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Sunday, March 12, 2017

Spring Forward with Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Spring Forward with Diane Ravitch's blog 
A site to discuss better education for all

Pence Lies About ACA in Kentucky
by dianeravitch / 29min
We are becoming desensitized to lies told by our president and vice-president. Here is a whopper. Mike Pence went to Kentucky and said that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) had failed in Kentucky. He was either misinformed or lied. Our nation’s leaders have access to accurate information, so I think it likely he lied. Because of ACA, the number of uninsured people in Kentucky dropped dramatica
Andrea Gabor: Joel Klein Spends an Evening with His Friends at TFA, Berating Public Schools
by dianeravitch / 1h
Andrea Gabor recently attended an invitation-only event in New York City to meet Joel Klein at Teach for America headquarters in lower Manhattan, where he reflected on his legacy. She writes: How did Klein feel about his legacy—what 


What Funding Cuts to the Arts and Humanities Can Buy for the Military
by dianeravitch / 12min
Trump has promised to add more than $50 billion to the military budget, which will be paid for by budget cuts. Among the federal agencies on the chopping block for total elimination are the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. These three small agencies underwrite programs like Ken Burns’ history of the Civil War,
Denis Smith: Block Grants Produce Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
by dianeravitch / 1h
Republicans love block grants. That is the purpose of HR 610, which would take a bunch of federal categorical programs with specific purposes and turn them over to states as block grants, to be used as they see fit. State control of federal funds, in short, with no strings attached. What could possibly go wrong? Denis Smith, who worked for the Ohio Department of Education for many years, explains
New York: Parents Sue Cuomo to Release “Frozen” Funds for Neediest Schools
by dianeravitch / 2h
The Education Law Center is suing Governor Cuomo on behalf of parents at some of New York state’s neediest schools, seeking the release of $37 million the state owes these schools. : PARENTS ASK NY APPEALS COURT TO RELEASE ILLEGALLY FROZEN SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS Parents of students in three public schools are asking a New York appeals court to immediately release over $37 million in improvement
Sue Legg: The Origins of Florida’s Tax Credits for Constitutionally Banned Vouchers
by dianeravitch / 3h
Sue Legg, education director of the Florida League of Women Voters, wrote this history of the state’s tax credit program at my request. Thank you, Sue. Not all Choices are Good Choices Following Jeb Bush’s 1994 defeat in his run for governor, he dented his image. According to a Tampa Bay Times report, in a televised debate Bush responded ‘not much’ when asked what he would do for black voters. Fa
Send a Message to Betsy DeVos: Opt Out of Federally-Mandated Testing!
by dianeravitch / 3h
Donald Trump’s selection of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education set off a seismic reaction among parents, educators, and other concerned citizens across the nation. Never, in recent memory, has a Cabinet selection inspired so much opposition. The phone lines of Senators were jammed. People who never gave much thought to what happens in Washington suddenly got angry. Snippets of her Senate co
Arthur Camins: Isolation and Segregation Make Us Stupid
by dianeravitch / 3h
Arthur Camins, scientist and educator, describes how his schooling shaped his understanding of Justice and social responsibility. His article was originally published at the Huffington Post, but he also placed it in the Louisville Courier-Journal because of his professional experience in Louisville and the fact that the legislature is about to roll back Louisville’s successful desegregation progr

YESTERDAY

Fake Pro-Trump Website with Fake Stories Wins One Million Views in Two Weeks
by dianeravitch / 13h
What a crazy world. The idea was simple enough: publish as many absurd, obviously fake stories imaginable, and see if anyone actually falls for it. The results of this experiment were both fascinating and disheartening. “BREAKING: Satire Makes Fools Of Gullible Trump Supporters.” That’s the headline James McDaniel published on his intentionally fake news website, UndergroundNewsReport.com, earlie
Christine Langhoff on the Latest Trumpian Evil: Deporting Parents, Putting Their Children in Foster Care
by dianeravitch / 22h
Yesterday I heard from my friends at Pastors for Texas Children about parents who had been deported while their American-born children were left at the church, in East Texas. Christine Langhoff added that this is now policy: cruel, inhumane, and swift: “Here’s an example of Trumpian evil: “Head of Homeland Security John Kelly proposes to separate children from their mothers when they are detained
Ethics Agency Criticizes Kellyanne for Promoting Ivanka Products on TV; White House Says WH Employees Not Subject to Ethics Law
by dianeravitch / 23h
This is an extraordinary exchange of documents, which I learned about by reading Bill Moyers’ website. Walter Shaub, director of the Office of Governmental Ethics, wrote a letter to the White House saying that Kellyanne Conway should be disciplined for using her official position to encourage people to buy Ivanka Trump’s merchandise. The White House responded by saying that officials who work for
Steve Bannon: The Man with No Address
by dianeravitch / 23h
In this article , the Washington Post tries to figure out where Steve Bannon has lived for the past three years. He is now the most powerful advisor to the president. But who is he? Where does he vote? Where is his home? Does he have one?
Denver Charter Chains Seek to Fulfill DeVos Privatization Agenda
by dianeravitch / 1d
Now that the U.S. Department of Education has an advocate for privatization in charge, Denver’s charter chains have moved for rapid expansion. Denver has been under corporate reform control for several years. The charter industry and equity investors have poured large sums into school board elections, squeezing out ordinary candidates who wanted to help public schools. Now the district, with a bo
Chicago: Parent Discovers Massive Breach of Privacy of Student Records
by dianeravitch / 1d
A parent in Chicago discovered a massive breach of private data about students in private schools receiving special education services. The data was controlled by Chicago Public Schools, but obviously with little regard for privacy. The parent was a student Privacy activist, Cassie Creswell. The following post is by Cassie Creswell, a Chicago parent activist from Raise Your Hand Illinois and a ke
Singapore Will Drop Grades, Reduce Testing
by dianeravitch / 1d
Singapore has decided to eliminate grades. No more standardized testing for young children. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-39142030 Singapore has decided that values and character must be emphasized, not test-taking skills. The BBC reports: “Singapore is in top place in the international rankings for education. But it wants the next upgrade of its school system to focus on keeping students posi
Peter Greene: ESSA is Now Officially a Big, Hot Mess
by dianeravitch / 1d
At the end of 2015, Congress finally replaced No Child Left Behind–ten years late–with a new law called Every Student Succeeds. The two names actually mean exactly the same thing, and mean nothing at all. Does anyone really 
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