Politico: AFT Opens Up Common Core Debate
Stephanie Simon of politico.com reports that Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has invited members to debate the Common Core standards at the organization’s convention in Los Angeles. Until now, Weingarten and the AFT have strongly defended the standards. But she has been reconsidering their value over the past 15 months. In April 2013, she said in a major speech
Why the California Teachers Association Launched the Call for Duncan’s Resignation
The California Teachers Association introduced the resolution calling for Arne Duncan to resign. Similar proposals had been defeated in 2011 and 2012. This one passed. Here it is. Duncan is without question the most anti-teacher,anti-public schoolSecretary of Education in our history, and I say that advisedly. Both Bill Bennett Reagan’s second term Secretary) and Rod Paige (George W. Bush’s first
Charter School Corruption in North Carolina
To think about charter schools in America today, you have to separate the rhetoric from the reality. It helps to have a guide, someone who sees the man behind the curtain. Blowing smoke in the eyes of the media and the public. Fortunately there is such a man in North Carolina. His name is George Hartzman. He is a financial consultant. The smoke machine doesn’t blind him to the reality. The rhetor
John Ogozolak’s Choice: Clean a Septic Tank or Grade a Test?
John Ogozokak, a high school teacher in upstate New York, ponders here which is the more meaningful task: to clean a septic tank or to grade a standardized test: About a half dozen years ago the septic tank lurking beside our old farmhouse went kerflooey. I dug out the top of the rusty thing and it was clear something VERY wrong had happened. I’ll spare you the graphic details but suffice to say
Paul Thomas: The U.S. Needs a New Mythology to Stop Blaming Victims
Paul Thomas uses “Hamlet” and allegory to make the point that the myth of rugged individualism is over, that we are ruled by an oligarchy, and that we must redirect our belief system to recognize reality. He writes: “The U.S. is trapped in our false myths—the rugged individual, pulling one’s self up by the bootstraps—and as a result, we persist in blaming the poor for being poor, women for being
Paul Bucheit: Five Facts for Dangerously Deluded Education “Reformers”
Paul Bucheit writes about five aspects of corporate education reform. 1. Privatization takes from the poor and gives to the rich. 2. Testing doesn’t work. 3. The arts make better scientists. 4. Privatization means unequal opportunity for all. 5. Reformers are primarily business people, not educators. To read his explanation, open the link.
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-10-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Reader: That Nonsensical Moratorium on High-StakesThe Gates Foundation called for a two-year suspension of the high stakes evaluation of teachers–ratings and rankings tied to student scores—but not a moratorium on the testing. A reader writes: “If there is a moratorium on the evaluations connected to the tests, then there is no poi