Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Failing Report Card

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Failing Report Card:

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Failing Report Card

Monday, 14 January 2013 14:29By Staff, Center for Economic Policy Research | Report

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Michelle Rhee gained notoriety as the chancellor of DC's public schools under Adrian Fenty's administration from 2007 to 2011. Her conduct in this position was one of the main reasons he was not re-elected. Among other things, she publicly took pleasure in firing large numbers of teachers and administrators. Incredibly, she also claims not to have realized that high stake testing would provide incentives for teachers or administrators to cheat on the scoring of exams.

Since she left the DC school system she started a new organization, StudentsFirst, which was created to push for the sort of changes to the school system she sought to implement as chancellor. The organization received considerable media attention for a report card it issued on the public school systems in the 50 states earlier this week. While most of the items on the report card were part of an educational agenda of questionable merit (see Diana Ravitch's blog for specific critiques), one item had nothing to do with education whatsoever.

Rhee's report card gave schools a failing grade if teachers received a defined benefit pension (worse if it was backloaded). The school system gets an "A" in this category if teachers only had a 401(k) type defined contribution plan or a cash balance account.

Pensions are now and have historically been an important part of teachers'

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

Denver: So Much Reform. So Little Success.

by garyrubinstein

Jeannie Kaplan is an elected member of the Denver Board of Education. She has been critical of corporate-style reform and of the heavily-funded effort to persuade the public that it is successful. When she heard that Jonah Edelman of Stand for Children told an audience in Tulsa recently that Denver was a national model of success, she decided to review the score card for the district. (Stand for Children boasts of its civil rights credentials but supported a slate of Republican candidates for the state legislature in 2012, as part of its campaign for corporate reform).
Kaplan wrote for this blog:
So Much Reform. So Little Success
Denver, Colorado is a poster child for much of what reformers like to see: standardized testing, teacher accountability, charter schools, choice, co-location, and oh, did I mention testing? Denver Public Schools is

Good News from Texas, At Last!

by dianerav

Abby Rappaport is one of our best education journalists, and she is mostly covering Texas politics these days.
In this article, she explains the escalating revolt against testing in Texas, where it all started.
The bottom line: Texas has been obsessed with testing for the past two decades, and people are just plain sick of it. The last legislature cut $5.4 billion from the schools’ budget, but managed to find $500 million for Pearson. Abby estimates that in the next few years, Pearson will collect over $1 billion from Texas taxpayers.
That’s a lot of money by anyone’s reckoning.
The school boards are sick of it. More than 80% have passed resolutions against high-stakes testing.
Parents are sick of it. Legislatures are getting complaints in the grocery store and wherever they run into parents

Oprah: Don’t Participate in This Fraud!

by dianerav

A teacher in New Orleans sent this letter to me. My promise to him or her: we will all use whatever tools are at our command to stop the destruction of public education and the exploitation of students to benefit corporate interests. We will not give up.
I wanted to bring to your attention the trailer for the upcoming Oprah network series about John McDonogh high school here in New Orleans.
http://www.oprah.com/common/omplayer_embed.html?article_id=41375.
It is a vicious misrepresentation of what is going on at the school- merely propaganda for the brand new charter management organization that makes our students out to be thug primitives who need taming by clean cut out of

Read Gary Rubinstein’s Open Letters to “Reformers”

by dianerav

Many people have written to ask for a link to Gary Rubinstein’s “open letters to ‘reform’ leaders.”
Those who read them say they are brilliant, and indeed they are.
As you may know, Gary was one of the first alums of TFA. He became a career teacher.
He teaches mathematics at Stuyvesant High School in New York City.
He blogs regularly and whatever he writes is worth reading.
He is one of the best informed and reasonable critics of corporate-style reform in the blogosphere.

Denver: So Much Reform. So Little Success.

by dianerav

G.F. Brandenburg Asks: Are They Afraid of Going to Jail?

by dianerav

G.F. Brandenburg is the unofficial watchdog for the D.C. public schools.
In this post, he includes a link to the court documents that contains Adell Corthorne’s account about the cheating that she saw, what happened when she reported it, and her belief that the district received Race to the Top funding based on inflated test scores.
This is a jaw-dropper.

Indiana Legislature Plans to Expand Vouchers

by dianerav

Vic Smith sends out bulletins about statehouse politics in Indiana. This is his latest, which includes a good summary about the current plan to expand vouchers in Indiana.

Dear Friends,

The Senate Education Committee will vote on the voucher expansion bill, Senate Bill 184, on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 16^th. Please contact the Senators on the committee before the vote to express your

opposition.

The hearing on Senate Bill 184 sponsored by Senator Yoder revealed a division within the committee. Even

The Best Education Book of 2012?

by dianerav

The conservative journal Ednext has a poll that may be of interest to readers of the blog.
The last time the editors had a poll, it was for best education book of the decade (2000-2010), my book won the contest, much to the consternation of the editors.
This time, almost every book on the list promotes corporate reform, except for two: Diana Senechal’s “Republic

Diane in the Evening 1-14-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Connecticut District Devoured by Edu-Vultures by dianerav Jonathan Pelto has unearthed a shocking story of a school district in Connecticut that is being pulled apart, privatized, and spit out by pseudo-saviors. Windham, Connecticut, was in academic trouble so the state board of education appointed a “special master” to oversee school reform and the legislature appropriated $1 million per year extra. The district of 3,500 students Memphis Families Outraged by School Takeover by dianerav Parents in the Binghampton district in Tennessee are furious that the... more »

PS The LA Times Has Always Hated Public Schools | California Father

PS The LA Times Has Always Hated Public Schools | California Father:

PS The LA Times has Always Hated Public Schools

by California Father

I am reading Upton Sinclair’s wonderful muckraking book about public education in Los Angeles in the ‘twenties,The Goslings, a Study of American Schools. See if any of this sounds familiar (e.g.,teacher bashing by the LA Times, business’ stranglehold on public education): For more check it out on Google.

It is the thesis of the business men who run our educational system that the schools are factories, and the children raw material, to be turned out thoroughly standardized, of the same size and shape, like biscuits or sausages. To these business men the teachers are servants, or “hands,” whose duty is the same as in any other factory–to obey orders, and mind their own business, and be respectful to their su~riors. Whenever by any chance teachers dare to have ideas of their own, or especially to ask for higher wages, these

Bien Hecho: Lily Eskelsen - From Lunch Lady to National Education Leader | NewsTaco

Bien Hecho: Lily Eskelsen - From Lunch Lady to National Education Leader | NewsTaco:

Bien Hecho: Lily Eskelsen – From Lunch Lady to National Education Leader

by Voxxi

By Griselda Nevarez, Voxxi
Lily Eskelsen went from working in a school cafeteria to becoming a top leader at the nation’s largest advocacy group for public education.

She is currently the vice president of the National Education Association and is gearing up to compete for the NEA’s president seat. She will announce her candidacy for president at the group’s annual convention, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, from June 26–July 6.
If she is elected president by the NEA’s 3.2 million members, she will become the organization’s first Hispanic president. That position would also give her an even more powerful voice to advocate for Latino students.
Lily Eskelsen’s story of how she got to the NEA is filled with stories of people, especially of former students, who made an impact in her life. She recently shared her story with VOXXI.
She began by speaking about her upbringing. Her maternal grandfather is from Nicaragua, her mother is from

The Washington Teacher: Mayor Vince Gray = Adrian Fenty on DC School Closures

The Washington Teacher: Mayor Vince Gray = Adrian Fenty on DC School Closures:

Mayor Vince Gray = Adrian Fenty on DC School Closures

by Candi Peterson

By Candi Peterson

Ward 8 DC School Board Representative, Trayon White requests that parents, guardians, teachers, students and community members Please Stand With Him and attend a candlelight vigil at the home of DC Mayor Vincent Gray on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 in protest of DC Public Schools closures.

Vigil to be held from 6 - 7:30 pm @

2619 Branch Ave. SE Wash., DC 20020

Trayon White @ 202-316-7593
*In partnership with EmpowerDC & Ward 8 Dems.
Photo courtesy of Daniel del Pielago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Carrying on Dr. King's great struggle

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Carrying on Dr. King's great struggle:

Carrying on Dr. King's great struggle

by Mike Klonsky

"... For most of the past decade the field of education has been a battleground in the freedom struggle. It was not fortuitous that education became embroiled in this conflict. Education is one of the vital tools the Negro needs in order to advance. And yet it has been denied him by devises of segregation and manipulations with quality.' -- Dr. King's acceptance speech upon winning the John Dewey Award in 1964

Today marks the 84th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. On this day, one can't help but take note that despite

Common Core Standards: arguments against — and for

Common Core Standards: arguments against — and for:

Common Core Standards: arguments against — and for

Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 15, 2013 at 4:00 am

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In a recent post, Yong Zhao, presidential chair and associate dean for global education at the University of Oregon’s College of Education, asked five key questions about the Common Core State Standards, which are coming to 46 states and the District of Columbia. He concluded: “The efforts to develop common curricula nationally and internationally are simply working to perfect an outdated paradigm. The outcomes are precisely the opposite of the talents we need for the new era.” Here is a response to that post from Marc Tucker, president of the non-profit National Center on Education and the Economy and an internationally known expert on reform, explains why this approach is actually harming rather than helping schools. Tucker is also editor of “Surpassing Shanghai: An Agenda for American Education Built on the World’s Leading Systems” (Harvard Education Press, November 2011).

By Marc Tucker

Most of the arguments I have heard against the Common Core State Standards strike me as hardly worth responding to, but I came across a piece on the subject the other day by Yong

UPDATE: Schools Matter: What decades of research tell us

Schools Matter: What decades of research tell us:

Hey, NYTimes: Garfield HS Teachers Made News

by Jim Horn

From Peter DeWitt's Ed Week Blog:

19 teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington refused to administer the district required Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) to ninth grade students on January 9th. After many years of out of control high stakes testing in the U.S. it was bound to happen sooner or later. It was another example of some strong teachers who are putting the needs of their students first.

English teacher Kit McCormick said she "has no problem with state testing, or testing in general. But they say this particular test has a number of problems, everything from what it covers to how well it measures achievement." However, many teachers and administrators across the country do have an issue with state

What decades of research tell us

by skrashen

Sent to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Jan 14
What decades of research tells us

Re: Educators struggle to combat dropout rate disparities (January 14, 2013)
Here is what we know from decades of educational research:
A large percentage of minority students live in poverty.
Those who live in poverty have a hard time in school.
Those who live in poverty have inadequate nutrition, poor health care and little access to books. Each of these factors is associated with low school performance.
We can take a huge step forward by protecting students from some of the effects of poverty and we can do it immediately: invest more in school food programs, health care (e.g. more school nurses, basic dental and vision

Duval Superintendent’s Curious Position on Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

Duval Superintendent’s Curious Position on Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings:

Duval Superintendent’s Curious Position on Charter Schools

by Bob Sikes

Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991

Ron Matus of redifinED recently interviewed new Duval school’s superintendent Nikolai Vitti. The former chief academic officer of Dade schools surprised Matus with his position on authorization of charter schools.

Vitti also offered a surprising take on who should authorize charter schools. In Florida, only school boards can do so – a situation that charter school opponents prefer, and one that may be tough to change because of restrictive language in the state constitution. But Vitti said unless changes are made to the charter application process – something that forces better dialogue between charters and districts – he’d rather have the state do the authorizing.
“I do believe there’s a way to create a balance between simply approving charter schools at the district level based on a boilerplate application process … and instead allow and require the charter school to be more strategic with the district,” he said. But “if we’re not going to create some kind of

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board of Education Struggles with 1240 Role

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Board of Education Struggles with 1240 Role:

Board of Education Struggles with 1240 Role

by Melissa Westbrook

The State Board of Education had a two-day meeting last week in Tumwater to address various issues under their purview. One of them is figuring out their role/duties and the boundaries of both under the newly-passed I-1240 to create charter schools in Washington State.

(I was also honored and pleased to meet Jeff Charbonneau, the Washington State Teacher of the Year from Zillah High School. I want to write a separate thread on him and the great work they are doing there but boy, what a great guy and a great teacher.)

What came first before the discussion was a presentation by Alex Medler who works for the National

Exeuctive Director to Leave Post

by Melissa Westbrook

It appears that Executive Director of Schools for the SE Region, Bree Dusseault, will be leaving SPS.

You may recall that Ms. Dusseault was the Executive Director pushing for Ingraham principal Martin Floe's dismissal. Principal Floe kept his job and she was moved to the SE Region.

I was told she is taking a position with a charter group.

Honestly, not one surprise here and it's one fewer TFA person in this district.

OCCUPY EDUCATION - thepeoplesrecord: Teachers at Seattle school...

OCCUPY EDUCATION - thepeoplesrecord: Teachers at Seattle school...:

thepeoplesrecord: Teachers at Seattle school boycott...

thepeoplesrecord:

Teachers at Seattle school boycott standardized tests
January 13, 2013
Teachers at a Seattle high school, in a rare boycott by educators against a standardized test, are refusing to give students a decades-old reading and math test after the city’s school district decided to factor the exam into the instructors’ evaluations.
The 19 teachers at Garfield High School have complained they are unable to adequately prepare

NYC Educator: Teabaggers All

NYC Educator: Teabaggers All:

Teabaggers All

by NYC Educator

The new line from UFT leadership is that anyone who opposes junk science evaluation, which they helped write into the law, is a Tea Partier. To them, this is code for people who just say no to everything--they are simple-minded, contrarian galoots who speaks only to hear the sound of their own voices, or to create problems for no reason whatsoever. However, by their standard,we are in very good company here.

Diane Ravitch is a Tea Partier. She's written extensively on why VAM is junk science. Just days ago, she praised Hamburg, NY teachers for voting down a junk science plan. A huge difference between Hamburg, NY and New York NY is that Hamburg teachers, rank and file, actually got to vote on this system. This is a big plus for those of us who believe in democracy, where the people have the ultimate voice. What is the word for people who don't believe in democracy?

Nonetheless, Ravitch has been a consistent and outspoken opponent of VAM, growth model, or whatever it is

Jersey Jazzman: This Blog Is Subsidized By Your Tax Dollars!

Jersey Jazzman: This Blog Is Subsidized By Your Tax Dollars!:

This Blog Is Subsidized By Your Tax Dollars!

by Duke

It may not be there now, but Success Academies - Eva Moskowitz's famous cream-skimming charter network, beloved by reformies everywhere - has been putting ads up on this blog.

Eva's schools get their money from huge management fees collected from New York State, millions in grants made possible by tax preferences given for charitable contributions, sweetheart deals involving the use of public property, and, of course, the money that "follows the child" to the charter from the public schools.

All of these funds can be attributed either directly or indirectly to the taxpayer. And, apparently, the taxpayer has no problem paying me for advertising space on this blog so that Eva Moskowitz can recruit more teachers to her

The Educated Reporter: Charter Schools Hit Milestone Twenty Years in the Making

The Educated Reporter: Charter Schools Hit Milestone Twenty Years in the Making:

Charter Schools Hit Milestone Twenty Years in the Making

by Emily Richmond

The number of charter schools in the United States has topped 6,000 for the first time since the first independently operated public campus launched 20 years ago.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools points out that the threshold was crossed thanks to the addition of 237 new campuses in five states: California (81); Florida (67); Texas (41); New York (25) and Michigan (23). In fact, those five states account for about 2,400 of all charter schools nationwide. As the chart below shows, charter school enrollment now tops 2.3 million students, also a record high, according to the national alliance.

“The growth of the public charter sector continues because parents are demanding quality options for their children,” said Nina Rees, the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “Charter leaders are opening schools to respond to parents and to provide more students with a quality education that