CORONAVIRUS EDITION: DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG CATCH UP NOW Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all

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

DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG  CATCH UP NOW

 Diane Ravitch's blog 

 A site to discuss better education for all

TODAY

Bloomberg Aide: If GOP Attacks Hunter Biden, the Trump Children Will Be Exposed as Grifters in a “Scorched Earth” Fusillade

by dianeravitch / 9min

Tim O’Brien, who wrote a book about Donald Trump, worked on the Bloomberg campaign and is now an advisor to Bloomberg. A few days ago, he appeared on the Joy Reid show on MSNBC and warned the GOP that if they dragged Hunter Biden into the presidential campaign, they would be subject to a “scorched earth” attack on the Trump family that would expose them as grifters. He warned that Ivanka, Donald

CSPAN Book TV: My Conversation about SLAYING GOLIATH with Susan Solomon in San Francisco

by dianeravitch / 9min

When I was in San Francisco, I talked about SLAYING GOLIATH with Susan Solomon, president of United Educators of San Francisco. It was videotaped by CSPAN Book TV and has been broadcast . Now that most public gatherings have been canceled, I am happy to share this conversation with you. Please let me know what you think about the discussion. I appreciate your feedback. If you read the book and li

Erica Green Clarifies CDC Story in New York Times

by dianeravitch / 1h

Erica Green of the New York Times wrote to ask me to delete the post saying that the New York Times was wrong in reporting that the CDC recommends that schools close for eight weeks. She asked me to delete my post. My posts includes links to the CDC guidance. I recommend that everyone read the CDC guidance. She wrote me personally defending her story, and included an email to a reader as follows:

My Failed Effort to Correct Fake News about the CDC’s Advice to Schools

100+by dianeravitch / 2h

Something very strange happened yesterday. Some site or sites on Facebook reposted a post I wrote, saying that the CDC recommended an eight-week recess for schools. This was not my opinion. It was based on an article in the New York Times , which made this assertion in the opening of the story. My original post began: Erica Green of the New York Times writes today that the federal government has

New York: A Petition to Governor Cuomo and State Board to Close the Schools

500+by dianeravitch / 3h

In response to the global pandemic, New York has banned large public gatherings. But thus far, public officials have not closed the public schools, many of which gather hundreds of children and adults in close contact. A significant group of parents and educators are calling upon Governor Cuomo and the members of the state Board of Regents to close the public schools, as many other states have do

YESTERDAY

Washington State: Schools Will Close Until at Least April 27; Testing May Be Canceled

by dianeravitch / 10h

Governor Jay Inslee closed the public schools across Washington State until at least April 27. Inslee said schools must close by the end of Monday and will remain closed through at least April 24. The earliest possible date students could return to class would be April 27, Inslee said. The closures will affect more than 1.2 million students. Standardized testing will likely be suspended. That’s p

NEA, Nation’s Largest Union, Endorses Biden

43by dianeravitch / 12h

The National Education Association has endorsed Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for president. The Los Angeles Times reports: Joe Biden continued to consolidate support in his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination today when he won the endorsement of the National Education Assn., the country’s largest labor union. With 3 million members, the union’s announcement will probabl

Washington Post: Trump is Breaking Every Rule in the CDC’s 450-page Playbook for Health Crisis

94by dianeravitch / 17h

The Washington Post published this cautionary story by Carolyn Y. Johnson and William Wan about the rules for dealing with a public health crisis. Above all: Be honest. Level with the public. Let the experts lead. Have a consistent message to develop public trust. Trump has broken all the rules. Amid an outbreak where vaccines, drug treatments and even sufficient testing don’t yet exist, communic

Correction: This is What the CDC Recommends for Schools During This Time of Crisis

400+by dianeravitch / 21h

I earlier quoted a story in the New York Times that said the CDC recommended that schools should close for eight weeks. The story said : The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised schools on Friday that closings for at least eight weeks might be the most effective way to contain the coronavirus. The Education Department released school districts from a slew of testing and accountabili

Steve Hinnefeld: Now is the Time to Cancel State Testing

100+by dianeravitch / 1d

Steve Hinnefeld reports that Indiana’s education leadership is showing real leadership by seeking to cancel the state tests. The time to do so is now, because children and families are under stress, and schools will be closed for an undetermined number of weeks. The last thing children should have to worry about is being tested the minute they return, if school re-opens this spring. Superintenden

Center for Disease Control Recommends That Schools Close for Eight Weeks, and ED Department Waives Testing Rules

284Kby dianeravitch / 1d

THE ARTICLE QUOTED HERE WAS INACCURATE. THE CDC DID NOT RECOMMEND CLOSING SCHOOLS FOR EIGHT WEEKS. SEE THE CDC GUIDANCE HERE . Erica Green of the New York Times writes today that the federal government has finally offered directions for schools faced with the global pandemic: WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised schools on Friday that closings for at least eight wee

A Controversial Interview about SLAYING GOLIATH with Larry Mantle of NPR, Southern California

by dianeravitch / 1d

This interview on KPCC-NPR in Southern California by Larry Mantle was conducted a few days ago. Mantle made it clear–at least to me–that he favors charter schools, so I was constantly asked to defend my criticism of them. I later learned that Los Angelenos know Mantle as a charter champion. One of the hypothetical questions are posed was “what would be wrong with a district that was half public s

Katherine Stewart: Trump Gives Rightwing Christian Nationalists Whatever They Want

40by dianeravitch / 1d

Katherine Stewart is the author of a new book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism. This article, which appeared as an opinion piece in the New York Times, is essential reading to understand the 

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

Louisiana Educator: Why Education Reform is Failing

Louisiana Educator: Why Education Reform is Failing

Education Reform is Based on Wishful Thinking, Not Science

Starting with the No Child Left Behind Law in 2002 and then proceeding to The Race to the Top, and now to The Every Student Succeeds Act, every reform of public education in the last 18 years has failed. In Louisiana, even though our Department of Education regularly reports imaginary success, like the phony improvement in 8^th grade math scores, most of the data collected is indicating total failure of the reforms. The reforms have failed to improve student achievement!

How could it be that no improvement is occurring when the entire purpose of education reform was to produce better test scores, and more students succeeding in college? We are producing more high school graduates, but that is because we are now graduating almost any kid with a pulse. There are essentially no standards for graduation in Louisiana. We claim to be preparing students for college, but the latest reports from our Board of Regents for Higher Education indicate that only 18% of our students go on to get any type of higher education degree. This is failure, not reform! 

We should look to science for the answers

Let’s review the basics of learning. Scientists working with rats, pigeons, monkeys, and other lab animals have found that learning primarily occurs because of motivation. Motivation is simply the rewards or punishments that causes learning to happen. Motivation can be either positive or negative. 

Here’s an example: Lab rats can be taught to push a “white” lever if they get a reward of food when they push the correct lever. Rats can also be taught by CONTINUE READING: Louisiana Educator: Why Education Reform is Failing

NYC Educator: "Sickout" Message to Staff

NYC Educator: "Sickout" Message to Staff

"Sickout" Message to Staff

 I'm sharing a message I sent out to members at my building below. The elite MORE Caucus, which tossed out all the people who committed the egregious offense of doing the work to make them win an election, has called for a sick out. I was not going to respond here, but it's now appeared in the Post and been covered elsewhere. It is irresponsible and disingenuous of MORE to fail to disclose the implications of such an action. 

 

New York City teachers will not walk out on our students. We will stay and fight. 

 

Arthur Goldstein@TeacherArthurG

If I'm the first @UFT member to die of the virus, I want my 200,000 brothers and sisters to turn their backs on @NYCMayor @BilldeBlasio at my funeral.

26

6:18 PM - Mar 14, 2020

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See Arthur Goldstein's other Tweets

Last week I heard rumors of a teacher sick out on Monday. Now I hear it's Wednesday.  I was not too keen on addressing this, but it's now appeared in the New York Post. 

Let me be absolutely clear on this. A coordinated action like this would be a violation of the Taylor Law. This could invoke major penalties. One is the deduction of two days pay for every day we are out. Another is the loss of tenure for one year, something that happened to my friend Norm when he went out on strike. More serious actions could be taken against the union as a whole.

Furthermore, I don't believe the public would be sympathetic to our walking out of a dangerous situation and leaving children to fend for CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: "Sickout" Message to Staff

NEA Will Mobilize to Support Joe Biden for President - NEA Today

NEA Will Mobilize to Support Joe Biden for President - NEA Today

NEA Will Mobilize to Support Joe Biden for President

On March 14, National Education Association (NEA) President Lily Eskelsen García announced that the 3-million member union, the largest in the country, was proudly recommending Vice President Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

The recommendation was formalized first by a vote by NEA’s PAC Council, followed by a vote by the Board of Directors, two bodies that represent NEA’s broad and diverse membership. Eskelsen García made the announcement on Saturday to the union’s members via email.

“Joe is the tireless advocate for public education and is the partner that students and educators need in the White House,” Eskelsen García said. “He understands that we have a moral responsibility to provide a great neighborhood public school for every student in every ZIP code.”

NEA’s recommendation comes as the once-large field of Democratic candidates has been winnowed down to three candidates: Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.

Every candidate running this year, Eskelsen García said, are all strong and vocal advocates for greater investments in our schools, higher educator pay, and quickly closing out the Betsy DeVos era at the U.S. Department of Education.

As the results from the 24 primaries and caucuses already held have made clear, however, Biden enjoys the backing of NEA members and voters across the country. His support is strong in urban, rural and suburban areas and cuts across racial, CONTINUE READING: NEA Will Mobilize to Support Joe Biden for President - NEA Today

Public Schools Can Recover from the COVID-19 Quarantine by Skipping High Stakes Tests | gadflyonthewallblog

Public Schools Can Recover from the COVID-19 Quarantine by Skipping High Stakes Tests | gadflyonthewallblog

Public Schools Can Recover from the COVID-19 Quarantine by Skipping High Stakes Tests

There is one plus from being sick during a global pandemic.

You get perspective.

While all the schools in Pennsylvania are closed for at least the next two weeks to help stop the spread of COVID-19 (colloquially known as the Coronavirus), I self-quarantined a day early.

No, I don’t think I have the virus, but I’m not taking any chances.

Still, sitting here at my laptop with a steaming mug of tea, I’m filled with optimism.

My symptoms don’t match those of the virus – no fever, no dry cough, no difficulty breathing, no runny nose or sore throat. I just sneeze occasionally, have an intermittent wet cough and feel a bone deep fatigue.

Probably not the culprit sending the world into shutdown mode. But best to rest up anyway.

I’m also filled with a deep sense of gratitude that I’m a public school teacher.

My last class was a rough one – 7th graders running around the room with half written poetry demanding instruction, guidance, reassurance. My morning 8th CONTINUE READING: Public Schools Can Recover from the COVID-19 Quarantine by Skipping High Stakes Tests | gadflyonthewallblog

Diary of a Teacher During the Coronavirus Crisis–Entry #1: “From School Shutdown to Homeschooling for Human Connectedness." – I AM AN EDUCATOR

Diary of a Teacher During the Coronavirus Crisis–Entry #1: “From School Shutdown to Homeschooling for Human Connectedness." – I AM AN EDUCATOR

Diary of a Teacher During the Coronavirus Crisis–Entry #1: “From School Shutdown to Homeschooling for Human Connectedness."

During this period of mass school closures around the country and around the world, teacher Jesse Hagopian is going to share his experience with educating his kids at home and helping social movements to promote public health.  You can follow these posts at www.IAmAnEducator.com

he coronavirus pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on world health, economics, politics and education. More than 300 million students world wide are now missing weeks of school. The Seattle area is the epicenter of coronavirus in the United States, with some 388 confirmed cases and 35 fatalities in King County as of Saturday. In an effort to stop the spread of the virus, Gov. Jay Inslee banned all gatherings of people larger than 250.  With some 2,000 students at Garfield High School where I teach, it made us all uneasy this week that we were at great risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

On Wednesday, March 11, I was sitting at my desk in between classes at school when an email from the Seattle Public Schools appeared.  I was working on finishing a lesson so I didn’t immediately open the email.  But when I heard whooping and hollering in the hallways, I decided I had better read the news.  The e-mail had announced that the entire Seattle school district would close its doors for the 52,000 pupils for a minimum of two weeks starting the following day. 

The clamor in the hallway had been my 6th period 12th grade English Language Arts students who heard the news and were celebrating the coming break from school.  As class began and the initial amazement of school being canceled set in, students’ elation turned to apprehension.  I tried to cut the tension with a joke: at least the closure of school would cure the well-known disease CONTINUE READING: Diary of a Teacher During the Coronavirus Crisis–Entry #1: “From School Shutdown to Homeschooling for Human Connectedness." – I AM AN EDUCATOR

CURMUDGUCATION: Post-Janus Union Busters Not Done Yet

CURMUDGUCATION: Post-Janus Union Busters Not Done Yet

Post-Janus Union Busters Not Done Yet

If you are a teacher and you spend time on Facebook, you've probably heard from those folks at My Pay My Say, their chirpy stock photo reminding you that you don't have to pay those nasty union dues.

These initiatives have been popping up ever since the Janus case gave a Supreme Court okee dokee to the idea of freeloaders in a union. Teachers who don't already live in Right To Work states have received a steady stream of postcards inviting them to dump their union; the Facebook initiative is just more of the same.

They look totally legit

In Pennsylvania, we also heard from Free To Teach, yet another union-busting group functioning as a front for the Commonwealth Foundation which is itself part of the State Policy Network, a national network of right-wing advocacy and lobbying groups. Free To Teach currently says its mission is simply sending out mailers.

My Pay My Say is also linked to the State Policy Network through their sponsor-- the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Also, they love them some stock photos, which is curious when you think about it, because surely they could just get some professional photos taken of the millions of teachers who support their work.

According to Sourcewatch, the Mackinac Center is "a right-wing pressure group based in Michigan." CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: Post-Janus Union Busters Not Done Yet