ICYMI: Last Sunday Before Trumpistan Edition (1/15)
This week I'll start you off with a short video from the folks at Brave New Films about the DeVos nomination. Something to share with your friends who would rather watch than read.
Sears in Death Spiral
I wrote about this article earlier in the week, but if you missed that, you should still read this. Nothing to do with education, but everything to do with how terrible mis-management makes a hash out of a beloved US institution.
How Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul
Again, not actually about education, but a long, thoughtful look at the history of the modern Democratic party and how they lost their way.
Betsy DeVos Accountability Problem
Devos supporters have been swearing up and down that she actually supported a law calling for more accountability in Michigan charters. Allie Gross went and looked at the actual law and reports what's really in it (spoiler alert: not a bunch of charter accountability).
Difference Between Equity and Equality
A brief piece from Lara David with a great activity for showing students what the difference is.
Why the Racist History of School Vouchers Matters Today
Casey Quinlan provides another important history lesson.
The Red Queen
Jennifer Berkshire (Edushyster) spent nine days in Michigan interviewing over forty different people. She came back not only with the definitive DeVos nickname, but how the Education Secretary nominee looks to the people who have lived under her shadow. This week's must-read.
Time To Eliminate Third Grade Retention
One of the stupidest, most destructive, just plain meanest policies to come out of reformsterdom is the automatic third grade retention rule-- no passing score on the Big Standardized Test and no fourth grade for you, you little eight year old slacker! Here's another great explanation of just how wrong the policy (which, yes, does exist in several states) is.
Jeb Bush May Have Won Something in the Election After All
Valerie Strauss connects the dots between Jeb Bush and the new Department of Education. If you voted against Jeb because of his education policy positions, the joke is one you.
Sears in Death Spiral
I wrote about this article earlier in the week, but if you missed that, you should still read this. Nothing to do with education, but everything to do with how terrible mis-management makes a hash out of a beloved US institution.
How Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul
Again, not actually about education, but a long, thoughtful look at the history of the modern Democratic party and how they lost their way.
Betsy DeVos Accountability Problem
Devos supporters have been swearing up and down that she actually supported a law calling for more accountability in Michigan charters. Allie Gross went and looked at the actual law and reports what's really in it (spoiler alert: not a bunch of charter accountability).
Difference Between Equity and Equality
A brief piece from Lara David with a great activity for showing students what the difference is.
Why the Racist History of School Vouchers Matters Today
Casey Quinlan provides another important history lesson.
The Red Queen
Jennifer Berkshire (Edushyster) spent nine days in Michigan interviewing over forty different people. She came back not only with the definitive DeVos nickname, but how the Education Secretary nominee looks to the people who have lived under her shadow. This week's must-read.
Time To Eliminate Third Grade Retention
One of the stupidest, most destructive, just plain meanest policies to come out of reformsterdom is the automatic third grade retention rule-- no passing score on the Big Standardized Test and no fourth grade for you, you little eight year old slacker! Here's another great explanation of just how wrong the policy (which, yes, does exist in several states) is.
Jeb Bush May Have Won Something in the Election After All
Valerie Strauss connects the dots between Jeb Bush and the new Department of Education. If you voted against Jeb because of his education policy positions, the joke is one you.
Big Education Ape: Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION: Investors Warned Off Pearson + Unmoored (tl;dr) - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2017/01/catch-up-with-curmudgucation-investors.html
