In every state that has authorized virtual charter schools, these schools are marked by two characteristics: 1. They are very profitable. 2. The “education” they provide is abysmal. Typically, they have high attrition, low graduation rates, and low scores on state tests. The state fails to monitor them for quality. Students and taxpayers are fleeced. The latest example is the Indiana Virtual Scho
Yes, charters and vouchers take money from public schools, which enroll nearly 90% of students. In Tuesday’s election, a pro-public school slate swept the Milwaukee school board. It will be interesting to see what happens with that city’s heavy dose of privatized charters and vouchers. In Wisconsin, a legislator revealed that school choice removes $193 million in state aid from public schools. “M
Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider interview Arizona Republic reporter Craig Harris about the charter school scandals in Arizona, the “wild west” of charters. Harris was a member of the investigative team that won the prestigious George Polk Award for its coverage of charter schools in their state. You can listen here. Or, you can read the interview here. Here is a small excerpt, where they be
The Texas House of Representatives endorsed sweeping legislation to fund public schools. Representative Dan Huberty (R-Houston), chairman of the House Public Education Committee, steered the legislation to a nearly unanimous vote. “House Bill 3 would increase base funding for each student by $890, fund full-day pre-K for low-income 4-year-olds in most school districts, compress tax rates for all
Jennifer Rubin was hired by the Washington Post to be its “conservative” columnist, to counterbalance its liberal tilt on national issues (on education, the Washington Post is far-right and pro-privatization, with the exception of Valerie Strauss). But then Rubin encountered Trump, and she was horrified by the hash this man made of her fiscally responsible, conservative principles. In this articl
Massachusetts’ Civil Rights groups and teachers’ unions are outraged by a racist question in the state ELA Test. “In response to accounts about racially troubling questions embedded in this year’s 10th-grade English Language Arts MCAS exam, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Boston Teachers Union, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Education Justice Alli
i get a daily news summary from the Boston Globe and several other newspapers. This arrived this morning: “ In the late 1700s, there were more than 60 million bison roaming North America, but because of commercial hunting and slaughter, there were just 541 animals left 100 years later. Thanks to preservation and rescue efforts, there are about 31,000 in existence today, in national parks and on r
A progressive slate backed by the Working Families Party and the Milwaukee teachers’ union swept the school board election in Milwaukee. I received this statement from Rob Duffey of the Working Families Party: “Last night in Milwaukee the Wisconsin Working Families Party won big, electing a slate of five pro-public school champions who flipped the Milwaukee city school board from a pro-privatizat
The board of Houston Independent School District is reviewing three charter networks founded by one woman, who is both the highest ranking employee and pays her “related companies” $17 million dollars. Lois Bullock runs the networks and pays rent to companies she owns. “Over the past half-decade, Bullock’s company has served as the landlord for Energized For Excellence Academy, taking in $10.8 mi
A federal judge ruled that Charter Day School’s dress code –which requires girls to wear skirts and does not permit them to wear trousers or shorts–is unconstitutional. “Yes, the boys at the school must conform to a uniform policy as well,” Senior U.S. District Judge Malcolm J. Howard wrote. “But plaintiffs in this case have shown that the girls are subject to a specific clothing requirement that
Republicans were once the party that advocated for local control of schools. No longer. Now they support state takeovers. This is the Big Bad Wolf technique. State Control makes it easier to privatize public schools. No need to listen to parents or communities. No raucous school board meetings. No democracy. State control of schools is autocracy in action. In Arkansas, a state that is almost whol
Bob Braun was a reporter for New Jersey’s biggest newspaper—the Star-Ledger—for fifty years. Now he writes what he wants, without any constraints. In this post , he lacerates the series of articles about charter school corruption and theft of public dollars in New Jersey because it failed to reach the logical conclusion of the evidence it produced. The logical conclusion would be to call off the
This article is the last of a five-part series called “Cashing in on Charter Schools,” published by northjersey.com and USA Today New Jersey and written by Jean Rimbach and Abbott Koloff. The post examines possible fixes for the problems and profiteering described in previous entries in the series. This concluding article in a series that revealed widespread theft of public funds is deeply disapp
Caitlin Reilly of “Inside Philanthropy” writes that philanthropies no longer see charter schools as the means to transform American education. Although a few have doggedly doubled down on their commitment to charters, there seems to be a broad shift underway. Reilly calls it an “inflection point,” a point where change is undeniable. She writes: “Though charter schools have acquired a powerful all
The militant Chicago Teachers Union issued a statement following the election of Lori Lightfoot, who was not its first choice. The CTU celebrates the end of the nightmare rule of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Bruce Rauner. And it commemorates the historic leadership of its President Emerita Karen Lewis, who inaugurated a historic awakening of teacher militancy with the Chicago teachers’ strike
Sometimes it helps to solve a mystery when you put it out there for public review. Like posting photos of the “Ten Most Wanted Criminals” in every postoffice. Tips come in. An hour ago, I learned the identity of the person who named the members of the Task Force that is supposed to propose reforms to the state’s notoriously weak charter law. Seven of the 11 members of the Task Force are connected
Blogger Red Queen in LA (Sara Roos) has combed through tax filings to reveal the exorbitant salaries paid to charter school execitives, demonstrating that the ban of for-profit charter corporations has not limited the raid on taxpayers’ dollarsby charter profiteers. At the same time that charters executives are pulling down hefty salaries, charter enrollments are declining. She writes: “Overall,
The New York State Allies for Public Education issued this statement in opposition to State Commissioner MaryEllen Elia’s efforts to “bribe, coerce, manipulate, and threaten students and parents into complying with a broken assessment system.” NYSAPE has led the opt out movement for several years. About 20 percent of eligible students in grades 3-8 do not take the state tests. About half the stud
Bill Raden of Capital & Main presents us with this puzzle: how did it happen that seven of the 11 members of Gavin Newsom’s Task Force in charter school reform are part of the charter industry? The Fox is in charge of the henhouse. Since the Task Force is supposed to examine the fiscal impact of charters on public schools, why is the industry judging itself? Shouldn’t the Task Force have been com
This post is part 4 of a series published by northjersey.com and USA Today New Jersey. Written by Jean Rimbach and Abbott Koloff, it is called “Cashing in on Charter Schools.” It explores the many ways that charter operators exploit taxpayers. This post describes how charter operators and real estate developers are cashing in. “ I nterest-only mortgages with rates that grow each year. Multimillio
Garn Press, one of the nation’s valuable independent publishers, has compiled a collection of my most important essays. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication in bringing the book to fruition. The book is titled “The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch.” It contains selected essays published on this blog, the New York Review of Books, Huffington Post, and the Education Week blog that I shar
John Merrow retired as a national education journalist a while back, and he has been trying to figure out how to find a new purpose in life. In this post, he describes his different efforts and how he found an activity that has kept him very busy and satisfied. I should add that Merrow puts a great deal of time into his annual post on April 1. When he wrote about his decision to join the board of
Bon Shepherd posted this explanation of why the British don’t like Trump: character counts. Someone on Quora asked “Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote this magnificent response: “A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I often post the videos of Randy Rainbow. He is one of the cleverest political satirists in the nation, if not the world. This is an interview with him that appeared on ABC, where he explained how he makes his brilliant videos on his computer in his apartment in Astoria, Queens. His cat is his “executive producer. “ He does it all himself, and he
This isn’t funny but it is classic Betsy DeVos. Either smirking or giving a cold shoulder to the media, surrounded by serveral of her bodyguards. Look how many people protect her! And we pay for them.
In this post, veteran teacher Anthony Cody explains how he happened to have a seat directly behind Betsy DeVos at the Congressional budget hearings, and he fact-checks DeVos’ preposterous claim that large classes may be preferable to small ones. No one asked her why wealthy parents who send their children to elite private schools expect and demand small classes. If they listen to our Secretary of
It’s April Fool’s Day but this is no joke. At the Congressional hearings on the Education Department’s budget, Secretary Betsy DeVos explained the benefits of large classes. When pressed to supply the research that undergirded her claim, she promised to supply it later. Watch this short video so you can understand the next post.
Sally Yates was Deputy Attorney General from 2015-2017. In this article in the Washington Post, she argues that Attorney General William Barr should release the full Mueller Report as soon as possible, without redactions. She writes: “America’s justice system is built upon one thing — truth. When witnesses give testimony, they are sworn to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the tru
If you want to know why parents in New York have opted out in record numbers for the past few years, read testing expert Fred Smith’s account of the chaos and tumult inflicted on the children of the state by the State Education Department. Disruption! Change! Instability! Smith, who worked for many years as a testing expert at the New York City Board of Education, writes: Latch onto this, folks:
Northjersey.com and USA Today New Jersey are publishing a five-part series of the abuse of taxpayer funds by charter operators. This is part 3 of an investigation called “Cashing In on Charter Schools,” written by Abbott Koloff and Jean Rimbach. “H undreds of millions of dollars in federal aid was steered to New Jersey’s largest charter school management companies over the last decade, helping th
Thanks to Nicholas Kristof for writing these stories and for recognizing that the economic and social supports needed for the hero of the story should not depend on philanthropy and charity. Nicholas Kristof wrote about an 8-year-old boy who won the New York State chess championship for his age group. He learned chess only a year earlier at his public school, PS 116, in Manhattan. He and his fami
Bill Phillis, retired deputy state superintendent and passionate advocate of equity and financial advocacy, has written many times about the absurd state takeover law. It gets more insane by the day. He wrires: Chairman of Lorain Academic Distress Commission (ADC) says he ALONE will complete the CEO’s job performance evaluation The Chairman of the Lorain ADC lives 130 miles from Lorain. He was ap
This is part 3 of the Los Angeles Times’ series about charter school dysfunction in California, written by Anna Phillips. Phillips traces many of the problems, especially lack of oversight, to state law. She explains that the billionaires who fund the rapid expansion of charter schools have squared off against the powerful California Teachers Association, andthe two never agree. The resultis That
I was an enthusiastic supporter of Beto O’Rourke when he ran against Ted Cruz. I regularly sent him checks of $50, $100. I would have loved to see Beto beat Cruz. I heard that Beto’s wife Amy was connected to the charter school movement but decided that was less important than beating Cruz. Now that Beto is running for President, it matters more. I don’t want another Democratic President pushing
Northjersey.com and USA Today New Jersey are posting a five-part series about how taxpayers are being taken for a ride by the charter industry. Part 2 is about the millions of state dollars spent to bailout a low-performing charter school. Reporters Jean Rimbach and Abbott Koloff write: “B y 2010, four years after it opened, the Central Jersey Arts Charter School in Plainfield was in trouble. “Th
This has been possibly the very worst week in the history of charter schools, which have existed for almost 30 years. It is fitting that this week coincided with Public Schools Week, reminding us of the importance of public schools, which are democratically governed, open to all who apply, and accountable, financially and academically, to the public. Consider the trajectory of the charter idea. W
The Providence Journal published 20 articles about Governor Gina Raimondo and Sackler contributions to her campaign. It was only $12,500, nothing in the world of hedge fund managers, Raimondo’s former occupation. The publicity finally got to her, and she announced she was donating the money somewhere. Sackler owns Purdue Pharma, major manufacturer of OxyContin, the highly addictive opioid respons
NYSUT, The New York State United Teachers, issued a blistering fact check of State Commissioner MaryEllen Elia’s claims about the state tests. You have to open it to get the full flavor because NYSUT, not normally outspoken, shreds Elia’s claims. Elia writes in Orwellian Newspeak about value of the tests. NYSUT response: Because of the lack of movement by SED on NYSUT’s suggested changes to the t
You may not be surprised to learn that gentrification means rising housing costs, as affluent people move into cities and developers demolish or upgrade low-income housing. Nor will you be surprised to learn that gentrification involves the displacement of low-income people. As they moveor leave the city, city leaders want charter schools so that the new middle-class families can separate from “t
This article is the second of three written by Los Angeles Times education reporter Anna Phillips. The first told the story of charter operators who were making millions of dollars opening subpar charters. This story is about California’s broken system for authorizing charter schools. Small rural districts with small budgets can collect millions by authorizing charters that open outside their dis
NorthJersey.com and USA Today New Jersey are running a five-part series called “Cashing in on Charter Schools, written by reporters Jean Rimbach and Abbott Koloff. Follow this series if you care about integrity in spending public dollars. What follows is an excerpt. Open the link to read the story. . Part one. NJ taxpayers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to construct and renovate cha
The Onion reports on an exciting and innovative concept in the world of charter schools: a school without students! “One year into its founding as the purported “bold next step in education reform,” administrators on Monday sang the praises of Forest Gates Academy, a progressive new charter school that practices an innovative philosophy of not admitting any students. “We’ve done something here at
California has more charter schools and students than any other state, due to its size and its notoriously weak charter law. Add to that a progressive Governor with a blind spot for charters (Jerry Brown opened two when he was mayor of Oakland) and to a gaggle of billionaires in both parties who favor privatization. in the new report by the Network for Public Education, Asleep At the Wheel, Calif
An Arizona Teacher left this comment: “I teach in an AZ public school–title 1 school. The poverty in this school is astonishing. This is my first year teaching in AZ after moving here from another state. I taught almost 20 years in a public school that was also a Title 1 school before moving to AZ. I have a lot of experience teaching in poverty schools. I have never seen anything as dysfunctional
John Merrow noted the intense media attention on the recent college admission scandal, where rich parents found ways to buy higher test scores or pay for guarantees of admissions by pretending they were star athletes or paying off coaches to ask for them to be admitted or hiring a ringer to take the SAT for them. He offers eight ways to repair the college admissions process. Here are a few of his
Today is V-day in Tennessee. The Shelby County Board of Education (Memphis) opposes the plan, accurately protesting that the plan would divert dollars from their already underfunded schools. Meanwhile, six charter schools in Memphis have made a deal with the Catholic church to lease space, while pledging not to teach anything contrary to Catholic teaching. ”The Compass Community Schools network s
A new study of the STAAR tests in Texas finds that the readability levels are far above the grade levels tested. Professor Susan Szabo and Professor Becky Barton Sinclair of the Texas A&M at Commerce reviewed STAAR tests and
