Wyoming Passes Charter Law that Guts Local Control and AccountabilityThe Wyoming Legislature passed a charter law that allows new charters to open wherever they wish, without the approval of the elected local school board. Governor Mark Gordon neither signed nor vetoed the law, expressing confidence that kinks could be fixed in the future. The legislation allows the State Loan and Investment Board to approve a charter school. Typically, local school districts have
Sad! Jeff Bezos Lost $4.31 billion YesterdayI like to follow the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily report of the gains and losses of the biggest billionaires in the world. Jeff Bezos of Amazon “lost” $4.31 billion yesterday. But don’t worry about Jeff. He’s the richest person in the world , and his fortune is edging closer to $200 billion. With a fortune so staggering, it makes you wonder why he fought so hard to prevent Amazon workers
Nancy Bailey: The Tug of War Between Teachers and TechnologyNancy Bailey believes that parents owe a debt of thanks to the valiant teachers who taught online and in person, doing whatever was needed during the year of the pandemic. She reminds us that tech vultures are waiting in the wings, hoping that the pandemic has set the stage for “reimagining” education without buildings.
Nicholas Tampio: How the Feds Can Kill the Liberal Arts and HumanitiesNicholas Tampio is a professor of political science at Fordham University. In this post , he demonstrates how a proposed federal program could crush the liberal arts and humanities. He writes in the Boston Globe: A bipartisan group of senators, including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, are backing a bill called the College Transparency Act. It would requi
Charles Siler: A Former Privatizer Changes SidesCharles Siler had excellent credentials to work in the privatization movement. In this article, he explains why he switched sides. To learn more about Charles Siler, watch this video in which I interviewed him. Confessions of a Former Privatizer Why I Don’t Want to Eradicate Public Schools Anymore I spent years working to privatize public schools. I realized that I was wrong, and am now proud to
An Update on My HealthA month ago, I wrote to tell you that I was going to the hospital for open-heart surgery. I lined up guest bloggers who filled in for me in my absence, and I thank them all for keeping the conversation going. I checked into the hospital in NYC on April 7. Surgery was early the next morning. I had an ascending aortic aneurysm and a leaky heart valve that had to be replaced. The surgeon explained t
Good News from Oakland!Several years ago, the Walton Family Foundation and the Gates Foundation decided that it was not enough to open new charter schools. No, they had to devise mechanisms to make sure that school officials put charters on an equal footing with public schools and that the public didn’t care whether schools were run by their elected school board or a private board of directors. The Gates Foundation cre
Biden’s Message: Government Must Work for the Common GoodMichael Sean Winters of the National Catholic Reporter expressed my reaction to President Joe Biden’s speech to Congress. No boasting. No narcissism. A strong assertion that government must work for the people and use its resources to improve the lives of the people. The most abnormal thing about Biden’s speech, however, was how normal it was. After four years of Donald Trump spewing his particul
Kathleen Cashin: How Schools Should Invest the Biden WindfallKathleen Cashin has been a teacher, a principal, and a superintendent in New York City in high-needs districts. She is currently a member of the New York State Board of Regents, which sets policy for the state. In this article, which appeared in the New York Daily News, she explains her hope that school district will use their new money to invest in most successful school reform that works: reduc
Biden Chooses Ex-Obama Official for Key Position in Department of EducationDuring the Obama administration, Roberto Rodriguez was the White House advisor on education. He vigorously supported the Race to the Top program, the Common Core standards, and high-stakes testing. All of these initiatives failed to improve student test scores and wasted billions of dollars. Andrew Ujifusa wrote in Education Week (April 28) about the return of Rodriguez. He joins former Obama off
