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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
Civil rights attorney Wendy Lecker chastises a charter advocate who says that all charters should not be smeared by the recent scandals involving Jumoke Academy, “Dr.” Michael Sharpe, and “Dr.” Terrence Carter. Her own charter, she says, has an open lottery and accepts all who win the lottery. Lecker offers a mini-history lesson about how “choice” schools served in the South to perpetuate segrega
Do You Want to Join “Lace to the Top”?
There is a secret society that was created by a couple of dads who are teachers on Long Island. They were worried about all the testing and the way that schools were misusing the test results to label kids. These dads wanted to protect their children–their own and the ones they teach and even the ones they don’t teach–from practices that they knew were harmful. But what to do? First they dressed u
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that immigrant children without citizenship status have the right to free public schooling, Fox News has taken a strong stand in opposition, according to Media Matters for America. Its researchers write: Fox News Decries Granting Undocumented Children Their Right To Access Public Education Fox News personalities criticized a plan allowing newly arrived child migrant
In New York State, a small group of Democrats in the State Senate flipped their allegiance to the Republicans, giving Republicans control of the Senate. Republican control of the Senate worked to the benefit of the 1%. One of that group was State Senator Jeffrey Klein. He just won the endorsement of the New York State United Teachers. This is bizarre. According to this blogger, Perdido Street Sc
EduShyster sat down with journalist Richard Whitmire to learn about his new book on Rocketship charters. Whitmire’s last book was an admiring portrait of Michelle Rhee. EduShyster asked about John Danner, the founder of Rocketship, who decided to change the instructional model in only one year. He likes the idea of disruptive change. When asked about this, Whitmire said: Whitmire: [Rocketship fou
In Louisiana, a judge turned back the appeal of 17 legislators who wanted to stop the implementation of Common Core and CC testing. The legislators claimed that the state had adopted this set of standards and tests without going through the proper procedures, including hearings. State Commissioner John White said that implementation would proceed. There are more legal challenges in the offing.
Reader Art Seagal comments on the latest, most destructive fads in American education–destructive because they are mandatory and do not permit teacher judgment or professionalism. Seagal writes: I just read a telling article in an alumni magazine all about one man’s (Clayton Christensen) business concept – “disruptive innovation”. Sadly, our nation’s children and teachers have become pawns in a
Paul Thomas: Time for Phase 3 in the Resistance to the Corporate Takeover
Paul Thomas says that events are moving swiftly, and we must move with them. When the corporate reform movement started, educators were taken by surprise and treated by children. When did it start? Was it the accountability movement that began after “A Nation at Risk” in 1983? Was it the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001? Or the election of Michael Bloomberg in 2001 and years of pointing to
The Onion: “Nothing But Tears” to Toughen Up Your Baby!
This is hilarious! The Onion reports that Johnson & Johnson will produce a new baby shampoo called “Nothing But Tears,” guaranteed to make babies cry. This will toughen them up. In Valerie Strauss’s blog, “Nothing But Tears” is Common Core infused and endorsed by Emperor Bill Gates. “Because it’s never too early to grow the hell up! Guaranteed kindergarten ready! Extra grit!”
YESTERDAY
Chicago Tribune Poll: Voters Reject Rahm’s Education Policies, Favor CTU
The Chicago Tribune’s poll of voters‘ views of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s school policies showed very low approval for the Mayor. The mayoral election is in February 2015, and it appears that education is Rahm’s weak spot. He favors charter schools and shut down nearly 50 public schools in one fell swoop, an act unprecedented in American history. He has fought bitterly with the Chicago Teachers Union ov
Gates Foundation Funds “Consumer Reports” for Common Core Resources
The long arm of the Gates Foundation reaches out to create a rating system for Common Core-aligned materials. Not content to have paid for the writing of the CCSS. the evaluation of the CCSS, the implementation of the CCSS, and the promotion of and advocacy for the CCSS, the foundation wants to take the next step to make sure no one uses anything less than stellar CCSS. In politico.com today:
Paul Thomas: Why South Carolina Should Copy Oklahoma, Not Florida
Paul Thomas writes that education policies now being decided by elected officials who don’t know that there is a research base, actual evidence that should be considered before acting. Some policies are popular despite the evidence about them, not because of it. Thomas cites two policies, both promoted by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, that are popular these days despite the evidence: charter
New York’s Phony Test Score Increases
Yesterday, state officials were celebrating the latest test scores. English was flat; math was up a few points. But stop the party! It turns out that the passing mark was lowered.
Cheating in Top School in Dallas
Jeffrey Weiss and Matthew Haag report in the Dallas Morning News about a cheating scandal at one of Dallas’s top-rated schools: “Umphrey Lee Elementary was recognized as one of the best schools in Dallas, based primarily on the students’ STAAR results. But Dallas ISD officials concluded that was a sham, a distinction propped up by teachers feeding students answers on most of the 2012-13 state ass
Julie Cavanagh: Common Core Was Designed to Fail Kids
In as sharp a summary as I have read, Julie Cavanaugh explains what’s wrong with Common Core. Julie is a teacher of special education in a poor neighborhood in Néw York City. She writes that Common Core and its tests were designed to create a narrative of failure. They divert billions to testing companies and consultants that should be spent directly to help children. She writes about the latest s
Jeannie Kaplan: Reform Has Failed in Denver
Jeannie Kaplan, who served as an elected member of the Denver Board of Education, here reviews the latest test scores for that city and declares that “reform” has been a failure. She writes: “Colorado released its 2014 standardized test results (TCAPs) today. Here is a quick and dirty overview of how Denver Public Schools fared. This analysis focuses on proficiency, not growth. Some say proficie
North Carolina: How Teachers Can Give Themselves a Raise
Civitas is a libertarian, anti-union organization in North Carolina. It is funded by Art Pope, who may be the most powerful powerbroker in the state. Civitas recently put up billboards saying “Teachers: Want a $450 Raise?” If teachers go to the Civitas website, they will learn that they can increase their annual salary by $450 if they quit the North Carolina Association of Educators, which is affi
Kipp Dawson: Only Democracy Can Save Our Unions
Kipp Dawson, a teacher in Pittsburgh public schools and a dedicated member of the American Federation of Teachers, attended the recent AFT convention in Los Angeles. She experienced a convening of brothers and sisters in the movement that encouraged her. Yet she was disheartened by the iron control of the New York City-based Unity Caucus, which dominates the Progressive Caucus, which calls the sho
Peter Greene: What It Means to Teach Without Tenure
Peter Greene describes what it would be like to teach in a public school without tenure. Anyone in the building with more authority than a teacher has the power to end his or her career, for any reason. The worst thing, he writes, is not that you can be fired for anything at all. The worst thing is the threat of firing. He writes: “Firing ends a teacher’s career. The threat of firing allows oth
California Investigating Magnolia Charter Schools
Another scoop by KPCC’s Annie Gilbertson. The California State Auditor is investigating four of the state’s 11 Magnolia Science Academies, part of the Gulen charter chain. “After sampling transactions from Magnolia campuses in 2012, L.A. Unified found over $43,000 in duplicate payments to vendors, flagging those as potential misuse of funds. “The Los Angeles Unified school board ordered a second
AUG 14
Public Employees Federation Endorses Teachout
As the New York Daily News put it, today was not a good day for Governor Cuomo. First the New York State United Teachers decided not to endorse him or anyone else. Then the Public Employees Federation endorsed Zephyr Teachout. He still has $35 million in campaign funds, but a steamroller he is not. He hoped to be re-elected with such impressive numbers that he would be seen as Presidential tim
This Was Michael Brown’s High School
Michael Brown, the youth who was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, graduated from Normandy High School. You may recall reading here that the Normandy School District, which was 98% African-American, was merged by the state with the nearby Wellston School District, which was 100% African-American. Michael’s graduation picture was taken in March 2014. Why so far ahead of the graduation date?
NY Parent-Educator Group Outraged by Quality and Accuracy of Common Core Test Scores
New York released its 2014 test scores today. The proportion of students reaching “proficiency” English was flat, and there was a small increase in math. Unfortunately, in both subjects, a large majority of students in grades 3-8 were “not proficient.” As I have pointed out in earlier blogs, the Common Core tests in New York and elsewhere decided to adopt a very high bar for their definition of “p
New York State United Teachers Will Not Endorse Cuomo
The New York State United Teachers decided not to endorse Andrew Cuomo for re-election, nor anyone else. NYSUT has 600,000 members and a strong get-out-the-vote operation. It did endorse the Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. “Those who earn endorsements are friends of public education and labor,” NYSUT president Karen Magee said in a statement. “Over
Two Teachers Write a Letter to Whoopi Goldberg
Two teachers from Long Island, New York, wrote a letter to Whoopi Goldberg to explain to her that “tenure” means “due process.” Alicia Connelly-Foster of the Patchogue-Medford Congress of Teachers, NYSUT, AFT, NEA, and Viri Pettersen, President- Rockville Centre Teachers Association, NYSUT, AFT, NEA patiently explain that it takes a minimum of three years for a teacher to win tenure, during which
Oklahoma PTA Unanimously Calls for End to High-Stakes Testing
At its annual meeting, the Oklahoma PTA called for a ban on high-stakes testing. As parents and grandparents, no one can remember a world in which standardized testing is as important as it is today, thanks to No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. Parents in Oklahoma said: Enough is enough.” The following was reported in the Oklahoma PTA journal. “July 18, 2014 – Tulsa: Over 340 delegates at
Stephanie Simon: The Inside Story of Why Michelle Rhee-Johnson Stepped Down
Stephanie Simon of politico.com reports on the story behind Michelle Rhee-Johnson’s decision to step down as leader of StudentsFirst, the organization she founded in 2010. Although she managed to raise some millions from big donors like the Eli and Edythe BroadFoundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Michael Bloomberg Foundation for her efforts to curb collective bargaining, eliminate te
Harvard Legal Scholar Laurence H. Tribe Joins Campaign Against Tenure
Politico.com reports this morning that Laurence H. Tribe, a legal scholar Harvard, has joined the campaign to eliminate teacher tenure. “Students Matter, which led the Vergara lawsuit to overturn teacher tenure and other job protections in California, will announce this morning that constitutional scholar Laurence H. Tribe is joining the group as senior adviser. Tribe, a Harvard law professor, wil
Laura H. Chapman on the Common Core Standards
Laura H. Chapman is a consultant on arts education who contributes frequently to the blog. Here is her response to the Common Core standards: Rather than simply “correcting” the inadequate Common Core standards, they should be reconstructed and redesigned from the ground up.” NO. No. No. They should be tossed–folded, stapled, mutilated, burned. They are based on lies about “college readiness,”
Missouri: Rex Sinquefeld Wants to Gut Local Control and Impose Unfunded Mandates
Multimillionaire equity investor Rex Sinquefeld doesn’t like public education. Apparently he doesn’t like teachers either. He doesn’t think teachers should be evaluated by their administrators but by the standardized test scores of their students. Evidently he doesn’t know that this method of evaluating teachers has failed to work wherever it was tried; evidently he doesn’t know that even the Dist
Rex Sinquefeld: Why Does He Want to Buy the State of Missouri?
Rex Sinquefeld is a billionaire (or maybe just a multi-millionaire) who has poured millions of dollars into political campaigns in Missouri. He is not satisfied with what he has. He wants lower taxes, less government, and the privatization of public schools. He doesn’t want workers to have any rights. Read about him and his political activities in these reports prepared by the Center for Media a
AUG 13
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
AUG 12
Breaking News: Florida School Board Wants Entire District to Opt Out!
The Lee School Board in Florida wants to opt out of all standardized testing. They have listened to parents. They are tired of enriching Pearson. “FCAT. Florida Standards. Common core. “No matter what you call it, the school board wants it gone. “Board members unanimously expressed their disdain for standardized testing at the school board meeting Tuesday, pledging to research the possibility of
Breaking News: Michelle Rhee Will Step Down as CEO of Students First
Joy Resmovits of Huffington Post reports that Michelle Rhee is stepping down as leader of StudentsFirst, a group she founded in 2010. She is likely to remain a board member. She recently changed her name to Michelle Johnson. “StudentsFirst was launched on Oprah’s TV talk show in late 2010 and immediately set ambitious goals, such as amassing $1 billion in its first year and becoming education’s lo
Michigan: State Board of Education Debating New Rules for Charters
Lori Higgins reported in the Detroit Free Press on Monday that the State Board of Education was debating new rules to make charter schools more transparent and accountable. Most charters in the state operate for profit and don’t believe in opening up their operations to prying eyes. We will see how this turns out. She wrote: “The State Board of Education on Tuesday is set to debate a proposal to
New York: Report on Inequitable Funding
Governor Cuomo oftens complains about spending on public schools. But he fails to mention budget cuts and inequitable funding. A new report by the Alliance for Quality Education lays out the facts and their consequences for Néw York’s public schools. Good report /summary below of funding gap and education cuts since CFE. New York state’s public schools have suffered devastating budget cuts over th
Mourning a Great Teacher: Robin Williams
We have become accustomed in recent years to seeing films in which teachers are shown as lazy, greedy slugs. This fits nicely with the corporate reform narrative that seeks to strip all honor, dignity, and rights from teachers. Teachers don’t deserve those mean-spirited caricatures, nor the treatment they receive from legislatures. Remembering Robin Williams’ portrayal of English teacher John Keat
Linda Darling-Hammond: California Is NOT Lowering Standards for Teachers
In the past few days, there has been vigorous debate about whether California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing was lowering standards; some critics went so far as to claim that future teachers in core subject areas would no longer need a four-year degree of any kind. None of this was true. I reached out to friends across California who assured me that it was untrue. Just this morning, the Sac
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. Thus, while it was appropriate for the U.S. Department of Education to use its funding to enforce Supreme Court decisions to
Lisa Woods: Why Schools Don’t Run Like Businesses
Lisa Woods, who has taught for 25 years, explains clearly in this post why schools will never run like businesses. It originally appeared. In the Greensboro (N.C.) News-Record. She asks readers to imagine a job where one’s compensation depends one’s “job performance and value” depend on the following conditions: “* You are meeting with 35 clients in a room designed to hold 20. “* The a
Long Island Educators Invite You to Dream About Better Education
Join educators and community leaders for an important one day Summer Institute to provide an alternate pathway to the test based accountability system. On August 21st, leaders will convene at Dowling College from 8:30am- 3:00 pm to explore the work of Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves (Professional Capital) as they work collaboratively to build the social capital needed to confront the de-profess
AUG 11
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. http://edwardfberger.com/ He begins thus:: “While America was asleep at least three groups have moved to control American Education: “Group one, the mos
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
AUG 10
Pharrell Williams: “Where Would I Be Without My Band Teachers?”
Thanks to Jere Hochman, superintendent of the Bedford Central School District, for bringing this wonderful story to my attention. Phenomenally successful musician-singer-producer Pharrell Williams tells his story to CBS News. He grew up in Virginia Beach, where his father was a handyman and his mother was a teacher. When he was 15, his grandmother encouraged him to get involved in music and learn
California is Not Lowering Standards for Teachers
I recently received anxious inquiries from friends in California who read an article in the Sacramento Bee claiming that the state was lowering standards for new teachers. The authors of the article said that the California Commision on Teacher Credentialing was dropping the requirement of a four-year degree in academic subject areas. They wrote: “The commission has effectively lowered teaching
A Few Reasons You Should Vote for George McKenna in Los Angeles School Board Race
Ellen Lubic of Los Angeles sent the following roundup of editorials and news stories endorsing George McKenna for the school board race in Los Angeles. Control of the board hinges on the outcome of this election. The vote takes place August 12. Ellen Lubic writes: Forgive this very long comment below. It is the latest blog post of Scott Folsom, the well known advocate for public schools and thei
Anthony Cody Bids Farewell to Education Week
This 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 President Obama. Lost that one. He began to follow the writing of the Common Core by “the Secret Sixty.” he began to sh
Newt Gingrich, Educational Expert, Says We Must Replace Teachers with Technology
When I was writing my book “Reign of Error,” I wrote about Jeb Bush’s plan called “Digital Learning Now!” It made bold promises about how technology would bring about a wonderful new world of learning and equity and why every district should open their doors to online schools and deregulate them. they need not even have a physical office in the state. Then I went in search of the research on which
Dormand Long: How “Cost-Effective” Should Schools Be?
Dormand Long commented on a post by Bruce Baker. Baker criticized University of Arkansas study that hailed charter schools as more “cost-effective” than public schools. In other contexts, reformers have referred to children as “human assets” and “human capital.” This reflects the migration of business terminology into not only education but the way we think and talk about children. Frankly, as a m
AUG 09
Charter Showdown in Nashville School Board Race: UPDATE, ELECTION OVER
REVISION: This election was held on August 7. Mary Pierce, the candidate endorsed by Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst won. My error. Wish I had known about it sooner. There will be a crucial school board race on Tuesday in Nashville. Becky Sharpe, who has been endorsed by the Metro Nashville Education Association, is running against Mary Pierce, who has been endorsed by Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirs
Paul Karrer: Tenure Gives Teachers Freedom to Teach
Paul Karrer was the 2009 North Monterey LULAC Teacher of the Year. He has taught in Korea , Samoa , England , Connecticut , and is currently a fifth-grade tenured teacher in Castroville Elementary School, Castroville California. In this article, Karrer explains why tenure is necessary: it protects teachers from the latest fad or misguided mandate. He writes that teachers are subject to “a revolvi
Wallethub: The Best and Worst State School Systems
I don’t put a lot of credibility in state rankings, except to the extent that it shows state officials where they need to make improvements. I have a hard time imagining any family saying, “Hey, I just saw this ranking of states. Let’s move from Mississippi to New Jersey.” And then there is the problem of conflicting rankings. The states that Michelle Rhee ranked among the best came in poorly in
Lloyd Lofthouse on the Vergara Ruling
Lloyd Lofthouse is an experienced educator and commentator on the blog: “In the Vergara trial—I think the verdict was bought and paid for in some way—the judge’s verdict was based on unproven theories that a few incompetent teachers would ruin a child’s ability to earn an education. The numbers presented in one theory were one to two percent of teachers could be incompetent—not “are incompeten” b
What North Carolina Teachers Say About That “Historic Pay Raise”
Stuart Egan, a teacher in Clemmons, North Carolina, wrote to tell me that teachers who have been teaching 33 years or more received a pay cut under the new state budget. One friend took an annual cut of $4866.35. Stuart added the following letter: Dr. Ravitch, The following Facebook posting is from a teacher in Cleveland County. Its contents are not that surprising, especially if you have been a
James D. Hogan: The Pay Scale That No Politician Wants You to See
James D. Hogan, a former high school English teacher who now teaches in a liberal arts college, decided to fact check the North Carolina legislature’s claim of a “historic pay raise” for the state’s teachers. Other states have been luring North Carolina teachers away with a promise of higher salaries. North Carolina has more National Board Certified Teachers an any other state. The state’s elected