On Rollerball and Brave New World « Diane Ravitch's blog

On Rollerball and Brave New World « Diane Ravitch's blog:

On Rollerball and Brave New World

by dianerav

In response to a post about Bill Gates’ prediction about the future of American education, a reader writes:

“Corporate society takes care of everything. And all it asks of anyone, all it’s ever asked of anyone ever, is not to interfere with management decisions.” – Rollerball (1975)

I didn’t see “Rollerball” when the film was released in 1975. It is a dystopian film about the distant future in 2018. It is not so distant anymore.
Dystopian films and novels are warnings, not predictions.
I just finished re-reading Brave New World, which I must have read fifty years ago. There is so much about the novel I didn’t remember. It bears re-reading. I was struck by the planned rank-ordering of people. No need to test them to put them in their status as Alpha or Beta or Gamma or Epsilon. The rankings were selected at the time 

Schooling in the Ownership Society: New video exposes ALEC's ed task force

Schooling in the Ownership Society: New video exposes ALEC's ed task force:

New video exposes ALEC's ed task force

by Mike Klonsky

Popout

 Here's a great tool you can use in meetings and classrooms to educate about ALEC's role in privatizing public schools, curriculum and testing. The video has a good critique of cyber-schools, the Virtual Schools Act currently being pushed in several states by ALEC,  and companies like, K12 Inc. which are making millions in profits even while being currently under federal investigation.

Shanker Blog » The Unfortunate Truth About This Year's NYC Charter School Test Results

Shanker Blog » The Unfortunate Truth About This Year's NYC Charter School Test Results:

The Unfortunate Truth About This Year’s NYC Charter School Test Results

by Matthew Di Carlo

There have now been several stories in the New York news media about New York City’s charter schools’ “gains” on this year’s state tests (see here, here, here, here and here). All of them trumpeted the 3-7 percentage point increase in proficiency among the city’s charter students, compared with the 2-3 point increase among their counterparts in regular public schools. The consensus: Charters performed fantastically well this year.
In fact, the NY Daily News asserted that the “clear lesson” from the data is that “public school administrators must gain the flexibility enjoyed by charter leaders,” and “adopt [their] single-minded focus on achievement.” For his part, Mayor Michael Bloomberg claimed that the scores are evidence that the city should expand its charter 

Daily Kos: “I call 6,000 rounds of ammunition running low,” he said.

Daily Kos: “I call 6,000 rounds of ammunition running low,” he said.:

“I call 6,000 rounds of ammunition running low,” he said.

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

That is a line from this New York Times story on the amount of ammunition the Aurora shooter had been able to obtain.
I was a Marine.
While I never saw combat, many of those with whom I served did.
None of them were ever issued anything close to that amount of ammunition, even in a combat situation.
Yes, those operating M-60 Machine guns or their equivalent, whether in infantry or on helicopters, had lots of rounds.  But not 6,000.
The shooter also had a 100-round drum.
What if he had been using that?
What if his rifle had not jammed?
How many might have died?
He had a Bushmaster AR-15.  It fires a .223 round, something drilled into my memory since firing military AR-15s and M-16s in the Marines.
The DC snipers used a Bushmaster XR15, firing .223 rounds.
If I may quote from Pete Seeger's "Where have all the flowers gone" -
When will we ever learn>

Education firm linked to Fattah's son lays off all its teachers, administrators

Education firm linked to Fattah's son lays off all its teachers, administrators:

Education firm linked to Fattah's son lays off all its

 teachers, administrators

By Martha Woodall

Inquirer Staff Writer

Chaka Fattah Jr.

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What more do we have to give to end 'stop-snitching' culture?

School firm's layoffs stun staffers

Without warning, Delaware Valley High School - a for-profit education firm whose records were recently subpoenaed by a federal grand jury - has laid off all 50 teaching and administrative employees at the four alternative schools it operates in the region.

Staffers said lawyer David T. Shulick, whose company operates the schools, owes them each thousands of dollars for work during the 2011-12 academic year. They had been expecting back pay last week but got furlough notices instead.

In late February, the FBI raided Shulick's Logan Square law office, searching for documents related to Delaware Valley's relationship with Chaka "Chip" Fattah Jr., 29, whose father is U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Philadelphia 

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Philadelphia schools plan 

to spend big on a reform fantasy

By Jerry Jordan

It's blockbuster season at the movies, the time of year when many of us allow ourselves to suspend reality, munch on over-buttered popcorn, and get lost in a world of superheroes, alien attacks, and outrageous plot lines.

Philadelphia has its own far-fetched story line this summer. It's about a school district that, even though it's so cash-strapped it can't afford summer school, decides to spend $139 million over the next five years for an education reform strategy that won't improve student achievement. And $38 million of that is to be spent this year.
This script can be read as either horror or comedy. Frighteningly (or hilariously), though, this is reality.
The chief of the Philadelphia School District's charter school office recently conceded that the charter school expansions approved so far this year could cost $139 million over five years — $100 million more than he originally estimated. So, on top of a looming $282 million deficit, the School District plans to spend tens of millions of dollars more while making math mistakes worth $100 million? Clearly, the charter school expansion agenda has trumped fiscal sanity.
The School District's deficit is a major obstacle to reforming a system that was already struggling to serve our children. It's time to stop subjecting our kids to this high-cost, low-return reform 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH - 7-23-12 - Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

A Glimmer of Hope in Philadelphia?

by dianerav

Thanks to the reader who sent the link to this editorial in the Philadelpia Inquirer.
The editorial warns that charter schools are no panacea; that many of them are no better than the public schools they replace; that opening charters does nothing for the vast majority left behind in public schools for which there is no plan at all.
Opening escape hatches that skim off the most motivated kids solves no problems.
Most children will be left behind. Remember them?
And it will cost a bankrupt district $139 million to open new charters.

Vouchers for Special Education?

by dianerav

Marcus Winters is one of those researchers who always advocates for vouchers. He often writes opinion pieces in places like the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, extolling the virtues of vouchers and private management.
In this article in Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, Winters explains why New York should follow the example of Florida and give vouchers to special education students.
Winters extols Florida’s McKay Scholarship program but fails to mention that it became immersed in scandal after a Miami newspaper wrote an expose.
The schools receiving vouchers are unregulated; the state never inquires about their curriculum or their facilities.
A brief excerpt from the story in the Miami New Times:
While the state played the role of the blind sugar daddy, here is what went on at South Florida Prep, according to 

This Is Your Homework: Berliner on Education and Inequality

by dianerav

I received a pdf. file with a copy of an important new article by David Berliner. It examines the relationship between education and inequality. I don’t know how to attach a pdf. file to this post. So I doing this. I am copying the whole article because you should read it. Consider it your homework assignment.

DRAFT OF JULY, 2012

THIS PAPER IS UNDER REVIEW

COPY EDITING STILL TO COME

Citation: Nichols, S. L. (Ed.) (2013). Educational Policy and the Socialization of Youth for the 21st Century. New York: Teachers College Press

Chapter 9:

Sorting out the effects of inequality and poverty, teachers and schooling,

on America’s youth

David C. Berliner

Arizona State University

What does it take to get politicians and the general public to abandon misleading ideas, such as “Anyone who 

Suburbs and charter schools: More room for innovation | Get Schooled

Suburbs and charter schools: More room for innovation | Get Schooled:

Suburbs and charter schools: More room for innovation

by Maureen Downey

Interesting post by Fordham Institute’s Michael J. Petrilli on why charter schools ought to be viable options in leafy, affluent suburbs with great schools.
Petrilli says pro charter school forces typically focus on throwing a lifeline to poor kids in failing urban schools rather than their accelerated peers in the suburbs. But he says charter schools could have a strong role in the super zip codes such as Scarsdale, Bethesda or McLean, where the students arrive in kindergarten well ahead of the curve.
Petrilli maintains that the advanced abilities of the students create a conducive environment for charter schools 

The Innovative Educator: 5 majors to discuss with teens thinking about college

The Innovative Educator: 5 majors to discuss with teens thinking about college:

5 majors to discuss with teens thinking about college

by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)

While the new common core standards call for all students to be college and career ready, the narrowed, one-size-fits-all initiative gives little attention to customizing coursework to a student’s unique talents, interests or abilities. As a result, like me, many young people are left with a diploma in one hand, and in the other hand scratching their head, unsure of exactly what course of study they want to pursue. The end result can be a hefty investment intuition, housing, and books in a major that’s just not right for them.

The high school years are the right time to begin having conversations about what might be the best field of study to pursue. If that field includes college, these are five majors to consider that might lead to fulfilling careers. Discuss these with teens early so they can begin focusing their high school experience toward activities, studies, internships, and work 

Khan Academy: The hype and the reality - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Khan Academy: The hype and the reality - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Khan Academy: The hype and the reality

By Valerie Strauss

This was written by Karim Kai Ani, a former middle school teacher and math coach, and the founder of Mathalicious, which is rewriting the middle school math curriculum around real-world topics.

By Karim Kai Ani

In a new profile in Time magazine, Sal Khan, founder of the popular Khan Academy, explains how he prepares for each of his video lessons. He doesn’t use a script. In fact, he admits, “I don’t know what I’m going to say half the time.”

During a recent address to Washington D.C.-area educators, Secretary
(BLOOMBERG )of Education Arne Duncan highlighted the importance of teacher education and 

Fists of Freedom: An Olympic Story Not Taught in Schools - Education - GOOD

Fists of Freedom: An Olympic Story Not Taught in Schools - Education - GOOD:

Fists of Freedom: An Olympic Story Not Taught in Schools

by Dave Zirin

It's been almost 44 years since Tommie Smith and John Carlos took the medal stand following the 200-meter dash at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and created what must be considered the most enduring, riveting image in the history of either sports or protest. But while the image has stood the test of time, the struggle that led to that moment has been cast aside.
When mentioned at all in U.S. history textbooks, the famous photo appears with almost no context. For example, Pearson/Prentice Hall’s United States History places the photo opposite a short three-paragraph section, "Young Leaders Call for Black Power." The photo's caption says simply that "...U.S. athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised gloved fists in protest against discrimination."
The media—and school curricula—fail to address the context that produced Smith and Carlos' famous gesture of 

Private school scores fall as public schools see rise | The Journal Gazette

Vouchers vary test outcomes | The Journal Gazette:

The Journal Gazette

Published: July 23, 2012 3:00 a.m.

Vouchers vary test outcomes

Private school scores fall as public schools see rise

Niki Kelly | The Journal Gazette

INDIANAPOLIS – Private schools that accepted voucher students saw their ISTEP passing rates dip this year at the same time public school scores rose slightly, a Journal Gazette analysis shows.
About 71 percent of Indiana’s public school students passed both the English and math portion of the ISTEP+ in 2012, up from 70 percent last year. The scores mark an 8 percent gain since the 2008-09 school year.
In contrast, The Journal Gazette looked at 189 private schools with voucher students that administered the test and had 2011 data for comparison.
The passing rate for both math and English at those 

STOP LAUSD DELAY TACTICS - BECOME A COMMISSION ON PROFESSION COMPETENCE PANEL MEMBER - Perdaily.com

STOP LAUSD DELAY TACTICS - BECOME A COMMISSION ON PROFESSION COMPETENCE PANEL MEMBER - Perdaily.com:

STOP LAUSD DELAY TACTICS - BECOME A COMMISSION ON PROFESSION COMPETENCE PANEL MEMBER

by Leonard Isenberg

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)
If you would like to take an active part in ending the witch hunt against the removal of hundreds of teachers without due process of law, then you might consider becoming a panel member for the Commission of Professional Competence (CPC) to stop the stalling that is starving teachers into submission, resignation, and the ultimate lifting of their credentials by California Teacher Credentialing (CTC), so they will never 

NYC Educator: How Do You Get Teachers to Clap for Bill Gates?

NYC Educator: How Do You Get Teachers to Clap for Bill Gates?:

How Do You Get Teachers to Clap for Bill Gates?

by NYC Educator

At the last AFT Convention, incredibly, Bill Gates was the keynote. Personally, I was horrified. Here is this man who's doing everything his billions will permit to eviscerate our profession, and we're inviting him in to tell us about it. Why on earth would anyone want to do that? I have no idea. I

I do know a little about how you get New York teachers to clap, though. It's largely because each and every UFT member at the convention is a member of the Unity Caucus, the group that’s controlled the UFT virtually since its inception.

The caucus is open only by invitation, and there are 

The Educated Reporter: Student Loan Crisis Needs Congressional Intervention: Consumer Protection Bureau

The Educated Reporter: Student Loan Crisis Needs Congressional Intervention: Consumer Protection Bureau:

Student Loan Crisis Needs Congressional Intervention: Consumer Protection Bureau

by Emily Richmond

Not surprisingly, the repercussions of the nation's student loan debt crisis continue to grow. A new consumer protection agency, in a report to Congress and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, compared private loans to the subprime mortgages which contributed to the housing bubble and the disastrous fallout when it burst.

(For a first-rate overview of the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's report, read Libby Nelson piece on Inside Higher Ed.)

In a call with reporters late last week, the bureau's director Richard Cordray said that the findings revealed that "students were yet another group of consumers that were hurt by the boom and bust of the financial crisis ... Too 

NJ Spotlight | Fine Print: Charter School Performance Framework

NJ Spotlight | Fine Print: Charter School Performance Framework:

Fine Print: Charter School Performance Framework

The rules and regulations for the charter schools, specifically the nine newest

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By John Mooney, July 23, 2012 in Energy & Environment |Post a Comment

What it is: The state Department of Education last week released a 23-page checklist for all new charter covering academic, financial and other operations. The framework sets standards on everything from how well students must fare on state tests to financial data on how much debt a school is carrying.

Related Links

Charter School Performance Framework

What it means: The Christie administration has continued to revise its accountability standards for charter schools as it faced increasing pressure from critics and local school districts. The new framework was announced at the same time that the administration cleared the way for another nine charter schools to open in the fall, including two that will provide a mix of online and in-person instruction.

Where it came from: The standards were developed in conjunction with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, an increasingly influential organization working with the state in not 

Chicago Teachers – Canaries In The American Coalmine | OurFuture.org

Chicago Teachers – Canaries In The American Coalmine | OurFuture.org:

Chicago Teachers – Canaries In The American Coalmine

by Jeff Bryant

When a leading conservative pundit compliments a labor union leader for getting something right, it's usually worth noticing.
That's exactly what happened recently when The Washington Post's conservative op-ed columnist George Willpraised Karen Lewis, the head of the Chicago Teachers Union, and its members for being "not all wrong" to pick a fight with Chicago mayor Rham Emanuel.
Will pointed out that Emanuel is forcing tough new "accountability" policies, including "merit pay," on teachers and schools at time when the city is "experiencing an epidemic of youth violence," "social regression," and "family disintegration."
His perfectly reasonable conclusion is that the mayor is ratcheting up the demands on teaching at a time when 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: News Round-Up

Seattle Schools Community Forum: News Round-Up:

News Round-Up

by Melissa Westbrook

In the ever-continuing line of "is there nothing Michelle Rhee won't say to get her way", comes this latest videofrom her group, Students First.  It's a play on the Olympics (by the way, Michelle, you might want to watch that usage because the REAL Olympics is highly territorial about the use of the word).   It's a cheap shot video that has earned her a lot of criticism.

There are rumblings coming out of Chicago, which may have a teachers strike, that TFA is going to roll in with 5,000 TFAers.  There is a word for people who cross picket lines and if that happens, it will not be pretty.  It will be ugly and it may mark a very dark day for TFA.  We have many, many teachers in this country and if you are in a union, as hired TFAers are, you NEVER cross a picket line against others in your union.  Quit the union and then try it - you'd be better off.   I have to shake my head at the idea.  

On the upside for TFA, a story of bravery and one young woman's willingness to stand with her city and not TFA. 

From the Huffington Post, we have the story of a very brave former TFAer who was not going to play the TFA 

In box. Health care isn’t free now for retired teachers. « Fred Klonsky

In box. Health care isn’t free now for retired teachers. « Fred Klonsky:

In box. Health care isn’t free now for retired teachers.

by Fred Klonsky

Fred:

I think another area of clarification when explaining to others our pension benefits, is that a large number of state pensioners who were part of AFSCME, etc. do get free health care, we’re not part of that group. My neighbors and friends have no idea the difference between AFSCME, TRS, SERS, etc. and the pension benefits for each system/group. My neighbors think I’m pulling the wool over their eyes when I tell them we’re not part of that group that gets free health care. I’ve been trying to educate them in that area. I find that I’m a bit more successful by acknowledging 

Remarks by the President After Hospital Visit | The White House

Remarks by the President After Hospital Visit | The White House:

Remarks by the President After Hospital Visit

University of Colorado Hospital
Aurora, Colorado

6:40 P.M. MDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  I want to begin by just thanking all the state, local, and federal officials who have responded magnificently to this tragedy. 

     Governor Hickenlooper, who has already been dealing with a range of natural disasters here in the state, has been an extraordinary example of strength.  The Mayor, who has only been on the job seven months, and obviously has responded with great strength and leadership.  The Police Chief, who -- we had an opportunity to speak over the phone -- Chief Oates has been dealing with as difficult a set of circumstances as any law enforcement officer deals with, and he and his officers have done everything right, by the book, with great courage and great determination.  And so we are very proud of them.  And I think I speak for the entire congressional delegation who is here as well.

     Scripture says that "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.  Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."  And when you have an opportunity to visit with families who have lost their loved ones -- as I described to them, I come to them not so much as President as I do as a father and as a husband.  And I think that the reason stories like this have such an impact on us is because we can all understand what it would be to have somebody that we love taken from us in this fashion -- what it would be like and how it would impact us.

     I had a chance to visit with each family, and most of the conversation was filled with memory.  It was an opportunity for families to describe how wonderful their brother, or their son, or daughter was, and the lives that they have touched, and the dreams that they held for the future.  I confessed to them that words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations, but that my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that we are thinking about them at this moment and will continue to think about them each and every day, and that the awareness that not only all of America but much of the world is thinking about them might serve as some comfort.

     I also tried to assure them that although the perpetrator of this evil act has received a lot of attention over the last couple of days, that attention will fade away.  And in the end, after he has felt the full force of our justice system, what will be remembered are the good people who were impacted by this tragedy. 

     And I also had a chance to give folks some hugs and to shed some tears, but also to share some laughs as they remembered the wonderful lives that these men and women represented.

     I also had a chance, fortunately, to visit some folks who are going to be okay, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the staff at this hospital.  And I just want to thank everybody who's worked tirelessly here to deal with this tragedy. 

     Some of the stories are remarkable.  You see young people who've come in and just two days ago, or 36 hours ago, or even 24 hours ago, it wasn’t certain whether they'd make it.  And now suddenly, their eyes are open, they're alert and they're talking. And it reminds you that even in the darkest of days, life continues, and people are strong and people bounce back and people are resilient.  And particularly, given the fact that so many of the victims were young, it is a great blessing to see how rapidly they're able to recover from some pretty devastating injuries.

     There's one particular story I want to tell because this was the last visit that I had and I think it's representative of everything that I saw and heard today.  I had a chance, just now, about five minutes ago, to visit with Allie Young -- Allie is 19 years old -- and I also had a chance to visit with Allie's best friend, Stephanie Davies, who's 21.  Stephanie was actually downstairs with Allie as well as Allie's parents when I walked into the room.

     And I don't think this story has been heard -- at least I hadn’t read it yet -- but I wanted to share it with you.  When the gunman initially came in and threw the canisters, he threw them only a few feet away from Allie and Stephanie, who were sitting there watching the film.  Allie stood up, seeing that she might need to do something or at least warn the other people who were there.  And she was immediately shot.  And she was shot in the neck, and it punctured a vein, and immediately she started spurting blood.

     And apparently, as she dropped down on the floor, Stephanie -- 21 years old -- had the presence of mind to drop down on the ground with her, pull her out of the aisle, place her fingers over where she -- where Allie had been wounded, and applied pressure the entire time while the gunman was still shooting.  Allie told Stephanie she needed to run.  Stephanie refused to go -- instead, actually, with her other hand, called 911 on her cell phone.

     Once the SWAT team came in, they were still trying to clear the theater.  Stephanie then, with the help of several others, carries Allie across two parking lots to where the ambulance is waiting.  And because of Stephanie's timely actions, I just had a conversation with Allie downstairs, and she is going to be fine.

     I don't know how many people at any age would have the presence of mind that Stephanie did, or the courage that Allie showed.  And so, as tragic as the circumstances of what we've seen today are, as heartbreaking as it is for the families, it's worth us spending most of our time reflecting on young Americans like Allie and Stephanie, because they represent what's best in us, and they assure us that out of this darkness a brighter day is going to come.

     To the entire community of Aurora, the country is thinking of you.  I know that there's going to be a vigil and an opportunity for everybody to come together.  And I hope that all those who are in attendance understand that the entire country will be there in prayer and reflection today.

     So thank you.  God bless you.  God bless all who helped to respond to this tragedy.  And I hope that over the next several days, next several weeks, and next several months, we all reflect on how we can do something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this country, but also reflect on all the wonderful people who make this the greatest country on Earth.

     Thank you very much, everybody.