Tucker writes in HuffingtonPost that the Washington Post has a long history of giving favorable treatment to Rhee (I would add,more in their editorials than their news pages).
Tucker is disturbed that the Post swept the latest scandal under the rug.
“The newspaper’s latest effort comes on the heels of Henderson being censured for soliciting donations from city contractors, including one accused of serving kids spoiled food and stealing millions. (That contractor, Chartwells, reached a settlement with the District in 2015, agreeing to pay the school system $19.4 million.)
“The donations Henderson secured were directed to the DC Public Education Fund, which she controlled. (The Post also contributed to the fund but failed to disclose that.)
AP’s Ben Nuckols broke the story in April. The Post then followed up with their story, tucked away on page B4 of the Metro section.
“This week’s story–on Henderson being censured by D.C.’s ethics board — was even harder to find. “The WP buried the story on the Obituaries Page B6!!!!” former DCPS guidance counselor Sheila Gill-Mebane wrote on Facebook.
“The Post’s story wasn’t just hard to find. While other news outlets highlighted the censure in their headlines (“Former DC Schools Chief Censured Over Ethics,” read one), the Post kept it in smaller script.
“This is just the latest example of the Post downplaying the Rhee/Henderson era’s serious shortcomings and scandals, which have included: widespread cheating on standardized tests; the widening of an already vast achievement gap; shortchanging ‘at risk’ students; and lead in schools’ water.”
Rhee was interviewed by Donald Trump for the position as Secretary of Education. Some of Trump’s allies oppose Rhee because she supports the Common Core, which Trump vowed to eliminate, but also because she would insist on testing and accountability for charters and voucher schools.
Karen Wolfe, a public school parent and blogger in Los Angeles, reports on the upcoming battle royal for control of the school board. The charter ndustry is planning a raid on the school board, and their candidates can expect to be showered with money from billionaires who want to privatize more of the public schools. As karen points out, most of the donors will be able to hide their names until
As I have mentioned many times, the highly successful schools of Finland emphasize play, the arts, and creativity. They don’t begin teaching reading until children are in first or second grade. The Finns want school to be a stress free, joyful experience for children. And it works. The schools have been described by international organizations as the best in the world. Stuart Egan, high school te
My friend and colleague Anthony Cody tells the story of his family’s travails during the McCarthy era and links it to events of the present day. Not long after I first met Anthony, about five years ago, he briefly summarized the story of his parents and the hardships they endured because of McCarthyism. As a historian, I urged him to write about it. The events of the past week provoked him to do
This is a very funny scoring rubric that incorporates the skills that separate winners and losers, starting January 20. It says it applies to grading college essays, but it would work well in the school grades as well. It does not reflect the Common Core.
Commonweal, the Catholic magazine, published an editorial about the election of Donald Trump. The editors are deeply concerned about Trump’s lack of empathy for those in need. They hope he will govern with policies and attitudes different from those he expressed in the campaign. The editors wrote: “It seems unlikely, but perhaps the enormous responsibilities of the presidency will calm Donald Tru
Reader Vale Math posted this comment: “I read today, people trashed a woman’s car and spray painted anti-Muslim messages on the car with swastikas as they thought she was wearing a hijab. She was wearing a head scarf because she lost her hair due to lupus. So now, Trump supporters are attacking people with cancer and auto-immune diseases. “At a local school, a black student was told she should be
State police in Michigan are investigating online schools for financial fraud and inflating enrollment. https://www.tuscolatoday.com/index.php/2016/11/16/state-police-probing-possible-fraud-at-vassar-schools-mep/
Mattew Iglesias has a dire view of the next four years. The federal government has vast powers with which to reward friends and punish enemies. And Donald Trump has made it clear that he will do both. A government that operates with these principles would be systemically corrupt, he says. The next 100 days are critical in demanding that Trump choose cabinet appointees whose qualifications are mor
Post-truth is reality today. Craig Silverman writes in Buzzfeed that more people linked to fake news sites than to real news sites in the final months of the election. “Of the 20 top-performing false election stories identified in the analysis, all but three were overtly pro-Donald Trump or anti-Hillary Clinton. Two of the biggest false hits were a story claiming Clinton sold weapons to ISIS and
Mike Pence attended the Broadway show “Hamilton” last night. The show is a remarkable re-imagining of America’s founding with a cast of actors of different races, mostly black and brown. I saw it a few weeks ago and was greatly moved by its vision of an inclusive nation. The cast and audience were aware of Pence’s presence. He received some applause but also loud boos. At the end of the show, the
North Carolina has two virtual charter schools, one operated by Pearson, the other by Michael Milken’s K12 Inc. Both have high attrition rates and poor student performance , as reported in state data. “Students at one of the state’s two brand new virtual charter schools are dropping out at a rate that exceeds the maximum allowed by state law, according to a report authored by the North Carolina O
NYSAPE (New York State Allies for Public Education) is the coalition of 50 organizations of parents and educators who have twice led successful opt outs from state testing, with more than 200,000 students refusing the tests for the
Gary Rubinstein on Queen Eva’s Spin Machine
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Gary Rubinstein was taken aback when he saw an article in Rupert
Murdoch’s tabloid “The New York Post” claiming that the girls’ chess team
at Eva Moskowi...
"We Need To Take Those Jewels"
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We've made rules in our classroom, together, by consensus, and among the
first agreements we made with one another was, "No taking things from other
pe...
Is MORE Unraveling As It Shifts Left?
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There are some disturbing rumors that the opposition caucus MORE has turned
sharply leftward and has made some long-term members un...
Ella Fitzgerald. Born on this day in 1917.
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Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
*ELLA FITZGERALD sang jazz in a voice so pure and perfected that it
admitted no pain -- and America loved her for it. ...
Cynthia Nixon for Governor
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She has that unfortunate last name, and she made a remark about union
concessions. This notwithstanding, what's in a name, the remark was a
one-off, and I...
Queen Eva’s Gambit
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In the New York Post today there was a headline that read “Charter school
upsets juggernaut Stuyvesant HS on way to chess crown” It began in dramatic
fashi...
Democrats Need Allegorical Lesson to Grow
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Myself, I am a "left of center libertarian". I believe there is a place for
liberalism, I believe there is a place for government in our lives, I do
believ...
When China Buys Our Data
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We have worried about what ed tech companies would do with all the data
that they could (and do) collect from students. We have worried about the
creation ...
Of Interest From the Times
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Robert Eagle Staff Middle Schools, Licton Springs K-8 and Cascadia
Elementary are all relatively near Aurora and North 90th which makes this
very close to ...
Superintendent search, focus group members
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I have to say I don't like seeing a name or their designee in two spots.
Somebody should be willing to come or not and I wish the group skewed more
DCPS te...
Meredith Chapman’s Life Cut Short, Rest In Peace
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It was with extreme sadness when I received a call this morning about the
death of Meredith Chapman. While details are vague, there was a
murder-suicide a...
How we can get the full picture of autism
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As professionals who believe in children and are committed to unlocking
their potential, we want to make sure all of our students have exactly what
they ne...
It’s NOT Education Reform – It’s School Sabotage
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High stakes testing and school privatization are NOT “Education Reform."
Even if we use the term to criticize the practice, we’re helping them do
their work.
THE TVAAS CANARD CONTINUES
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There is one thing that has remained consistent since I began writing this
blog 5 years ago: the inability of the state of Tennessee to conduct an
error-fr...
Gangsters’ Moves By TEA in Houston
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So Mike Morath, Texas Education Agency (TEA) commissioner, failed at his
Home Rule attempt in Dallas (See Panning a Charter Takeover of all public
schools)...
“Your House Is Just a Place for Your Stuff”
-
The secretary’s desk is dark wood with a pull down door and one drawer
beneath the main section, divided into sections for office supplies and
such. It sit...
Testimony on Improving School Planning and Siting
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Below is the our testimony Class Size Matters gave at the City Council
hearings on tackling school overcrowding by improving the efficiency and
accuracy of...
What White People Need to Understand
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Last night, I listened to David Remnick’s New Yorker podcast interview with
James Comey to hear what he had to say about our 45th President, but what
dis...
Early Signs of Dementia
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*“...Memory loss is a common symptom, but different types of memory loss
can mean different things. *Memory loss is closely associated with
dementia, s...
Assessing My Writing: A Look Backward
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A month ago, a colleague wrote to me and asked me to write about my career
as a practitioner/scholar over the past half-century. I accepted. Part of
the re...
an interesting factoid on NRA and Virginia
-
an explanation
I have just returned from a fundraiser for Barbara Kanninen to be reelected
to Arlington County VIrginia school board. it had a special f...
Berta Lives! Support Honduras!
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*Join us in showing our solidarity for Honduras!*
* Music Performance, Friday, April 27, 7PM *
* Film honoring Berta Caceres, Saturday, April 28, 5-7PM *
...
Don't forget about reading
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Sent to the Taipei Times, April 22,2018
I was surprised to discover that the Taiwan Ministry of Education will
prioritize “listening and speaking skills” i...
Why I Am So Dangerous
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When it comes to transforming this country, I am much more dangerous than
George Soros, even the George Soros of Fox News imagination! That George is
tran...
Neo-Confederates, Monuments, and Flags
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By Paul Horton. Although advocacy groups like the United Daughters of the
Confederacy have made statements disavowing any groups that promote hate,
many ...
This Week in Education Organizing - April 20, 2018
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*Books, Not Guns*
Today is another day of protest, as tens of thousands of students and
supporters are expected to walk out of schools and rally for stri...
What Feeds Bias in the Education World?
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I'm not naïve enough to think that schools could turn hearts and minds in a
K-12 generation. But could they do significant good, given the right tools
and ...
2018 Medley #10
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Teacher Activism, Retention-in-Grade, Charters, Testing, First Amendment,
Science TEACHER ACTIVISM The 9 states where teachers have it worst
According to C...
Heartbroken
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She was brilliant in high school. I admired her so much. She traveled to
our not so great school in the Bronx from Manhattan because of our honor
prog...
Featured Author @ Palmdale Book Festival
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Join me for a captivating book signing & storytelling! Get your very own
signed copy of 5 stars Chike the Invincible! and Oma the Faithful
Daughter! ...
Terrorism?
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Could somebody explain to me why acts like the unprovoked and senseless
attack by Salman Abidi in 2017 on an audience of predominantly innocent
children wa...
Expanding "No Excuses" Models is a Bad Idea
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An organization called The Future of Children came out recently with a
report titled* Charter Schools and the Achievement Gap* by Sarah Cohodes,
an assist...
ELA Assessment: Dear Board of Regents,
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Dear Members of the Board of Regents,
Thank you for your service as leaders in public education in New York
State. I am writing as a parent of two public ...
Advocating for Schools to City Leaders
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Dr. Robert Moses, civil rights icon and education advocate, joined the
April 12 Education Town Hall, along with long-time DC education advocate
Suzanne Wel...
PAA joins Google/You Tube FTC complaint
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Today, Parents Across America joined more than 20 civic and children’s
advocacy organizations in filing a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint
against ...
A maximizing area question
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I gave this question to students as a challenge at the end of a trig unit.
A quadrilateral has perimeter = 60 and a 30º angle. What is the maximum
possible...
Welcome to the walkout, from okeducationmom
-
When I marched for the passage of HB 1017 in 1990, I was hopeful and then
grateful that Governor Henry Bellmon and a bipartisan group of legislators
found ...
Silence Speaks At March For Our Lives
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Listen to Emma’s profound silence. Remember the silence of students
crouched in closets, hiding from the sound of an automatic weapon being
fired in their ...
Scenes for the March For Life in New York
-
And so they came and came by the thousands, flooding Central Park West with
citizens of all ages, all races, all creeds, all who have had enough of
insane ...
A NATION THAT FEARS ITS CHILDREN?
-
Here we are again. The murders caused by the NRA-GOP-Gun manufacturers
corruption have terrorized America for over a generation. Young people do
not see ad...
I’m voting for Chris Kennedy
-
A question was posed to me last night. “At this point, does a vote for
Daniel Biss instead of Chris Kennedy help JB Pritzker?” During the last
presidential...
Amy/Andy and the Orphans
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Willowbrook. Any New Yorker of a certain age shutters at that name–and no,
not because it was Geraldo Rivera who brought it to our attention.
Willowbrook w...
Florina Rodov: The Truth About Charter Schools
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*“[W]hen teachers aren’t unionized, they’re exploited — and when teachers
suffer, so do kids.” — Florina Rodov*
This amazing piece by Florina Rodov on *S...
#NationalSchoolWalkout – Grown Ups Need to Listen
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Student activists, responding to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, organized a national walk out to
memoriali...
Letter for BCPS Parents: My Child is Not a Pipeline
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(Image courtesy of Alison McDowell) Dear County Council Members, I am
writing on behalf of concerned BCPS parents regarding the newest rounds of
BCPS polic...
3rd Grade Reading: Who is Failing?
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Education Trust Midwest has just released its study on third grade reading
and, predictably, the results aren’t great. This study uniquely compares
Michiga...
Opting out of the Dinosaur (end of year test)
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Today I sent in a second letter to refuse PARCC/CMAS for my son, Luke. The
first email I sent at the beginning of the year was not sufficient as they
requi...
Resurrection
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I realized it's Lent, but this blog, bless Jesus Christ, can't wait.
Ok, so with that said, I plan to discuss Class Action suits in existence,
as well as w...
Are Our Educators Prepared For Their Students?
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If there is one thing that I am sure of as an educator it is that rapid
change greatly affects both what and how we learn. If there is a second
thing that ...
Who Is Pulling The Muppet Strings?
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
Sesame Street is an iconic brand that embodies humor, acceptance, and
humanity. Who doesn’t love a muppet? So, on...
IDEA Is Still The Law Of The Land
-
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the US Department of
Education (USDOE) rescinded 72 Dear Colleague and other letters of
explanation to s...
Budget Cuts To Kids Are Not Necessary!
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We’ve been hearing a lot of news from OUSD about how cuts to schools and
kids are necessary. So we’ll need to keep saying the truth… they are not
necessar...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
This is our Sputnik moment.
-
School’s all across the nation are either starting or about to start a new
academic year. It’s suppose to be an exciting time for students and
teacher. How...
Student of the Month Nightmare
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*This is something I wrote for a monthly gathering to honor some of the
best students at our school. I figure most teachers will relate:*
I was grading pap...
99 Years of Progress Erased – unless we fight back
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Public healthcare for all? Public education for all? What is being done to
our monetized children regarding their potential healthcare and their
existing e...
You Can Be an Astronaut, but You Can't Be Black
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“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question I always
imagined every kindergarten student hearing.
“I want to be a doctor!” declares Sally.
...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
Don't Like Chris Christie? Blame the Democrats.
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Yesterday Diane Ravitch published a piece in The New Republic, titled Don't
Like Betsy DeVos? Blame the Democrats.
If you care about public education at al...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/2/2017
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Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/1/2017 Education Bloggers Daily
Highlights Courtesy of Big Education Ape A special thank you to education
blogger Mik...
Bad Hair Day
-
It’s winter time. It’s cold — okay, not for anyone outside California and
Florida, but still — I’m wearing hats in the morning. Lovely knitted hats
that I’...
Capturing the Spark
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It’s been a long time since InterACT was an active education blog, though I
remain quite proud of what we did here. Those of us who wrote blog posts
here h...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
-
I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
WTU Peterson Slate: Not a 1 Woman Dictatorship
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Candi Peterson & GeLynn Thompson
Candidates for WTU Prez & GVP 2016By Candi Peterson, WTU Gen. Vice President
*Statements or expressions of opinions herein...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
All Aboard the Opt Out Bus
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The #OptOutBus is currently traveling the country giving away free books to
children! Follow their progress at their Facebook page and donate to their
FR...
Flaws at the Heart of Current Education Reforms
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Originally posted on Creative by Nature:
“Teaching is an art form rooted in the wise and careful use of educational
research and assessment tools. When gove...