I Think I Love Lily Eskelsen
I read Jeff Bryant’s interview with the President-elect of NEA, Lily Eskelsen, and I think I love her. She is smart, strong, and she doesn’t mince words. She was a classroom teacher for many years, and she speaks from experience teaching many kinds of kids, including kids in special education and kids in a homeless shelter. She knows that VAM is ridiculous. She knows that tests can be valuable
Protest Outside Colbert Show
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Julian Vinocur, julian@aqeny.org, 212-328-9268 Maria Bautista, maria@aqeny.org, 347-622-9706 *** Media Advisory for July 31st, 4:15pm, Outside Colbert Report Studio Taping 513 West 54th St.*** Parents and Teachers to Protest Campbell Brown’s Appearance On Colbert Report Growing Outrage Over Brown’s Refusal to Disclose Wall Street Backers, While Proclaiming to Speak f
The Guardian: Why Payment by Results Is “Dangerous Idiocy”
The Guardian of London has an excellent article that explains why payment by results always fails. The article is based on a study that the article links to. Two examples of payment by results in the current “education reform” strategy that is promoted by the Obama administration: basing teacher evaluation on test scores and merit pay. The article calls payment by results in “dangerous idiocy” an
Pasi Sahlberg: How American Innovation Improved Finnish Education
The renowned Finnish educator, Pasi Sahlberg, explains how major American innovations improved education in Finland but are all too often forgotten here, where they originated. He begins with a new report from the OECD that measures educational innovation between 2003 and 2011. The U.S. does not get high rankings from the OECD, yet oddly enough, other nations send delegations here to learn about
Jersey Jazzman: What Does Campbell Brown Want?
Jersey Jazzman writes that we know what Campbell Brown is against: bad teachers. She says teachers should have due process protections. So does Arne Duncan. Unions would agree with them that termination hearings should not be expensive and endless. So what does she want? Jersey Jazzman writes: “Campbell, I’d be a lot less inclined to question your motivations if you would just do us all a favor
Gary Rubinstein: Race to the Top Was a Wasted Opportunity
Gary Rubinstein, former TFA but now veteran high school math teacher wrote this article in Education Week about the failure of Race to the Top. I wish I didn’t have to delete any part of it but Internet or copyright protocols require me to. Subscribe to Edweek so you can read it all. And be sure to follow Gary’s blog. “Years from now, I hope we will look back at Race To The Top as the time we allo
Tonight! Tweet to Stephen Colbert re Tenure Lawsuit
Teachers, time to make your voices heard! Parents, help your children’s teachers get fair treatment! Students, you need teachers who can speak truth without fear! Teachers should not be fired for teaching “The Invisible Man.” Teachers should not be fired for opposing war. Teachers should not be fired for allowing students to express controversial views. Teachers should have due process, the right
How Pearson’s Common Core Tests Are Designed to Fail Your Children
This is a must-read article. One of the best education writers in New York State is Gary Stern of lohud.com, which covers the Lower Hudson region. This article shows how the passing marks (“cut scores”) were set for the state’s Common Core tests. It is a story that should have appeared in the New York Times. The State Education Department likes to boast that the cut scores are set by teachers. Th
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-30-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Eva Moskowitz Set to Dominate New York City Charter LandscapeEva Moskowitz has applied to the State University of New York‘s Charter School Institute for permission to open another 14 charter schools in New York City by 2016, a request that seems sure to be approved. Chalkbeat reports: “If Success’ proposal to open 14 new schoo