Justice for Michael Brown
There have been far too many killings of unarmed young black men. The nation expressed shock when George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin in Florida. The nation should be even more outraged when young men like Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, are killed by the police. The U.S. Justice Department should set standards for the training of police officers so that the use of firearms is a last
Peter Greene Bids Farewell to Michelle and Answers Campbell
Peter Greene writes a farewell letter to Michelle and dissects Campbell Brown’s talking points. Peter speculates on Michelle’s departure and hopes she understands why she provoked the reactions she did:: “Maybe education was providing too few rewards and too much tempest. People have called you some awful names and said some terrible personal things about you, and though I have called you the Ki
FAIRTEST: Resistance to Overtesting Grows
Bob Schaeffer of Fairtest reports: The pace of assessment reform news accelerates as back-to-school season begins. Note the geographic breadth of the rapidly growing high-stakes testing resistance with stories from 17 states and the District of Columbia just this week. There are also several very good commentaries. Remaking Accountability in California: Moving Beyond Test Scores http://blogs.edwe
Louisiana School Board Sues State to Block Funding of Charter in Its District
The Iberville Parish school board decided to sue the state when it learned of the state’s plan to divert a sizable portion of the district’s basic funding to a new, for-profit charter school. “The Iberville Parish School Board decided Monday it would fight to retain more than $3.8 million in state funding by suing the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. “The school district is seek
Michigan: State Superintendent Flanagan Slaps Wrists of Failing Charter Authorizers
As we learned from the Detroit Free Press series on the state’s charter industry, it collects $1 billion from taxpayers without producing better results than public schools for the state’s neediest children. State Superintendent Mike Flanagan acted to warn the authorizers of the state’s lowest performing charters that he was warning them they were “At Risk of Suspension.” This warning applied to
Michigan State Board Calls for Sweeping Changes in Charter Law
The Michigan State Board of Education passed a resolution calling for reform of the state’s charter law. The vote was along party lines; the state board is dominated by Democrats but the legislature is not. The resolution was passed following a series in the Detroit Free Press showing that the state spends nearly $1 billion each year on charters, which are neither transparent nor accountable. “A
Stephen Krashen: Are Their Rich Kids Smarter Than Our Rich Kids?
Stephen Krashen, a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California and a noted linguist and researcher, wrote the following commentary: “Hanushek, Peterson and Woessmann (2014) claim that when we examine students from “advantaged” families, American students do poorly in math: Our rich kids do worse than rich kids from other countries. Hanushek et. al. conclude that this shows that po
George McKenna Wins Close Los Angeles School Board Race
In a close election, veteran educator George McKenna won a seat on the Los Angeles school board. His opponent, Alex Johnson, outspent him. McKenna supporters bit their nails for hours, waiting for the final tally, which was 53-47 in McKenna’s favor. It was a special election to fill the seat of the late Marguerite LaMotte. McKenna had 50 years experience in education. Johnson was a favorite of the
Mike Klonsky: Why Is Illinois Governor Quinn Losing to “the Worst Person in the World”?
Mike Klonsky tries to figure out why Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois is running behind in the polls to hedge fund manager Bruce Rauner, whom he dubs “the worst person in the world.” Rauner has spent a boatload of money on the race, but Klonsky doesn’t think that explains it. Quinn’srunning mate Paul Vallas has been no help, but that doesn’t explain it. Klonsky’s analysis: Quinn has run a bad cam
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-12-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Schneider: Are Common Core and Common Core Testing Illegal?Federal law states clearly that no agent of the federal government may seek to influence, direct, or control curriculum or instruction. For many decades, both parties agreed that they did not want the party in power to use federal power to control the schools of the nation.