Diane Ravitch's blog
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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
If teachers had turned out to vote–teacher Justin Katz would have been in the runoff for the Palm Beach County school board. He lost by 54 votes of 15,400 votes cast. Teacher Joshua Katz lost in Orange County by 67 votes out of 14,500 cast. The moral of the story: if you want change, get out and vote!
Alan Singer compares Arne Duncan’s recent denunciation of over-testing–that is, his own policy in Race to the Top–to George W. Bush’s infamous victory speech in Iraq under a banner saying “Mission Accomplished.” He notes that Duncan offers a one-year delay in using test scores to evaluate teachers, while the other leading voice in American education proposed a two-year moratorium. Wouldn’t you th
Last week, the Lee County, Florida, school board voted 3-2 to remove the district from state testing. Some members want to reconsider. They have scheduled a meeting at a time when students, parents, and teachers are likely to be unavailable. Bob Schaeffer of Fartest issued the following statement: for immediate release Friday, August 29, 2014 NATIONAL CENTER FOR FAIR & OPEN TESTIN
Dr. Nicholas Gledich, Superintendent of Colorado Springs School District 12 has proposed a three year moratorium on high stakes standardized testing. This takes courage in test-happy Colorado. Dr. Gledich understands that high-stakes testing cheapens education, demoralizes teachers, and makes testing far more important than it should be. Tests should be used periodically to see how students are d
In a stirring editorial, the “Nation” magazine endorsed Zephyr Teachout for Governor of New York. Its editorial makes clear that Andrew Cuomo has served the interests of Wall Street, not the people of New York. He is an austerity Governor who has been a disaster for the state’s public schools and children, as well as those who serve the children. It says, in part: “We believe New Yorkers who wan
Crazy Crawfish and Mike Deshotels: Test Score Manipulation in Louisiana Hides Declines
Veteran educator Michael Deshotels filed a public records request last June to find out how the state tests were scored. The state claimed that the tests were harder but the scores held steady. Deshotels got the records and concluded that the state had manipulated the scoring of the tests. He writes: “It turns out that the number of correct answers required for a passing score (or a level of bas
Connecticut: New London School Board Withdraws Offer to Terrence Carter
The New London school board voted 6-0 to withdraw its offer of a contract for the superintendent job to Terrence Carter, a leader of the school turnaround organization AUSL in Chicago. After the “Hartford Courant” published articles about discrepancies in the background of the man chosen to be the next superintendent of the New London schools, the school board asked a law firm to investigate the
Ruth Conniff: The FBI Is Investigating Charter School Malfeasance
Ruth Conniff of “The Progressive” reports that the FBI is becoming more assertive in its investigation of criminal behavior by charter schools. Charter schools receive millions of dollars of public money with minimal accountability. In some states, they have gone to court to fight public audits, claiming that the schools are public but the organization running them is a private corporation. Conni
Florida: Charter Schools Making Big Profits from Real Estate Deals
Why do we see the same story in state after state? Wherever for-profit charter schools exist or wherever state law allows charter schools to hire for-profit management companies, someone is making a lot of money that was supposed to go for educating students. The latest story comes from Florida, where for-profit charter entrepreneurs are making big dough. Noah Pransky of WTSP writes about the fi
Breaking News: Governor Jerry Brown Appeals Vergara Decision
In a much-awaited decision, Governor Jerry Brown has appealed the Vergara decision. LOS ANGELES (CBS / AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown appealed a court ruling that struck down tenure and other job protections for California’s teachers, setting himself apart from leaders in some other states who have fought to end such protections or at least raise the standards for obtaining them. Attorney General Kamala
YESTERDAY
California: Torlakson Will Seek Appeal of Vergara Decision
Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Schools in California, issued a statement today declaring his decision to seek appellate review of the Vergara decision. Torlakson is a veteran educator. His opponent Marshall Tuck immediately attacked Torlakson. Tuck, a former investment banker, was active in the charter school movement. Tenure is not the only or the most important issue that divides them. T
Jon Pelto: The End of His Campaign But Not His Advocacy for Education and Democracy
Jonathan Pelto will not be on the ballot in Connecticut as a Gubernatorial candidate. He did his best but did not collect enough signatures. He raised important issues, which should be raised by the media and the public during the campaign. That is the role of protest candidates. Thank you, Jon, for being a stalwart champion of children, teachers, and public education. Here is his statement: “Pe
Texas Tribune: The Best Article on Texas School Funding Decision
Morgan Smith wrote the best article I have seen so far on the decision by Judge John Dietz ruling that school funding in Texas is inequitable and unconstitutional. This article includes links to the decision and findings. I repeat what the judge said last year because it is so simple yet eloquent as an explanation of our civic duty to our children. Note also that the judge ruled against the appea
Peter Greene: Are Duncan’s Waivers Unconstitutional?
Peter Greene discovered an article in the Vanderbilt Law Review by University of South Carolina law professor Derek W. Black that argues that Arne Duncan’s waivers from NCLB are unconstitutional. Greene writes, quoting the article by Black: “Two of the most significant events in the history of public education occurred over the last year. First, after two centuries of local control and variation,
Flash! Palm Beach County, Florida, Considers Opting Out of State Testing
Does Palm Beach County, Florida, have the nerve to follow the example set by Lee County, Florida, which voted last week to opt the entire district out of state testing? The Palm Beach County school board is weighing that decision, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “Palm Beach County School Board members want to opt out of state-required testing, a controversial move that could jeopardize funding, a
Annie Gilbertson: L.A. Officials on Tech Bid Committee Got Free iPads, Resort Trip
Annie Gilbertson of public radio KPCC in Los Angeles has another scoop. Officials who were on the committee to choose the winning bid for LAUSD’s huge technology purchase received free iPads and the cost of their trip to a meeting at a resort was underwritten by the Pearson Foundation. She writes: “Los Angeles Unified officials who evaluated bids for its massive technology project received iPads
Duncan Punishes Oklahoma for Repealing Common Core Standards
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan decided to punish Oklahoma for revoking the Common Core standards, according to Caitlin Emma in Politico. Oklahoma will lose its federal waiver from the structures of No ChildLeft Behind, which mandates that all students in grades 3-8 must be proficient in math and reading by this year. Since this is in fact an impossible goal, all public schools in Oklahoma wil
Paul Horton: Why the War on Tenure is an Attack on the Black Middle Class
Paul Horton continues to provide a historical context for issues of our time. In this post, he shows how the birth and growth of the black middle class was integrally related to the union movement and public sector employment. Horton writes: “The biggest lifeline that middle class blacks could grasp was public sector employment. The last thirty years have seen an increase in the employment of bl
Paul Horton: Why is the Obama Administration Making War on Teachers?
Paul Horton here attempts to understand why the Obama administration is waging war on teachers. He reminds us of Central Falls, when the Obama administration supported firing the entire staff of the high school. He remembers when the administration was neutral during the Chicago teachers’ strike, and Arne Duncan’s support for the noxious Vergara decision. He could have mentioned many other instanc
Paul Horton: A History That Must Not Be Forgotten
Paul Horton, who teaches history at the University of Chicago Lab School, took his son on a visit to the Delta. There they went to historical exhibits that were reminders if a brutal past. Reminders of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, racial subjugation, and resistance to oppression. You won’t read this in the textbooks.
Milwaukee: Ruth Conniff on the Disgrace of Voucher Schools
Last May, Ruth Conniff, editor of “The Progressive,” joined a group of other women on a tour of voucher schools in Milwaukee. The others included another journalist, a state legislator, and Milwaukee grandmothers Gail Hicks and Marva Herndon. “Herndon and Hicks formed a group called Women Committed to an Informed Community, also known as the “mad grandmas,” to bring attention to the voucher school
Ohio: Will the Court Allow White Hat Management to Privatize Its Public Assets?
Another post by the tireless public school advocate Bill Phillis of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy: Unconscionable, far-reaching consequences intrinsic in the White Hat Management company’s claims of private ownership of school assets purchased by public funds A lot of public school personnel in Ohio at this time are embroiled with the question of, “To have or not to have Common Core.
AUG 28
Texas Tribune Explains Judge Dietz’s Ruling on Funding Equity
This is the best story yet on the Texas story today, in which Judge John Dietz said that the current funding system was inequitable. Of course, his decision will be appealed as some folks would rather not pay more money to educate the children of Texas. The story appears in the Texas Tribune. Here is a great quote from the decision and the article: “As he presented his ruling, Dietz discussed wha
Texas: Commissioner of Ed Says Wait and See
State Commissioner of Education Michael Williams issued a statement I response to court ruling that held state funding inadequate and unconstitutional. Be it noted that Commissioner Williams is not an educator. He is an ally of the Bush family, a real good tie in Texas. In his last post he regulated the oil and gas industry. TEA News Releases Online Aug. 28, 2014 Statement of Commissioner Michael
More on Blockbuster Ruling in Texas About School Funding
Here is a good article explaining Judge John Dietz’s decision that school funding in Texas violates the state constitution. “State District Judge John Dietz decided in favor of the more than 600 school districts who sued the state. They argued the Legislature has consistently underfunded schools while imposing new and expensive academic requirements for students. “In his ruling, the judge also po
Breaking News: Texas Judge Rules That School Funding Violates State Constitution
Judge John Dietz ruled that the state of Texas is failing to provide adequate funding to its public schools and is violating the state constitution. He also ruled that school choice and vouchers are not a substitute for needed funding. The Legislature cut school spending by $5.3 Billion in 2011 and never restored the cuts after the economy recovered.
Jason Stanford: Testing is a Lousy Way to Hold Schools Accountable
Jason Stanford is a journalist in Austin, Texas, who follows the testing wars with keen interest, probably because he has children in school. Having followed the blowback in Texas, where parents and educators together convinced the legislature that their zeal for testing was unreasonable, Stanford decided that standardized testing is not a good way to hold schools accountable. Actually, he says i
Denver: School Officials and “Reformers” Spin Poor Results
Jeannie Kaplan, a former member of the Denver Board of Education, has written about the poor results of a decade of corporate reform. Here she explains the word “chutzpah” to define the desperate efforts of school officials and “reformers” to convert poor results into good news. She writes: “At noon Thursday, August 14, 2014 the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) released Colorado’s 2014 sta
NOLA Ill-Prepared for Influx of Immigrant Students
Daniele Dreilinger of the Times-Picayune reports that charter schools in Néw Orleans are ill-prepared by large numbers of new students from Central America, and the students and their families are confused by the city’s choice system. One school saw its Spanish-speaking enrollment jump from 10 to 53 in one year, 20% of its students. “That’s a gargantuan challenge for a small school that six weeks
Who Wrote the Letter First?
Earlier today I posted about a letter that went viral. Its authorship was attributed to two different people. A reader, Mary Ginley, says she wrote the letter in 1999: “I wrote the original letter in 1999 and it was published in the East Longmedow Town Reminder in Maasachusetts. I was active in the anti-MCAS movement at the time.”
Dallas: Will Public Schools Survive the Latest Charter Push?
In an in-depth article that appears in the journal “In These Times,” journalist George Joseph describes a campaign by business leaders to take advantage of an obscure provision in state law and use it to turn Dallas into a “home rule” district. This would be a prelude to turning Dallas into an all-charter district. The business community already controls the school board. The campaign for “home r
FAIRTEST: The Resistance to Test Mania Grows Stronger
If the issues were not so serious, watching test-and-punish advocates backpedal in the face of the rapidly growing testing resistance movement would be great entertainment. From U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan crying crocodile tears about the impacts of the very policies he advocated, to Rhode Island Commissioner Deborah Grist’s sudden embrace of an even longer suspension of the graduation te
“The People Who Write These Tests Don’t Know You…”
I received news from England that a letter written by Rachel Tomlinson, the head of Barrowford, a primary school in Lancashire, went viral. The letter was a clone of one written by American teacher Kimberly Hurd Horst on her blog. No claims of plagiarism here. Maybe every principal and teacher should send the same letter home when students get their Common Core test scores, saying they failed. R
Beware the Charter Attrition Game
The media loves the story of miracle schools. Imagine that! A school where 90% or more pass the state tests! Where 100% graduate. Where 100% are accepted into four-year colleges. Michael Klonsky once said to me, miracles happen only in the Bible. When the subject is schools, miracle claims should be carefully investigated. With that caution and skepticism in mind, we turn again to a post by a res
Valerie Strauss: Lee County, Florida, Decision to Opt Out Is an Act of Civil Disobedience
Valerie Strauss describes what happened in Lee County last night when the school board voted 3-2 to opt out of state testing, and she reviews what the state might do in response. She writes: “The pushback from Lee County — the ninth-largest district in the state and the 37th largest in the country, with more than 85,000 students – is striking in a state that has been at the forefront of standard
Peter Greene: What Is the Connection Between Zip Codes and Schools?
Peter Greene has often heard reformers say that children’s destiny should not be defined by their zip code. He read an article by one of the bigwigs in the New Orleans experiment, who argued against neighborhood schools and in favor of the greatest possible choice so that children’s schooling would not be tied to their zip code. Greene responds that neighborhood schools build community cohesion.
Los Angeles: At Least $2 Million in Computers Went Missing
Howard Blume reports in the LA Times that at least $2 million in computers cannot be accounted for. “More than $2 million worth of Los Angeles Unified computers, mostly iPads, could not be accounted for during a recent audit by the school system’s inspector general. “The review also found that the school district lacked an effective tracking system — and that losses could be higher as a result. “
AUG 27
Annie Gilbertson: Emails Prompt Inspector General to Reopen Investigation
Annie Gilbertson of public radio station KPCC in Los Angeles somehow managed to get the emails that broke open the Los Angeles iPad fiasco. Once her story broke, Superintendent John Deasy canceled the contract with Apple and Pearson. Gilbertson reported: “The emails show the officials detailed aspects of a one-to-one student technology program, down to the specifics of tech support and teacher t
Breaking News! Lee County, Florida, Opts Entire District Out of State Testing!
Lee County, Florida, made history tonight. Despite threats from state officials that they might cut funding, the school board voted to opt the entire district out of state testing. “The school board has voted to opt out the entire district from all statewide, standardized testing – effective immediately. The decision was received with overwhelming cheers and applause in the packed auditorium. “Th
Update on My Health
I have had so many direct questions about the status of my health that I thought I would share what I know. So many of you sent good wishes and even suggestions for natural cures; I thank you for your kindness and concern. As you probably don’t remember (but I can never forget), I tripped down some outdoor steps on April 5, landed on my left knee, and pretty much demolished some necessary ligamen
Newark Parent Group Calls for Boycott: People Power
From: “Parents Unified for Local School Education (PULSE)” Date: August 26, 2014, 7:04:33 AM EDT To: okaikor@me.com Subject: Statement from PULSE on Newark Boycott Statement from PULSE CALL TO ACTION On December 19, 2013, the Superintendent of Newark Public Schools announced the “One Newark Plan,” which threatens to displace students from their neighborhood schools. In response, Parents Unified f
Bob Braun Calls for Boycott in Newark
Veteran journalist Bob Braun tells the story of a poor black grandmother trying to register her granddaughter in the high that she wanted to attend, that her children had attended, and being treated with disrespect. Braun hopes that Newark parents will boycott Cami Anderson’s “One Newark” plan, where she chooses and others are expected to obey.
Steve Lopez of the L.A. Times: Can Deasy Survive the iPad Fiasco?
Steve Lopez, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, asks all the right questions about John Deasy and the blow-up of his plan to spend $1 billion for iPads loaded with Pearson curriculum. Can he survive the release of the emails that give the appearance of impropriety? Can he survive when the new board may have a majority of members not in his corner? Can he survive in light of the fact that Stua
Los Angeles: Is This Email the Smoking Gun in the Apple-Pearson Contract?
Howard Blume and Teresa Watanabe update the Los Angeles iPad scandal and note growing demands for a full investigation. This doesn’t look good for Deasy. Aquino bailed out and took another job earlier. Dan Schnur calls Aquino’s email “the smoking gun.” Deasy has defended the bidding process as proper and added that he and his staff talked to vendors in pursuit of good deals and good products.
Texas: Business Complains About Schools
In a recent article in the Houston Chrinicle, we read that business is mighty disappointed in the schools. They say they aren’t getting the trained employees they need. They think the schools are too easy. Some want more money spent in the schools that do well, as a reward. No one seems to care that the Legislature slashed $5.3 Billion from the schools in 2011 and–despite a good economy–never res
Arizona State Superintendent Huppenthal Loses to Challenger
Arizona State Superintendent John Huppenthal was defeated by Diane Douglas, a very conservative former school board member who ran on a single issue: rolling back Common Core. Huppenthal embarrassed himself a few months ago when he admitted using a pseudonym to write disparaging comments about other people and groups on blogs. Douglas is a big supporter of school choice. “In the November electio
Eva Moves Her Offices to Wall Street
Success has its privileges. This is certainly true when it comes to Eva Moskowitz’s charter chain Success Academy. Juan Gonzalez of the Néw York Daily News reports that Moskowitz has moved her corporate headquarters from Central Harlem to Wall Street. In addition, he reports: “The new offices will cost her organization $31 million over 15 years, according to its most recent financial report. “Th
Progress Ohio: WikiLeaks Contain Cables About Gulen Charters
Progress Ohio reports that the many thousands of secret government cables released by Wikileaks contained references to the Gulen charter schools, a number of which are being investigated by the FBI for unknown reasons. The Gulen charter chain is the largest in the nation. State Dept. Notified CIA, National Security Council About Suspicious Charter School Visas The U.S. State Department raised ser
ASCD and Yong Zhao: No Connection Between Test Scores and Economic Productivity
The ASCD published an eye-popping chart showing that NAEP long-term trend test scores for 17-year-olds were flat from 1971-2012. At the same time, economic productivity soared by 375%, and gross domestic product grew by 100%. What do you make of that? I have pointed out repeatedly that our students have never excelled on international tests. On the first international test in 1964, our students
Schneider Challenges Amanda Ripley to Write Another TIME Cover Story About Rhee
Mercedes Schneider reviews Michelle Rhee’s time in office as chancellor of the D.C. Public Schools. She concludes that Rhee was a failure. She wanted principals and teachers to be accountable to her while she was accountable to no one. Schneider concludes that Amanda Ripley’s adulatory TIME cover story about Rhee as the person who would “fix” D.C. Schools and show the rest of the nation what to do
Ohio Teacher Says “No Thanks” to StudentsFirst and $5,000
Chris Roberts, a new teacher in Ohio, was attracted to the message of StudentsFirst. He was impressed by what he read and by “Waiting for Superman.” He joined and was invited to apply for their Teachers for Transformation Academy. He was offered a stipend of $5,000 to be StudentsFirst Teacher for Transformation Fellow in Ohio. But in his fourth year of teaching, he had an epiphany. He realized tha
Carol Burris Explains New York’s Common Core Test Scores
This morning, Carol Burris had a post on Valerie Strauss’s Answer Sheet in which she tried to decipher the New Common Core test scores in New York. The first thing she noticed was that the state did not release the mean scores, which it usually does. So she calculated them herself for several key counties. English language arts scores were flat, math scores were up. In several of the counties, EL
Louisiana and Common Core: Is Jindal Hoaxing Us?
Crazy Crawfish (aka Jason France, who was a data analyst at the Louisiana Department of Education) offers a fascinating insight into the political machinations behind Governor Bobby Jindal’s effort to ditch the Common Core. Jindal was an enthusiastic supporter of CC until last June, when he suddenly became an opponent. The state commissioner of education, John White, a steadfast ally of Jindal, a
AUG 26
“One Newark” Assigns Five Siblings to Five Different Schools
Here is “choice” at its worst. Cami Anderson, Governor Chris Christie’s pick to run the state-controlled Newark schools, is closing public schools to make way for charter schools. All children get new assignments. The Tillman family used to attend the Newton Street school, across the street from their home. Their father, George Tillman, Jr., walked his five children to school every day. But unde
Michael Klonsky: Who Is Sucking the Oxygen Out of Classrooms?
Mike Klonsky knows who is sucking the oxygen out of classrooms and killing the joy of learning: Arne Duncan. Don’t take Mike’s word for it. Arne confessed. He said he would give schools a one-year reprieve from his testing mandates. One year to breathe deep and suck in some real oxygen. Then he returns to take your oxygen away again. Makes sense, no? No.
The Top Ten: The Global Search for Education
C.M. Rubin traveled the globe and interviewed educators with interesting ideas, insights, experience. She conducted more than 250 interviews. She invited Adam Steiner, a technology specialist in the Holliston, Massachusetts, public schools to review them and select the Top Ten. I am happy to say that I am one of them. Read here to find the Top Ten and their interviews.
Great News for Detroit!
Jack Martin, the emergency manager for Detroitpublic schools, has canceled his proposal to cut teachers’ salaries by 10% and to increase class sizes to as many as 43. This is great news for the children and teachers of Detroit! “In place of the pay cuts, Jack Martin will ask state education officials to extend the district’s five-year deficit elimination plan to seven years, consider layoffs for n
Néw York Regents: Test Scores Should Be 40% of Teacher Evaluation
Remember that Arne Duncan said that there was too much testing, that testing was sucking the oxygen and joy out of classrooms? New York didn’t get the message. In that state, state tests count for 20% of educator evaluations, and local assessments count for another 20%. That is the agreement negotiated with the unions when the state won Race to the Top funding. That was then, this is now. The Néw
An Inside View of Eva’s Charter Success Academy Schools
A reader directed me to a website where people rate their work experience and their employer. Former and present teachers at Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy posted devastating critiques of their experiences. SA must have gotten wind of what was happening on this website, because as you will note, the reviews suddenly turned from bleakly negative to enthusiastically positive, echoing the reformers’
Why Everyone Should Support Strong Public Schools
Patty Williams has been an active advocate for good public schools in Wake County. The second of her two children just graduated and is off to college. Does this mean she will abandon the public schools? No way! In this article, she and her husband David Zonderman explain why good public schools are important for our society, our communities, and our economy. Whether you have children in the publi
Paul Horton on the Chicago Clique and the War on Public Education
Paul Horton is a history instructor in the University High School at the University of Chicago Lab Schools. This post explains the Obama administration’s love for charters and its disdain for public schools. Martin Nesbitt is the President’s best friend, and close associate of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, who provided much of the start-up capital for Parking Spot, a very successful off airpo
Joel Westheimer: We Need More Mr. Keatings!
Joel Westheimer is a professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada, where he serves as the University Research Chair in Democracy in Education. He wrote this tribute to Mr. Keating, the fictional teacher in “The Dead Poets’ Society” before Robin Williams’ death. He wrote: In a popular scene from the 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society, the eccentric Mr. Keating (played by Robin Williams),
Peter Greene: How Arne Duncan Handed Off $28 Million to the College Board
Peter Greene calls attention to a new federal grant program of $28.4 million, to pay for low-income students to take Advanced Placement courses. AP courses are a source of revenue for the College Board, whose president is David Coleman, architect of the Common Core. Greene writes: “I will remind everyone, as I always do, that the College Board (home of the AP test and the SATs) is not a philanth
L.A.: Deasy Cancels Apple-Pearson Contract, Reopens Bidding
Following the release of internal emails that suggested inappropriate contact between Superintendent John Deasy, other LA officials, and top officials at Apple and Oearson, Deasy canceled the contract and announced he would start the bidding again. The LA Times wrote: “The suspension comes days after disclosures that the superintendent and his top deputy had especially close ties to executives o
AUG 25
Students in L.A. Silently Protest Computer Mess
Students at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles staged a sit-in to protest a scheduling breakdown now in its third week of school. “Students gathered in the quad after first period, sitting in a grassy area in a silent protest of what they contend has been weeks of mismanagement by administrators that has wasted their time and severely interrupted their education. “For the first weeks of school,
Connecticut: Governor Malloy, Trust Your Best Educators
Connecticut is a state with many wonderful teachers, administrators, and schools. The state consistently ranks second or third in the nation on NAEP. The state has some districts with high poverty and low test scores. Governor Dannel Malloy decided to solve their problems by aligning himself with the privatization by charter crowd. He hired Stefan Pryor, a co-founder of a charter chain, as his st
Florida: Charter Operators with “Troubled” Histories Request Another Chance
In Broward County, Florida, several new proposals for charter schools have been submitted by charter operators who previously closed down their schools. Despite their previous failure, the local board is likely to grant them a new charter because the board is not allowed to consider past performance. How crazy is that? The story in the Sun-Sentinel by Karen Yi and Amy Shipley says: “At least sev
Andy Hargreaves: What Is the Purpose of Educational Benchmarking?
Andy Hargreaves of Boston College asks an important question: What is the purpose of benchmarking? We collect data, we measure, we test, we set goals, but why? Will it improve performance if we know that someone else does it better? Do they have the same challenges, the same resources? Is there more to education than raising tests ores and do higher test scores necessarily mean better education?
Florida: Teacher Evaluation System Is So Flawed That No One Can Explain It
This editorial from the Tampa Bay Times was published in March, but I just discovered it and wanted to share it. Unlike the editorial writers in many other cities, the Tampa Bay Times went beyond the press releases and self-serving statements of public officials. They pointed out that the ratings had a margin of error of 50%. “That means it is useless. Still, the state intends to base half of a t
Bob Braun: How New Jersey Leaders Broke the Law to Charterize Newark
Bob Braun, veteran reporter turned independent blogger, charges that officials in New Jersey broke state laws requiring a random lottery to advance the charter movement in Newark. He writes: “New Jersey and local school officials have been involved in a conspiracy to evade laws governing the operation of charter schools in order to allow the wholesale “charterization” of public schools in Newark
“Effective” Teachers Fleeing Houston Because of Flawed VAM
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley reports that highly rated teachers are leaving the Houston public schools because of the erratic EVAAS measure. Seven teachers are suing the district based on its erratic measure. In this post, she tells the story of a teacher with 15 years experience who prefers teaching in high-needs schools. “The one teacher highlighted in this piece, “holds a mathematics degree from
Fred Smith: Do New York State Education Officials Ever Tell the Truth?
Fred Smith, a testing expert who worked many years at the New York City Board of Education, has become a mentor to the opt-out movement in New York. In this article, which was published in the New York Daily News, Smith writes, “Do you solemnly swear to tell the half-truth, the partial truth and nothing like the truth? Apparently, that’s the vow press officers who work for the New York State Educa
AUG 24
Los Angeles: Proof That Commitment Can Beat Big Money
On Friday, 73-year-old veteran educator George McKenna was sworn in as a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. He is filling the unexpired term of MargueriteLaMotte, who died in office. He will stand for re-election in 10 months. His opponent was Alex Johnson, 34, who worked for the County Commissioner and was supported by the charter industry. Johnson’s campaign s
Bob Braun: Cami’s Enrollment Plan in Newark Collapses in Chaos
As we know, the “reformers” love disruption, especially for other people’s children, not their own. On the first day of Cami Anderson’s “One Newark,” they got plenty of disruption. He writes: “The implementation of the deeply flawed “One Newark” student-dispersal program all but collapsed Thursday as the state administration’s highly paid bureaucrats kept hundreds of angry and frustrated parents
Connecticut: Does Anyone Supervise Charter Schools?
Given the recent scandal over Jumoke Academy and its sponsor, FUSE, you would think the State Board of Education and State Commissioner Stefan Pryor would be extra careful when authorizing new charters, but you would be wrong. Civil rights attorney Wendy Lecker writes here about the Board’s perfunctory scrutiny of applicants and the absence of any due diligence when someone wants a charter. The c
Sarah Garland: How a Reagan-Era Report Provides the Basis for Obama’s Education Policies
Sarah Garland, writing for the HECHINGER Report, says that the Reagan-era report “A Nation at Risk” (1983) laid the groundwork for today’s regime of high-takes testing, longer school hours, and tougher accountability measures. The conservative Republicans he quotes express satisfaction with the Obama administration’s embrace of their agenda. The enduring puzzle: who stole the Democratic agenda of
David Sirota: Microsoft Admits Keeping $92 Billion Offshore to Reduce Taxes
Writing in the International Business Times, investigative journalist David Sirota reports that Microsoft admits keeping $92.9 billion offshore to avoid paying $29.6 billion in taxes, according to the most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He writes: “Microsoft Corp. is currently sitting on almost $29.6 billion it would owe in U.S. taxes if it repatriated the $92.9 bill
Vermont to the Nation: This Is What Good Education Looks Like
The Vermont State Board of Education adopted a resolution on assessment and accountability with a message: We will not let the federal government bully our children. We read research and incorporate it into our policy decisions. This set of principles and resolutions could serve as a guide for every state and school district about the appropriate uses of assessment and the true goals of education
New York Times Reports on Duncan’s Retreat from Test-Based Evaluations of Teachers
In the New York Times, Motoko Rich reported Arne Duncan’s scathing criticism of Arne Duncan’s policy of test-based evaluation for teachers. The story shows that Duncan dreamed up this policy, that he promoted it in Race to the Top, and in the waivers he offered states to avoid the onerous conditions of No Child Left Behind. Rich points out that Duncan borrowed the rhetoric of his most scathing cri
Three Important Florida Races
Rick Scott should not be the next governor of Florida. Nor should his leading challenger, Charlie Crist, who previously served as governor and who is a Republican turned Democrat. The candidate who is best on education issues is Nan Rich. The polls say she doesn’t have a chance. My friends in Florida say she’s the real deal. Better to throw away your vote on someone you believe in than to throw it
AUG 23
City Limits: Why Is Teacher Turnover So High in NYC Charter Schools?
Helen Zelon of “City Limits” wonders why teacher turnover is so high in nyc charter schools. She writes: “According to data from the New York State Department of Education, charter schools in New York City lose far more teachers every year than their traditional school counterparts. In some schools, more than half of faculty “turn over” from one school year to the next, according to NYSED school
Will York, Pennsylvania, Schools Be Handed Over to Charter Chain?
Pennsylvania, like Michigan, is another state where the governor (Tom Corbett) and the legislature feel no responsibility to sustain public education. Philadelphia public education is under fire, as the privatization vultures circle. Now the York City, Pa., public schools are on the brink of privatization. Seven national charter management organizations made presentations to take over the distric
Arthur Camins: How to Save Public Education
Arthur Camins understands the importance of public education. He understands that the very principle of public responsibility for the education of the children of the community is at risk. He doesn’t believe that it is sufficient to trade blows with those who do not value public education. In this post, he describes the necessity of framing a positive message, and he lays out a strategic plan to s
When Budgets Are Cut, Which Programs Are the First to Go?
That’s easy. The arts and libraries. One-third of public schools do not have a full-time, certified librarian. Schools in affluent districts do not fire librarians and arts teachers, so those who need these services the most are most likely to have cutbacks. “Members of the American Library Association call it a national crisis, as colleges and careers increasingly require students to have expan
As Testing Frenzy Grows, So Does Opt-Out Movement
Here is the latest summary of testing news from FAIRTEST: Across the U.S., students are returning to classrooms where even more time will be devoted to standardized exam preparation and administration. Over the summer, some districts developed hundreds of new tests to comply with mandates from federal and state politicians who are still not listening to their constituents (http://www.naplesnews.c
David Greene: I Know Great Teaching When I See It
After David Greene, veteran teacher and mentor, read the review of Elizabeth Green’s new book (“Building a Better Teacher”)y esterday, he asked me to publish this excerpt from his new book, “Doing the Right Thing: A Teacher Speaks.” Here it is. It won’t get the publicity that Elizabeth Green’s book will get. But it is backed up by many years in the classroom. It begins like this: “Who remembers