Notes from a Teacher in Syracuse
A teacher sent this commentary about what’s happening in her city of Syracuse, New York.
She writes:
“As part of the teacher evaluation in Syracuse, our lovely union negotiated a student survey which would count as 6% of our evaluation. It’s called the Tripod survey, but I don’t know what that means. I’ve attached the directions we were given, which includes the questions for grades K-2. They have 40 questions, and when you get to 6-8, there are over 100.
While there are questions about the classroom, there are also questions about home life. How that pertains to
She writes:
“As part of the teacher evaluation in Syracuse, our lovely union negotiated a student survey which would count as 6% of our evaluation. It’s called the Tripod survey, but I don’t know what that means. I’ve attached the directions we were given, which includes the questions for grades K-2. They have 40 questions, and when you get to 6-8, there are over 100.
While there are questions about the classroom, there are also questions about home life. How that pertains to
Mayor Nutter Prefers Privatization to Public Schools
The irony of Philadelphia’s turn to privatization is that Philadelphia had the most extensive trial of privatization of any city in the nation about ten years ago. The district schools outperformed the privately managed schools, which lost their contracts. But that predated the charter movement, which is now hyped as having a secret formula to raise test scores at a lower cost.
This comment came from a retired teacher in Philadelphia.
He writes:
As a retired public school teacher, I have watched Mayor Nutter promote charters over public schools in the seven years he has been Mayor. He is current President of the U.S. conference of Mayors (Michelle Rhee’s
This comment came from a retired teacher in Philadelphia.
He writes:
As a retired public school teacher, I have watched Mayor Nutter promote charters over public schools in the seven years he has been Mayor. He is current President of the U.S. conference of Mayors (Michelle Rhee’s
Mike Petrilli: A Surprising and Welcome Offer
I always hold out hope that Mike Petrilli will be the conservative who one day leaves behind his brethren and realizes that the punitive policies of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top were a huge and costly mistake. Why do I hold out hope for Mike? I know him, and I know he is a good man. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He has young children, and he will soon see how the testing monster will try to devour them and destroy their love of learning.
In his last exchange with Deborah Meier at “Bridging Differences” at Education Week, I see the glimmer of hope that I have been waiting for. Mike describes himself as a “Whole Foods Republican,” and then asserts that we are helpless to do much about poverty because we don’t know what to do. That is not a glimmer of hope, as I
In his last exchange with Deborah Meier at “Bridging Differences” at Education Week, I see the glimmer of hope that I have been waiting for. Mike describes himself as a “Whole Foods Republican,” and then asserts that we are helpless to do much about poverty because we don’t know what to do. That is not a glimmer of hope, as I
Why I Did Not Attend the Rally in Albany Last Saturday
Several people have asked me why I did not join them in Albany for the big rally, which drew more than 10,000 people to protest the state’s overuse and misuse of high-stakes testing.
I was invited to speak, but I declined because of health reasons. In the past couple of years, I have had severe spinal pain due to arthritis. It comes and goes. It was especially bad in May when the invitation came, and I am dealing with it now with doctor’s visits, x-rays, MRI, medication.
I wish I could have joined you in Albany. I hope you understand why I did not.
I was invited to speak, but I declined because of health reasons. In the past couple of years, I have had severe spinal pain due to arthritis. It comes and goes. It was especially bad in May when the invitation came, and I am dealing with it now with doctor’s visits, x-rays, MRI, medication.
I wish I could have joined you in Albany. I hope you understand why I did not.
North Carolina Plans Charters for Rural Areas
The pro-voucher group called Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina may be invited to open charter schools in rural areas, according to a budget bill in the legislature. The House has set aside $1 million for the group. The same House budget contains cuts for public schools.
Philadelphia Teacher: For Our Dedication, We Get Pink Slips
Harvey Scribner is a teacher in Philadelphia. He got his pink slip over the weekend. He was broken-hearted.
He knows that no one cares.
But he needed to say what he did in his four years as a teacher and why his school should not be destroyed:
“Since coming to the District I found equipment when there was none, I created curriculum when there was nothing, I did without when we needed supplies, I broke up fights, I sent kids to class when they wandered the halls, I worked two summer programs and took the extra step to complete training when the District did not think
He knows that no one cares.
But he needed to say what he did in his four years as a teacher and why his school should not be destroyed:
“Since coming to the District I found equipment when there was none, I created curriculum when there was nothing, I did without when we needed supplies, I broke up fights, I sent kids to class when they wandered the halls, I worked two summer programs and took the extra step to complete training when the District did not think
An Education Declaration to Rebuild America
A diverse group of individuals have joined to sign an Education Declaration to Rebuild America. Please read the statement and if you agree, send it to your friends, tweet it, add it to your Facebook page.
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An Education Declaration to Rebuild America
Americans have long looked to our public schools to provide opportunities for individual advancement, promote social mobility, and share democratic values. We have built great universities, helped bring children out of factories and into classrooms, held open the college door for returning veterans, fought racial segregation, and
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An Education Declaration to Rebuild America
Americans have long looked to our public schools to provide opportunities for individual advancement, promote social mobility, and share democratic values. We have built great universities, helped bring children out of factories and into classrooms, held open the college door for returning veterans, fought racial segregation, and
Tucson Stores Student Data on Murdoch’s Other Site
Columnist David Safier of Tucson keeps close watch on the corporatization of education in Arizona.
He recently reported that the Tucson school district is outsourcing student data to a Murdoch owned site called mCLASS. This is different from the Murdoch data storage program called inBloom.
Safier is concerned about the security of student data, as we should all be. Why can’t schools respect student privacy?
He recently reported that the Tucson school district is outsourcing student data to a Murdoch owned site called mCLASS. This is different from the Murdoch data storage program called inBloom.
Safier is concerned about the security of student data, as we should all be. Why can’t schools respect student privacy?
Tucson Stores Student Data on Murdoch’s Other Site
Columnist David Safier of Tucson keeps close watch on the corporatization of education in Arizona.
He recently reported that the Tucson school district is outsourcing student data to a Murdoch owned site called
He recently reported that the Tucson school district is outsourcing student data to a Murdoch owned site called
Newark Regains Fiscal Control, But What Does That Mean?
Newark, New Jersey, has been under state control for 18 years, and many residents have sought a return of local control. Their demands have grown louder since the district became a playground for reformers after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave the city $100 million for reform and the state appointed Broad-trained superintendent Cami Anderson.
In a surprise move, State Commissioner Chris Cerf gave the district’s powerless elected board “fiscal control” but
In a surprise move, State Commissioner Chris Cerf gave the district’s powerless elected board “fiscal control” but
Voucher Research Funded by Walton Favors Vouchers
Logan T. Carlson, an investigative journalist for the Gannett News Service, noticed that the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas is funded by pro-voucher foundations, including the Walton Family Foundation and the Bradley Foundation. A group of researchers at the Project have been responsible for the five-year evaluation of Milwaukee’s voucher program. They found that the voucher schools did not affect students’ test scores, but led to a high graduation rate. Critics point out that 56% of the students who enrolled in
Teacher: Firing Everyone Did Not Make a Difference
A teacher read the discussion about the “parent trigger,” which assumes that schools improve when parents have the power to fire some or all of the staff, or to turn the school over to a private charter operator.
This teacher disagrees, based on direct experience:
I can add to this discussion. I am a teacher in a “failing” inner city school that was closed down and had its leadership and faculty changed. I came in a year after the new principal and have been there for several years
This teacher disagrees, based on direct experience:
I can add to this discussion. I am a teacher in a “failing” inner city school that was closed down and had its leadership and faculty changed. I came in a year after the new principal and have been there for several years
Robert Shepherd:A Fundamental Question About Common Core
Robert Shepherd, author, textbook writer, curriculum designer, writes:
“How many different forms might the education of the young take? One of the problems with issuing a single set of standards for all is that those standards are INTENDED to reduce the amount of variation (synonym: innovativeness) in the system. But variation, innovation, competitive models, models with many, many different
“How many different forms might the education of the young take? One of the problems with issuing a single set of standards for all is that those standards are INTENDED to reduce the amount of variation (synonym: innovativeness) in the system. But variation, innovation, competitive models, models with many, many different
Gates Foundation Makes Nice with Teachers
Somehow the word has gotten through to the Gates Foundation that many teachers don’t like their agenda.
Teachers know that Bill Gates has told governors and the media that American public education is broken and obsolete. Teachers know he created the “blame-the-teacher” narrative. Teachers know he pushed the flawed idea that test scores of students should be used to judge teacher quality. Teachers know that Gates pumped $2 million into the anti-public school agitprop film “Waiting for Superman.”
Teachers are not dumb.
But now the Gates Foundation has launched a campaign to persuade teachers that the foundation cares.
Teachers know that Bill Gates has told governors and the media that American public education is broken and obsolete. Teachers know he created the “blame-the-teacher” narrative. Teachers know he pushed the flawed idea that test scores of students should be used to judge teacher quality. Teachers know that Gates pumped $2 million into the anti-public school agitprop film “Waiting for Superman.”
Teachers are not dumb.
But now the Gates Foundation has launched a campaign to persuade teachers that the foundation cares.
Is Common Core Inevitable? Why?
Paul Thomas has a surprising and unusual habit of thinking. He doesn’t follow the crowd or the latest fashion. In this post, he notices how organizations are falling into line on the Common Core, even though they know that schools and teachers and children are not ready. Thomas taught English in high school for nearly twenty years; he now is a professor at Furman University. In his post cited here, he examines the issue of choice and inevitability.
Come to think of it, it’s interesting that the same people who insist that everyone needs to have a choice of schools (like Jeb Bush and Joel Klein), also insist that when it comes to Common Core, there should be no
Come to think of it, it’s interesting that the same people who insist that everyone needs to have a choice of schools (like Jeb Bush and Joel Klein), also insist that when it comes to Common Core, there should be no
Diane in the Evening 6-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: The Néw High School: Deja Vu All Over Again by dianerav Arne Duncan announced that he plans to hold a national competition for a redesign of the high school. He wants to dangle $300 million (if Congress agrees) for those who come up with the best redesign of the American high school. He is thinking STEM, technology, and other such big ideas. As I read of this idea, I couldn’t help but remember back to 1991 when the first President Bush assembled smart people like Lamar Alexander as secretary and David Kearns (CEO... more »
