Magical Thinking Threatens American Children Trump’s Sociopathic Magical Thinking Will Ignite a Horrific Catastrophe if Schools Reopen In-Person On July 16, according to The Washington Post, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos made the dangerously ignorant claim that, “More and more studies show that kids are actually stoppers of the disease and they don’t get it and transmit it themselves, so we
DOE plans for the reopening of schools and critiques from CM Treyger, Public Advocate Williams & former Superintendent Matt Bromme Announcements and developments are now coming fast and furious about the plans and conditions for the reopening of NYC public schools in the fall. Rather than the DOE's current plan for "blended" learning for all students whose parents want them to attend school, Cou
Peter Greene: Don’t Believe the D in DFER Democrats for Education Reform is a group of Wall Street hedge fund executives that decided that schools would improve if they were privatized and adhered to business principles, like pay for performance, no unions, testing, accountability, and private management. DFER likes mayoral control and state takeovers, not elected school boards. Above all, it is
3 Lessons From How Schools Responded to the 1918 Pandemic Worth Heeding Today (Mary Battenfeld) Mary Battenfeld is a Clinical Professor of American and New England Studies at Boston University. This appeared in Pocket . Thanks to Hank Levin for sending it to me. Much like what has happened in 2020, most U.S. schools closed during the 1918 influenza pandemic . Their doors were shut for up to four
New York City won’t reopen schools unless daily infection rate is below 3 percent New York City officials said Friday the nation’s largest school system won’t reopen for in-person instruction unless the city’s coronavirus infection rate remains below 3 percent on a seven-day rolling average. Key Context: Mayor Bill de Blasio and schools Chancellor Richard Carranza announced test-and-trace protoc
Coronavirus: The debate over reopening America’s schools All of Vox’s coverage on the complicated reopening of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. As back-to-school season approaches and the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage on, the debate surrounding whether or not to reopen US schools in the fall is heating up. Some are arguing that reopening schools is essential for economic recovery,
Report: PA Charters Game The Special Education System. In a new report, Education Voters of Pennsylvania looks at “how an outdated law wastes public money, encourages gaming the system, and limits school choice.” Fixing the Flaws looks at how Pennsylvania’s two separate funding systems have made students with special needs a tool for charter gaming of the system, even as some of them are shut ou
California Department of Education YESTERDAY Draft Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum 15h State Superintendent Tony Thurmond announces recommendations to draft Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. SFSP Meal Pattern Flexibility Waiver Extension 5 16h On July 30, 2020, the USDA extended the effective date of the national waiver to allow meal pattern flexibility for the SFSP through August 31, 2020. MB: P
Mr. G for District 3: Chris Guerrieri's Education Matters A MAN WITH A PLAN Mr. G for District 3: Chris Guerrieri's Education Matters Greene said she would listen to the medical experts, she is not 100+ by Unknown / 23h Superintendent Greene and the school board have been put in a tough position by the stunning lack of leadership by the mayor and governor. I want to acknowledge that, but that bei
NewBlackMan (in Exile) The Quarantine Tapes: Walter Mosley by Mark Anthony Neal / 1d ' Paul Holdengräber is joined by writer Walter Mosley on episode 084 of The Quarantine Tapes . Walter and Paul speak about Walter’s books, his experiences in writers’ rooms, as well as what it has been like working from home in the past few months. They talk in depth about language and history, touching on the s
Education Research Report THIS WEEK Education Research Report To improve students' mental health, Yale study finds, teach them to breathe by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 16h When college students learn specific techniques for managing stress and anxiety, their wellbeing improves across a range of measures and leads to better mental health, a new Yale study finds. The research team evaluated three classr
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 “Steps to Make Your Students Feel Welcome This Fall” by Larry Ferlazzo / 8h Steps to Make Your Students Feel Welcome This Fall is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column.
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all Bruce Baker and Preston Green: What Happens After the Espinoza Decision? by dianeravitch / 39min Two of the nation’s leading education experts ponder the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Espinoza decision. Bruce D. Baker of Rutgers Univer
Gov. Wolf, You Can’t Shirk Your Duty to Close PA Schools During the Pandemic “The Buck Stops Here!” President Harry S. Truman famously displayed a sign on his desk saying exactly that. It indicated that he didn’t pass the buck but accepted responsibility for the way the country was run. What does it say on your desk, Gov. Tom Wolf? Your latest Tweets don’t fill Pennsylvania residents with confid
Will "Loving Cities" Improve Public Education? Schott President Dr. John H. Jackson was a guest on The Damage Report to discuss the launch of the second installment of Schott’s Loving Cities Index. As John explained, "We want to provide the public sector and philanthropy a new way to invest and assess whether or not cities are doing what's necessary to provide the ecosystem where all students ca
Robot as a Teacher The Perils of Digitalized Progress in Education Beware of digital education! COVID-19 may be used as a ruse to centralize power and control minds by technological elites. Schools were created when books were not available, at least not at the mass scale as it is now. Nevertheless, they are still organized as if they responded to the conditions and circumstances from 200 years
Unite don’t fight! This conversation is about more than just “pods”—Don’t let those profiting off of crisis divide us! Last Tuesday evening, during the Regular Board Meeting on July 28, 2020, we met to discuss the San Francisco Unified School District Fall Learning Plan . While I always hope to focus the discussion on efforts the district is taking, I anticipated there would be a number of famil
PARENTS QUESTION COLLEGE BOARD’S USE OF STUDENT DATA Is College Board allowing third party advertisers, keystroke loggers, and behavioral analytics to track students? “Recording everything they do?” With the move to online learning, many parents are asking edtech companies, “ What are you doing with my child’s data ?” That seems a reasonable question. As a parent myself, I have wondered how the
The kind of testing we need I went and got tested at one of the many free, drive-through, city-run, partnership testing centers. How great to be in a city where tests are free and available to all. Thanks, Mayor Lightfoot , for your leadership on this front and for making sure that the city has enough test kits. It was an easy process -- mouth swab instead of nasal poke -- without a doctor's pre
- Network For Public Education Grassroots Education Network- July 2020 Newsletter The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of 150 grassroots organizations nationwide who have joined together to preserve, promote, improve, and strengthen our public schools. If you know of a group that would like to join this powerful network, please go here to sign on. If you have any questions about the
Nine ways America is having the wrong conversation about 'reopening' schools by Andrea Ward “When we think we have a choice between virtual learning and ‘normal’ learning. If our school buildings open for in-person instruction in a few weeks, things are going to look very different. Most of us agree that virtual learning, for the general population, is nowhere near as good as in-person learning.
200 here, 1200 there, told to quarantine after graduation ceremonies, we know schools will have to close so why are we risking lives? Attendees to two separate Florida graduation ceremonies are being told to quarantine. 200 in Palm Bay, and 1200 in Brevard because they were exposed to the virus. We all know this will happen in schools, every school board member and superintendent who tells famil
Warning! Sending Our Children to School This Fall May be Deadly! Researchers Find That Children May Carry High Coronavirus Loads in Their Nasal Cavities . Many Louisiana public school parents are in the process of deciding on options for their children's school setting this fall. Based on guidelines adopted by BESE, many school systems in Louisiana are providing options that include some level o
How can I write about Carranza’s latest mistake when they come so fast? The DoE has an idea of what schools should do when there’s a COVID case. I wasn’t going to write about that. I was going to write about blended learning (‘hybrid schemes”) and remote learning. I was going to compare them. I was going to explain that there was almost no advantage to hybrid, and many disadvantages. I was going
Virtual Learning Opportunities for CNPs The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) is pleased to announce US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Team Nutrition (TN) updates to virtual learning opportunities for Child Nutrition Program (CNP) Operators. The following training options are offered in a distance learning format to meet annual training requirements for
Pence, DeVos, And More Private School Choice Baloney My thanks to Bill Ferriter, who raised some of this on Twitter, thereby allowing me to boost my blood pressure before I even got all the way home from vacation. Mike Pence, Betsy DeVos and a few other notables took a trip yesterday to North Carolina, to plug an assortment of their favorites issues while visiting a private school that, unsurpri
What Happens When a Teacher or Student Tests COVID Positive? and Other Unanswered Questions from School Leaders and Teachers: Safety, Organization and Instruction [Updated] “ You don’t encourage teachers to care for, love and respect their students by disrespecting educators and placing their lives at risk. ” (Eric Nadelstern, former Deputy Chancellor, NYC Department of Education) Half of the me
Pressing Questions about The Press Donald Trump has resumed his so-called Covid-19 briefings, this time without any medical experts. After watching one in its entirety, I am concerned about the White House Press Corps, which seems to me to be a huge part of the problem. The July 23rd session was billed as focusing on public schools but began with Trump’s announcement that he was cancelling the J
2020 Medley #16 WE’VE GOT OURS. TOUGH SH!T FOR YOU Teacher Union Presidents Weingarten and Eskelsen-Garcia Vote No to Medicare for all in Dem Platform Randi and Lily are just being selfish. Yes, we had good health insurance when I was teaching. We had good prescription insurance. It cost a lot, but we were a large insured group so we got so-called “Cadillac” plans for less than it would have cos
The Gamble: Reflections Concerning School Openings During Covid-19 The Gamble: Reflections Concerning School Openings During Covid-19 Covid-19 is a trial when it comes to public schooling. Everyone wants their public schools to open safely, for students to socialize, learn about wonderful subjects, play sports, and work with teachers who care for them. It’s been vividly displayed during this pand
Worst Year Ever I was amused to see that The best charter schools have made good use of their freedom from old school district rules and biases. Why shouldn’t teachers and principals at regular public schools have a chance to do that, at least during this crisis? At least during this crisis—and then, of course, we’ll go back to ignoring their wisdom and treating them like cheap, interchangeable
Open schools are the exception, not the rule, around the world American children are among more than a billion students globally facing a fall without traditional school. Many may never return to the classroom. President Donald Trump often cites examples from Europe as evidence American schools can reopen in-person this fall despite Covid-19, but he fails to mention one thing: They are the excep
Mike Pence Visits a Libertarian's Private School | Eclectablog Mike Pence Visits a Libertarian’s Private School Vice President Mike Pence visited a school in North Carolina today, ostensibly to show how the power of In an email sent Monday, school officials said Pence will visit Thales Academy K-5 to see how school choice works and to advocate for its further implementation. Pence also tweeted ab
How Trump Politicized Schools Reopening, Regardless of Safety One of the most difficult issues of the pandemic is when and how schools should reopen. Parents and teachers are eager for them to reopen, but only if the schools are safe and protected from the disease that is ravaging so much of the nation. Parents want their children back in school. They are tired of pretending to be teachers, orga
The Poetry of Teaching Why a poem? Because in writing posts for this blog and for books I have written over the past half-century, I have used expository writing. I describe, analyze, and try to capture school reform, policy-making, and the practice of teaching using facts, evidence, and explanation. It is aimed at the brain, not emotions. Yet art, dance, drama, short stories, novels, and poetry
Diary of a Socialist Indoctrinator This ran over a year ago at Forbes.com in response to a comment by Trump Jr. and for some reason I never shared it over here. Correcting that now, since teachers are once again teaching students to hate America. CURMUDGUCATION: Diary of a Socialist Indoctrinator
Ron DeSantis' big lie Liars use two common strategies, make the lie big enough that nobody would believe you would make it up and repeat it over and over again. DeSantis is using both to force teachers and students back into schools. Over and over again DeSantis has said children are not carriers of COVID-19. This is what the evidence says. From the New York Times, In the heated debate over reop
NY Times Trashes Unionized Teachers, Presents Barely Researched Nonsense as Fact I'd like to say I was startled by this remarkably unresearched piece of reporting in the NY Times, but alas their agenda is plain to see. The NY Times, the paper of record, has decided to tell the world that unionized teachers a. do not want to go back into schools, and b. don't want to teach online either. The clai
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Outlines Ongoing Supports to Strengthen Distance Learning and Announces Timeline for Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum during Virtual Media Check-in SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Wednesday outlined ways in which the California Department of Education (CDE) is helping schools implement and strengthen distance learning in th
Choosing Democracy: Educators- Day Day of Resistance - Covid-19 What is the National Day of Resistance, #EquityorElse? Thousands of parents, students, educators and school staff that have been on the frontlines fighting for racial justice in the US public school system are joining forces on August 3 rd to demand equity and safe conditions before schools are reopened. As the fight against systemi
How To Stop Magical Thinking In School Reopening Plans In the past few weeks, a new literary genre has emerged in America's media outlets: the school reopening op-ed. Almost always written by someone who has little to no experience in actually working in a school, these op-eds tend to follow the same form: Why it's so important to reopen schools. Evidence in support of the idea that COVID-19 pre
The Post-Espinoza End Game – School Finance 101 The Post-Espinoza End Game Bruce D. Baker Preston C. Green III In Instead of minimizing the impact of the Prior to this latest decision, discrimination on the basis of sex (including LGBTQ status) or race; curricular standards and assessments; employee professional credentials; Some states, including Florida, which provides both direct and indirect
Infamous John Deasy Resigned under Suspicious Circumstances Again By Thomas Ultican 7/29/2020 April 21, the Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) board accepted John Deasy’s letter of resignation effective June 15, 2020. His quitting mid-contract marked the third straight superintendent position he ended in a similar fashion. All three time, the resignation came with ethical charges and legal
SPRINGFIELD – The following is a joint statement from Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin and Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery Together, the Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers represent 238,000 employees in public and private schools, colleges and universities in the state of Illinois and in doing so we protect the safety
John H. Loflin: Indianapolis Public Schools For Sale John Harris Loflin assembled the following description of the privatization and takeover of the Indianapolis Public Schools by out-of-state interests, aided by local “reformers.” He writes: Purchasing the 2012, 2014, and 2016 IPS school board elections According to the truly transformative IPS Racial Equity Policy and Black Lives Matter Resolu
All We Have to Do is Open the Doors My earliest memories are of playing outdoors and barefoot. I remember walking to the end of my driveway, a concrete slab that held warmth, but not heat, stepping gingerly onto the blazing asphalt street, running on my tippy toes to the other side, then stepping thankfully into the cool of a neighbor's lawn where I slowed down to let my soles be soothed by the
K-12 Teachers Worried About COVID-19 on the Job K-12 Teachers Worried About COVID-19 on the Job STORY HIGHLIGHTS 57% teachers, 21% other workers very concerned about COVID-19 exposure 64% teachers, 51% other workers say COVID-19 situation a lot worse Teachers have become as likely as other workers to prefer remote work WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As school districts around the country begin to announce t
How Los Angeles and San Diego Unified Started Driving State Education Policy The moment was ripe for a novel statewide organizing approach. Coronavirus had upended schooling and many important questions, beyond even money, would have to be answered over the course of the pandemic. Back in May, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a new draft of his budget, based on the bleak financial outlook caused by th
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? A site to discuss better education for all G.F. Brandenburg: The D.C. Charter Schools that Took PPP Money by dianeravitch / 57min Most people thought that the Paycheck Protection Program would help small businesses survive the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. They were surprised to le
David Berliner: The “Required Curriculum” Vs. “The Not Required” Curriculum David Berliner has devoted his life to the study of education. He has achieved the pinnacle of his profession as a researcher and statistician. He is currently Regents Professor Emeritus at the College of Education at Arizona State University. His list of honors is too long to mention. I welcome his original contribution
Why Is There No Consensus About Reopening Schools? Is it possible to reopen school buildings in the fall in a way that keeps kids, educators, staff and their families and communities safe from Covid-19? Is it possible not to do so without harming them in other ways? Already, school closures have set children behind academically. More than 20 million children rely on school breakfasts and lunches
Eleven Vacuous Truths, and One Lie The NYC Department of Education falsely claims that Hybrid is easy, but Remote is very tricky. In reality, they are both tricky. Remote did not go well this past spring. It is imperative that it be improved. But Hybrid if completely untried, and involves complexity beyond what Tweed can handle (which is why the execution is pushed off on principals.) In the hyb
Neither Quality Nor Quantity: Mayor De Blasio’s Unworkable School Reopening Plan Many of my colleagues are discussing whether or not it’s safe to go back to school buildings in New York City. Will buildings that were never clean before become clean now? Will buildings that were never properly ventilated suddenly become state of the art? Will children and teenagers observe social distancing in an
Shanker Blog: The Pandemic and Federal Education Policy: From the Race to the Top to the Plunge to the Bottom his post is part of our series entitled Teaching and Learning During a Pandemic , in which we invite guest authors to reflect on the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic for teaching and learning. Our guest today is Stan Karp , a Rethinking Schools editor who also taught English and Jo
The 'she-cession': Teachers, a majority-female workforce, grapple with what's next More than 3.5 million Americans are full, or part-time, public school teachers— and 76 percent of that workforce is female. By Ali Vitali and Molly Roecker There are no good options, and no playbook. Across the country, schools are grappling with what “back to school” looks like in the time of a pandemic. And pres
About those teacher raises If the state of Florida is going to force me to risk my life by sending me back to the classroom, at least I have that raise they promised to look forward to. Checks notes, oh since they got rid of Best and Brightest and school recognition funds as a veteran teacher, I will probably be getting a pay cut. Well isn’t that a kick in the a** When DeSantis declared this the
NewBlackMan (in Exile) Lincoln Center At Home: Vanessa Williams by Mark Anthony Neal / 18h 'Singer and actress Vanessa Williams leads Lincoln Center at Home 's tenth #MemorialForUsAll with renditions of "Colors of the Wind," "Save the Best For Last," and "Love Is" (with Darius De Haas ). Memorial For Us All is a secular community remembrance, welcoming all to celebrate the lives of those who hav
A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Statistic Of The Day: 56 MILLION U.S. Families Have Lost Income Since March 13th by Larry Ferlazzo / 16min The New York Times shared the above terrifying statistic today . We already know the impact that out-of-school factors have on student achievement (see The Best Places To Learn What
Teachers Union OKs Strikes If Schools Reopen Without Safety Measures In Place The head of a powerful national teachers union told members Tuesday that its leadership would support "safety strikes" if health precautions are not met amid calls for schools to reopen as coronavirus cases surge. Randi Weingarten, who leads the American Federation of Teachers, is leaving the final decision to local un
NYCDOE – Academic Policy FAQs (but no real answers) When the DoE puts out information, I jump on it. Teachers, principals, programmers – we don’t know what the DoE policies will be for September. We want to know their intentions. We need it for planning. Actually, many of us want the DoE to just get it over with and switch us to fully remote. We know they will eventually. But for now we want the
108 NYC charter schools received a windfall averaging $940,000- $2.2 million each in federal PPP funds; check the list here! The Network for Public Education sifted through the companies and organizations receiving federal funds through the Paycheck Protection Program, meant to keep small businesses and non-profits afloat. More than 1,300 charter schools and charter management companies received
The Invention of the Human In his book Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human , literary critic Harold Bloom makes the argument that the great storyteller literally invented the modern human being. It's a grandiose claim, one that crosses the line into ridiculous, but at the same time, it's undeniable that the telling and re-telling of his stories has had an outsized influence on Western civili
Where politicians get it wrong with kids going back to school OPINION: Several conditions pre-COVID-19 that are perilous to Black kids, including lack of universal health care and racism, make schools reopening a hazard In a recent interview with talk-radio host Marc Cox , Missouri Governor Mike Parson said, “These kids have got to get back to school. …They’re at the lowest risk possible, and if
Outdoor School Has Never Sounded Better Moving classes outside might be the safest way to have in-person instruction this fall. Why aren’t more schools considering it? This month, Berkeley public schools, like many school districts across the country, announced they will not start the year with full-time, in-person school. Soon after, J Li, a business-innovation strategist who lives in the area,
AFT threatens 'safety strikes' in school reopening talks The American Federation of Teachers adopted a resolution denouncing “unsafe and unsound plans” or “the faulty implementation of plans. The American Federation of Teachers called Tuesday for “safety strikes” as “a last resort” if negotiations over reopening schools don't meet demands for keeping educators healthy and safe amid the coronavir
DeVos Aide: We are Not Likely to Waive Mandated Testing in 2020-21 Jim Blew was hired by Betsy DeVos for a key role at the U.S Department of Education, having worked at the far-right Walton Family Foundation, which has a strong commitment to privatization, charter schools, Teach for America, and union-busting. He told education writers that the Department of Education was not likely to grant wai
Over a Decade After Katrina, Racial Inequities Resurface in Federal Response to COVID-19 To inspire support for public health directives, many warn COVID-19 does not discriminate—everyone’s susceptible. The reality is more complicated. We are not “all in this together.” Racism ensures this, and New Orleans’ experience following Hurricane Katrina illustrates one way that racial inequities play ou
"Plain and simple: it is wrong to reopen schools at this time" -Michael Flanagan “There has been a growing push by the Trump administration and the Coronavirus deniers to reopen schools, and it is about to get ugly. Politicians are trying to convince parents that the reason they will not be able to return to work is because of lazy, selfish teachers… “Politicians want the pressure on. They want
ANOTHER ROLL ON THE HAMSTER WHEEL “Everyone had a reason for everything they did, even if that reason was sometimes stupidity.” ― Karin Slaughter, Fractured “A writer, like a sheriff, is the embodiment of a group of people and without their support both are in a tight spot.” ― Craig Johnson, Another Man’s Moccasins Why is that Nashville is incapable of holding a school board election without the
For September – All Remote? How about Almost All Remote? Mayor de Blasio is ordering schools back in session for September – and Carranza insists that each school gets to make its own decision – by choosing from among his unworkable models, or jumping through hoops for an exemption. What should we do? Fight de Blasio’s tone-deaf incompetence? Yes. And in the meantime? Apply for an exemption? Tha
Greene risk your life or talk to HR (draft) That was my take away from the latest flowery letter she sent today. You know there was a time I liked and even appreciated her letters of inspiration but that stopped when she said, her risk you and your family's life or check into other options. I have included the letter so you can make your own judgment. Every time she sends one of the emails I kin
NPE Publishes Comprehensive, State-by-State Listing of PPP Money to Charter Schools The Network for Public Education (NPE) has composed a state-by-state listing of charter schools, charer management orgs (CMOs), and education management orgs (EMOs) that have received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans impacting small businesses and nonprofits as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The loo
NY Times Education Reporter Eliza Shapiro Doesn't Know What Teachers Do Every day I'm surprised. There's just never a bottom. A man can get up and say the most vulgar things you've ever heard and get elected President by every possible measure (except votes cast). That same man can then spend four years indulging in the most juvenile insults, outlandish conspiracy theories, and tell so many untr
What could possibly go wrong? School is ready to start and the education world is focused on what classes will look like. The decision to open schools is difficult for several reasons. Kids need to be in school. Online classes don’t reach all students. Some haven’t got the hardware. Some haven’t got sufficient internet access. Some can’t focus on a screen. Some have needs that can’t be met witho
Some Countries Reopened Schools. What Did They Learn About Kids and Covid? Studies from around the world suggest that success depends on class size, distancing, the age of the students, and how prevalent the virus is locally AS SCHOOL OFFICIALS try to figure out whether to open classrooms this fall, the science they need to make these tough choices is still evolving. A few things are clear: That
' The Read Along: Assisted Reading for the Vulnerable Reader In a post two weeks ago, Independent Reading in a Pandemic , I suggested that with all the problems the pandemic was causing, one positive was that it provided time for kids to do extended independent reading. One parent responded by asking, "What should my dyslexic daughter do, look at her books and cry?" Fair enough question. Many of
The Difference between “Complicated” and “Complex” Matters (Yet Again) Ten years ago I posted my thoughts and ideas (many of which I borrowed) on the differences between complicated and complex organizations and why it mattered when it came to schools. The post turned out to be one of the most read of the nearly 1400 I have written since beginning this blog in 2009. I bring it back for an encore
Remote Learning Should Continue This Fall Remote Learning Should Continue This Fall in Tennessee A growing body of evidence makes it increasingly clear that opening Tennessee schools this Fall represents an unwise and irresponsible political decision that will endanger staff, faculty, students, and students’ families. With a sophomore grandson chomping at the bit to get back with his friends and
I Can’t Keep Doing This. Please Open the Schools. The idea that I might have to continue to work while facilitating another subpar semester of virtual learning is almost too much to bear. “I can’t keep doing this.” I hear that over and over from my friends with kids. Holding a job, parenting, and teaching all at once during the pandemic is a juggling act that no one was prepared to undertake, an
PROOF POINTS: Survey reveals stark rich-poor divide in how U.S. children were taught remotely during the spring school closures Low-income children reviewed old material while high-income children learned new things A s the coronavirus pandemic spread through the country, a common (socially distanced) conversation among friends and families compared how many hours of remote learning kids were ge
Charter schools and their management companies won at least $925 million in federal coronavirus funding, data shows The Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, is a $660 billion business loan program established as part of the $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus legislation that Congress passed in the spring. PPP was aimed at helping certain small businesses, nonprofit organizations, sole pro
ALERT FOR SCHOLARS TO SIGN PETITION FOR RETRACTION Over 600 signatures, representing all fields. Please consider signing! We won’t change Mead, but we can change the delivery of his work and get this commentary retracted! Scholars please consider signing!!! https://forms.gle/aMjgjwJiL6ajNBXD9 Dear Professor Lawrence M. Mead, the editorial board of “Society”, and Frank Vrancken Peeters, Chief Exe
I CAN’T BREATHE, BUT YOU’RE BREATHING FINE. WE NEED TO CONFRONT THIS! Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, I, like many black children, was raised by my single mother. Our fathers weren’t there for us; some by choice, and others in prison or dead. Since childhood, I have watched uniformed police abuse their power in poor neighborhoods. As a black man, I have learned to just shut up, put my h
Charters grab between $1 to 2 BILLION in small business rescue funds. Act now. Yes, you read that right. Those are actual quotes from the minutes of Utah Military Academy , which is under investigation for questionable ethical practices. That charter school received between $1 and 2 million dollars in PPP funds. They are not alone. Charter schools’ board minutes tell the same story time and agai
How other schools and districts are doing with the coronavirus, spoiler, not well It is all anecdotal how other schools and districts are doing at this point, but what is happening is not pretty. Sadly it is probably a predictor of what's to come in Florida schools, and that's also not going to be pretty. Private school closes after just reopening. From Bussiness Insider, A Pre-K-7 private schoo
Heroes Act? Yes. And Budget Justice? Budget Justice? Inequality. We know it exists. We, most of us, know it’s not right. But did you know there is a serious push to attack inequality, right here in New York State? A package of legislation, collectively known as “ Budget Justice ” is in the State Senate and Assembly. Take a look: List of Demands: (1) Pass the Fund Our Future legislative package t
Private homeschooling groups — aka "pandemic pods" — gain popularity, but who gets left behind? "We have all these rules in place so we can make sure that this 'bubble' basically doesn't pop," says one parent Madeline Gregg knew back in March, after the novel coronavirus was declared a global pandemic , that her 6-year-old daughter Evi probably wouldn't be physically attending first grade this u
Laurie Garrett: Most Schools Will Not Be Able to Open Laurie Garrett is a Pulitzer Prize winning science writer. This article in Foreign Affairs explains why Trump and DeVos’s demand to reopen the schools for full-time, in-person schooling in a few weeks will fail. The schools don’t have the money to meet the necessary safety requirements. The less affluent the community, the less money is avail
EdAction in Congress July 26, 2020 Clock is ticking, yet McConnell continues to delay COVID-19 response As the new school year approaches and COVID-19 surges, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the GOP are hurting students, educators, and communities by keeping parents in limbo and schools scrambling to come up with contingency plans. McConnell refuses to take up the HEROES Act, passed b
Preview SFUSD’s plans for students and families this fall 2020 Commissioners and staff have been listening to with families, and students and educators with educators to create an improved learning experience for students this fall and more support and communication with families. Below are several places you can find information about our upcoming meeting. Joint Select Committee – July 24, 2020
Introduction to the Fourth Industrial Revolution & The Covid Economic Reset In mid-May 2020, Jason Bosch, documentary filmmaker and activist from Denver, came to Philadelphia to pick my brain about the things I’ve been researching for the past five years. He’s in the process of editing that footage into a series of videos covering issues related to racialized technology, global finance, the Covi
Indiana: A Profile in Courage Steve Hinnefeld writes here about a rare act of courage in a red state. Indiana State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick defied Betsy DeVos and has refused to hand out money from the CARES Act to private schools, without regard to need. Superintendent McCormick told DeVos to stuff it. For her courage and independence, she goes on the blog’s honor roll. Hinnefeld writ
Trump Thinks He Can Win Votes by Stressing School Choice and Fast Reopening The Washington Post says that Trump has latched on to school choice and a fast reopening as issues that will win back white suburban women, whose support for him has faded. This may indicate how out of touch he is. Parents move to the suburbs because their property wealth creates good schools. There is no unmet demand in
The Hybrid Model--Essential Work or Political Hackery? I’m vain. I think my subject, English as a new language, is the most important my students have. As such, I want them to understand structure. Teaching grammar, though, bores my kids to death. I have to find a better way. One of the things that makes me crazy its the use of the present tense. When one of my students says, “She go to the stor
This Teacher Asks You to Just Please Give Her a Minute by Sera Deo “Give us a minute. “I spent today removing my personal belongings from my classroom. I’m not alone. This is being required in many districts right now. Chairs. Pillows. Lamps. Bookcases. Books. Nothing but desks and chairs remained. I left my empty classroom and cried all the way home . “Give us a minute. “Before you say that par
George Thomas: An Old Dead White Guy who could use a Statue (This is not my usual entry – it’s a bit about a little-known Civil War General – if it’s not your thing, no worries – I’ll be back with regular writing tomorrow. – jd) I’m all for tearing down confederate statues. I’m all for taking their names off of buildings and bridges and schools? Who the hell put their names on schools? Slavehold
DCPS says they will close schools based on medical advice, well medical advice has been screaming that they should not open! (draft) When you were a kid, and mom told you no, did you over go ask dad because you knew he would give you the answer you wanted? What about with a business, ever got been told an answer you didn't like ever to call back later to talk to someone else to get a different a
Are New York City Schools Opening in September? Principal and Teacher Unions Are Doubtful This has not been a good week for the Richard Carranza, the NYC School Chancellor. The light at the end of the tunnel might be an oncoming locomotive. New York City has a $9 billion deficit this fiscal year and serious deficits over the next few years; layoffs, unemployment, a loss of services, homelessness
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/07/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_25.html Just Sent-Out Free Monthly Email Newsletter by Larry Ferlazzo / 5h geralt
