Diane Ravitch's blog
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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
The most potent criticism of Teach for America comes from recruits who joined the corps, then discovered they were ill-prepared for the challenges of a high-needs classroom. This letter from Annie Tan was posted on the blog “Cloaking Inequity,” which is Julian Vasquez Heilig’s blog. She writes: “I have had my gripes about TFA from sophomore year of college. Learning about the neoliberal educati
Peter Greene has been following the conversation at EducationPost, the blog funded by Broad, Walton, Bloomberg et al for $12 million, he says that the new spin from reformsters is that education is too politicized. He agrees but asks how it got that way. Who took the decision making power away from educators and gave it to legislatures, governors, the President, and Comgress? Not educators. Peter
Howard Blume and Teresa Watanabe of the Los Angeles Times describe the storm clouds gathered around Superintendent John Deasy. The problem is rooted in the peculiar bidding process for what will eventually be a $1.3 billion effort to give a computer to every student and staff member. Released emails showed that Deasy and his close associate Jaime Aquino (a former employees of Pearson) were in disc
Jeannie Kaplan says that the best reform would be a later start to school. Why? Because teenagers biologically need to sleep later, and she has the research to prove it. She writes: “American teenagers suffer from a lack of sleep. Middle and high school students are chronically affected by this health risk. Obesity, depression, absenteeism and tardiness rise, academic performance and public safe
Paul Karrer: Who Will Stop the Mandates and the Madness?
Paul Karrer, who teaches in Castroville, California, writes a scorching review of what is laughingly called “reform.” He begins: “Arne Duncan and his patron President Barack Obama have gotten themselves in a bit of an educational bind. Big news came out of the White House on Aug. 21 but a lot of America missed it. It seems a collision course of: 1. sunsetting of the year 2014 and the imbecilic i
Bob Braun: Finally, Some Heroes in Newark: The Students
Bob Braun has been writing about the abusiveness and insensitivity of Cami Anderson’s “One Newark” plan. He has written that it has disrupted the lives of children and families, with no goal other than to sweep away neighborhood schools and impose charter schools. Newark has been under state control for nearly 20 years. In short, the people of Newark have had no say in the governance of their city
Teaching in the Schools of Ferguson, Missouri
India Schaenen is an eighth grade English language arts teacher at Normandy Middle School in Ferguson, Missouri. She writes in Education Week about how students were affected by the death of Michael Brown and how she as a teacher was affected. School started nine days later. “Even before the shooting and the dramatic aftermath broadcast around the world, our district was accustomed to being and
The New Yorker Explains Cuomo’s Embarrassment
John Cassidy of The New Yorker wrote a fascinating article on the national implications of Zephyr Teachout’s strong performance against Andrew Cuomo. With little money, little name recognition, and no television ads, she managed to capture a third of the Democratic primary vote. Cassidy says: “The strong showing by Teachout and Wu was a victory for progressive voters who warmed to their message a
YESTERDAY
NYC Parents Rally on September 18 for Full Funding of Public Schools
Parent! Students! Teachers!Community members! JUST CAN’T WAIT NYC SCHOOLS ARE OWED $2.5 BILLION DOLLARS! New York State has abandoned the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, resulting in devastating classroom cuts every single year. This has meant the loss of arts & music programs, after-school, valuable teachers, guidance counselors, Advanced Placement courses, an increase in class sizes and more. Jo
Bill Bennett Supports Common Core; CATO Scoffs, Hess Dubious
Caitlin Emma has a great story about Bill Bennett’s new-found advocacy for the Common Core standards in the Morning Edition of politico.com: “CONSTERNATION OVER COMMON CORE: The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed [http://on.wsj.com/1qJabHV] this week supporting the Common Core – and it wasn’t long before the author, Reagan administration Education Secretary Bill Bennett, was targeted by critic
Laura H. Chapman: The Common Core Standards Are Not Internationally Benchmarked
Laura H. Chapman is a frequent contributor to the blog and a curriculum consultant in the arts. Shortly after releasing the Standards with much publicity about international benchmarking, the CCSSO helped to fund a study that shows the Standards are not, in fact, closely aligned with the standards of nations that score higher on international tests. In mathematics, for example, the nations with t
Judge Merges Two Competing Vergara-Style Lawsuits in New York, Amidst Rancor
The judge overseeing the anti-tenure lawsuits merged the two that had been filed, over the protests of parent activist Mona David’s of the New York City Parents Union. “Outside the court, Mona Davids, the lead plaintiff in the first case, Davids vs. New York, made it clear that she wasn’t interested in forging a unified effort as she passed out fake $100 bills bearing the grimacing face of Campbe
Would Someone Tell Governor Deal of Georgia the Truth about NOLA?
Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia wants a statewide Recovery School District, just like Louisiana. He wants to be like Bobby Jindal. He wants all the low-performing schools turned into charters, just like Néw Orleans. Won’t someone tell him that most of the charters–excluding those with selective admissions–are rated D or F by the state? Won’t someone tell him that the RSD in Louisiana is one of th
How Clueless Can D.C. Bureaucrats Be?
Avery Gigliano recently turned 13. She is a world-class pianist who has won international competitions. To play in international competitions, it is necessary to travel. To the D.C. public school system, she is not a champion, she is a truant. I forebear from using the words that come to mind. The D.C. schools should be celebrating her success. Instead, they drove her out of the school system. Gre
Researcher: Success Charter Chain Built on Hyperbole
A data analyst who worked for the past several years in the New York City Department of Education wrote the following about Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy charter chain. Most of the data he cites comes from public records maintained by the city or state education departments. His footnotes are at the bottom of the post. Building a Charter Chain, and a Mayoral Campaign, on Lies Over the past few
FairTest: Anti-Testing Movement Building
Here is the weekly update on the testing front. With so much popular sentiment opposing the testing mania, it is only a matter of time until some rising politicians figure out that this is a movement in search of leadership in the political arena: The school year is barely underway, but testing resistance and reform actions are already escalating across the nation. In an attempt to slow the mome
Los Angeles: Deasy Seeks Emails of Board Members
In an effort to take the heat off his own troubles, Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy has hired a lawyer and now seeks access to any of his bosses’ emails that show relationships with tech companies. Deasy had to cancel a contract with Apple and Pearson when two-year-old emails showed that he had been in discussion with them about the plan. Deasy claimed it was about a pilot. Nonetheless, he
SEP 11
Good News! A Big Win Against Testing Frenzy in Pittsburgh!
The school board in Pittsburgh voted this week to reduce testing in K-5 by 50%. This is a huge win for children. What this means is an additional 33 hours for learning, for recess, for all manner of things other than standardized testing. Jessie Ramey, who blogs as Yinzercation, said: “We scored a big victory in Pittsburgh last night! The school district and school board agreed to substantially
“Embrace the Common Core?” A Debate
I am not exactly sure what “Intelligence Squared” is, but it sponsored an interesting debate about Common Core. Here is the transcript. Here is the video. Speaking for Common Core was Mike Petrilli, president of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute, and Carmel Martin, formerly assistant secretary for civil rights in the U.S. Department of Education and a strong enthusiast for Race to the
Ben Jatos: Why I Teach
Ben Jatos is a high school English teacher in a Portland, Oregon area high school. He has taught for 20 years. He just started his own blog, and he began by asking why he became a teacher and why he continues to teach. He begins: “As a new school year begins, I think it’s important for every teacher to answer the question: Why do I teach? This year, this is my answer. “When I reflect on the circu
Los Angeles Board Votes to Shred Staff Emails, Then Reconsiders
Talk about bad timing! The Los Angeles Unified School Board voted 6-0 to adopt a policy to shred most internal emails after one year. The iPad scandal came to light only after reporters gained access to two-year-old internal emails. As Annie Gilbertson of public radio station KPCC wrote: The decision comes less than three weeks after KPCC published two-year-old internal emails that raised qu
Frank Breslin: A Moral Vision of Schooling
These days we seem to have forgotten what schools are for. Our national leaders see them only as economic institutions, preparing students for careers and college. Business leaders see them as workplace training. Frank Breslin, a retired high school teacher of German, Latin, and history, has a vision of schooling that is far broader than training to get a job or get ahead. This is how he begins:
Schneider: Gates Foundation Gives Grant to “Hardwire” the Common Core Curriculum
Mercedes Schneider wrote a book about the origins of the Common Core this past summer, and she continues to keep a close watch on Bill Gates’ investment in the purchase of American education. In this post, she recounts Bill’s infatuation with the idea of standardizing every classroom, because he believes in the glories of standardization. And if he believes in it, so should everyone else. You kno
Wendy Lecker: Our Real National Standards
Wendy Lecker, senior attorney for the Education Law Center, writes here that our most important national standards are found in our obligation to provide a high-quality education, adequately funded, to all children. She was reminded of this by the recent court decision in Texas, where Judge John Dietz ruled that the schools were inadequately funded. “Dietz found that to prepare children for citi
SEP 10
Palm Beach County Commission Allots $20 Million for New For-Profit Charter School
The Palm Beach County Commission allocated $20 million to enable a new charter school to borrow money for school construction. Some members of the commission opposed it, but the majority thought it was just another business that needed public funding. The County Commission voted in favor of allowing Renaissance Charter School at Cypress on Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach to borrow money
A Few Election Results
Andrew Cuomo won with 62% of the vote; Zephyr Teachout received 34%. Teachout had a great showing considering that she was a complete unknown with little name recognition, vastly outspent by Cuomo. Her $200,000 vs his $35 million. And his legal team kept her tied up in court challenging her residency; she won but lost two weeks of campaigning. Cuomo did his best to make Teachout invisible, never d
Laura H. Chapman on the Common Core Standards
Reader Laura H. Chapman has read the CCSS, unlike many others who support or oppose them. She writes: “Anyone who had READ the CCSS all the way to the footnotes, or looked at the website, and otherwise done due diligence before buying the spin would determine it is a fraud. “Consider this: Between 2000 and 2002, Achieve conducted interviews with prospective employers and higher education officials
Seth Sandronsky on Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson
Journalist Seth Sandronsky noted the progressive rhetoric of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson when he joined New York City Bill de Blasio at a national task force on turning cities into generators of opportunity. ““The purpose of cities is to lift up residents and build a community and economy that works for everyone,” said Mayor Johnson. “That means having a higher minimum wage, expanding the supp
Special Education: Duncan Sets Unreachable Goals
Beverley Holden Johns, a nationally recognized expert in the field of disabilities, strongly disagrees with Arne Duncan. Duncan wants children with disabilities to be able to perform on the highest level of NAEP tests. She points out that NAEP was not designed for this purpose. Duncan unilaterally changed the requirements of the IDEA act, without Congressional authorization. Having changed NCLB wi
An Illinois Superintendent Writes about What Matters Most
Superintendent Mark Cross joins the honor roll for his willingness to stand up and be counted on the side of students. Cross sent a letter home to parents in which he criticized high-stakes testing and Common Core. He spoke critically of federal and state initiatives whose purpose is to rank students rather than educate them. Many educators are fearful of saying what Mark Cross said because they
Director of Nashville Schools Wants More Charters
Jesse Register, the Director of Metro Nashville public schools, proposes to close a number of low-performing schools and replace them with charter schools, despite the fact that the state’s all-charter Achievement School District has not outperformed public schools. Parents, community members, and teachers are upset by his lurch to the corporate model. Where is the school board, whose majority sup
Florida Kindergarten Teacher: I Will Not Give the Test
Opt Out Orlando posted the following letter by Susan Bowles, a kindergarten teacher. For her courage and dedication to her students, Susan Bowles joins the honor roll. Her husband wrote this introduction: “I tried to share this post by my wife, Susan, last night. I just found out her privacy settings don’t let others see it. I am very proud of her stance and completely support her, even if it mean
Jersey Jazzman Corrects Pundit Jonathan Alter
A few years ago, I “debated” Jonathan Alter on a Denver radio show but soon realized that I had entered a zone where facts were irrelevant because Alter’s mind was made up. He loves charter schools. He thinks testing and accountability are the answer to the deep problems of education. He is contemptuous of public schools and the teachers who work in them. He thinks that unions exist to protect fai
Peter Greene: John Oliver Explains Student Debt and Scamming the Public
This is a must-see. Peter Greene here presents and discusses comedian John Oliver on student debt. Most students will leave college with heavy debts; some will spend years trying to pay it off. The arrangement was created by the federal government and state governments, which have steadily decreased their responsibility for subsidizing the cost of higher education, transferring the burden to stud
OECD: Competition Among Schools Not Associated with Higher Scores
A report from the OECD, which sponsors the international assessment PISA, finds that competition among schools for students (“choice”) is not associated with higher math scores but is associated with higher levels of social segregation. “PISA results…show that, on average across countries, school competition is not related to better mathematics performance among students. In systems where almost
SEP 09
Good News: Anti-Due Process Group in Missouri Drops Its Campaign This Year
Good news for teachers in Missouri. The group seeking a constitutional amendment to eliminate teachers’ right to due process (aka “tenure”) has decided to abandon its campaign for now. Called Teach Great, the organization hoped to make test scores the key factor in all decisions about teachers. “The proposed amendment will still appear on the ballot. It seeks to end tenure and require that decisi
Here is a Link to Tavis Smiley Show
In case you missed, here is my interview with Tavis Smiley from September 8. It is about 12 minutes. Tavis asked about the Vergara decision and teacher tenure, about the attacks on teachers and public education, about the goals of the current “reform” movement, Common Core, and my judgment of Race to the Top. All in 12 minutes! By the way, if you wonder why I was holding my head in last minutes o
And Now a Word from “Sad Teacher”
A reader with the name “Sad Teacher” wrote the following comment: “My problem is that I cannot follow the Marzano rubric and continue to get excellent test scores. I’ve been told for many years what to teach, but now we are being ordered how to teach it. It is almost against the law now for a teacher to go to the dry erase board and explain the strategies to solve a proportion. That is called dir
If CCSS is not a Curriculum, Why Do All the Textbooks Look Alike?
A letter from a public school parent: “Hi Diane – I am an avid follower of you, Carol Burris, and other brilliant experts who have helped me understand the state of education today. A lot has been written about CCSS, and we know that advocates love to say “It’s standards, not curricula” and “States are free to teach the standards their own way; it’s not prescriptive.” What I don’t see addressed is
What Is the Real Cost of Federally-funded Common Core Tests?
This report from the Pew Charitable Trusts says that many states are reconsidering the costs of Common Core testing, and a small number have withdrawn from participation in the two federally-funded tests, PARCC or Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. “But as controversy over the Common Core has challenged some states’ commitment to the standards, a number of states have decided to withdraw from
Dawn Neely-Randall: Silent No More
Dawn Neely-Randall is a teacher in Ohio. She is in her 25th year in the classroom. For a long while, she watched in silence as the testing mania absorbed more and more instructional time. And then she decided she had to speak out. She had to defend her students. She had to defend her professional ethics. She could not remain silent. And speak she did. Here is an article that she wrote that appeare
Idaho Says SBAC Not Valid But Will Use It to Evaluate Teachers Anyway
Levi Cavener, a teacher of special education in Idaho, learned that Idaho will give the Common Core test SBAC) to tenth graders even though it includes eleventh grade content. “However, I was shocked during this exchange when the Director told me that the decision was due to the fact the state was worried students wouldn’t take the test seriously, and they didn’t want their data set tainted…becau
McKinsey: The Global Powerhouse Behind “Reform”
Which is the most powerful player behind the scenes in corporate reform? This article says, without doubt, McKinsey. Where did David Coleman, architect of the Common Core standards, get his start: McKinsey. Which firm pushes the narrative of a “crisis in education”: McKinsey. Which firm believes that Big Data will solve all problems? McKinsey. Look behind the screen, behind the curtain: McKin
Schneider: How “EdNext” Spins Polling About Charters
Mercedes Schneider decided to analyze how the conservative journal “Ednext” gauges public opinion about one of its favorite reforms, charter schools. She reviews the wording of the questions asked over several years. She notes that Ednext never mentions charter school scandals, which are a hot topic in states like Michigan, Ohio, and Forida. “There’s a lot of unregulated money to be made in “sch
SEP 08
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
SEP 07
The NY Times Magazine’s Puff Piece about Eva Moskowitz
The New York Times Magazine has a long article about Eva Moskowitz and her chain of charter schools in New York City. The charter chain was originally called Harlem Success Academy, but Moskowitz dropped the word “Harlem” when she decided to open new schools in gentrifying neighborhoods and wanted to attract white and middle-class families. I spent a lot of time on the phone with the author, Dani
Connecticut: Governor Malloy’s Election Year Epiphany
Whoever thought it was a good idea to turn education into a political issue should hang his or her head in shame. In the midst of a heated gubernatorial race, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, heretofore an admirer of testing and the Common Core and more testing, has written a letter to the U.S. Department of Education saying that students are tested too much, especially in the 11th grade. “Gov
New York Privatization of Preschool Special Education Leads to Massive Frauds
NEWS From the Office of the New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Contact: Mark Johnson, 518-474-4015 For release: Immediately, Sept. 4, 2014 DiNAPOLI: SPECIAL EDUCATION CONTRACTOR CONVICTED FOR $2 MILLION FRAUD The former owner of a Queens-based special education provider, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges earlier this year following a joint investigation by New York State Comptroller
Texas: Where Schools Are Run by Numbers, Not Brains
A teacher in Texas wrote this comment, which depicts (to me) a system where data matters more than teachers or learning or children, either the system is on autopilot or is run by people who confuse numbers with learning. “They recruited from NC and from Spain (for bilingual teachers) this year because they did expect vacancies. I think it’s important to mention that all are not based on EVAAS be
Why New York Parents Are Baffled and Angry
You can’t blame New York parents for feeling baffled and angry at state education officials. From 2006-2010, the state told them that their children were making incredible gains on the state tests. Many people thought that the gains were so high that it couldn’t be true. So state education officials brought in Professor Daniel Koretz of Harvard and Professor Jennifer Jennings of New York Univers
Did You Know that Bill Gates is Funding His Own History Curriculum?
Bill Gates was on the treadmill one day, watched a video about history that he liked, and invited the professor to meet with him to talk about growing his approach into something that everyone could see. Now as this story in the New York Times explains, Bill Gates’ favorite way of teaching world history has been turned into a course that is being marketed to high schools across the country. “As G
David Greene Has the Turn of the Century Blues
Feeling down about corporate ownership of almost everything? So is David Greene. Gates, Walton, Bloomberg, Bezos, Murdoch, Koch. What don’t they own? Our votes. David thinks back a century. Other oligarchs owned almost everything then. Of course, it didn’t occur to them to monetize the schools. But we beat them back. We elected people to regulate the oligarchs. We can do it again.
Paul Tractenberg: Ideology Trumps Evidence in Press for All-Charter Districts
Paul 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 the past four years, we have been bombarded with propaganda films like “Waiting for Superman” and “Won’t Back Down,” intended to convince us of
G.F. Brandenburg:What Michelle Rhee Promised the Billionaires
G.F. Brandenburg writes here about what then-D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee in exchange for $64.5 million. She would have the power to fire any teacher anytime, and she would get great results. Brandenburg says Rhee and Henderson didn’t meet the goals he checked. Will they give the money back? Brandenburg is researching all the promises. Here are some more of his findings. See here and here and her
SEP 06
The Blog’s Poet on the Sailing of the Good Ship Common Core
In response to a post about the Common Core, contemplating whether the ship had already sailed, our resident poet “SomeDAM Poet (Devalue Added Model) wrote these lines: from the old folk song Oh, they built the Common Core, to sail the ocean blue. For they thought it was a standard that Gates could ram right through. It was on its maiden trip, that a teacherberg hit the ship. It was sad when the
The Common Core Standards: Has the Ship Already Sailed?
Some say the ship has already sailed. Some say the train has left the station. But others say they never knew the train was in the station, and they wonder why they are passengers on a train they never booked tickets for, and how it could leave the station when no one knew it had arrived except the drivers. Still others say that the ship is in trouble. When it sailed, the skies were clear. But uh-
New York: Government Corruption Fighter Endorses Teachout and Wu
Janos Martin, former counsel to the Moreland Commission, which was created by Governor Andrew Cuomo to investigate political corruption, then disbanded by Cuomo, has endorsed Zephyr Teachout and Tim Wu, who are challenging Cuomo in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. In his statement, he recounted the travails of the Moreland Commission. And he said, “When I joined the Commission to Investigate Public
New York: Jeffrey Sachs Endorses Zephyr Teachout and Tim Wu
Internationally respected economist Jeffrey Sachs issued a statement endorsing Zephyr Teachout and Tim Wu for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York. It appeared on Huffington Post. The Democratic primary is this Tuesday. Andrew Cuomo has raised $35 million. Teachout has raised $200,000. The New York Times declined to endorse Cuomo because of his failed promises to root out corruption in Al
Mercedes Schneider: New York’s Vergara-Style Soap Opera
Mercedes Schneider reports the latest twist in the evolving drama in New York state’s education scene, where Campbell Brown is trying to push erratic parent activist Mona Davids off the stage. Davids was quick to file a lawsuit and thought that Brown and Students Matter would support her, but they pulled the plug and told her to go away. Davids has been pro-union and anti-union. She was featured i
Tom Scarice: The Phony Fear Tactics Used to Sell Common Core
Tom Scarice, the superintendent of the Madison, Connecticut, public schools, writes that the campaign for the Common Core has been waged with fear tactics, mainly the fear that other nations have higher scores and will therefore “beat” us. But, he points out, citing the work of Yong Zhao, there is no connection between test scores and economic growth. He concludes: “Reducing the debate of the co
John Ogozolek Tells the Democratic Party to Buzz Off
As someone who has responded many times to Democratic Party fund-raising appeals on the Internet, I now get daily requests to give more. For the past few weeks, I have been responding that I will not give another penny until President Obama renounces Race to the Top and replaces Arne Duncan with someone who supports public schools. I thought I was the only one doing that, but then I got this lette
Rick Hess: Common Core and Five Big Half-Truths
Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute has written a smart article about the selling of Common Core. Its advocates use similar talking points, he says, but the most frequently heard lack evidence. You will hear these five points not only from corporate executives and Chamber of Commerce types, but from all CCSS supporters. Hess lists five of what he calls half-truths or exaggerations. 1.
Edushyster Interviews David Kirp
EduShyster interviewed David Kirp following the publication of his article in the New York Times about why teaching is not a business. EduShyster noticed that some “reformers” were incensed by Kirp’s views, especially his criticism of the virtues of competition and his skepticism about choice and charter schools. Among his interesting answers to her questions: “With respect to choice, the studie
Ohio: Letter from a Teacher in a For-Profit School
This came in my email from a teacher who gave me her/his name, email, school name, and phone number. I asked for permission to post the letter and received it. Do you have any suggestions for this teacher? Ms. Ravitch, I am writing to you because you are the first person I have seen take such a great interest into researching the integrity of charter school systems. I am a teacher at a charter sch
Laura Chapman on Churning the Workforce, VAM, and Magical Thinking
Laura Chapman, a regular contributor to the blog, has worked in arts education for many years. She writes: This desire to churn the teaching workforce is not just a push from Bill Gates and lawsuits to dismantle unions. Six economists/statisticians brought together at the Brookings Institution offered a similar plan. These number crunchers said that district-wide VAM (value-added) scores should