LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-6-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

David Sirota: How Eva Used Kids As Political Pawns

Investigative reporter David Sirota wonders about the legality of Eva Moskowitz closing her charter schools and busing the students to Albany for a political rally. Even stranger is that Governor Cuomo attended and supported her rally. If her schools were public schools, she would have been fired. At once.

8 by dianeravitch / 1h 

My Speech at the Network for Public Education: “Why We Will Win!”

The Network for Public Education held its first annual conference at the LBJ Center of the University of Texas in Austin. It was an amazing gathering of some 400 activists from across the nation: students, teachers, parents, principals, superintendents, journalists, union leaders. Many familiar names, bloggers everywhere, interspersed with state and local heroes, people fighting for kids and publi

2 by dianeravitch / 11min 

Wisconsin: This Takes the Cake

This letter was written by Scott Wittkopf of the Forward Institute in Wisconsin to the Senate Education Committee about a bill to create a new “model academic standards board” consisting of political appointees, not educational experts. March 6, 2014 To Wisconsin State Senate Education Committee Members: Senator Luther Olsen, Chair Senator Paul Farrow, Vice Chair Senator Alberta Darling Senato

1 by dianeravitch / 11min 

Durham, NC, School Board Loves Its Teachers

Members of the Durham school board voted unanimously yesterday to join a lawsuit against the law eliminating “career status” protections afforded to veteran teachers. Guilford County and Wake County are also opposing the llegislature’s mandate to identify the “best” teachers and offer them a bonus to abandon due process. Think how dumb that is: find your best teachers and make it easier to fire th

1 by dianeravitch / 14min 

Why Cuomo Loves Charters

Governor Andrew Cuomo, who once promised to be a lobbyist for students, is in reality a lobbyist for charter schools, which enroll about 5% of the state’s students. He is not a lobbyist for the other 95% +, whose schools are cutting their budgets because of Cuomo’s tax cap. How could this be? Geoff Decker of Chalkbeat, a New York City’s nonpartisan education blog, explains Cuomo’s close connection

2 by dianeravitch / 14min 

Wall Street Journal: Cuomo Poll Numbers Tumble

There is little doubt that Andrew Cuomo will be re-elected, given that he has raised $33 million from New York’s financial titans. But the latest Wall Street Journal poll shows that Cuomo’s numbers dropped sharply to their lowest point. Apparently, his claim to be the “lobbyist for students” hasn’t worked so well, especially with black and Latino voters. His fervent embrace of charter schools in r

5 by dianeravitch / 49min hide  //  save

Ladd and Fiske: A Guide to What Happened to Public Education in North Carolina

Professor Helen F. Ladd of Duke University and her husband Edward B. Fiske, former education editor of the New York Times, have written a comprehensive analysis that explains the politics of education in North Carolina in recent years. They have generously shared it with readers of this blog. Professor Ladd is one of the most distinguished economists of education in the United States. Fiske is edi

10 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Cuomo Distorts Charter School Facts and Issues, Gets a Grade of F

A researcher who has followed the issues in New York state closely submitted the following analysis of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s views on charter schools. The researcher has requested anonymity; he has documented his review. The sources are nonpartisan and unimpeachable.  This is recommended reading for all journalists and citizens. Forgive the formatting. ************************************

21 by dianeravitch / 2h 

Parent Advocate in New Orleans: The “Miracle of New Orleans” is a Fraud

EduShyster here prints a guest column by Ashana Bigard, a New Orleans native and parent advocate who describes the hoax perpetrated on the national media about school choice in that city. Bigard describes schools where children are punished because they are poor. She writes: The majority of schools in New Orleans have these overly rigid disciplinary codes—they’re run like little prisons. The schoo

8 by dianeravitch / 3h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-5-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Watch the Brilliant Speeches by John Kuhn and Karen Lewis HereJohn Kuhn and Karen Lewis spoke as keynoters at the first annual conference of the Network for Public Education at the LBJ Center at the University of Texas in Austin last weekend. Watch and listen here.1 by dianeravitch / 30min hide  //  saveNPE Leadership Calls for Con

by mike simpson / 9h 

3-6-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

EvaGate: Media Worm Turning on Moskowitz - and Cuomo

...what is potentially precedent setting is Moskowitz’s possibly using taxpayer money given to her school for the purposes of educating kids and using it instead to finance a political protest that deployed those kids as lobbyists for her agenda. Also precedent setting is what this does to the definition of the very term “public school.” Remember, charters are privately administered but they are s

by ed notes online / 1h 

De Blasio Wasting His Charter Election Mandate - It is Time for He and Tish James to Make a Stand

Candidate de Blasio promised he’d start charging well-financed charter schools that got rent-free use of space in public schools. He did not like the idea of two different sets of kids getting different educations under the same school roof. One group gets a quasi-private school with no overhead in public school space. Grade that F — for favoritism.Mayor de Blasio is just doing what he promised

by ed notes online / 6min 

3-5-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Chicago: Testing Opt-Out Capital: Chicago: Testing Opt-Out CapitalIn some cases, principals have told teachers they will be arrested if they leaflet parents on the public sidewalks outside their schools, even though the teachers are distributing the materials on their own time.The explosion of the Chicago Opt Out movement comes despite orders from CPS administrators -- usually &qu

by mike simpson / 9h 

Live from SXSWEdu: Who’s Khan Academy in bed with now? | Digital

Live from SXSWEdu: Who’s Khan Academy in bed with now? | Digital:

Live from SXSWEdu: Who’s Khan Academy in bed with now?

The White House, the College Board, Bank of America, and Comcast.

What do they have in common? They’ve all announced partnerships with Khan Academy, the nonprofit provider of free educational videos and analytics tools, in the last 12 months.

These partnerships combine various aspects of cash, content, and distribution. But in each case, the stodgier established player is borrowing a little bit of Khan Academy’s halo. Maybe it’s because of their nonprofit status, maybe it’s Sal Khan’s geeky yet approachable personality, maybe it’s because the content is really pretty great and useful, but Khan Academy is the rare ed-tech company that has managed to reach millions of people while gaining a high media profile and transcending the MOOC backlash. They remain dedicated and associated in the public’s mind to providing free high quality educational resources to the world using technology. And so when a technology company wants to burnish its association with low-cost internet access; or the White House wants to update the image of college access, or the College Board wants to democratize test prep; or a big bank wants people to not hate them, they turn to one guy with a digital whiteboard and a camera on a tripod.

Sal Khan talks to David Coleman at the College Board

So it’s pretty clear what these organizations want out of KA. But what does KA want with them?Of course, the nonprofit needs cash to continue. But they’re also at risk of diluting their brand image, independence, and mission every time they ink a deal. The Comcast partnership, in particular, hasraised eyebrows as it relates to net neutrality–an Internet provider appearing to favor a certain type of content.

I spoke to Monica Tran, Khan’s Product Strategy Lead, for insight on what KA is thinking as it enters



Why make the SAT essay question optional when verbal communication is the number one skill that employers look for?

The big news coming out of SXSWEdu Wednesday was the New SAT. It even has a hashtag: #NewSAT. The changes to the test taken by millions of students each year, which will start in 2016 with today’s 9th graders, are, at first glance, puzzling. The vocabulary section will be simplified, with fewer “gotcha” words. The math section will go into greater depth on fewer and more predictable topics. The re

by Anya Kamenetz / 8min 

Almost a third of college drop outs would have been more likely to graduate had they started at a two-year college

One of the knocks on community colleges is that many students who might have succeeded in completing a four-year college degree are unable to weather the college transfer process. They get their associate’s degree, but not their bachelor’s. Indeed, back in 2009, Bridget Terry Long and Michal Kurlaender found hard evidence that starting at a two-year college lowers the probability of bachelor’s deg

4 by Jill Barshay / 8min 

3-6-14 Wait What?

Wait What?:

NEWS FLASH: Stefan Pryor & Morgan Barth trying to roll Hartford’s Clark School parents and teachers – again

The battle for control of Hartford’s Clark Elementary School has become a case study in how the corporate education reform industry works. On one side are the heroic parents and teachers who are working tirelessly to save and improve one of Hartford’s local neighborhood schools. On the other side is the money, greed and arrogance […]The post NEWS FLASH: Stefan Pryor & Morgan Barth trying to ro

by jonpelto / 5min 

Question for Connecticut public school teachers and parents of public school students

A number of public school districts across Connecticut have informed parents or teachers that parents do not have a right to opt their children out of the Connecticut Mastery Test or the Common Core Smarter Balanced Assessment Field Test. Administrators who have communicated this  information to parents or teachers are either misinformed or are part […]The post Question for Connecticut public scho

by jonpelto / 31min 

If Malloy won’t stop Pryor’s lies, then Attorney General Jepsen must do the job

Connecticut parents have a right to opt their children out of the standardized tests! Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, knows that is the truth but has chosen a engage in a strategy to mislead and lie to the Connecticut’s parents of public school students. Governor Malloy must immediately put an end to this travesty […]The post If Malloy won’t stop Pryor’s lies, then Attorney Gener

11 by jonpelto / 2h  

3-5-14 Wait What?

Wait What?: Diane Ravitch Speech at the Network of Public Education ConferenceHere is a link to Diane Ravitch’s inspiring speech at last weekend’s Network of Public Education Conference in Austin Texas. http://www.schoolhouselive.org/ I was particularly honored and appreciative that Diane would recognize my efforts and my blog in her speech. As background, The Network for Public Education is an ad

by mike simpson / 9h 

3-6-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:

How John Kirtley’s Push for Voucher in Florida Benefits John Kirtley

Miami Herald reporter Kathleen McGrory has the latest on expansion of  Florida’s voucher program: TALLAHASSEE — Nearly 200 schoolchildren greeted Senate President Don Gaetz last month when he visited a Catholic school in Pensacola to get a first-hand look at the impact of Florida’s controversial school voucher program. Gaetz said he left St. John the Evangelist Catholic School convinced that the F

by Bob Sikes / 3h 

 

3-5-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Fact-Checking Rick Scott’s Sketchy Education ClaimsIt didn’t take long for the media call Rick Scott on one of his education claims from his State of the State address yesterday. In his attempt to take credit for “four schools in the nation’s top ten” PolitiFact responds

by mike simpson / 10h

3-6-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL:

Video: Bringing Syria’s Civil War Home

I’m adding this video to The Best Resources For Learning About What’s Happening In Syria:

by Larry Ferlazzo / 28min hide  //  save

Excellent Updated Resources On Ukraine

Here are some excellent new additions to The Best Resources On The Protests (& Crisis) In Ukraine: Ukraine embroiled in East-West divide is an Associated Press interactive. Ukrainian crisis: Situation maps is from The Washington Post. What’s Going On in Ukraine? An Up-to-Date Guide is from ABC News.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

My Slide Presentation For Education Writers Association: “Connecting Educators & Education Journalists”

This morning, I joined three other educators, including Jose Vilson, for an online panel discussion sponsored by the Education Writers Association on Talking to Teachers: New Voices, New Views. Participation in the Webinar was limited to journalists. My short presentation focused on suggesting ways journalists could connect with teachers, and have embedded by PowerPoint below. I have to get back t

by Larry Ferlazzo / 25min 

Khan Academy To Do SAT Prep Not Just For Math, But For Reading & Writing, Too

I’ve previously shared info on the SAT changes that were announced yesterday (see “The Story Behind the SAT Overhaul”). I had seen that one of the parts of the announcement was that the Khan Academy was going to work with the College Board to develop free online test prep materials, and assumed it was only going to be for math. However, I know see in a very good Ed Week story on the program that

by Larry Ferlazzo / 33min 

“The Story Behind the SAT Overhaul”

The Story Behind the SAT Overhaul is a very interesting piece in this week’s New York Times Magazine. Here’s an excerpt: Still, Coleman concedes that the redesigned SAT won’t quiet everyone’s complaints, and he doesn’t expect there to be a universal celebration of what they’ve done. You can imagine there will be substantial questions, for instance, about whether any standardized test can be fair

by Larry Ferlazzo / 6min hide  //  save

“Four questions to ask before using an Ed Tech tool” Is My New British Council Post

Four questions to ask before using an Ed Tech tool is my latest post over at Teaching English-British Council. Here’s how I start: You can see all my British Council posts here.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 6min 

YESTERDAY

Excellent Post: “This Brilliant Math Teacher Has a Formula to Save Kids’ Lives”

This Brilliant Math Teacher Has a Formula to Save Kids’ Lives is an excellent post by Glennon Melton. You’ll definitely want to read the entire piece, but here’s an excerpt: Every Friday afternoon Chase’s teacher asks her students to take out a piece of paper and write down the names of four children with whom they’d like to sit the following week. The children know that these requests may or may

by Larry Ferlazzo / 8h 

Neat Interactive Shows English Words “Borrowed” From Other Languages

Borrowed Words is a net interactive that shows from which languages English has borrowed the most words from during which periods of time. It’s fun to play around with it. Thanks to Joyce Valenza for the tip.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 8h 

3-5-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: “Earth Hour” Is On March 29th — Here Are Lots Of Related ResourcesEarth Hour, the annual time when people around the world switch-off lights for an hour to bring attention to environmental issues, takes place on March 29th this year. You might find The Best Sites To Learn About “Earth Hour” helpful….by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h T

by mike simpson / 10h