Indiana: State Takeover and Privatization of 5 Schools Is Not Working
Under former State Superintendent Tony Bennett, five schools–four in Indianapolis and one in Gary–were taken over by the state and given to private operators. Students are leaving, there’s not enough money, and there is acrimony between the private operators and the schools. The new State Superintendent Glenda Ritz prefers improving schools rather than taking them over, but she is working with a
BAT Protest in D.C. On July 28
Want to let out leaders know that “enough is enough?” Join the BATs’ protest on July 28: BAT MARCH ON D.C. JULY 28TH, 10 am to 5 pm U.S.D.O.E. PLAZA 400 MARYLAND AVE, SW https://www.facebook.com/BATSMarchDC
New Group Asks Congress to Protect Student Privacy
In this era of Big Data, many organizations want to collect and use personal student data for their own ends. In recent years, the U.S Department of Education has weakened the privacy protections embedded in FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Parent activists wants Congress to take action to protect their children’s privacy rights. PRESS RELEASE July 23, 2014 For more informat
Ohio Will Investigate Only One Gulen Charter
Bill Phillis of the Ohio Coalition for Education and dequacy writes: The Ohio Department of Education will limit investigation to one Gulen Horizon Science Academy charter school. After four former teachers in a Dayton Horizon Science Academy charter school testified on July 15 regarding serious irregularities in that school setting, some state board of education members called on the Department
Jersey Jazzman: Civil Conversations Are Honest Conversations
Jersey Jazzman reacts to Andy Smarick’s call for civil conversations about charter schools. Those conversations won’t happen, JJ says, until reformers tell the truth about charter schools. Where they seem to succeed, they don’t enroll the same students. Or they have high attrition rates. Or they have scads of money. Why not say so. He quotes Peter Greene on the same subject, in Peter’s inimitable
Peter Greene: Without Honesty, There Can Be No Conversation
Peter Greene continues the debate about reform, civility, and honesty. Have critics of the reformers corrupted the debate by being snarky? Or have reformers corrupted the debate by calling themselves reformers as they seek to strip teachers of job rights and taking money from public schools for religious and private schools? Greene writes: . “We play a lot of games with defining what qualifies
Charter Schools: Do They Deserve Closer Scrutiny? Or Legitimacy?
Andy Smarick, a partner at Bellweather Associates, a senior fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a former deputy commissioner of education in New Jersey for Governor Christie, and a man with a long list of other affiliations with conservative groups and politicians, loves charter schools. he sees them as the wave of the future, replacing “failing” public schools in urban and suburban areas a
Deregulation of the Economy and of Education: Who Benefits?
This reader commented on a post called “Is the Charter Movement Imploding?” That post reviewed some recent egregious charter school scandals. He wrote: “One purpose of school privatization is to bring about “deregulation” of the education system. wherever and whenever deregulation has been permitted to proceed, the result, for public goods and services, has been disastrous. The financial collapse
Bruce Baker: How to Use Bogus Data to Seek More Money for Charter Schools
The University of Arkansas issued a study claiming that charter schools get a higher “return on investment” than public schools, yet are underfunded especially given their great “productivity” and “ROI.” (I admit I stumble over the idea of applying ROI when we are talking about education and children, but that’s just me.) Bruce Baker of Rutgers University analyzes the University of Arkansas study
YESTERDAY
Breaking News! Valarie Wilson Wins Democratic Primary for Georgia State Superintendent
Valarie Wilson won the runoff election to be the Democratic candidate for Georgia’s State Superintendent of Education. The Republican primary was too close to call. Valarie Wilson was endorsed by the Network for Public Education as a true friend of public schools. Her opponent, Alisha Thomas Morgan, was supported by the hedge fund group Democrats for Education Reform, Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFir
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-22-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Nevada Teacher to Senator Harry Reid: We Need Your Help!Angie Sullivan is a teacher-warrior who never gives up the fight for quality education in Nevada. She wants qualified teachers and adequate funding. She won’t back down. She wrote this letter to Senator Harry Reid: “@TeachForAmerica: “You’ve done so much to help our country.”