New Orleans Reform Group: Choice Falls Short
As we all know, New Orleans has been presented as a national model of school reform: eliminate public schools, open lots of charters staffed by inexperienced young teachers, watch for miraculous results.
But now a major promoter of the all-charter model–the Cowen Institute at Tulane University– has released a
But now a major promoter of the all-charter model–the Cowen Institute at Tulane University– has released a
The Fleecing of Public Education
This is a guest post by Peter DeWitt on a topic that should concern us all.
We lack the infrastructure to be testing factories, and that shouldn’t be our job in the first place.
If the nightly news really wanted to look into the Fleecing of America, they need not look further than the serious fleecing that companies are doing to American schools. At a time when school budgets are being severely cut,
We lack the infrastructure to be testing factories, and that shouldn’t be our job in the first place.
If the nightly news really wanted to look into the Fleecing of America, they need not look further than the serious fleecing that companies are doing to American schools. At a time when school budgets are being severely cut,
Providence, RI, Students Plan “Zombie” Protest Against High-StakesTesting
Students in Providence, Rhode Island, will hold a Zombie protest against high-stakes testing outside the Rhode Island Department of Education headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.
State Commissioner Deborah Gist may not be there, as she is participating in a conference at the conservative
State Commissioner Deborah Gist may not be there, as she is participating in a conference at the conservative
1% Elite Vs. Steve Zimmer in L.A.
The 1% really really really wants to beat Steve Zimmer.
Zimmer is a member of the Los Angeles school board who is up for re-election.
He is a former teacher (and TFA) in Los Angeles.
He is the target of a heavily funded campaign to oust him.
The LA Fund for Public Education (controlled by Superintendent Deasey) has paid for billboards featuring a
Zimmer is a member of the Los Angeles school board who is up for re-election.
He is a former teacher (and TFA) in Los Angeles.
He is the target of a heavily funded campaign to oust him.
The LA Fund for Public Education (controlled by Superintendent Deasey) has paid for billboards featuring a
How Florida Politicians Are Wrecking the Schools
You may be lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to hear Jeb Bush boasting about the “Florida miracle.”
A useful contrast to his spiel is the story of this teacher in Florida, who is leaving a job she loved.
She didn’t want to leave, but it became clear to her and some of her colleagues that the politicians had taken control and squeezed the joy out of teaching and learning.
The politicians “came up with grandiose-sounding programs, such as “No Child Left Behind,” which instead
A useful contrast to his spiel is the story of this teacher in Florida, who is leaving a job she loved.
She didn’t want to leave, but it became clear to her and some of her colleagues that the politicians had taken control and squeezed the joy out of teaching and learning.
The politicians “came up with grandiose-sounding programs, such as “No Child Left Behind,” which instead
Must-Read: The Inside Story of the Texas Testing Debacle
Tom Pauken has written a fascinating and informative article about how Texas became the leader of the testing movement and how testing became an instrument to destroy local control.
Pauken is a prominent Republican. He just concluded a term on the Texas Workforce Commission.
He became an outspoken opponent of the testing regime, as he saw that it was bad for students and bad for the workforce.
The only beneficiary of the testing obsession seems to be the testing company Pearson, which won a contract
Pauken is a prominent Republican. He just concluded a term on the Texas Workforce Commission.
He became an outspoken opponent of the testing regime, as he saw that it was bad for students and bad for the workforce.
The only beneficiary of the testing obsession seems to be the testing company Pearson, which won a contract
Warning to College Profs: Here Comes the NCLB Generation!
Kenneth Bernstein recently retired as a high school teacher of government.
He regularly blogs as Teacherken at the Daily Kos, which is how I met him. He is–and I hesitate to write this–an almost saintly man, deeply devoted to students, teaching, education, and the betterment of humanity.
In this article, written in the journal of the American Association of University Professors, Ken explains to the professoriate that the students of the NCLB generation are woefully unprepared for the intellectual demands of college.
Please do not blame their teachers, he writes. Their teachers were compelled by federal policy to teach to tests
He regularly blogs as Teacherken at the Daily Kos, which is how I met him. He is–and I hesitate to write this–an almost saintly man, deeply devoted to students, teaching, education, and the betterment of humanity.
In this article, written in the journal of the American Association of University Professors, Ken explains to the professoriate that the students of the NCLB generation are woefully unprepared for the intellectual demands of college.
Please do not blame their teachers, he writes. Their teachers were compelled by federal policy to teach to tests
Everything You Wanted to Know About Michelle Rhee
Here is Michelle Rhee, as reviewed by Mercedes Schneider in part viii of her study of the board of the National Council of Teacher Quality.
Mercedes Schneider is a teacher in Louisiana who holds a Ph.D. In statistics and research methods.
Here she is at her best, doing a close examination of the life and work of Michelle Rhee.
Mercedes Schneider is a teacher in Louisiana who holds a Ph.D. In statistics and research methods.
Here she is at her best, doing a close examination of the life and work of Michelle Rhee.
My Vacation in Cuba
I just returned from an amazing week in Cuba. I went there legally, from Miami to Havana.
I wanted to go someplace warm in mid-winter but I didn’t want to sit on a beach in the sun. I wanted to learn. It took quite a lot of digging to discover that the U.S. government has granted licenses to a number of tour agencies to arrange trips to Cuba for U.S. citizens.
Last November, a high school chum in Houston told me she had just returned from Cuba, and she gave me the name of her agent, who is based in New York City. Her name is Myriam Castillo, and I found her via this article in Forbes because she doesn’t have a website. Some of the other agencies that organize people-to-people trips
I wanted to go someplace warm in mid-winter but I didn’t want to sit on a beach in the sun. I wanted to learn. It took quite a lot of digging to discover that the U.S. government has granted licenses to a number of tour agencies to arrange trips to Cuba for U.S. citizens.
Last November, a high school chum in Houston told me she had just returned from Cuba, and she gave me the name of her agent, who is based in New York City. Her name is Myriam Castillo, and I found her via this article in Forbes because she doesn’t have a website. Some of the other agencies that organize people-to-people trips
Diane in the Evening 2-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: Georgia: “The Chaos Theory of Running Our Schools” by dianerav Myra Blackmon, a columnist for the Athens, Georgia, Banner-Herald, explains how the state legislature is determined to destabilize and disrupt public education with a wacky “parent trigger” bill. Read her terrific analysis here. It won’t do anything to improve education nor will it “empower” parents, but it will make ALEC and others advocates of privatization very happy. Amazing Reporting on New Orleans Charters by dianerav Bobby Jindal went to Virginia to boast of the miraculous transformation ... more »
