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

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

Defending Kids Diane Ravitch's blog

A site to discuss better education for all

Ohio: ECOT Uses Taxpayer $$ to Fight Accountability

1by dianeravitch / 34min

The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT) has collected hundreds of millions of dollars from Ohio taxpayers to pay for online schooling st home. The owner of ECOT makes large campaign gifts to legislators. The “school” delivers 

New Mexico: TFA Alum Takes the Reins as State Chief

1by dianeravitch / 9min

Many teachers in New Mexico were relieved when Hanna Skandera resigned as Commissioner of the Public Education Department. Skandera never met the minimum legal requirement to hold the post; she had never been a teacher. She was a protege of Jeb Bush and wanted to bring the Florida model of high-stakes testing, accountability, and privatization to New Mexico. She subscribed to her mentor’s radical

Denver: I’m With Tay for the Denver School Board!

1by dianeravitch / 1h

Denver has a seven-member school board that is completely controlled by corporate reformers from Democrats for Education Reform and others with no stake in the schools other than to push more testing and more privatization. 

Jeff Bryant: Why Is There Bipartisan Support for Charter Scams and Corruption?

2by dianeravitch / 41min

Jeff Bryant points out an irony that should enrage every taxpayer and citizen: Both major political parties love charter schools, despite the numerous scandals that accompany unregulated, unaccountable charters. http://educationopportunitynetwork.org/charter-schools-do-bad-stuff-because-they-can/ Here is a part of his great piece on the malfeasance that is now commonplace in the charter industry.

Steven Singer: A Radical Proposal to Provide an Excellent Education for Every Child

7by dianeravitch / 1h

Steven Singer finds that there is a missing ingredient in the present discourse about School Reform. Reformers think they have made great strides if they open more opportunities for choice. What reformers have not been willing to do is to guarantee that every child has the right to an excellent education. We know what excellent education looks like. It is the education that the 1% demand for thei

YESTERDAY

A Question for Facebook Users

41by dianeravitch / 12h

I have had complaints from regular readers that they are unable to put my blog posts on Facebook. A reader wrote this earlier today: “When I try to share your blog from Word Press on Facebook only your name shows up many times. Just tried it with your messages about Arizona and James Wilson. Does Zuckerberg not like you? I don’t know if others have this problem but I think you are being censored.

New Jersey: The Plot to Preserve Christie’s Control of State Board of Education Thickens

11by dianeravitch / 19h

I wrote earlier that Chris Christie, evidently the most unpopular governor in New Jersey’s history, is dumping the president and vice-president of the state board of education so he can continue to control education after he has left office. If he has his way, his cold, dead hand will strangle public education long after he is replaced. I got more information from a member of Save Our Schools NJ,

Indianapolis: Public Protest on Tuesday Against School Closings and Privatization

5by dianeravitch / 20h

Parents and teachers will gather in Indianapolis on Tuesday to protest the ongoing corporate assault on public schools. 5:15 pm in front of IPS headquarters It is NOT about the kids. It is NOT students first. It is all about the money transferred from public schools to private bank accounts. “Community coalition to demonstrate Tues at IPS. The group intends to challenge the Mind Trust/Stand for C

New Jersey: Lame Duck Governor Christie Deposes Leaders of State School Board

9by dianeravitch / 21h

With time running out on his term as Governor, Chris Christie removed the president and vice-president of the state school board. Critics said he was trying to lock in his control of the board long after his tenure in office. Christie has battled with the teachers union and favors privatization of public education. Although New Jersey is one of the top performing states in the nation, Christie re

Scott Sargrad: Invest in Public Schools, Not Vouchers

9by dianeravitch / 22h

Scott Sargrad is in charge of K-12 education policy at the Center for American Policy. CAP has been one of the leading advocates for privately managed charters. This article explains in lucid pros e why vouchers are a terrible strategy and how they actually harm most children who use them. He could have written the same article about charters, which suck money and top students away from public sc

James Wilson: It Is Wrong to Expect All Students to Meet Requirements Designed for Elite Students

21by dianeravitch / 23h

James Wilson believes that it is harmful to youth to expect all to meet the same rigorous academic standards. Some will excel in career and technical education or other fields. He writes: “The imposition of the University of California A-G entrance requirements on all high school students is inappropriate and extremely harmful. The UC system was constructed to be a system of elite universities fo

Arizona: Acute Teacher Shortage, 22% of Teachers Not Fully Qualified

19by dianeravitch / 1d

After years of underfunding public education and diverting money to charters and vouchers, Arizona is coping with an acute teacher shortage. “On a Saturday in late April, Principal Theresa Nickolich gave her best recruiting pitch to every person who walked in the door. “Come teach at Clarendon Elementary School in the Osborn School District, she told the candidates at the job fair. “You’ll be par

SHOCKER! Massive Charter Scandal Stretches from Ohio to Florida

53by dianeravitch / 1d

The Akron Beacon-Joirnal reports on a multi-state charter scandal. “The founder of an Akron-area charter school company is accused of using thousands of dollars parents paid for student lunches and uniforms and millions more from 

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