Los Angeles: Steve Zimmer Endorses George McKenna for School Board
The election for the Los Angeles School Board seat in District 1 is Tuesday August 12. If you live in Board District 1, be sure to vote. Monica Ratliff endorsed veteran educator George McKenna. So did Steve Zimmer. Here is Steve Zimmer’s statement: I am posting this on Facebook in the hopes that each of my friends who lives in LAUSD Board District 1, works in Board District 1 or knows folks wh
Randi Weingarten to Pearson and NY Regents: Release the Tests!
AFT President Randi Weingarten Calls for Full Release of Test Questions WASHINGTON— Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten following news that a portion of the Common Core-aligned testing questions were released in New York as teachers and community members protest the overuse of testing in Albany. “Releasing just some of the Common Core-aligned test questions in the middle of the summer does
Breaking News: D.C. Halts Evaluating Teachers by Test Scores
District of Columbia Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced the suspension of the practice of evaluating teachers by their students’ test scores. This practice was considered the signal policy initiative of Henderson’s predecessor Michelle Rhee. Henderson described the move “as necessary in order to allow students to acclimate themselves to new tests built around the standards established by the Com
The Holes in the Chetty et al VAM Study as Seen by the American Statistical Association
This is an important article, which criticizes and deconstructs the notorious VAM study by Chetty et al. I refer to it as notorious because it was reported on the first page of the New York Times before it was peer-reviewed; it was immediately presented on the PBS Newshour; and President Obama referred to its findings in his State of the Union address only weeks after it first appeared. These mir
Fred Smith: Why is New York State Withholding Information about Pearson Tests?
Fred Smith worked for many years at the New York City Board of Education as a testing analyst. For all the parent groups who are upset by the over-testing of their children and concerned about the quality of the tests, Smith has become the go-to guy, who can be counted on to give a tough review of what the testing corporations are doing and what they should be doing. In this post, Smith takes th
Texas: What Happened When a Football Star Opened a Charter School
The New York Times has an amazing story by Michael Powell on the first page of Sunday’s sports section. Football star Deion Sanders won approval from the Texas Board of Education to open a charter school called Prime Prep Academy (Sanders’ nickname is Prime Time.) In no time at all, Sanders built a powerhouse of a sports academy. The school has a top-ranked basketball team, whose games are broadca
Cody and Aja: Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs
In the first appearance of Anthony Cody’s new, independent blog, Cody and Alan Aja write about the cynical effort to brand Common Core as part of “the civil rights movements.” No “reform” built on standardized testing can advance civil rights, they show. Common Core proponents recognize that they are losing the battle but attribute it to their failure to appeal to the emotions of the public. Not
Mercedes Schneider: Who Is Campbell Brown?
Mercedes Schneider checks out the origins and development of Campbell Brown, who is now threatening to take Michelle Rhee’s place as the leader of the anti-union, anti-teacher campaign. Mercedes hails from Louisiana, and so did Campbell. Campbell came from a very poor town called Ferriday. But she wasn’t poor. Her father served in the State Senate and as Secretary of State. She didn’t go to public
Edward Berger: Who Are the “Reformers” and What Do They Want?
Our wise friend Edward Berger took some time off from blogging, did some serious reflection, and has returned with some blockbuster posts. This one is called “Never Again! Now the Evidence is Irrefutable.” He describes three groups of reformers. He begins thus:: “While America was asleep at least three groups have moved to control American Education: “Group one, the most damaging, is motivated
David Sirota: Why Campbell Brown Refuses to Disclose Names of Donors
In her appearance on the Steven Colbert show, anti-union activist Campbell Brown refused to identify the names of her donors. One of her organizations is called, ironically, the Parents Transparency Project. Veteran journalist David Sirota writes: “As Brown keeps the identity of her financial backers under wraps, her organization describes itself as a group “whose mission is to bring transparenc
Gulen School Will Open in Chicago Building Owned by Bank Headed by School Board President
Will wonders never cease? Chicago seems to yearn for more Gulen charter schools, affiliated with the reclusive imam Fetullah Gulen. Gulen is the largest charter chain in the nation. They use a variety of names, but their boards are made up of Turkish men, as is most of their staff. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that a new Gulen school would open in a building owned by a bank whose chairman, David
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-10-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Anthony Cody Bids Farewell to Education WeekThis is Anthony Cody’s last blog post in Education Week, where his column “Living in Dialogue” appeared regularly beginning in 2008. Cody reviews the high points of his long run. He urged the selection of Linda Darling-Hammond or Pedro Noguera as Secretary of Educatiob by the new Presiden