Thursday, August 16, 2012

by YongZhao

Originally published by Education Week Online: July 17, 2012 and in Print: July 18, 2012. See also Education Week blogger Catherine A. Cardno’s interview with the me about my latest book, “Zhao on Entrepreneurship, the Common Core, and Bacon.”

Doublethink is “to hold simultaneously two opinions which canceled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them,” according to George Orwell, who coined the phrase in his novel 1984.

American education policymakers have apparently entered the zone of doublethink.

They want future Americans to be globally competitive, to out-innovate others, and to become job-creating entrepreneurs. Last year, the Obama administration announced a $1 billion-plus public-private initiative to support entrepreneurial activities, which included support and rhetoric surrounding youth-entrepreneurship education. And the U.S. Department of Education says that “entrepreneurship education as a building block for a well-rounded education not only promises to make school rigorous, relevant, and engaging, but it

The in box. Teacher MiC tells Governor Quinn: “Stop the dilly dallying.” « Fred Klonsky

The in box. Teacher MiC tells Governor Quinn: “Stop the dilly dallying.” « Fred Klonsky:

The in box. Teacher MiC tells Governor Quinn: “Stop the dilly dallying.”

by Fred Klonsky

State union workers greet Governor Quinn at the State Fair with loud boos. It was Democrat’s Day at the Fair. More to come Friday in Springfield.
In his previous letter to Governor Quinn teacher MiC addressed the issue of the Governor’s fictional 87 year old teacher. Today he explains to the Governor how to fix the funding problem.

Dear Governor Quinn-
I read in the paper yesterday that you were again talking with the media about what was now referred to as pension “restructuring”. First, I’m glad to see you stopped misusing the term

Lead letter: Charters, vouchers aren't solutions | jacksonville.com

Lead letter: Charters, vouchers aren't solutions | jacksonville.com:

Lead letter: Charters, vouchers aren't solutions

President John F. Kennedy once said, “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.”

In Florida, we have bet the house on vouchers and charter schools.

A vast majority of the education priorities of the state over the last several years do not address policies aimed at improving traditional public schools.

Florida has a golden opportunity to bring trust to our public education accountability system, which has been tarnished. After weeks of misjudgments by the Department of Education, the state retreated from what they touted as “trailblazing” higher standards.

While Gov. Rick Scott touts the importance of “raising the bar,” it seems to be more of a manipulation of

Overheard on CNN: Debate between Ravitch, Rhee – Teacher: 'Just let me teach.' – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs

Overheard on CNN: Debate between Ravitch, Rhee – Teacher: 'Just let me teach.' – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs:

Overheard on CNN: Debate between Ravitch, Rhee – Teacher: 'Just let me teach.'

Editors note: A recent Schools of Thought reader made this comment: "Equal air time for Ravitch – all this can and should be debated fairly – the blog space is welcome but insufficient." Diane Ravitch is scheduled to appear on CNN Newsroom Weekend with Randi Kaye this Saturday, August 18.

by John Martin, CNN

(CNN) – Education historian and professor Diane Ravitch took issue with a recent CNN appearance by former D.C. Schools chancellor Michele Rhee. Rhee and Ravitch both believe that quality teaching can make a difference in the classroom. But the two have fundamental differences in their beliefs about the quality of America's education system and its teachers.

Rhee told CNN, "The problem is that people don't understand where we stand right now in international rankings on academics. We are behind countries like Hungary and Luxembourg." On Schools of Thought, Ravitch responded, "

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-16-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

Defending Parents Against Stereotypes

by dianerav

A reader writes in support of low-income and working-class families and reminds us of the importance of collaboration:
Diane, thanks again for your clarity and calm through what must have been a difficult week. Your small manifesto looks so obvious, when it is quietly laid out.
Unfortunately, the conversation also gets hijacked by those with an agenda to attack low-income families, and working class parents in general, with false and degrading stereotypes. When that happens, it undermines the teachers who serve the majority of honorable inner city residents and uneducated, but nonetheless dedicated,

What Is the Public Purpose of Public Education?

by dianerav

In case you have forgotten how to answer that question;
In case you are befuddled by the nonstop attacks on public schools and those who teach in them;
In case you don’t remember the history of education in the past fifty years:
Please read this statement on “The Public Purpose of Public Education” by Jan Resseger.
It is one of the best, most concise summaries of the issues facing public education and our society today

A Former Coal Miner Said This About Teachers Today

by dianerav

I just learned about Kipp Dawson early this morning. I got an email about a radio program where she is interviewed.
What got my attention was that Kipp spent 13 years working underground as a coal miner before she became a middle-school English teacher in Pittsburgh. I dropped a line to her, noting her unusual transition from coal miner to teacher, and she replied as follows:
You know, there is a strong parallel between these two “lives” these days. Underground we all were one another’s life savers; literally, of course. We watched out for danger and warned one another, and when one of us got hurt,

Neil Postman Had It Right in 1976

by dianerav

A reader recalls what Neil Postman wrote almost 40 years ago. He was known as a future-thinker, and this quotation proves he was:

I’m a public school teacher in NJ. Relevant in this context is a wonderful little book by Neil Postman entitled “The Disappearance of Childhood”. He ties the invention of childhood in the west over the past few centuries to universal literacy. In the book he argues that the concept of childhood peaked sometime in the first half of the 20th century, but since then has been worn down by a decline in literacy and our infatuation with other forms of entertainment media. Profiting from schooling, racing to the top, focusing on absurd objective criteria like

Where Are the Miracle Schools?

by dianerav

Bruce Baker of Rutgers University has written a fascinating analysis of charter schools in New York City and Houston.
Do they enroll the same students as the nearby district schools?
Do they have higher test scores?
Do they spend the same amount of money?
These are very important questions, given the reformers’ belief that charter schools will close the achievement

What’s Needed Now: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

by dianerav

A reader comments on the discussion about parents, teachers, and students:

It is amazing to me how fast the conversation gets hijacked by those with an agenda to trash public education. I have stated before and will repeat it. Parents and educators must work together in partnership. It is the most productive way for our students to benefit from an education. It bothers me to hear disrespect directed toward either teachers, parents, or students.
As an educator I feel it should always be our position to be positive role models. Others may disagree, but I

A Line in the Sand in Washington State Against the “Trigger”

by dianerav

A reader in Washington State writes:
In Washington State, where we don’t have charters, we are fighting a charter initiative. It includes the MOST aggressive trigger in the U.S. It would allow an approved charter to circulate a petition to parents OR teachers at a school and, if a majority sign, the charter takes over, building and all. This applies to ANY existing school,

The Century of the Coldhearted?

by dianerav

Jeff Bryant reflects on the events and ideas that transformed American society in the past century.
A current exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City describes the 20th century as “the century of the child.”
Now with technocratic ideas dominant in national policy, championed by both Obama and Romney and semi-articulated by Arne Duncan, Jeff wonders if this is “the century of the coldhearted.”

What Does “Progress” Mean?

by dianerav

In California, there is a battle going on between a “reformist” group called Edvoice and the United Teachers of Los Angeles. California has a forty-year-old law called the Stull Act, which says that a teacher’s evaluation will include evidence of student progress. But how is “progress” defined?
Some “reformers” will use any and all opportunities to make standardized test scores the measure of teacher quality, because that guarantees that 1/2 of all teachers will be below the mean and thus many will be

A Cyber Teacher of Physical Education Explains

by dianerav

A supporter of cyber charters wrote to say that many activities occur in a physical setting, not online. In response to our exchange, a teacher posted the following comment:
K12 Inc has the largest student population of all online cyber charter schools in the US and this is what they want from a PE/Health Teacher:
https://re21.ultipro.com/KIN1002/JobBoard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*A5FEACB4EE4E6E98
Other teaching positions are similar –”Virtual” means teachers do it from home. I know because I taught at an

Pearson Plans to Award Degrees

by dianerav

Last year, for reasons not altogether clear to me, the British government issued a white paper saying that non-teaching institutions would soon have the power to award degrees. Now, as was anticipated, the Pearson corporation says that it plans to award degrees to complete its role as the ultimate education organization of our era. Of course, Pearson could just buy a struggling college or university and change its name, but it doesn’t plan to do that. It has already opened “Pearson College.”
This is all very puzzling. Businesses awarding degrees in business, technology, or maybe even in liberal arts,

What I Think about Parents

by dianerav

Over the past few days, there has been a lively discussion about the rights and responsibilities of parents.
This was occasioned by a letter I posted by a teacher, who said that parents don’t always know what is best for their children and that some parents are irresponsible.
After this post appeared on a homeschooling website, and perhaps others as well, I received many comments

Which Public Services Should Have a “Trigger”?

by dianerav

What other public services might be subject to a “trigger” law?
Should 51% of the tenants of a public housing project have the authority to seize control and hand the property over to a private management company?
Should 51% of the patrons of a public library have the authority to seize control and privatize it if they don’t like

Fuentes finds possible $60 million for evaluation bill | EdSource Today

Fuentes finds possible $60 million for evaluation bill | EdSource Today:

Fuentes finds possible $60 million for evaluation bill

August 16th, 2012 | Add a Comment |
By John Fensterwald

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The author of a bill revising the law on teacher evaluations has pushed up the start date to two years from now, found a $60 million pot of money to jump-start the process in districts with the lowest-performing schools, and given parents and students a role advising teachers and districts on criteria to use in the evaluations.

Assemblymember Fuentes testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. Click to enlarge.

Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes released the latest amendments on Wednesday, one day before his bill goes before the Senate Appropriations Committee for a crucial vote. In deciding whether to move the bill forward to the full Senate – or let it die – the committee will consider the impact of state-reimbursable costs that AB 5 will create for school districts.

Fuentes has a surprise, partial solution. He would divert $60 million next year from unused money in theQuality Education Investment Act, a multibillion-dollar court settlement reached with Gov. Schwarzenegger to increase funding for the lowest-

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: There's No Crying WHILE Teaching!

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: There's No Crying WHILE Teaching!:

There's No Crying WHILE Teaching!

by Lisa M

I am offline until Friday, so I am posting some of my older blog posts from my Wordpress account.

I was watching a Geico commercial where a psychiatrist told his patient to "Man up!". Well, not in those words, but that's what he meant. I laughed when he offered the patient the tissue box, and as the sniffling patient reached for the box, instead of handing it to him, he threw it.

I know, that's cruel, and what type of person must I be to find that funny? But I hold firm to this belief. Do not, under any circumstances, (except sad or happy occasions), should you cry in front of your students!

This is the scenario: The class is out of control, and you are extremely frustrated. You cry, they feel sorry for

John Kirtley’s Unwarranted Florida End Zone Dance | Scathing Purple Musings

John Kirtley’s Unwarranted Florida End Zone Dance | Scathing Purple Musings:

John Kirtley’s Unwarranted Florida End Zone Dance

by Bob Sikes

Education privatization’s top fundraiser, John Kirtley, was patting himself on the back yesterday for the Florida primary victories of a “bipartisan coalition of more than 20 candidates who support expanded educational opportunities for Florida families.” The list of victors includes ten House Republicans, six House Democrats, and two Senate Republicans. Kirtley reveals that Florida Federation for Children paid for electioneering in 18 races.

John F. Kirtley, the vice chairman of the American Federation for Children, noted that last night’s showing by Democrats illustrates the growingly broad nature of the coalition in favor of educational opportunities.
“Yesterday’s victories confirm the trend that has been happening in Florida and across the country for years, and that’s increasingly strong bipartisan support for giving kids access to the educational

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Board adopts narrow definition of program

Seattle Schools Community Forum: School Board adopts narrow definition of program:

School Board adopts narrow definition of program

by Charlie Mas

The newly adopted policy 2200 is called the "Equitable Access to Programs and Services" policy. When you - or anyone else - thinks about equitable access to programs and services, what programs and services do you usually think of? Probably the ones with inequitable access now, such as language immersion, Montessori, Spectrum, ALO, alternative, STEM, international, and IB. Those are the ones I think of. This policy doesn't cover any of those because all of them are specifically exempted from the policy.

The policy reads:

"This policy addresses actions to make changes to existing programs or services, the development of new programs or services, the replication of existing programs or services, as well as the closing and/or relocation of existing programs or services throughout the district, to the

Outsourcing Public Schools: Deja Vu All Over Again | Dailycensored.com

Outsourcing Public Schools: Deja Vu All Over Again | Dailycensored.com:

Outsourcing Public Schools: Deja Vu All Over Again

by Jack Gerson

Two weeks ago, Highland Park Michigan announced that it is outsourcing its three schools to a for-profit charter school company, Leona LLC. The decision to privatize was made after a state takeover of the schools: in May, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder appointed an emergency manager for the school district, Joyce Parker, and it was Parker who made the decision to privatize Highland Park’s schools. “This could be the new model for public education,” said Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform, a national research and advocacy group that supports school choice. “It stands to be a lab of innovation where people can see that thinking outside the box is not so scary.”

This all sounded eerily familiar. Then I remembered: Philadelphia, 2002. Management of 38 schools was outsourced, including 20 to for-profit charter school company EdisonLearning. This was done shortly after the state of Pennsylvania took over the Philadelphia school system. The outsourcing back then was going to be an experiment “to see if the free market could educate children more efficiently than government.” The results of

Connected Education is Elementary | Connected Principals

Connected Education is Elementary | Connected Principals:

Connected Education is Elementary

by pdewitt

“We are all born curious, creative, and imaginative. And the best schools—from pre-K to graduate school—continue to develop these capabilities in students. They do so not by delivering more-of-the-same education, but rather a very different education.” Wagner
When we think about connected education, our minds usually bring us to teenagers and older students who create digital portfolios using the latest tools. We often think of how we need to teach these older students about media literacy so they can negotiate their way through research without falling into the trap of using sources that are inaccurate.
When educators think of connected education they typically do not think about primary school children, and that

Technology Gardening #leadershipday12

by Larry Fliegelman

Leadership Day from Scott McLeod holds a special place in my blogging heart. It was Leadership Day 2009 when I posted to this, or any, blog for the first time. I was working on becoming a connected leader. I had opened a twitter account, @fliegs, a few month earlier, and I was reading education blogs (my blog bundle). Starting my own blog was the next step.

Over the next few years I blogged about the goings on at school, my opinion an all sorts of education topics, and

Boy’s ejection from SF school illustrates struggles in violence prevention | California Watch

Boy’s ejection from SF school illustrates struggles in violence prevention | California Watch:

Boy’s ejection from SF school illustrates struggles in violence prevention

by Trey Bundy

Trey Bundy

This story was edited by Robert Salladay and Mark Katches and copy edited by Nikki Frick and Christine Lee.

Tori, seen here at an afterschool program at United Playaz in San Francisco, Calif.,

Adithya Sambamurthy/The Bay Citizen When Tori was 9, a shooting near his home in San Francisco's Western Addition neighborhood left a random bullet lodged permanently in his abdomen.

An 11-year-old boy in San Francisco made headlines early last year when a shooting near his Western Addition home left a random bullet lodged permanently in his abdomen. Nerve damage, a ruptured bladder and chronic pain kept him out of school for more than four months.
For a brief moment after the shooting, the boy, who was 9 at the time, became the city’s latest example of how

Your candidates for Oakland school board: an almost final list - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

Your candidates for Oakland school board: an almost final list - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools:

Your candidates for Oakland school board: an almost final list

Wednesday, August 15th, 2012 at 6:12 pm in No Comments

The Oakland school board races are still shaping up to be lively, though some of the candidates appear to have dropped out or failed to gather enough valid signatures to qualify. The deadline for District 5 was today, which explains why there are no candidates listed for that race in the city’s qualified candidate’s list, updated as of yesterday.
In District 1 you have incumbent Jody London and challenger Thearse Pecot, an OUSD grandmother who sued the district over the closure of Santa Fe and other elementary schools.
District 3 has three candidates now: incumbent Jumoke Hinton Hodge and challengers Richard Fuentes, an aide to Oakland City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, and Benjamin Lang, who had flown completely under my radar. I haven’t found a campaign site for him, but will add a link when I do. Sheilagh Polk, who — along with Hinton Hodge — was endorsed by GO Public Schools’ governing board, apparently didn’t file. Vicente Cruz, the Green Party candidate who’d also planned to run, fell a few signatures short of qualifying. (But he tells me he

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: L.A. Quotables: Deasy vs. Fletcher

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: L.A. Quotables: Deasy vs. Fletcher:

L.A. Quotables: Deasy vs. Fletcher

by Mike Klonsky

Taken from yesterday's L.A. Times story, "LAUSD, teachers union spar over voluntary evaluation system".

Supt. John Deasy (the man from Gates):

"What a shame we don't have a partner in the leadership of UTLA," Deasy said. "It doesn't really bode well that the leadership doesn't seem to be serious about teacher evaluations."

UTLA Pres. Warren Fletcher:

Fletcher said the union objected to the program for a number of reasons. He said the district created it without negotiations, which UTLA said were required. The union has long argued that student test scores are too unreliable to use in such decisions as hiring, firing, pay and tenure.

NYC Educator: How to Crush a New Teacher in Five Short Years

NYC Educator: How to Crush a New Teacher in Five Short Years:

How to Crush a New Teacher in Five Short Years

by NYC Educator

by special guest blogger Suddenly ATR

Summer 2012: "I'm sorry to inform you that you've been excessed for the school year." Early morning calls are the worst, and this was no exception. I'd go on the open market except I was excessed the day open market ended.
Summer 2007: It was a warm summer, and I was moving back to NYC to join the "Teaching Fellows" program. I had no teaching experience, but that didn't matter. I was told that the NYC school system had a "critical shortage" of science teachers, and since I had a science background, I applied.

The teaching fellows training was fun. We learned the

FAQs for a Skeptic on Technology | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

FAQs for a Skeptic on Technology | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

FAQs for a Skeptic on Technology

by larrycuban

Over the years, readers and students have asked me about the work I have done on school reform and technology. I want to answer these Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) here. But first some background.
I began doing research and writing on teacher and student uses of technology in the early 1980s when the first personal computers appeared in classrooms. That writing turned into Teachers and Machines: The Classroom Use of Technology since 1920. I then began working on a larger study of teacher and student uses of new technologies in preschool and kindergarten, high schools, and universities. That became Oversold and Underused: Computers in Classrooms (2001). In 2009, one chapter of Hugging the Middle: How Teachers Teach in an Era of Testing and Accountability dealt with teacher and student uses of technologies across four school

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Thursday, August 16, 2012