Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION: NC: New Depths of Shame + Do Poor Students Get the Worst Teachers?
NC: New Depths of Shame
18by Peter Greene / 1h
Once upon a time, North Carolina was a forward-thinking state that took good care of its citizens. But they have spent the last few years hell-bent on turning it into a backward bottom-feeder. Now, in an attempt to win the prize for Worst Legislature in America (sorry Florida and Ohio), the North Carolina has decided to go full-on racist banana republic. We'll get to this latest round of idiocy in
YESTERDAY
Do Poor Students Get the Worst Teachers?
73by Peter Greene / 19h
This has been open to debate forever, but the debate has gotten more spirited ever since the Obama administration made it a matter of policy that poverty just doesn't matter if you have an awesome teacher in the room. There are three real answers to this question. Let's consider each one. No, They Don't A recently-released report from the Institute of Education Sciences (part of the USED) has been
DEC 15
School Choice Won't Save Education
30by Peter Greene / 1d
This piece popped up on my twitter feed this week. It's a hard-core pro-choice argument from David S. D'amato , an attorney as well as a policy advisor at the Heartland Institute who also does some work at Cato now and then-- so seriously Libertarian. Is it extra-ironic that few useful Libertarian images, including the Heartland logo, are public domain? Here's a puppy instead His piece is pretty
David Coleman Messes Up Again
100+by Peter Greene / 1d
I have spent entirely much time over the past few years reading about David Coleman, the magical and super-powered wizard who manufactured the Common Core and convinced Bill Gates to become the Core's greatest patron. Coleman needed to set the Core up with a foster parent because as soon as the little tyke's wings had begun to spread, Coleman was out the door to his next gig-- a well-paying gig ru
OH: Turn Schools Over To Businessmen
71by Peter Greene / 2d
Back in September, Ohio's Governor (and lonely failed Presidential candidate) John Kasich decided to unravel a puzzle-- the mismatch between Ohio's open jobs and unemployed workers. One might think that a possible answer might be that the hundreds of thousands of blue collar workers whose jobs have been outsourced or robo-sourced do not match up with the new jobs available in the state. But Kasich
DEC 14
John King and the Devils
10by Peter Greene / 2d
King was at the Center for American Progress today (a place that has to be a little grey these days, given their history of providing interim employment for all those folks who were supposed to be going to work in the Clinton administration) to issue a clarion call for a better educational future (For The Chidren, of course). But as always, the devil is in details, and there is a mighty swarm of d
Checker Finn Admits Defeat
57by Peter Greene / 2d
Has a prominent reformster given up. Not quite-- but the PISA and TIMSS results have given Chester Finn pause as well as a moment of perhaps inadvertent admission that twenty-five years of reforminess have been a failure. I can never quite get myself into the whole podcast thing, but a friend recommended I check out a recent episode of the Fordham Foundation's Gadfly podcast and it was... illumina
DEC 13
Love and Kindness
44by Peter Greene / 3d
This past weekend, my son got married. I took a personal day Friday to help decorate for the reception and the rehearsal dinner. Our wild and crazy bachelor party involved bowling (which we did not very well). Then on Saturday, my son and daughter-in-law were married on the stage of the same community theater in which they met almost a decade ago. Family members who couldn't be there because of he
DEC 12
An A-Plus Method of Liberating Money
10by Peter Greene / 4d
The Very Conservative Heritage Foundation has posted on Facebook a video with their six suggestions for the first 100 days of Betsy DeVos's attempt to drive the Department of Education into the privatization ditch (they might have phrased it a little differently). Support states as they work to exit Common Core. Call on Congress to pass the A-Plus Act returning power to the states. Reauthorize the
DEC 11
DeVos Speaks (Sort of)
34by Peter Greene / 5d
Poor Betsy DeVos. She has recently spent time on the Donald Trump "Thank You These rallies Are The Only Part I Liked About Running for President" Tour, complaining tha t the media is spreading "false news" about her. I suppose that she could address that by actually, you know, speaking to the press directly, but apparently she is spending time prepping for her confirmation hearing. Her appearance
Why Honor Diane Ravitch?
100+by Peter Greene / 5d
Tonight the Network for Public Education is throwing a shindig in New York to honor Diane Ravitch. In truth, it is also to help raise money for NPE, an organization for which Ravitch is a co-founder. If you are at all concerned about public education, you are familiar with Ravitch's name, and the general arc of her story that has provided a sort of third-act apostasy-fueled career for her as a pub
ICYMI: Baby, It's Cold Outside (12/11)
5by Peter Greene / 6d
Some readings from the week. Remember to share, pass on, and generally amplify what you read that you believe hits the spot. Is Ed-Tech Research Nearing Its Big Tobacco Moment From Gotesborg Universitet of all places, a
