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Wired: Miami’s Disastrous Deal with K12 Inc.
by dianeravitch / 37min
Frankly, it’s hard to understand why Miami public schools chose for-profit K12 Inc. as it’s provider of remote instruction. Ten minutes or less on google would have turned up multiple articles about its terrible track record: high attrition, poor curriculum, low test scores, low graduation rates. NCAA strips accreditation for 24 schools using K12. Wired tells the story in Miami , which recently s
YESTERDAY
Will District 1 on Long Island Send a Scientist to Congress?
by dianeravitch / 17h
I am very excited because the Democratic nominee for Congress is Nancy Goroff, a chemistry professor at Stony Brook University on Long Island. Dr. Goroff bested three opponents to win the nomination and will face Lee Zeldin, the incumbent member of Congress who is one of Trump’s most faithful lap dogs. Here is an interview with Dr. Goroff. She is articulate and well informed and will be a powerfu
Where Do You Buy “High Quality Seats”?
by dianeravitch / 17h
In my daily reading, I have often come across references to “high quality seats.” [HQS] See here. See here . While googling, I saw pictures of “high quality seats,” but they looked mostly like lounge chairs, and I could not imagine a classroom filled with them unless the teacher-student ratio was 8:1, which would be a very effective classroom. I confess that I don’t know what an HQS is. in my naï
Dana Milbank: Don’t Let Trump Sabotage the Election: “We’ve Got This!”
20by dianeravitch / 20h
Dana Milbank is a regular contributor to the Washington Post. He says we should not be afraid of Trump’s efforts to sabotage the election. Yes, we can vote! President Trump has done everything in his power — and some things outside his power — to sabotage the election. He has suggested postponing the election and holding a re-vote, warned baselessly about rampant fraud and pushed his supporters t
Oklahoma Teacher: Voting for Trump Is My Greatest Regret
22by dianeravitch / 21h
Nancy Shively is a special education teacher in Oklahoma. She is a lifelong Republican. She voted for Trump in 2016. She now knows thi s was a huge mistake that has put her life and the lives of her colleagues at risk. She has switched her registration to independent and will vote for Joe Biden this time. Her vote for Trump, she fears, may have been tantamount to signing her death warrant. She wr
Trump: Schools Must Teach “Patriotic” U.S. History
44by dianeravitch / 22h
Standing in front of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution at the National Archives, Trump denounced the teaching of history in U.S. schools as leftist “indoctrination” and pledged to create a “1776 Commission” to restore “patriotic” American history. He is especially vitriolic about the “1619 Project,” which revised the role of African-Americans in U.S. history. He thinks tha
Michael Kohlhass: Will these 22 Los Angeles Charter Schools Be Closed Down?
by dianeravitch / 23h
Michael Kohlhaas, a super investigator of public records in California, discovered that 22 charter schools in Los Angeles were rated “low performing” this year. If they get the same rating for a second year in a row, they must close, under the terms of the recently passed charter accountability law, AB 1505. Among the low-performing schools are a couple of KIPPS, some Ref Rodriguez charters, and
Big Win Against Predatory For-Profit College!
25by dianeravitch / 1d
The California State Attorney General, Xavier Becerra and 48 other states and the Consumer Financial Bureau won a $330 million settlement on behalf of students from a now-defunct for-profit “college.” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, along with 48 states and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Tuesday announced a $330 million settlement with ITT Technical Institute (ITT
SEP 17
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Knocks Green Party Off the Ballot
20by dianeravitch / 1d
The Green Party will not be on the ballot in Pennsylvania. The state’s Supreme Court removed the party because of deficiencies in its application. This follows a similar decision a few days ago in Wisconsin. This is good news for Democrats, bad news for Republicans. In 2016, Jill Stein received over one million votes, which tipped key states to Trump. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday bl
Mercedes Scheider: My Students Are Wearing Masks!
by dianeravitch / 1d
Mercedes Schneider is back to work teaching high school English in Louisiana. She is doing her best to keep her students socially distanced, though she hasn’t figured out how that will be possible when her class size reaches 24. But the silver lining is that her students are wearing masks! They are not acting stupid and refusing to protect themselves and others! That’s good news for them and for
South Carolina: Corporate Tax Breaks Erode Public School Funding
by dianeravitch / 1d
South Carolina’s public schools need adequate funding but big corporate tax breaks are making that funding impossible. Big profits for the shareholders, low-wage jobs for working people. For Immediate Release ~ September 15, 2020 Contacts: Arlene Martínez | 202-302-4301 | arlene@goodjobsfirst.org Sherry East | 803-448-6714 | seast@thescea.org Losses Surge 31 Percent in Two Years South Carolina’s
Private and Charter Schools Received Six Times as Much COVID Funding As Public Schools
500+by dianeravitch / 1d
A new study of the federal CARES act funding found that private and charter schools received SIX TIMES the amount of funding as public schools from the federal coronavirus program. This may actually, as the report states, be an underestimate. Mellissa Chang wrote: A new analysis of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by Good Jobs First points to an imbalance in CARES Act funding between publi
Florida Teacher: The State Lied to Me
100+by dianeravitch / 2d
A Florida teacher posted this comment. It raises the question of whether it is fair to attract people to become teachers with promises that are later canceled by a nasty, brutish legislature. The legislature passed a law called “the Best and Brightest” that awarded bonuses to new teachers based on the SAT scores they recorded years earlier. It constantly thinks about how to attract new teachers b
SEP 16
Capital & Main: Number of Uninsured Surges During Trump’s Term
by dianeravitch / 2d
Capital & Main, a major source on investigative journalism, reports on a dramatic surge in the number of uninsured people in the first three years of Trump’s term. Health insurance was a decisive issue in the 2018 elections, and may be decisive again this year as the number of vulnerable people grows. Danny Feingold, publisher of Capital & Main, writes: Capital & Main just published a major news
Cynthia Nixon: Who Really Counts in New York City?
22by dianeravitch / 2d
Cynthia Nixon, award-winning actress, is an activist for public schools. She ran against Andrew Cuomo for Governor in the Democratic primary in 2018. He had collected $35 million or so before the campaign started and outspent her 35-1. Her big issue was inevitable school funding. (I endorsed her.) She wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times contrasting the resources available to make her TV
AFT Poll on Reopening: Public Wants Safety First
47by dianeravitch / 2d
The American Federation of Teachers released a new poll about reopening the schools during the pandemic: Contact: Andrew Crook o: 202-393-8637 c: 607-280-6603 acrook@aft.org http://www.aft.org New Poll Shows America’s Parents, Teachers Want ‘Safety First’ on School Reopenings Trump and DeVos’ Ruinous Agenda Rejected, Comfort with Return to Brick-and-Mortar Schools Significantly Higher when Protec
John H. Jackson: Trump’s Attack on 1619 Project Is Wrong
24by dianeravitch / 3d
John H. Jackson is president of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, one of the few philanthropies that unequivocally supports public schools. He writes here that Trump’s efforts to suppress the 1619 Project—a history of African Americans—is “unworthy of a democracy.” More than that, the president has no business interfering in school curriculum. Federal law specifically prohibits any fede
“Scientific American” Endorses a Presidential Candidate, for the First Time in Its 175-Year History
61by dianeravitch / 3d
Scientific American endorsed a presidential candidate for the first time in its history. These are unprecedented times. Never has the need for unbiased, evidence-based decision-making been more urgent. The editors wrote: Scientific American has never endorsed a presidential candidate in its 175-year history. This year we are compelled to do so. We do not do this lightly. The evidence and the scie
SEP 15
New Poll: Global Reputation of United States Has Plummeted
31by dianeravitch / 3d
Under the weak leadership of the United States, the global reputation of the United States has plummeted, according to a new poll reported in the Washington Post. President Trump defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic during an interview with Fox News over the weekend, arguing that he took “tremendous steps” early in the outbreak, which “saved probably two or two and a half million liv
Why Is Trump Holding Dangerous Indoor Rallies?
63by dianeravitch / 3d
Amber Phillips explains in the Washington Post why Trump will continue holding indoor rallies to mostly maskless people, despite the warnings of public health officials. The president held an indoor rally Sunday in Nevada and a large indoor event in Phoenix on Monday. More could be coming. And reporting indicates that he thinks flouting public health advice is the right way to rally his base. But
A Conversation Between Joe Biden and Ady Barkan
by dianeravitch / 3d
Donald Trump, stable genius, claims that Joe Biden is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, that is, when he’s not claiming that Biden is a tool of the “radical left.” Watch this conversation and make your own judgment. Ask yourself how Trump would fare without a script on a teleprompter. The film also serves to remind us of another Trump characteristic: He is utterly without empathy. He despis
How China Opened Its Schools Safely
by dianeravitch / 3d
The New York Times explains how China opened its schools safely. As an authoritarian state, dissent is not permitted. No one is allowed to disobey the rules. The rules are strictly enforced. As a free society, we rely on people to exercise civic responsibility and good judgement to protect themselves and others. When the president of the nation ridicules people who wears masks and doesn’t wear on
Germany: Schools Re-Open, No Major COVID Outbreaks
25by dianeravitch / 3d
The Washington Post reports that schools have reopened safely in Germany, with no major outbreaks of coronavirus—yet. The key to success is the rate of transmission in the community. Or so it seems. With this virus, you can never be certain of future behavior. The difference in the U.S. is that some states are making no effort to control the virus, not even mandating mask-wearing. Trump has unfor
Jan Resseger: “Let Them Eat Tweets”
by dianeravitch / 3d
Jan Resseger reviews here a new book that explains the full-blown triumph of plutocracy. Trump is the culmination, not the cause. Wealth and power are now concentrated, more than ever, in the hands of a small minority, and Trump has persuaded his followers that plutocracy works for them! She begins: For ten years Jacob Hacker, the Yale political scientist, and Paul Pierson, the Berkeley political
TIME: The Top 1% Have Taken $50 Trillion from the Bottom 90%
100+by dianeravitch / 4d
This may be the most important article you read this year. The pandemic has exacerbated the huge inequality gaps that existed before the virus struck. Now we see millions of our fellow citizens out of work and sinking into poverty. Wealth inequality and income inequality are growing larger and more damaging by the day. Venture capitalist Nick Hanauer and Seattle labor leader David Rolf demonstrat
SEP 14
New York Times: Wacko in Charge of CDC Communications
60by dianeravitch / 4d
Folks, the federal government is in the hands of some very unstable people. The man in charge of communicating public information about the coronavirus at CDC is an unhinged Trump loyalist. This story was in the New York Times: WASHINGTON — The top communications official at the powerful cabinet department in charge of combating the coronavirus made outlandish and false accusations on Sunday that
Trump Tells Nevada Rally He Deserves Third Term
20by dianeravitch / 4d
Despite the Constitution and it’s clear limit of two terms for the President, Trump has dropped many hints that he wants to stay longer, like his friends Putin and Kim. Trump says he’ll ‘negotiate’ for a third term in office At a campaign rally in Minden, Nev., on Saturday night, Trump revived the idea of serving more than two terms in office, telling supporters that he’s “entitled” to more time
Carl J. Petersen: Why Los Angeles Voters Should Re-Elect Scott Schmerelson to the LAUSD School Board
22by dianeravitch / 4d
Carl J. Petersen is a parent in Los Angeles. He is supporting Scott Schmerelson for re-election to the LAUSD school board because of his experience with Scott’s opponent, who works for a charter school.
Chris Mann Sings to Betsy DeVos
21by dianeravitch / 4d
Chris Mann sings a song from “Les Miserables” for Betsy DeVos, who wants kids in school no matter how much disease surrounds them and their teachers, principals, and school staff.
China Crushes Freedom to Teach in Hong Kong
by dianeravitch / 4d
Hong Kong was a British colony for a century and a half. Under British rule, the people of Hong Kong enjoyed democratic freedoms. On July 1, 1997, the British relinquished control and Hong Kong became part of China as a special administrative region. The Chinese government promised to maintain “one country, two systems.” Over the years the Chinese government has asserted tighter control, inspirin
Gary Rubinstein: How Scholars Fail at Success Academy
20by dianeravitch / 4d
Gary Rubinstein explores a curious phenomenon at Success Academy. Fully one-seventh of its senior class fail to graduate. How can this be? They have persisted through 11 years of the school’s harsh discipline, yet are told midway through their senior year that they must repeat the grade or leave. Public data shows that very few students who begin at Success Academy actually graduate from Success
Ohio: Charters and Vouchers Sucked Half a Billion from Public Schools Last Year
61by dianeravitch / 5d
Bill Phillis, founder of the Ohio Coalition for Adequacy and Equity, reports on the cost of school choice, relying on the data compiled by former legislator Steve Dyer. This is interesting because polls regularly show that the public is fine with choice if the money does not get subtracted from local public schools. It does. It always comes right out of the budget of local public schools. School
SEP 13
Texas: State Board Approves Five Charter Chains, Vetoes Three
25by dianeravitch / 5d
The Texas State Board of Education approved applications from five charter chains, including the Gulen chain (Royal Public Schools) operated by Soner Tarim, who was compelled to leave Alabama because of community protests. It rejected three charter chains, including Rocketship, whose “pedagogy” puts children on computers for half the day, overseen by inexperienced and low-wage teachers. Among tho
Richard Phelps Reviews Michelle Rhee’s Reforms, Part 2
by dianeravitch / 5d
Richard Phelps was in charge of assessment in the last year of the reign of Michelle Rhee as superintendent of the District of Columbia Public Schools. In this post, he describes how difficult and time-consuming it is to identify test cheating and how little the D.C. leadership cared about making the effort. Phelps was supposed to monitor test security and expand testing. He writes: The recurring
Richard Phelps Reviews Michelle Rhee’s “Reforms,” Ten Years Later, Part 1
23by dianeravitch / 5d
A decade ago, Richard Phelps was assessment director of the District of Columbia Public Schools. His time in that position coincided with the last ten months of Michelle Rhee’s tenure in office. When her patron Adrian Fenty lost the election for Mayor, Rhee left and so did Phelps. Phelps writes here about what he learned while trying to improve the assessment practices of the DC Public Schools. H
My Review of Michael Cohen’s Book about Trump—Update
100+by dianeravitch / 6d
I just finished reading Michael Cohen’s new tell-all about his years as Donald Trump’s “fixer.” It is called Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump. Quite a lot of the book consists of Cohen flaying himself for being a lackey who happily did Trump’s bidding, even when he knew that he was being asked to lie, cheat, or cover up for Trump’s misdeeds. He
SEP 12
Maine: Pastor at “Super-Spreader” Wedding Remains Defiant
by dianeravitch / 6d
The pastor who officiated at a super-spreader wedding gave a defiant indoor sermon to maskless congregants, according to the Boston Globe : The officiant of a now-infamous wedding in Millinocket gave a defiant sermon during an indoor church service on Sunday, just a day after Maine’s CDC announced it was investigating a coronavirus outbreak among those affiliated with the Sanford church. Todd Bel
Happy Birthday, H.L. Mencken!
by dianeravitch / 6d
Garrison Keillor’s “The Writers’ Almanac” notes the birthday of journalist-humorist-cynic H. L. Mencken. I always think of his reference to the “booboisee.” I would love to see him and Molly Ivins writing today, as our national politics have hit a nadir. It’s the birthday of German-American satirist, cultural critic, and journalist H.L. Mencken (1880) (books by this author), born Henry Louis Menc
John Merrow: Bob Woodward Had a Duty to Tell the Public Sooner about Trump’s Lies
by dianeravitch / 6d
Veteran journalist John Merrow poses the ethical dilemma of the journalist: if you see a child drowning, do you save the child or take a great photo? He says, you act as a citizen and save the child. Thus, he criticizes Bob Woodward for saving his tapes of Trump lying about the severity of COVID. Woodward saved them for his book, knowing that the book would make lots more money than an article th
Miami-Dade Schools Sever Ties with K12 Online Corp.
100+by dianeravitch / 6d
The Miami-Dade school board voted to sever ties with the notoriously awful for-profit K12 online corporation. K12 has long been known as a huge money-maker that produces bad education and high attrition rates. The Miami-Dade County School Board has voted unanimously to stop using My School Online, the district’s controversial new online learning platform many say is at the center of the failed st
David Gamberg: A New Vision is Needed Now for Education!
by dianeravitch / 6d
David Gamberg recently retired as superintendent of schools in two adjoining towns on New York’s Long Island—Southold and Greenport—where he was beloved for his child-centered approach to schooling. In this article, he calls for new thinking and the courage to break free of the obsession with standardized testing and punitive accountability. He announced his retirement in January, not knowing wha
Join Steve Suitts and Me on Zoom to Talk about the Origins of “School Choice”
62by dianeravitch / 7d
Please sign up and join the discussion between Steve Suitts and me on Zoom on Wednesday September 16. We will be talking about Steve’s new book Overturning Brown: The Segregationist Legacy of the Modern School Choice Movement. You will be amazed to learn of the true history of school choice. It
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all