Nancy Bailey features a post about an absurdly inappropriate reading program, citing work by Betty Casey in Tulsa. Casey interviewed experienced reading teachers, who gave her examples of age-inappropriate questions in the Core Knowledge Amplify scripted program. Casey writes: Do you think primogeniture is fair? Justify your answer with three supporting reasons. You may think this is from a high
Jan Resseger describes the chaos and disruption caused by Ohio’s choice-made Legislature. The Ohio House is trying to curb the overreach of the expanded voucher program, which unexpectedly swooped up some white, affluent schools. The hardline Senate, lobbied by generous campaign donor Betsy DeVos, will hang tough to give out as many vouchers as possible, even if it bankrupts entire school distric
For my friends in California: Tonight I speak at Balboa High School: 1000 Cayuga Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94112 . 6:30 p.m. Proudly sponsored by the United Educators of San Francisco. I will be in conversation with Susan Solomon, president of UESF. On Sunday, February 9, I will speak in Los Angeles. at Mark Taper Auditorium (first floor), Central Library, 630 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA, 900
Dana Miilbank is a columnist for the Washington Post. He wrote today what I have been thinking. Character is the only secure foundation of the state.” — President Calvin Coolidge, addressing the National Republican Club in New York, 1924. “It was all bullshit.” — President Trump, addressing Republicans in the White House and a national television audience on Thursday after his acquittal. From the
Politico Morning Education reports that Betsy DeVos has become a huge hit among Trump’s devout followers , those who despise the American government, public schools, and taxes for any services. It doesn’t mention whether the base wants Trump to get rid of the government-funded military, the government-funded highway system, NASA, the FAA, the Food and Drug Administration, Social Security, Medicar
Yong Zhao writes here about the international test called PISA, which is used to rank, rate and stigmatize entire national systems of education. Its scores are based on a standardized test, of course, which contains the usual flaws of such tests. His article is called “Two Decades of Havoc.” Scholars have criticized PISA since it started, but once the global horse race started, there was no slowi
The future of public education hangs in the balance. The US Supreme Court has shifted far to the right, with the addition of religious zealots Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. The case, Espinoza v. Montana, would permit them to eliminate the line of separations between church and state, abolishing every state constitutional provision that bars public funding of religious schools. The Court has a
Bob Shepherd, a frequent contributor, also a textbook writer, assessment developer, author, and classroom teacher, writes about the effect of Common Core on the teaching of literature. He omits my biggest gripe about CCSS: the arbitrary requirement that teachers must devote 50% of their time to literature and 50% to “informational texts” in the early grades. As students get older, the proportion
San Francisco is having a glorious streak of beautiful weather, which was especially delightful after the rainy cold days in Seattle. with a few spare hours, we took the boat trip to Alcatraz, which is a huge tourist attraction. Due to the time of year, tickets were easily available. The boat trip was beautiful. When we arrived, we rode the tram to the top of the Rock, a boon for bad knees. I mus
Mercedes Schneider listened to Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos deride what they call “America’s failing government schools.” She writes that these two deep thinkers put the hyphen in the wrong place. To understand what has happened over the past two decades, you must realize that the schools have been victimized by failing-government policies, by policies based on flawed theories and uninformed hunc
The controversial Woodlands Prep Charter School, led by Gulenist Sonar Tarim, is in deep trouble. Larry Lee reports that the proposed school is seeking yet another extension, and the charter commission is running out of patience. For some reason, the charter operator decided that a small rural community was the ideal place for a new charter, but the local community was outraged. Tarim may have to
Tom Ultican, retired teacher of physics and advanced mathematics, has been accumulating case studies of what he calls “the Destroy Public Education Movement.” His latest case study centers on Indianapolis , but he observed that the nexus of so much advocacy for school privatization is the Harvard University Program on Educational Governance and Policy at the Kennedy School. This program was found
This article in TIME summarizes my new book SLAYING GOLIATH. Read the book to learn the stories of the brave heroes who have stood up to billionaires, financiers, and profiteers intent on harming the democratic institution of public education.
The high point of visiting Seattle on the book tour for SLAYING GOLIATH was a rousing event at Town Hall, beautifully renovated since my last visit. I was introduced by Garfield High School teacher Jesse Garfield, who is one of the heroes of the book. He is busy with Black Lives Matter at School events but took the time to spend the evening with a lovely crowd that included BATS, union leaders, t
This is a short and powerful speech by Senator Mitt Romney explaining why he decided to vote to convict Trump. He knew that he was breaking ranks. He knew he would anger many in his party. He voted his conscience. Conscience over party. Remarkable.
Teresa Hanafin writes the Fast Forward feature for the Boston Globe. Scroll down and learn how you can subscribe: Three things to mull this morning: Senate Republicans will acquit Trump this afternoon of charges that he abused the power of the presidency. Democrats cringe at the word “acquit” because, they say, the Senate didn’t actually hold a real trial since the GOP refused to call witnesses o
Jeremy Mohler of the nonpartisan group In the Public Interest writes that the best choice is great, well-funded public schools. The flaw of market-based choice is that competition guarantees winners and losers. Our goal as a society should be equal educational opportunity. We have never come close to achieving it. But we should not abandon that quest and exchange it for the vagaries of the market
Andre Agassi entered the charter school industry in Las Vegas, where he opened his own charter school. After many setbacks and high staff turnover, his school landed on the state’s list of low-performing schools and was turned over to another charter operator. Agassi decided he was in the wrong end of the business. Agassi joined a partnership with an investor to build charter schools, and they st
Sorry to have missed this great story when Jan Resseger posted it. i happened to have been down and out with the flu. This is a story I wish I could include in SLAYING GOLIATH. The perpetrators returned to the scene of their crime and are shunned! Jan Resseger writes: Wisconsin and Ohio have the oldest school choice programs in the United States. Milwaukee’s voucher program is 30 years old and th
If you are planning to hear me speak about my new book in San Francisco on Friday, please note that the location has changed! I just received this note from my publisher: The location for your event in San Francisco on 2/7 has changed . It will no longer be held at Lowell High School – the new location is Balboa High School . Address: 1000 Cayuga Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94112 . 6:30 pm. See yo
The Houston Chronicle reports that Trump will promote Ted Cruz’s school voucher plan, which aligns nicely with the DeVos “Education Freedom” vouchers. Texas does not have vouchers, thanks to the concerted efforts of Pastors for Texas Children and a large number of local civic groups. Despite the fervent advocacy of top Republicans, a coalition of rural Republicans and urban Democrats have stopped
The Economic Policy Institute has created an interactive state-by-state analysis of the cost of high-quality early childhood education. At present, most ECE workers/teachers are grossly underpaid, some well below the poverty line. It is fair to assume that policymakers today are unlikely to pay the cost of high-quality ECE. In many states, and at the federal level, policymakers do not believe in
Professor Jim Scheurich read a recent article in the rightwing, anti-public school journal “Education Next” about Indianapolis, which he thought was fundamentally flawed. He sent the following analysis of what’s really happening in Indianapolis: A RECENT ARTICLE IN EDUCATION NEXT COMPLETELY MISREPRESENTS THE RECENT HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS K12 EDUCATION Dr. Jim Scheurich Urban Education Studies Do
The Ohio Legislature has created a royal mess in its rush to give vouchers to almost every student in the state. They can’t decide whether the vouchers will be paid by taking money away from the state’s underfunded public schools and how to decide which children get public money to attend private schools. Jan Resseger untangles the mess in her lucid way. Read the whole post, not just this excerpt
Valerie Strauss writes here about the abject apology by Tom Torkelsen of the IDEA corporate charter chain for his company’s lavish spending. The head of a Texas-based charter school chain publicly apologized for “really dumb and unhelpful” plans that included leasing a private jet for millions of dollars and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on San Antonio Spurs tickets. It’s not the firs
The University of California’s faculty leaders have recommended retaining the controversial SAT and ACT as admissions requirements, despite concerns that the standardized tests are rigged against students of low income. Wealthy parents pay huge sums for tutoring their children. Standardized tests by their nature are rigged against disadvantaged students, which has encouraged more than 1,000 colle
Parents, students, and local officials plead with Chancellor Lewis Ferebee: DO NOT CLOSE WASHINGTON MET! No student was ever helped by closing schools! Stop the mayhem. Stop the pointless disruption! Support the school, don’t kill it. Do not pave the way for gentrification and more charter schools.
While you are enjoying the previous post, which you should really print out and read carefully, here are two gems from Garrison Keillor’s delightful daily “A Writer’s Almanac.” I have been warned never to refer to him or his work, but I believe in redemption. And I post what I want. You may have to be as old as me to remember the first item. We mourn today for the legendary sports star Kobe Bryan
The Walton Family Foundation is the fruit of the Walmart chain. It was created by the Waltons, one of the richest families in the world. The three senior members of the Walton family–Alice Walton, Jim Walton, and Rob Walton–have a collective net worth in excess of $150 billion. There is a younger generation of Waltons whose wealth is not included in that total. The Walton family increases its wea
Jackie Goldberg, the dynamic progressive on the Los Angeles school board, send this request for help: FROM THE DESK OF JACKIE GOLDBERG Dear Friends and Family, First, I cannot thank each and every one of you enough for all you’ve done to support me over so many years. And I have another personal request for each of you because you are all important in the struggles for full funding for public edu
The charter industry is overrun with scandals because charter laws do not require accountability and transparency. Theft, conflicts of interest, nepotism, and fraud are a feature, not a bug. A charter operator in Dallas was sentenced to seven years in jail for taking a kickback , but then convinced the board to give her a bonus of $20,000. Donna Houston-Woods was convicted of defrauding her own D
A free press makes a difference. Here is proof. On January 23, Leslie Postal and Annie Martin of the Orlando Sentinel wrote that nearly 160 religious schools receiving vouchers from the state of Florida openly discriminate against students, families, and staff who are gay. Voucher schools drain $1 billion away from public education every year in Florida, and state legislators want to expand vouch
Last Tuesday I flew from Florida to D.C. I spent Tuesday afternoon speaking to about 200 staff and friends of the AFT at its headquarters on New Jersey Avenue. Randi Weingarten introduced me and she was gracious and eloquent. We had a conversation and I took questions. I’m convinced that unions are a vital part of our democracy, and the same people who want to eliminate public schools also want t
Stuart Stevens is a Republican political consultant who is helping the campaign of former Massachusetts Governor William Weld, who is running against Trump in Republican primaries that still allow opposition candidates. In an article in the Washington Post, he writes: Here’s a question: Does anybody have any idea what the Republican Party stands for in 2020? One way to find out: As you are out an
The first stop on my national book tour was Books and Books, a wonderful old-fashioned independent bookstore in Coral Gables in Florida. I talked with Mitchell Kaplan, the owner, who is determined to keep the literary life alive. This is our discussion. After the podcast, I met with the leadership of the United Teachers of Dade County. My presentation at the store was moderated by Karla Hernandez
In 2017, the Orlando Sentinel published a powerful three-part series about unregulated and unaccountable voucher schools in Florida, called “Schools Without Rules.” In Florida, voucher schools receive $1 billion each year of taxpayer funding. In 2018, the Orlando Sentinel published an article about the textbook companies that supply teaching materials to voucher schools and homeschoolers. Their b
Peter Greene believes that Ohio is trying to be like Florida, hoping to expand vouchers to every student as if every public school in Ohio is rotten. Once the voucher money is approved, the state doesn’t care about the quality of education. Ohio already has a low-performing charter industry, one of the worst in the nation, why not give vouchers to attend religious schools that use the Bible as th
Ohio is extraordinarily generous to religious schools and charter schools. It even awards bonuses to failing charters schools! Under current state law, millions of dollars will flow to failing charters. Ohio’s charter industry is drawing money away from real public schools, and most charters perform worse than real public schools. So now the state hopes to attract out-of-state charter chains and
While browsing recently through Peter Greene’s blog, I came across a reference to “BrainPickings.” It sounded interesting and I became a subscriber. The writer of that site is Maria Popova, who has what I can only describe as a beautiful mind and a love of literature that is profound. Here is one of her recent essays: How to Raise a Reader. I think you will fall in love with her prose and sensibi
Paul Lockhart wrote a brilliant essay called “A Mathematician’s Lament, ” in which he competed the teaching of music to the teaching of mathematics. What if children spent years learning how to identify and describe colors and art forms but were not allowed to draw or paint until they got to college? I was reminded of a critical description of the teaching of science in the late nineteenth centur
Several years ago, I met Ken Futernick, then a professor of education at Cal State University in Sacramento, where he was director for the Center for Teacher Quality. He shared with me a report he had written in defense of teachers. This was 2010, as the wave of teacher-bashing was beginning to reach new heights. I was immediately impressed that he looked at the obstacles thrown in the path of te
This article just appeared in TIME magazine, explaining how the “education reform” movement has failed America. This short article encapsulates the themes of my book SLAYING GOLIATH. Piling on tests and punishments for students and teachers and closing schools doesn’t solve any problems, and it certainly doesn’t improve education. The article gives a much abbreviated history of “reform” from Geor
Melanie McCabe, an English teacher at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia, and an author, wrote this terrific and accurate review of SLAYING GOLIATH. Unlike the reviewer for the New York Times, who is not a teacher and gives no hint of ever having set foot in a classroom since she finished school and college, Melanie McCabe knows full well about the billionaire-funded attacks on public sc
Ohio’s legislature is determined to wreak havoc on the public schools that most students attend. Vote these vandals out of office! Steve Dyer: Ohio’s school voucher crisis in four charts School choicers won’t be satisfied until each school age kid automatically receives a voucher to be cashed in at any place of “learning” even if it is at Uncle Joe’s Bar and Backroom School. William L. Phillis |
This powerful article appeared recently on the front cover of the New York Times Week in Review section. Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn returned to his hometown of Yamhill, Oregon. They discovered that an extraordinary percentage of the hardworking, ordinary working class people Nick grew up with had died an early death. They asked “Who Killed the Knapp Family?” I regret that they in
Bill Phillis of the Ohio Coalition for Adequacy and Equity writes: Accel owner Ron Packard is in a tizzy because some of his charters did not qualify for Ohio’s charter bonus fund Patrick O’Donnell’s January 11 Cleveland Plain Dealer article— State avoids “loophole” for charter school money, rejects applications for millions —sheds light on yet another charter loopholes embedded in Ohio law. This
Carol Burris wrote about Michael Bloomberg’s education ideas several years ago when she was a high school principal on Long Island in New York. You have to love New York City’s mayor. Michael Bloomberg speaks his mind, never holding back. While most self-proclaimed school reformers do the Dance of the Seven Veils, slowly revealing their agenda, the mayor jumps up on stage and gives you the ‘full
Christina Samuels of Education Week reports that philanthropists continue to pour a large percentage of their donations into education, but are losing interest in K-12 due to the poor record of their efforts to “reform” the schools. ironically,
