It was beautiful here most of the week, which served in part as a
reminder that pandemic winter is going to suck so very much. Here are a
few pieces to check out from the week.
At Jacobin, Josh Mound talks about that awful MacGillis piece (don't
worry if you haven't actually seen it or heard about it) and the ways that
pandemic schooling has been used to point the finger at those damned lazy
teachers yet again.
Somebody actually wrote a book about this billion-dollar fiasco, which
included yet one more rich visionary's idea about how to fix school. It's
a cautionary tale about how somebody so absolutely full of baloney drew so
much glowing press and piles of investor money. This is the New York Times
review of the book--it's not strictly about education, but the visionary
entrepreneurship on display is certainly familiar.
"The global pool of capital on which free-market societies float like
inflatable rubber ducks is a virtually bottomless reservoir of folly,
vanity, mania and caprice."
Here's your "if you read one thing" item for this week's list. Jennifer
Berkshire, Jack Schneider, Derek Black and Diane Ravitch team up for a
clear call about the election, just in case there was any doubt in your
mind. At the Philly Inquirer.
Not about education, but Umair Haque's look behind the curtain at modern
retail reveals the same sort of economist-driven baloney that threatens
public education. Management by screen and coaching via earpiece are not
just bad education ideas.
For those of you who are also spending plenty of time reading to the
littles, here's a handy collection of titles to consider. Because who
doesn't need more books?
Betsy DeVos repeatedly insists that the current pandemic A) shouldn't in
any way interfere with the normal operation of public schools and B)
makes it "more clear than ever" that school choice must be a thing, toot
de suite. The two prongs of her argument belong to two entirely
different pitchforks, but many folks with more coherent debate tools
have picked up that second point. One of those is R
Henrico County Public School District is a Virginia school district that
sits right beside Richmond. For the first part of the school year, they
have been using distance learning, and finding it just as unsatisfactory
as pretty much everyone else. So the board has proposed a phased in
return to a four-day week (with Wednesday off for cleaning). Students
will have the option of remaining full virt
Donald Trump wants to sweep away the “web of lies in our schools and
classrooms” and replace them with the “magnificent truth” about the US,
“the most exceptional nation in the history of the world.” This country,
he asserts, is the “most fair, equal, and prosperous nation in human
history.” To further that goal, he signed an executive order to create a
“1776 Commission,” to promote “patriotic ed
The Board of Directors has reacquainted me with a host of kid lit
classics, including the 1930 classic, The Little Engine That Could,
written by Watty Piper, which was a pseudonym for Arnold Munk, cofounder
of the publishing company. There are also some newer abridged versions
(Piper can be a little verbose and repetitive--always a problem when
you're your own editor/publisher) which we like here
Generally, when education secretary Betsy DeVos makes a public
appearance, you get a rehash of the same old talking points. But put her
in front of a friendly, like-minded audience, and she may just let her
hair down and let 'er rip, giving us all a clearer picture of what she's
really got going on upstairs. That just happened this week as DeVos made
an appearance at Hillsdale College . Hillsdale
Last week, an assortment of organizations signed off on a letter to
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos , from the AFT to the Feminists Majority
Foundation to the Education Trust to the Young Invincibles . This crew
came together to insist that the time has come for the department to
finally cut the Center for Excellence in Higher Education (CEHE) off
from any federal money. Let me give you the short
Well, it's really beautiful out in the world right now, so we've got
that going for us. In the meanime, here's some reading from the week.
There's a Better Way: Trust Based Observation Craig Randall guests at
Peter DeWitt's EdWeek blog spot talking about a better way to handle
teacher evaluations and, really, school management in general. Separate
and Unequal: School Funding in PA In the Pocono R
Last Wednesday, the Education and State departments in DC announced that
it was time to clamp down on Chinese influence in US classrooms. The
letter, which appears over the signatures of Betsy DeVos and Mike
Pompeo,
