Tonight, I Will Be on Tavis Smiley@PBS
I was interviewed by Tavis Smiley a few minutes ago for a show that is airing tonight. Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy follows me. I whack the Vergara decision, he praises it. Tavis and I talked about Vergara, Race to the Top, the “reform” movement, and why there is so much blaming of teachers for all the ills of society. I gave it my all. It was my first media gig since my knee accident las
A Reader Comments on the Common Core Battle in Ohio
Chiara, a frequent commenter, sent the following summary of the Common Core fight in Ohio: “Meanwhile, the Common Core fight in Ohio continues. It’s the Tea party lawmakers versus the Republican lawmakers. “I have no idea why either group cares at all what is taught in Ohio public schools, because of both parties had their wish, there wouldn’t be any public schools at all. “I’m flattered by all
Politico Reports on RI Governor Race
Politico.com reports on Rhode Island governor’s race. Teachers favor Clay Pell, whose grandfather established the Pell grant program. Pell opposes standardized testing as a graduation requirement. The other candidates are Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, who supported the mass firing of teachers and charter schools. He was endorsed by DFER. And Gina Raimondo, who “is reviled by public-sector worke
Katie Osgood: Don’t Be Fooled by TFA’s Push for Diversity
Katie Osgood warns not to celebrate Teach for America’s drive to recruit more corps members of color. Here are some of her reasons: “TFA has a direct tie to the overall reduction in teachers of color in schools. The black middle class is shrinking, and TFA’s anti-union stance and its attacks on the teaching profession are inextricably linked. Current education policies-which TFA aggressively p
Scherrer: Why VAM Is “Intellectually Criminal”
Audrey Amrein-Beardsley posted a guest blog by a rising star in the Academy, Jimmy Scherrer of North Carolina State University, who previously taught in LAUSD. Scherrer wrote: “As someone who works with students in poverty [see also a recent article Scherrer wrote in the highly esteemed, peer-reviewed Educational Researcher], I am deeply troubled by the use of status measures—the raw scores of s
Reynoldsburg, Ohio: A Successful District at Odds with Its Teachers
Plunderbund reports on the disputes between the school board and the teachers in Reynoldburg, Ohio. The district gets high ratings from the state, even though poverty has steadily increased in the student body and nearly half the students live in poverty. Yet despite these accomplishments, the school board has not kept pace with teachers’ salaries and is now making a divisive contract offer. Plu
NY1 Editorial: Cuomo Should Stop Running Away from Teachout!
Bob Hardt, NY 1’s editorial director, wrote that Cuomo should grow up and act like a Governor, not a bully. He was especially appalled by Cuomo’s behavior at the Labor Day parade, where he refused to shake Teachout’s hand and no matter how hard she tried to reach across to do so, Cuomo was surrounded by other officials and bodyguards determined to prevent a face-to-face encounter, or Heaven forbi
Eton Headmaster: U.K. Exam System Is Obsolete
“Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, says that the U.K.’s testing system is unimaginative and misleading. “England’s “unimaginative” exam system is little changed from Victorian times and fails to prepare young people for modern working life, Eton’s headmaster has said. “Tony Little said there was a risk that “misleading” test scores may become more important than education itself, and warned agains
Ellen Lubic: Time for an Audit and Grand Jury Probe of Deasy in Los Angeles
Ellen Lubic, director of Joining Forces for Education and a professor of public policy in Los Angeles, here describes the numerous failings of Superintendent John Deasy and calls for an independent audit and grand jury investigation. The article has gone viral, receiving nearly 700,000 hits since it was published by CityWatch. She writes: “Finally the lack of transparency of the mismanaged leade
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-7-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Paul Tractenberg: Ideology Trumps Evidence in Press for All-Charter DistrictsPaul Tractenberg, a distinguished law professor at Rutgers University, challenges the idea that all-charter districts based on the New Orleans model are a magic bullet for Newark, Camden, and other low-performing districts in New Jersey. He notes that for