Jon Pelto: Meet the Latest Education Reformer with a Dubious Degree
Jon Pelto reports that New London, Connecticut, is about to award a lucrative contract as superintendent to a “reformer” who has called himself “Dr.” without having earned a doctorate. Pelto commends Hartford Courant reporter Jon Lender for digging up the story. Pelto writes: “For more than eight years, “Dr.” Terrence Carter, the incoming New London superintendent of schools and self-described e
NYC Public Advocate Letitia James Chastises Commissioner John King
New York City’s Public Advocate Letitia James wrote the following letter to John King but has received no answer. King believes that children must be tested as a matter of civil rights. James, who is also African American, does not agree. What do you think? PUBLIC ADVOCATE FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK Letitia James June 25, 2014 Commissioner John King 89 Washington Avenue Albany, NY 12234 Dear Commiss
When It Comes to School Reform, Make It Up
This letter came from an anonymous source in San Francisco whom I know to be trustworthy. Why the anonymity? The usual reason: fear of being fired for blowing the whistle. It raises the question of why some people teach under difficult circumstances when they could hang up a shingle with a snappy name and get funded for big ideas that have never been tried. He writes: Tom Vander Ark’s Ed Week co
Arthur Goldstein: Why Good Teachers Need Tenure Too
Arthur Goldstein, a high school teacher of English as a Second Language in New York City, explains in this article that good teachers need tenure too. Goldstein gives examples of teachers who were denied tenure because they stood up for the rights of their students. When he made demands on behalf of his students, only tenure protected him from being fired. He writes: “Shortly thereafter, I req
Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Among Charter Schools
Here is the latest federal government report on fraud, waste, and abuse in the charter sector. It was released in May 2014 by the Center for Popular Democracy and Integrity in Education. The most common type of fraud identified was embezzlement. CHARTER SCHOOL VULNERABILITIES TO WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE With the increase in funding that schools are receiving through the Recovery Act, we issued a r
Opposition to Testing Continues to Accelerate
The regular report from Bob Schaeffer of Fairtest: The accelerating testing resistance and reform movement is beginning to produce modest victories across the country. Reflecting constituent pressure, more politicians are speaking out against over-testing. A few have established commissions to investigate the problem (and solutions). Several state legislatures have voted to cut back the number of
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 7-19-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGCuomo’s Democratic Challenger Opposes Common CoreZephyr Teachout, who is opposing Governor Cuomo in the New York Democratic primary, explained her strong opposition to the Common Core standards, which Cuomo supports. She writes: “Common Core forces teachers to adhere to a narrow set of standards, rather than address the p