I Apologize to the League of Women Voters of New York State
The other day, I wrote a post chastising the League of Women Voters for planning a debate that included only Governor Cuomo and Republican candidate Rob Astorino. I thought it was unfair to exclude Howie Hawkins, who is running on the Green Party ticket. I received the following response from Laura Ladd Bierman of the League of Women Voters of NYS: The League of Women Voters of NYS, with its p
StudentsFirst in NY Raises $1.75 Million to Help Senate Republicans
When will the media acknowledge that Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst is a rightwing group, not “liberal” or “Democratic”? When election time comes round, it reliably supports Republicans, who can be counted on to endorse school privatization and to undercut teachers and their unions (if they have one). Occasionally, StudentsFirst finds a Democrat who supports vouchers, but the overwhelming bulk of t
Jim Arnold: Copy Louisiana? What a Joke!
Jim Arnold, former superintendent of Pelham City public schools in Georgia, has a message for Governor Znathan Deal, who is running for re-election. Governor Deal thinks Georgia needs a “recovery school district,” like the one in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jim Arnold says Governor Deal is wrong. Arnold writes that Louisiana is a low-performing state and Néw Orleans is a low-performing district. “L
Which Teacher in Utah Has the Largest Class Size?
Lisa Schencker of the Salt Lake Tribune reported that class sizes are rising in the state, despite an official low number. She realized that the official number of 22.8 students per class was misleading. The Tribune invited readers to write and identify large classes. The Tribune asked readers last week to help us find the state’s largest classes. The Tribune received more than 100 responses via
Gov. Corbett: You Should Be Ashamed
“The Notebook” reports on the disgraceful funding of schools in Pennsylvania, especially Philadelphia. Corporate tax breaks mean more to Governor Corbett and the Legislature than children. Public schools don’t make campaign contributions. Charter operators and corporations do. Says “The Notebook”: “It’s hard to overstate the deplorable conditions facing Philadelphia school children again this fa
Does Nevada Love the Common Core?
Fortunately, I am on Angie Sullivan’s email list, which has scores of recipients. Most seem to be teachers, legislators, and journalists in Nevada. Angie keeps all of us up-to-date with education events in Nevada. We learned first from Angie that the public schools in Nevada are poorly funded. In fact, the Education Law Center says that Nevada has one of the most inequitable funding formulas in th
Tennessee: Most Teachers Say Abandon Common Core
Tennessee is one of Arne Duncan’s favorite states because it was one of the first states to win Race to the Top funding, it has a rightwing governor and legislature, and an experienced, TFA-trained state commissioner. Thus, the state is committed to charters, to privatization, and to eliminating tenure (it already abolished collective bargaining). This is Arne’s kind of state, a state where Democr
Robert Pondiscio: This Is What a Great Common Core Lesson Does NOT Look Like
Robert Pondiscio, who now works for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, shows here how a Common Core lesson can be deadly dull. New York put one of its “experts” on NPR to demonstrate how exciting a Common Core lesson was . But it wasn’t. “I referred my listeners to a recent NPR effort to get “super-specific about what makes a good Common Core–aligned lesson.” The reporter enlisted the aid of Kate G
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-29-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Who Loves Teachers Most?Back to politico.com: Instead of scapegoating teachers, politicians are competing to claim they raised salaries. How short are teachers’ memories? Vying and usually lying: “TEACHERS’ PETS?: Forget soccer moms. This election cycle, candidates across the country are scrambling to get teachers on their side – o