Holiday Greetings from Diane Ravitch and the Board of NPE - Network For Public Education : Holiday Greetings from Diane Ravitch and the Board of NPE Dear Fellow Supporters of Public Schools, On behalf of the board of the Network for Public Education and the NPE Action Fund, I want to wish you Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and our warmest wishes for 2017. The year ahead will be challenging for
CalPERS cuts earnings forecast; school districts to pay more for pensions | EdSource : CalPERS cuts earnings forecast; school districts to pay more for pensions School districts, already bracing for record pension contributions for school employees, will face additional costs they hadn’t expected as a result of a decision Wednesday by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. The CalPER
No Test Left Behind: How Pearson Made a Killing on the US Testing Craze : No Test Left Behind How Pearson Made a Killing on the US Testing Craze T hree days after taking office, George W. Bush unveiled his signature domestic policy, No Child Left Behind. The bill would triple the number of exams the federal government required of students, while dangling stiff penalties over struggling schools. F
CURMUDGUCATION: Unavoidable Costs : Unavoidable Costs I have libertarian friends (it's true). And one of them posted this particular meme Now I don't think either of these statements is accurate on its own; if something is a right, it's a right and there is no "should be," and libertarian "no one has a right to your labor" talk stops the moment money changes hands, thereby buying the right to tha
DeVos heads into confirmation with a megadonor's advantage - POLITICO : DeVos heads into confirmation with a megadonor's advantage Billionaire Betsy DeVos gives big to politicians — including some senators who will vote on her confirmation. Billionaire Betsy DeVos has been unabashed about using her wealth to advance her own agenda. “We expect a return on our investment,” she once wrote about her
Behind the Smiles: How Teachers “Personalize” Education During the Holidays : Behind the Smiles: How Teachers “Personalize” Education During the Holidays This is dedicated to all those caring teachers who worked so hard over the last few weeks despite being tired or having their own problems to make the holidays special for their students. As a teacher, I don’t have to tell other teachers how imp
‘Government really sucks’ and five other principles promoted by Trump’s education nominee - The Washington Post : ‘Government really sucks’ and five other principles promoted by Trump’s education nominee Betsy DeVos, the Michigan billionaire tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be his education secretary, has some very firm views about government and education, which she articulated in a 201
‘School Choice’ Education Secretary Not What Latino Students Need – Cloaking Inequity : ‘School Choice’ Education Secretary Not What Latino Students Need Despite disparaging Latinos through his attacks on Mexico and judges of Mexican descent, Trump vowed to be a champion for Latinos in education. But he’s going about it the wrong way. Donald Trump has tapped billionaire heiress Betsy DeVos as his
TBFURMAN: Our Kids, Our Future: Privatization and Public Investment : Our Kids, Our Future: Privatization and Public Investment Saw it on Mark S. Hall's timeline. Good explainer on the basic argument; the one Rahm et al. would like us to forget about, now that they've moved the window to the right. More here. H/t Sharon TBFURMAN: Our Kids, Our Future: Privatization and Public Investment :
Anatomy of a Failure: How a Promising LA Charter School Came Apart at the Seams : Anatomy of a Failure: How a Promising LA Charter School Came Apart at the Seams LESSONS FOR CHARTERS--In 2014, when teachers at Los Angeles’ Jefferson High School opened their own charter school, the Student Empowerment Academy , they hoped to bring the larger world into their classrooms. They wanted to show kids op
Free Leonard Peltier: Obama Urged to Grant Clemency to Native American Activist Jailed for 40 Years | Democracy Now! : Free Leonard Peltier: Obama Urged to Grant Clemency to Native American Activist Jailed for 40 Years As President Obama’s last month in office begins, Amnesty International and other groups are calling on the president to grant clemency to Native American activist Leonard Peltier,
What and When is Winter Solstice? : The Election of Donald Trump, The Winter Solstice and The Return of Hope 2016 What and When is Winter Solstice? Solstices are opposite on either side of the equator, so the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere is the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere and vice versa. The December Solstice. Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice: (North America, Centr
Got Dough? How Billionaires Rule Our Schools : Got Dough? How Billionaires Rule Our Schools Joanne Barkan: Philanthro-Barons Are a Danger to Democracy | Diane Ravitch's blog - http://wp.me/p2odLa-fZT via @dianeravitch To see an MSNBC interview with Barkan about this article, click here. For resources and further reading suggested by Barkan, click here . The cost of K–12 public schooling in the Un
Thank you, Delaware! My visit underscored the great work we do - Lily's Blackboard : Thank you, Delaware! My visit underscored the great work we do Delaware is sometimes called the “Small Wonder” state, but during my December 15 visit with members of the Delaware State Education Association from the Christina School District and their students, I got caught up in an enormous wave of enthusiasm, c
Why I Oppose the Common Core State Standards: A Review | Diane Ravitch's blog : Why I Oppose the Common Core State Standards: A Review This post is a review of my decision to oppose the Common Core standards. A few days ago, I met a high school teacher who told me she had quit her job as a teacher because her supervisor told her she could not teach poetry anymore, due to the Common Core standards
New PBS News Hour Video Report On The Impact Of Flint Water On Children | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… : New PBS News Hour Video Report On The Impact Of Flint Water On Children Today’s PBS News Hour aired this depressing report today, the same day that the former Detroit schools emergency manager was charged with felonies for his role in the Flint water crisis. You can’t find too many ot
Ed Notes Online: School Scope, The Wave: The Fallacies of School Choice, Part 2 : School Scope: The Fallacies of School Choice, Part 2 My column for this week to be published Dec. 23, 2016 at www.rockawave.com School Scope: The Fallacies of School Choice, Part 2 By Norm Scott At one point, a decade ago, the voices standing up against what I’ve termed the “ed deform” movement were few. But the mai
Do Mom and Dad know what’s good for their children online? - The Hechinger Report : Do Mom and Dad know what’s good for their children online? New survey measures parent attitudes, influence and perceptions of children’s media use Parents of school-aged children spend more than nine hours a day on media use – including TV, social media and computer-based educational programs – according to a new
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I’ve made many. And I’ve even kept a few. - Lily's Blackboard : When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I’ve made many. And I’ve even kept a few. Researchers say that while more than 40 percent of Americans usually make resolutions, only about 8 percent of us are actually “successful” at meeting the goals we set, such as losing weight, eating better, read
Becoming National Board Certified (Third Time's The Charm) [The Standard] | The Jose Vilson : Becoming National Board Certified (Third Time’s The Charm) [The Standard] I wrote for the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards blog (a.k.a. The Standard) about my experience becoming National Board certified. I got the chance to shout out the folks who originally inspired me to become NBCT,
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Was Moscowitz running to Trump for cover? : Was Moscowitz running to Trump for cover? Last month, charter schools' biggest hustler, Eva Moscowitz , who pulls down a half-million/year as the operator of N.Y. Success Academies, was in the running for Trump's Sec. of Ed post. She didn't get the job. Trump gave it to fellow plutocrat and religious zealot Betsy DeVos ins
With A Brooklyn Accent: Why Betsy DeVos, if Confirmed will be "Arne Duncan on Steroids" : Why Betsy DeVos, if Confirmed will be "Arne Duncan on Steroids" When Ronald Reagan ran for President, one of the key components of his platform was abolishing the US Department of Education. Yet three years after he was elected, my student Ariana Cipriani points out, his administration issued a report "A Nat
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Did Moscowitz cut a deal with Trump? : Did Moscowitz cut a deal with Trump? Last month, charter schools' biggest hustler, Eva Moscowitz , who pulls down a half-million/year as the operator of N.Y. Success Academies, was in the running for Trump's Sec. of Ed post. She didn't get the job. Trump gave it to fellow plutocrat and religious zealot Betsy DeVos instead.
Historians Politely Remind Nation To Check What’s Happened In Past Before Making Any Big Decisions (The Onion)* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice : Historians Politely Remind Nation To Check What’s Happened In Past Before Making Any Big Decisions (The Onion)* September 28, 2011 Vol/ 47, Issue 39, Science, Technology, and History WASHINGTON—With the United States facing a daunt
The Greatest Technological Challenge: Weening Kids Off of It | deutsch29 : The Greatest Technological Challenge: Weening Kids Off of It There is a downside to personal-device technology. Exposure to electronic devices can impede development. The longer I teach, the more exposure my incoming classes of students have had to being babysat using electronic devices. The result is that they have increa
Attitude Determines Altitude* (*conditions apply)… and the Importance of Humane District Themes | The Education Activist : Attitude Determines Altitude* (*conditions apply)… and the Importance of Humane District Themes It has been a tumultuous few years in the South Brunswick community, specifically the South Brunswick School District. All you have to do is google the district and a few of the he
About ‘The Prize’ | tultican : About ‘The Prize’ Dale Russakoff’s book details the epic fail of Mark Zuckerberg’s $100,000,000 gift which was matched by another $100,000,000 from several other philanthropic organizations and individuals. Intended to fix the poorly performing schools of Newark, New Jersey it failed by every conceivable benchmark. It’s a story of feckless politicians, arrogant refo
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/20/16 Featured Post Teachers in Wealthy Districts Get Bulk of Indiana's Performance Payouts - Teacher Beat - Education Week CURMUDGUCATION: A Terrifying Look at the Future by mike simpson / 1h CURMUDGUCATION: A Terrifying Look at the Future : A Terrifying
