Did Google Quit ALEC?
ALEC is a super-conservative organization that writes model legislation for vouchers, charters, and every imaginable way to privatize public education, undermine unions, tenure, certification, and anything else that is associated with teacher professionalism. ALEC is supported by major corporations. It writes legislation on every topic of interest to its backers, reducing government regulation, r
Charter Schools in New York Sue for More Money
You probably don’t remember the claims made by charter advocates when they were starting this dual system of schools; they said they could get better results for less money, which would be a huge cost savings for taxpayers. As we have seen in state after state, charters usually get worse results than public schools, except when they cherry pick the students they want and kick out the ones with l
What We Learned from Watching Ken Burns on “The Roosevelts”
I recently criticized PBS for ignoring the corporate assault on public education (with the exception of Bill Moyers), but the current airing of Ken Burns’ monumental series on “The Roosevelts” is television at its finest. We would not expect to see this seven-part, fourteen-hour series anywhere but on PBS. I sat glued to the television for seven straight nights. What struck me most forcefully was
For-Profit College Chain Collapsing in Debt, Scandal
Politico reports this morning that the giant for-profit charter chain Corinthian College is in deep financial trouble and is under criminal investigation as well: “MORE CORINTHIAN INQUIRIES: Corinthian Colleges is facing two more criminal investigations, the dismantling for-profit giant reported in an SEC filing late Friday [http://bit.ly/1mwDAFi]. The company disclosed a federal grand jury subpo
Peter Greene: TNTP Shows How to Make Tenure Rare
Eter Greene has an endless willingness to read the steady deluge of think-tank reports on how to fix teaching, how to fix schools, etc. it is not necessary to be a teacher to write these reports. That’s what think tanks do. In this instance, he has read and dissected TNTP’s new report on how to fix tenure. Bear in mind that the original name of the organization, founded by Michelle Rhee (some clai
Norm Scott: Charter Warns Parents about Dire Consequences for Late Pick-Ups
Talk about “no excuses”! Blogger and retired teacher Norm Scott broke the story that Girls Prep Charter School in New York City posted a warning to parents about the dire consequences of arriving late to pick up their children. If the parent did not arrive by 3:45, the child would be taken to the local police precinct. Repeated failure to pick up on time would lead to a report to the city’s Admini
Joanne Yatvin: Let More Teachers Re-Invent the Wheel, Or Why We Don’t Need Standardization
Joanne Yatvin, now retired, wrote the following commentary in 1990, almost 25 years ago. It was published in Education Week. It remains as pertinent today as it was then. In fact, with the Common Core adopted by most states, it is even more pertinent today than it was in 1990. Special thanks to Education Week for granting permission to reprint the article in full. Published: September 19, 19
Hal Salzman: STEM Graduates Can’t Find Jobs
Hal Salzman, sociologist and professor of public policy at Rutgers University, says there is a shortage of jobs for graduates who have studied science and engineering. The so-called STEM jobs, he says, have an excess of applicants. Salzman wrote recently in U.S. News and World Report: “All credible research finds the same evidence about the STEM workforce: ample supply, stagnant wages and, by in
Camden, NJ: Target of Privatization
Egged on by Governor Chris Christie, the privatization movement has targeted Camden, Néw Jersey. PARENT ADVOCATES CALL ON LEGISLATURE TO HALT UNPRECEDENTED EXPANSION OF UNACCOUNTABLE CHARTER CHAINS IN CAMDEN NJ Senate President Stephen Sweeney is poised to pass S2264, legislation that amends the 2013 Urban Hope Act in order to accommodate illegally approved renaissance charter schools in Cam
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-21-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Laura H. Chapman: When Economic Language Corrupts Educational PracticeMany years ago, I first heard the term “semantic infiltration.” It was used to refer to the way that words, when used often enough, can become reality, even when we don’t agree with the “reality.” LauraChapman describes the way that technocratic language has corr