testing. Since the standards were bought and paid for by the Gates Foundation, it is only right that it should call the shots. Now we know who is in charge of American education. Perhaps the foundation hopes that a delay will defuse the growing movement against Common Core. Realcleareduc
Breaking News: California Judge Strikes Down Tenure Laws
A judge in California struck down three laws protecting teachers’ job security. This is a big win for the Billionaire Boys Club. Name a state that has no due process rights for teachers and excellent public schools. One?
Texas: Test Scores Flat, Where Is That Bush “Miracle”?
Jeffrey Weiss and Daniel Lathrop report that test results on the state’s STAAR tests have been flat. In addition, they report in the Dallas Morning-News that the STAAR test results show widening gaps between the lowest performing students and their peers. The great puzzle is why state officials expect scores to go up every year, especially after sustained and large budget cuts. The legislature cu
Sue Legg on the Search for the Perfect Test
Sue Legg used to be in charge of assessment for the state of Floridea, before the current reign of educational inanity took hold. She writes: QUANTITY VERSUS QUALITY IN TESTING Back in the late 90s, psychometricians were searching for ways to counter attacks against multiple choice testing. Opponents argued that essay exams were needed to measure higher order thinking skills. Too often multiple
In Kentucky: A School Without Standardized Tests
Kentucky 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 has a school that is very different from most other public schools: this school has no standardized testing. Bate
Jonathan Lovell on Creative Disruption, the Jabberwock, GERM, and Liberation
What would Lewis Carroll say if he were alive today about the corporate education reform movement? What would he say about the contemporary effort to destroy childhood in the name of “standards”? How would he respond if a learned pedant told him that “as you grow up in this world, you will learn that no one gives a s–t what you think or feel”? How would he explain this to Alice? Would he even try?
Peter Greene: Which Part of the Reform Hydra-Headed Monster is Worst?
Peter Greene asks: if you had your choice, which head of the hydra-headed reform monster would you lop off first? Hint: one of those heads is essential for all the others. I agree with his choice.
Pennsylvania Blogger Has an Idea: Transparency
Keystone State Education Coalition Pennsylvania Education Policy Roundup for June 3, 2014: In God We Trust? How about a bill that would require charter and cyber schools to post their PA School Performance Profile scores prominently in any advertising paid for with public tax dollars? Blogger Rant: At a recent school board meeting I voted against authorizing a payment to Agora Cyber Charter School
JUN 09
CTU Protests Law to Cut Chicago Pensions
A statement from the Chicago Teachers Union: STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin June 9, 2014 312/329-6250 CTU on SB1922 signing: “Emanuel’s Law is another slap in the face to the citizens who put the governor and mayor in office.” CHICAGO—The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is greatly disappointed at the signing today by Gov. Pat Quinn of Senate Bill 1922, a proposal by the m
Cuomo Asserts Right to Shut Down Corruption Investigation
Andrew Cuomo told an editorial board meeting that he had the right to shut down a commission investigating corruption because he created it. “Gov. Cuomo denies interfering with his anti-corruption commission — but says even if he did, he’s allowed to. Appearing Wednesday before the Crain’s New York Business editorial board, Cuomo said the commission he formed was his to do with what he wanted. Ma
Meet Zephyr Teachout: Running Against Cuomo?
The Working Families Party briefly flirted with the possibility of running an independent slate. Its candidate for governor was going to be Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham Law professor who specializes in investigating public corruption. However, at the party’s annual convention, WFP endorsed Cuomo after he promised to govern like a Democrat instead of a conservative Republican. Teachout has not give
Paul Thomas: Why States’ Decision to Drop Common Core Is No Cause for Celebration
Paul Thomas explains here why the growing movement to drop the Common Core is strangely disappointing. Oklahoma has dropped Common Core for sure, and other states are making tentative moves in that direction. Whether they will drop CCSS or rebrand it is not clear. As Paul explains, the dissident states are not dropping CCSS and replacing it with a fresh strategy to address the needs of children.
Jeff Bryant: The Unwinding of “School Reform”
Jeff Bryant demonstrates that “school reform” (aka privatization) has hit a rough patch. Despite the giant publicity machine of the well-funded “reformers,” their claims are falling apart. Louisiana’s all-charter Recovery School District is in fact one of the lowest performing districts in the state. It is not a model for any other district. Bryant writes: “There’s no evidence anywhere that the
Pasi Sahlberg Speaks in Massachusetts on “Finnish Lessons”
Pasi Sahlberg, a visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, spoke recently to Citizens for Public Schools in Massachusetts. His topic: what can Massachusetts learn from “Finnish Lessons”? It is worth watching. Pasi is always a wonderful speaker, and he is a leader in the international fight to resist test-mania and privatization and to protect education and children.
Time for Congress to Investigate Bill Gates’ Coup
The story about Bill Gates’ swift and silent takeover of American education is startling. His role and the role of the U.S. Department of Education in drafting and imposing the Common Core standards on almost every state should be investigated by Congress. The idea that the richest man in America can purchase and–working closely with the U.S. Department of Education–impose new and untested academ
New Jersey Closes Small Charters to Make Way for Corporate Chains
We have all noticed what’s happening in the retail business: the big-box chains like Walmart drive the mom-and-pop stores out of business by cutting prices. At a certain point, you notice that all the little local shops are gone, vacant. The shops in the malls are doing well, but they are not locally owned. They are chain stores. This approach is now invading the world of charter schools. Textboo
JUN 08
Philadelphia: Celebrate The Notebook June 10
The Notebook is a reliable source for honest, balanced journalism in Philadelphia. If you are in the area, please celebrate its 20th anniversary, as well as its tribute to local high school journalists. Please reserve your spot for the Notebook’s annual Turning the Page for Change celebration on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, from 4:30 – 7 p.m. at the University of The Arts, Hamilton Hall, 320 S. Broad S
Anthony Cody Disagrees with Randi and Linda
Anthony Cody does not agree with Randi Weingarten and Linda Darling-Hammond. They recently published an article saying that California would be a model for the success of Common Core, because the new tests would be used to help schools, not to close them or to evaluate educators. Cody posts a video from the Common Core website. Here is the script: “Like it or not, life is full of measuring stick
Is Louisiana Superintendent John White Doing a Good Job?
Vote here: http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2014/06/education_supt_john_white_how.html#comments
Friedman Foundation Disagrees with Peter Greene
The Friedman Foundation, which has been porting vouchers and the dissolution of traditional public schools for many years, here disagrees with Peter Greene’s critique of school choice. The foundation’s namesake, Milton Friedman, began advocating for vouchers in 1955. The idea didn’t gain any traction until 1990, when Milwaukee adopted a voucher program. Today, Milwaukee is one of the nation’s lowe
Peter Greene: Why School Choice Is UnAmerican
Peter Greene maintains that advocates of school choice have sold us a pig in a poke. Or maybe they put lipstick on a pig. Whatever. He says that school choice is unAmerican. The goal of school choice is to turn us into consumers whose only interest is the welfare of our own child. But, he says, we all have an interest in the well-being of public schools, even if we don’t have children. Not only t
Peter Greene: Why Conservatives Should Oppose School Choice
Peter Greene says that there are at least four good reasons why conservatives hold oppose school choice. Before I tell you what his four reasons are, I will tell you that there are even more reasons for conservatives to support public schools. Conservatives generally are not radicals or anarchists; they typically “conserve” traditional institutions, not blow hem up and start over. Conservatives us
The Inside Story of How Bill Gates Bought the Common Core Standards
In a remarkable job of reporting, Lyndsey Layton of the Washington Post describes the creation of the Common Core standards. Two men–Gene Wilhoit and David Coleman–went to see Bill Gates in 2008 to ask him to underwrite national standards. He agreed, and within two years, the standards were written and adopted by almost every state in the nation. This is the closest thing to an educational coup i
JUN 07
Breaking News: Alabama Judge Overturns Law Giving Public Funds to Private Schools
A circuit court judge in Alabama ruled that a law to give public dollars to private schools is unconstitutional. “A program that pro-public education activists have called a throwback to the 1950s–a time when Alabama tried avoiding integration by directing public school funds to private schools–has been ruled unconstitutional by a Montgomery County circuit court judge. “The Alabama Accountability
Peter Greene: Tenure Under Attack in Pennsylvania
Peter Greene reports that teacher tenure (aka, the right to due process) is under attack in Pennsylvania. Not surprisingly, StudentsFirst is in the mix, urging the legislature to strip teachers of any and all job protections. He concludes: So the bottom line of this bill would be that any district can fire teachers at any time, based on an evaluation system that rests on bad data generated b
Josh Waldron Explains Why He Is Leaving
Josh Waldron has repeatedly been honored by the local Rotary Club as high school teacher of the year. He loves teaching. He planned a career as a teacher. But he is leaving. He explains why he is leaving here. You probably know why. It is always the same story. Budget cuts. Frozen salary. Every year, the district or the state invents new goals, new hoops to jump through. A parade of new ideas, th
Co-Locations Cheat Kids of Educational Opportunity and Equity
The Campaign for Educational Equity at Teachers College, Columbia, just released a report describing the ways that co-location of multiple schools into the same building reduces educational equity. The report is called “THE EFFECTS OF CO-LOCATION ON NEW YORK CITY’S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ALL STUDENTS A SOUND BASIC EDUCATION.” Co-location was a primary goal of the Bloomberg administration, which closed
George Joseph: Exposé of Trafficking in Teachers
This is an amazing story, written by investigative reporter George Joseph. It seems there are recruitment agencies that go to other nations, the Philippines especially, hire good teachers, charge outrageous placement fees, and send them to work in American schools. He writes: “Between 2007 and 2009, 350 Filipino teachers arrived in Louisiana, excited for the opportunity to teach math and science
Billionaires Pouring Campaign Contributions into Illinois
The Billionaire Boys Club and their allies are dumping campaign cash into races in Illinois. Money is arriving from the hedge fund managers and other super-rich who take a keen interest in privatization and in removing any due process from teachers. Democrats for a education Reform and Stand for Children, both with strong ties to the privatization movement, are very interested in picking the winn
Students in Ipswich, Mass., Request Payment for Taking Field Tests
Two sixth-grade classes in Ipswich, Massachusetts, lost a week of instruction while taking field tests, and they want to be paid for their time. “But for now the test is still in its trial period and Laroche’s 37 students are among the 81,000 that spent two 75-minute periods in March and two 90-minute periods this past week completing the test. “This time would have otherwise been spent writing a