LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-5-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Louisiana Breaks New Ground

With all the education reforms taking place in Louisiana, it’s clear that Governor Bobby Jindal wants to be a national leader in what is now called the “education reform” movement. Louisiana is leading the nation in the race to the bottom, having adopted every bad idea in ALEC’s catalogue of ways to tear up your public school system. The Louisiana law was saluted by Indiana’s  state superintendent

by dianerav / 12min

In Defense of Paul Vallas

Many who post and comment on this blog have been critical of Paul Vallas. All have their own reasons, but much criticism has focused on the tales of “saving” Chicago, Philadelphia, and Néw Orleans. The latter two turned privatization into a “reform” strategy. But there is another side to Vallas, which came as a comment by a reader: As we know, nothing in life is black or white which is how I view

by dianerav / 1min 

Teacher: Charter School Bans African-American Hair

A reader describes a problem at a Gulen-related charter school: Diane check out this letter a friend wrote to her school admin, Horizons Science Academy. Expressing concern over their new discriminatory hair policy in the student handbook that prohibits natural African-American hair textures in students. I guess we don’t deserve an education at their school unless our hair is “fried, dyed, and lai

by dianerav / 42min 

Paul Thomas Invites You to Help Compile Arne Duncan’s Reading List

Paul Thomas has invited his fellow educators to help compile The Arne Duncan Reader. This would be a reading list for Secretary Duncan of books, even articles and essays, that he could read during his summer vacation. Given his devotion to testing, data, choice, competition, and charters, what should he read to broaden his understanding of children and education? What would you add to Secretary

by dianerav / 6min 

It Is Here: Reformy-to-English Dictionary

A reader shares the great new dictionaries of Reformy rhetoric, where language is turned inside out to disguise reality. Volumes 1, 2 and 3 are out! http://karenfraid.tumblr.com/post/52189780597/reformy-to-english-dictionary-volume-one http://karenfraid.tumblr.com/post/52356987097/reformy-to-english-dictionary-volume-two http://karenfraid.tumblr.com/post/53900029533/reformy-to-english-volume-three

by dianerav / 7min 

Teacher: NCTQ Is Wrong About My University

Rob Powers is a high school teacher of social studies in Massachusetts. He read the report of the National Council on Teacher Quality and saw that it gave a low rating to his alma mater, Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, and he was shocked. PSU, he wrote, “has been preparing teachers since 1871, a tradition that few schools can match. The institution is fully accredited by the National C

by dianerav / 5min 

Robert Shepherd: Common Core Requires Teaching Abstract Skills, Not Content

Robert Shepherd, experienced writer, textbook developer, curriculum designer, and loyal reader posted some interesting critiques of the way a Common Core will affect teaching and teaching materials: He writes: The fact that the “standards” are entirely highly abstract descriptions of skills to be demonstrated, that they are content free, will be ENORMOUSLY distorting in their effects on curriculum

by dianerav / 14min

  An English Teacher Responds to Common Core

A comment from a reader: I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English Lit, and I find the Common Core to be only tangentially related to the teaching and learning of literature, culture, history, etc. If one knows literature or history or whatever the subject, there is a richness in the material that cannot be turned into formulaic lessons and checklists. Furthermore, it is turning

by dianerav / 2h mark as read  //  save

Indiana Governor Picks Charter Leader as His Advisor

Newly elected Indiana State Superintendent Glenda Ritz won a smashing victory last fall, collecting even more votes than Governor Mike Pence. Since taking office, she has been an effective leader. However, those hoping for a slowdown of the attacks on public education in Indiana were disappointed to learn that Givernor Pence had selected the executive director of the state charter school board as

by dianerav / 3h

Diane in the Evening 7-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jersey Jazzman on the National AnthemJersey Jazzman reviews the many songs that have been contenders for our national anthem. God Bless America? This Land Is Your Land? America the Beautiful? My Country ‘Tis of Thee? And more. Seems we will stick with The Star Spangled Banner, even though many can’t remember the lyrics or hit the n

by mike simpson / 10h

UPDATE: Daily Kos: 4 paragraphs from Eugene Robinson

Daily Kos: 4 paragraphs from Eugene Robinson:

4 paragraphs from Eugene Robinson

byteacherkenFollow

may stretch the limits of fair use, but I will risk it, because they are so powerful.

They are from his Washington Post column, titled today We can handle the truth on NSA spying/.

He begins with these two:  

I don’t believe government officials when they say the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance programs do not invade our privacy. The record suggests that you shouldn’t believe them, either.

It pains me to sound like some Rand Paul acolyte. I promise I’m not wearing a tinfoil hat or scanning the leaden sky for black helicopters. I just wish our government would start treating us like adults — more important, like participants in a democracy — and stop lying. We can handle the truth.

And yes, that last sentence is a reference to the words of Col. Nathan Jessup in "A Few Good Men."

Perhaps I have been around DC too long, and been an observer of politics and government for even longer, 31 and 63 years respectively (my observations begin with the Army-MCCarthy

Spain claims it was told Snowden on plane

Talking Points Memo now has up this AP story from which I quote: Spain says it and other European countries were told that fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden was aboard the Bolivian presidential plane that was diverted to Austria this week, causing a diplomatic row. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said Friday on Spanish National Television “they told us that the information was clear,

by rss@dailykos.com ... / 3min 

7-5-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER:

Tennessee Using SAT-10 In 85 Percent of K-2 Classrooms for Teacher Evaluation Purposes

That’s right–high stakes testing is not just for kids who can read and count anymore.   Commissioner (M. Rhee’s ex) Huffman is leading an effort to make sure that children in 117 of its 137 districts are provided funding to fully test before the onset of literacy.  Had Huffman ever had a course in child […]

by Jim Horn / 1h mark as read  //  save

My Common Core Compromise | the becoming radical

My Common Core Compromise | the becoming radical.

by plthomasedd / 2h 

Courtesy Ceresta Smith, some intelligence flickers at #NEARA13 #optout

Here’s the full text of NBI 24 passed at the NEA RA in Atlanta on supporting parents who decide to opt their children out of standardized testing: NEW BUSINESS ITEM 24 Adopted as amended NEA shall support the rights of parents/guardians to collaborate with teachers in determining appropriate options for assessment of student proficiency if […]

by Chalk Face, PhD / 3min mark as read  //  save

TURN (Teachers Union Reform Network): Agents and Collaborators

The Teacher Union Reform Network (TURN) has been around since 1996, and Adam Urbanski has been running it since the beginning.  As the earlier post indicated, TURN received a huge infusion of Eli Broad cash in 2001 to “develop a model collective bargaining agreement oriented toward quality teaching rather than work rules and grievances.” Urbanski […]

by Jim Horn / 3h 

Beyond a seat at the table: FOOD FIGHT!!

Teacher union members have been asking for our national and state associations to stand up for our profession as they have capitulated on policies such as teacher evaluations using test scores and cheerleading for the Common Core.  Some union leaders have expressed the importance of compromise and negotiation in the political world touting they have […]

by Chris Cerrone / 1h 

The Dog, The Chipmunk and The RACE

Every day for the past few weeks, our dog has had an ongoing contest with a chipmunk. The contest goes something like this: The dog sits at the door, watching and waiting patiently. He studies the chipmunk. He tracks the movements of the chipmunk. When we realize that he’s just about had it, we open […]

by antiqueteacher60 / 2h 

The Foolish Bureaucracy of Education Reform

Any fool can make a rule And any fool will mind it. Henry David Thoreau, Journals, February 3, 1860 Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. Henry David Thoreau, Journals, 1847 The law is meant to be my servant and not my master, still less my torturer and my murderer. James Baldwin, “Report from […]

by plthomasedd / 2h 

More episodes of schooling in a not so “post-racial” America

Imagine the impact if Obama spoke out emphatically against racism in other aspects of U.S. society. Unfortunately, all too often, Obama and others in the Black elite, along with liberals in the Democratic Party, avoid discussing race and racism, even when it is evident and obvious. — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Neither of these items are breaking […]

by rdsathene * Rober... / 4h 

7-4-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: NYSED Commish Declares Independence from his own policies.Normally I would subscribe to the idea that the children of public figures , such as politicians, bureaucrats, and celebrities, should be off limits for discussion.  I make a strong exception for those in power who advocate policy for “other people’s children” that do not apply to their own.  President

by mike simpson / 8h

The changing nature of teacher unions. | Fred Klonsky

The changing nature of teacher unions. | Fred Klonsky:

The changing nature of teacher unions.

JULY 5, 2013

At the Atlanta NEA RA we will be voting on a Constitutional change that if passed would end the practice of having a prescribed percentage of teachers on any body or committee of our union.

This may appear to the outsider as pretty inside stuff.

But this organizational change is but a small reflection of the changes that are going on inside both national teacher unions.

The changes are significant.

It is visible back home in Chicago where the CTU’s African-American membership has dropped from over 50% a decade ago to under 20% now.

The change is visible as more classrooms have none-certified staff in them. More students are directly cared for by educational employees who are not professional teachers.

In the sixties the NEA changed from being an organization that was mainly run by 

The Educated Reporter: Follow-Up Friday: Student Loan Interest Rate Doubles

The Educated Reporter: Follow-Up Friday: Student Loan Interest Rate Doubles:

Follow-Up Friday: Student Loan Interest Rate Doubles

The Atlantic's Jordan Weissmann is challenging what he calls the "conspiracy theory" being floated by some Republicans regarding the doubling of the interest rate on a key federal student loan, which took effect July 1. Weissmann says there's an attempt to turn younger voters against Democrats by inaccurately blaming the rate hike on the need to fund Obamacare.

From Weissmann's post:

This is an absurd vision of recent history that many Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have embraced. It conveniently ignores what the student loan reforms included in the health care bill actually accomplished: Saving billions by ending subsidies to big banks.

For more on other options for dealing with student loan debt, the check out the recent EWA webinar explaining the new federal "Pay as You Earn" income-based repayment program. The New York Times reported this week that Oregon is also 

Can you pass this 101-year-old test for 8th graders?:

Can you pass this 101-year-old test for 8th graders?

By Valerie Strauss, Published: July 5, 2013 at 5:13 amE-mail the writer

5

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(www.freepik.com/)

Back by popular demand (well, I like it) here’s a 1912 eighth-grade exam that was used in schools in Bullitt County, Ky. This test, which I first published more than a year ago, is now in the Bullitt County History Museum, a service of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society.

If you like this one, you can try this one too, an exam from 1931 by the West Virginia education department for students seeking graduation from eighth grade. That test was sent to me a few years ago by John N. Beall of Wilmington, N.C., who received it from his father, the teacher who administered the exam in a one-room school in Gilmer County.

Here’s the 1912 Bullitt County test for eighth graders:

. 

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: More episodes of schooling in a not so "post-racial" America

solidaridad: @TCFKSM: More episodes of schooling in a not so "post-racial" America:

@TCFKSM: More episodes of schooling in a not so "post-racial" America

First published on @TCFKSM on July 5, 2013

---

Imagine the impact if Obama spoke out emphatically against racism in other aspects of U.S. society. Unfortunately, all too often, Obama and others in the Black elite, along with liberals in the Democratic Party, avoid discussing race and racism, even when it is evident and obvious. — Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
Neither of these items are breaking news, but I just got around to this because I've been so busy trying to finish my Villaraigosa piece for LA Progressive.
First there's this article in Black Girl With Long Hair about a charter school that banned "Afro-puffs and small twisted braids, with or without rubberbands." The news went viral, and the charter quickly reversed its course and issued a boilerplate apology.
Actually the original piece didn't mention that Horizon Science Academy Lorain was a privately managed charter school, I'm the one that looked that up before tweeting. Something about the name of the charter got me thinking, and on a lark I decided to dig little deeper. Horizon Science Academy Lorain is run by the Concept Schools Charter Management 

Daily Kos: Some words especially appropriate for today

Daily Kos: Some words especially appropriate for today:

Some words especially appropriate for today

byteacherkenFollow

 
 
• 8 Comments / 8 New

which I originally posted as a comment on Ian Reifowitz's powerful post.

I thought that since I work part-time at Busboys & Poets, which is named for him, the following words by Langston Hughes were appropriate for today, and in light of current events, including a mixed bag of Supreme Court decisions, for the place in which we find  ourselves.

Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-- Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across 

My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 6 (and final) | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 6 (and final) | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:

My Discussion with Matt Barnum Part 6 (and final)

by Gary Rubinstein

For links to all 6 part of this discussion go here

Gary,

It’s certainly not surprising that I’ve failed to change your mind, and you’ve failed to change mine. You’ve been thinking about, and living, this issue for much longer than I have, so I apologize if my arguments strike you as stale. I take these arguments seriously though, and so do many others.

I do think there’s value in challenging one’s own thinking and avoiding the level of certainty that, in my opinion, exists to too high a degree on both sides of the education debate. And I think it’s wrong to consider those you disagree with you to be either evil or supremely ignorant – though that’s what you and some of your readers seem to believe about the current set of reformers. In any event, I appreciate your willingness to engage in this discussion with me; I also want to thank your many thoughtful commenters for sharing their thoughts.

I’d like to close our letter writing series with a few suggestions on where ‘reformers’ and 

Diane in the Evening 7-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Mercedes Schneider: Why I Am Glad to Be an American

Mercedes Schneider is a teacher. She is also a tireless researcher and writer. She has maxing courage and is fearless in calling out the foibles and corruption of those who make decisions in her home state of Louisiana. She is one of a group of intrepid bloggers who keep intellectual freedom alive in Louisiana. Schneider here shares her reflections on what it means to be an American. What it means

by dianerav / 1h 

Jersey Jazzman on the National Anthem

Jersey Jazzman reviews the many songs that have been contenders for our national anthem. God Bless America? This Land Is Your Land? America the Beautiful? My Country ‘Tis of Thee? And more. Seems we will stick with The Star Spangled Banner, even though many can’t remember the lyrics or hit the noted.

by dianerav / 1min 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-4-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: July 4 and Edward SnowdenJuly 4 is a day when we celebrate our independence, our freedom, and our liberties, guaranteed by our great Constitution and Bill of Rights. It is also a good day to ponder the continuing growth of the national security state. This state demands the power to watch our every move. It says that it keeps us sa

by mike simpson / 8h 

Independence Day : blue cheddar

Independence Day : blue cheddar:

Independence Day

July 4, 2013

By bluecheddar

Jimi’s 1969 rendition of this song sums up how I’m feeling about American independence right now.

That being said, I hope everybody is having a grand holiday. I’m still not sure if I’ll watch pretty colors blow up in the sky above Maple Bluff tonight or if I’ll just watch a movie.

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: TAKE NO VACATION FROM MAKING SCHOOLS BETTER

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: TAKE NO VACATION FROM MAKING SCHOOLS BETTER:

TAKE NO VACATION FROM MAKING SCHOOLS BETTER

SUMMER SCHOOL: LAUSD offers just 170 credit-recovery classes at 16 of its nearly 100 high schools—the smallest offering ever.

THEMES IN THE NEWS | A WEEKLY COMMENTARY WRITTEN BY UCLA IDEA ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES IN EDUCATION AS COVERED BY THE NEWS MEDIA | WEEK OF JULY 1-5, 2013 | HTTP://BIT.LY/12JMJCZ

7-03-2013  ::  Many adults carry memories of “the last day of school.” After an excruciating wind-down of tests and ceremonies, we walked out of our last class and emptied all thoughts of lessons. Of course, some would start up right away with summer school—reluctantly to make up a class or voluntarily to take an “enrichment” course. But still, there were at least some unencumbered weeks for sports, play late into summer nights, and sleeping in; and for the more fortunate, travel or camp.
After years of budget cuts, many school districts have eliminated or severely curtailed both summer enrichment programs and traditionally taught academic classes. Now that the financial freefall has slowed, some districts are looking to reinstate summer programs. Yet, by all accounts, any recovery of summer school programs is hit or miss, and not moving fast enough to meet the needs of the state’s struggling students.
Meanwhile, an increasing body of research shows that not giving a thought to lessons during a summer-long vacation is a seriously lost opportunity for a great many students. That research shows that the achievement gap worsens during the summer break,  and programs are often not well-enough targeted to help the most academically vulnerable. Finally, many families, rich and poor, are rediscovering summer school as a way to access creative and enriching programs (New York Times, USA Today). That these classes are the most engaging—call it fun—for students, attests to the power of breaking up schooling routines with more and better schooling—rather than defaulting to the empty days of no school at all.
The loss of summer school programs  has prompted a new statewide initiative, Summer Matters. Its mission is to create and expand