LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Microsoft Abolishes Stack Ranking, Schools Required to Use It

In a stunning reversal of policy, Microsoft announced that it was abandoning the practice of “stack ranking,” in which every employee is ranked and rated, and those with the lowest ratings are fired. Lisa Brummel, head of human resources, said in a statement: No more curve. We will continue to invest in a generous rewards budget, but there will no longer be a pre-determined targeted distribution.

1 by dianeravitch / 2min 

Texas: Is the Age of the Hero Superintendent Coming to an End?

This superb article in the Texas Observer by Patrick Michels is one of the most astute and hopeful I have read in months. It chronicles the idea of the school superintendent as super-hero: the man or woman who can reshape the schools and achieve astonishing goals solely by force of will and personality. The story is about Mike Miles, the superintendent of Dallas, but it is really about the nationa

3 by dianeravitch / 26min 

Science Standards Under Fire

The Next Generation Science Standards are under attack for a variety of reasons. Even defenders of the Common Core are dissatisfied. Read here to learn why.

by dianeravitch / 1min 

Jack Schneider: Arne Duncan’s Obsession with Data

Jack Schneider here describes the frustrating and ultimate fruitless pursuit to create the perfect data system to measure the quality of schools and teachers. The waivers from NCLB were supposed to provide greater flexibility but they provided no relief from the standardized testing mania.

by dianeravitch / 1min 

Chicago Parents to CPS: We Prefer Teacher Grades to Standardized Tests

The Chicago parent organization PURE (Parents United for Responsible Education) called on Chicago school officials to de-emphasize standardized testing and pay greater attention to teachers’ judgment. PURE issued this press release today: Parents give district a “D” for its test-focused policy Chicago, IL: Today, tens of thousands of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) parents will flock to their childre

1 by dianeravitch / 25min 

A First-Grade Math Test in the Common Core

Children in some countries don’t start school until age 7. Yet here we are suddenly pressured to believe that children in first-grade, usually age 6, must be able to solve math problems or our nation will fall behind the global competition. Carol Burris, the principal of South Side High School in Rockville Center on Long Island, New York, obtained a copy of the first grade math test. Some of the q

5 by dianeravitch / 32min mark as read  //  save

Los Angeles Times: Putting Bureaucrats First

The Los Angeles Times has a strange editorial today, first excoriating the new board majority for pushing Superintendent Deasy too hard and acting as though they were in charge, not he. This is weird, because the board is elected and Deasy is their employee, not their boss. Then they blamed the board (the “reform” board that they admired, which was aligned with Deasy’s agenda) for not vetting the

1 by dianeravitch / 33min 

Wendy Lecker: Common Core Violates Connecticut’s Constitution

Wendy Lecker is a civil rights attorney and an education activist. In this column in the Stamford Advocate, she argues that the Common Core standards violate the Constitution of the State of Connecticut. The state constitution clearly states (as most people once understood) that the purpose of public education is to equip young people for citizenship. Yet the Common Core standards ignored this fun

2 by dianeravitch / 11min mark as read  //  save

David Greene: Why “Reign of Error” is NOT a Page-Turner

David Greene, master mentor of teachers in Néw York City, reviews “Reign of Error” here. THROW THE JACOBINS OUT. After quite a while I just finished reading Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error. When most people compliment a book, they tend to call it a page-turner. I can’t say that about Diane’s book. For the first 20 chapters, that was impossible. I had to stop, dog-ear, or bookmark page after page o

3 by dianeravitch / 2h 

Anthony Cody Interviews Florida Teacher Who Was Member of Common Core Review Team

Mike Archer, a Florida teacher of English language arts, was one of the few teachers invited to participate in the initial review of the Common Core standards. Mike shared his story with Anthony Cody, who posted an interview with him here. Archer says he had some input, managed to get a few things tweaked, but ultimately concluded that the Common Core would stifle creativity and teacher profession

27 by dianeravitch / 3h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Parent: How Can I Save My Child from Common Core Testing?A letter from a parent in New York City. Any advice for her?     I just learned about Common Core Standards this afternoon at a school orientation in Queens, New York. I have a 1st grader and a child in kindergarten. I am told my child will have a test tomorrow and he is expe

by mike simpson / 7h 

The Data Quality Campaign: Encouraging States to Ramp Up Data Collection | deutsch29

The Data Quality Campaign: Encouraging States to Ramp Up Data Collection | deutsch29:

The Data Quality Campaign: Encouraging States to Ramp Up Data Collection

November 12, 2013

In April 2013, I wrote a post about the inBloom database and Louisiana Superintendent John White’s secret arrangement with inBloom. White’s inBloom arrangement is not the only student data sharing agreement into which White has entered.  It is one of many arrangements White has made and about which the public has been kept in the dark.

So much for transparency.

Corporate education reform is designed to turn profits for privatizers. That said, in corporate reform, there are two huge money makers that will ”outprofit” all other profiteering: standardized testing, and data sales and storage.

The two are inextricable. Consider the mandates for state participation in Race to the Top (RTTT). In order to compete for RTTT funding, states were required to demonstrate both a standardized testing dependence and establishment of a “statewide longitudinal data system.”

While the federal government insists that reform is being driven “by the states,” it is clear that the USDOE is actively clearing the way for reforms that it supports, one of which is the collecting of an unprecedented amount of data on America’s school children. Consider US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s January 3, 2012, 

11-12-13 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Listen to @KarenLewisCTU. Studio Version @thechalkface!

Shaun and I are headed back to the MidWest Family Broadcasting this week to record new STUDIO episodes of @the chalkface.   We love the internet show but check out this studio version with Karen Lewis.  What do you call it when you close 50 public schools that serve mostly minority and low income children? […]

6 by Timothy D. Slekar / 11min 

“Fahrenheit 451″ 60 Years Later: “Why do we need the things in books?”

\”Fahrenheit 451\” 60 Years Later: \”Why do we need the things in books?\”. via “Fahrenheit 451″ 60 Years Later: “Why do we need the things in books?”.

4 by plthomasedd / 2h 

YESTERDAY

The Data Quality Campaign: Encouraging States to Ramp Up Data Collection

In April 2013, I wrote a post about the inBloom database and Louisiana Superintendent John White’s secret arrangement with inBloom. White’s inBloom arrangement is not the only student data sharing agreement into which White has entered.  It is one of many arrangements White has made and about which the public has been kept in the dark. So […]

7 by deutsch29 / 8h 

11-11-13 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: Teacher Evaluations: Moving From a Flawed System to a Fair SystemAs a teacher in a low socio-economic status (SES) public middle school, I can agree that the greatest in-school factor in promoting student growth is teacher quality. That being said, the main concern I have centers on how education reformers are holding teachers accountable for their students’ test scores. More spe

by mike simpson / 7h 

11-12-13 With A Brooklyn Accent

With A Brooklyn Accent:

On Today's Protest Against NY Ed Commissioner King at Ward Melville HS

WOO HOO!!!!Woke up this morning in a GREAT MOOD, ready to join THOUSANDS of Long Island parents, teachers and students at 5:45 protesting another closed forum sponsored by NY Ed Commissioner John King at Ward Melville HS in East Setauket. Since Commissioner King seems constitutionally incapable of actually listening to parents, teachers and principals, I doubt if this demonstration will have any i

3 by Mark Naison / 5h  

With A Brooklyn Accent: Why BATS is Militantly Pro-Union as Well As Against Common Core

With A Brooklyn Accent: Why BATS is Militantly Pro-Union as Well As Against Common Core: Why BATS is Militantly Pro-Union as Well As Against Common CoreUnions are the best protection for the living standards of workers and the best defenders of workers rights at the workplace. The powerful interests who have worked to undermine unions and drive union membership from 35 percent of the work force wh

by mike simpson / 8h 

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BAT!

Badass Teachers Association

This is for every teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality, and refuses to accept assessments, tests and evaluations imposed by those who have contempt for real teaching and learning.

Badass Teachers Association Website

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER@BADASSTEACHERSA

11-12-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Bloomberg Experiences A Major Post-Election Defeat

This will not make the Mayor of Money happy:A plan to dramatically re-zone East Midtown has fizzled, members of the City Council announced this evening. The plan–one of departing Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s most ambitious legacy projects–was aimed at transforming 73 blocks around the Empire State Building to allow the kind of modern, soaring skyscrapers that currently dot Lower Manhattan. But today,

by reality-based edu... / 3min 

Better When Bush Was President

"Frankly, the public education system was better off when George W. Bush was president because Democrats fought him." ~ Diane Ravitch— TCBGP (@TCBGP) November 12, 2013Indeed.They would have fought Bush on NSA spying and the drone bomb slaughter Obama has ordered in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere too.Alas, because a Democrat has ordered these things, many partisan Dems fall al

by reality-based edu... / 43min 

Cuomo Let Gas Company Write Safety Regulations

Sheriff Andy, the lobbyist for students, turns out to also be the lobbyist for the gas companies:ALBANY—A company that helped the Cuomo administration formulate new safety regulations for the liquefied natural gas industry stands to profit from the changes it recommended.Expansion Energy, which develops mobile storage facilities for liquefied natural gas, was hired by the state to study the possib

by reality-based edu... / 19min 

Cuomo Spends $21 Million To Use Headhunter Service For Patronage Positions

The fiscal genius in Albany showing more fiscal genius: ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo’s drive to hire the “best and brightest” for state government could end up costing taxpayers $20.6 million, the Daily News has learned. That’s the amount the Cuomo administration has quietly agreed to pay a Rochester-area company for “talent acquisition services” over the next five years. Cuomo administration officials def

by reality-based edu... / 6min 

Common Core Problems Just Like Obamacare Problems

From Politico:Democrats have a general idea of what it would take to put the Obamacare rollout back on track. Fix the damn website, they say, and most of the other problems will take care of themselves.Common Core proponents have a general idea of what a successful implementation of Common Core and the ancillary tests, curricula, and data collection will look like, but so far implementation has be

by reality-based edu... / 6min 

Today's Protest Against Tisch And King At Ward Melville High School

Mark Naison writes:Woke up this morning in a GREAT MOOD, ready to join THOUSANDS of Long Island parents, teachers and students at 5:45 protesting another closed forum sponsored by NY Ed Commissioner John King at Ward Melville HS in East Setauket. Since Commissioner King seems constitutionally incapable of actually listening to parents, teachers and principals, I doubt if this demonstration will ha

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

Contract Negotiations - Teachers Already Gave At The Office

Times article out on how union contract negotiations may go under de Blasio.All I know is, not only did teachers not get the 8% raises all the other unions got under the last pattern, we gave up concessions via the APPR teacher evaluation law that include a loss of tenure, yearly ratings tied to test scores, and a lot more work under the Danielson rubric.I blame my union leadership as much for tha

by reality-based edu... / 5h 

11-11-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Maybe Somebody Should Look Into Bloomberg's Bribe Money?Buzzfeed:One of Mike Bloomberg’s signal accomplishments in New York City was reversing the flow of corruption. In the old days, and in every other city in the world most days, favor-seekers bribe politicians — with cash in envelopes, with legal contributions, or with political support. In Mike Bloomerg’s New York, the m

by mike simpson / 8h 

11-12-13 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Teachers Can Be Bullied Too

Perhaps it is only a coincidence or maybe it is a sign from the Spirits, but this afternoon’s email contained a piece from Teaching Tolerance, an extraordinary project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.  The Southern Poverty Law Center is known for its courageous and historic efforts to end discrimination and segregation in our nation.  […]The post Teachers Can Be Bullied Too appeared first on Wa

7 by jonpelto / 20min 

A message to Capital Prep’s former and present parents, students and teachers:

Over the past few weeks, many present and former Capital Prep parents and teachers have come forward with stories about what is really going on at Capital Prep. It is becoming increasingly clear how Steve Perry and Capital Prep is failing many students, parents and teachers. If you were are or have been a Capital […]The post A message to Capital Prep’s former and present parents, students and teac

by jonpelto / 48min 

Chicago’s leading blog: “Bridgeport Tenure Shows Vallas May Be Failing Upward in Illinois”

In a blunt assessment of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s decision to select Paul Vallas as his running mate, Chicago’s leading political blog, “The Ward Room,” experts in Illinois are recognizing that Vallas is hardly the superstar he makes himself out to be. The Ward Room writes, “To hear education reformers nationwide tell it, Paul Vallas […]The post Chicago’s leading blog: “Bridgeport Tenure Show

2 by jonpelto / 46min mark as read  //  save

Can Steve Perry tell the truth about anything?

In response to a question about why there is a big turnover of teachers at Capital Prep, Steve Perry tweeted, “We have approximately 60 teachers, 2 got bigger jobs, 1 moved w husband. The other moved back to NY. High?” The FACT is Perry is unable to hold onto teachers.  As a result of his […]The post Can Steve Perry tell the truth about anything? appeared first on Wait What?.

5 by jonpelto / 46min 

11-11-13 Wait What?

Wait What?: Mr Excessive Absences, Steve Perry, will be out again on Thursday.This time he is speaking at Rutgers on the topic of “Why Aren’t Students Ready? Barriers to College Access for America’s Youth” at 10:00 am–11:15 am. As fellow pro-public education blogger, Jersey Jazzman notes in his recent post, “nice to see Rutgers University – perhaps the most important center for teacher training in

by mike simpson / 8h