LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-8-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

WOW! WOW! WOW! Los Angeles Times Education Editorial Writer Opts Out Her Daughter!

Karen Klein, who writes editorials for the Los Angeles Times about education (and other topics), told her 16-year-old daughter she could opt out. Like many other parents, Klein reached the breaking point where the tests didn’t make sense any more. After years of complying with the testing regime, she realized that this test was pointless. She even envied home-schoolers, who could take their child

19 by dianeravitch / 12min 

Can Creativity Be Measured?

The world is divided into two kinds of people: those who think that the world can be divided into two kinds of people and those who don’t. No, let me try that again: those who think that everything that matters can be measured, and those who think that what matters most cannot be measured. Count me in the latter group. What matters most is love, friendship, family, imagination, joy….I see no reaso

8 by dianeravitch / 1h 

How is Common Core Like a Drone Warship? Susan Ohanian Knows

Here is a chance to send readers to two very important blogs. Jonathan Pelto reprints Susan Ohanian’s post comparing the Common Core to a $5 billion fully automated warship. Ohanian sees the writing on the wall. She fears that the full package, once deployed, will strip teachers of any autonomy or professionalism. She notes the many professional organizations, including the unions, that have take

by dianeravitch / 13min 

At Least 33,000 Students Opted Out of State Tests in New York State

Preliminary figures indicate that at least 33,000 students opted out of state tests in New York. This is a huge increase from last year, when only a few hundred students refused to take the tests. Given the growing criticism of the tests, which many teachers and principals say were “terrible” or developmentally inappropriate, the opt put movement will continue to grow. It is an awful burden to pla

24 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Practice, Practice, Practice!

You may recall that when I went to AERA and shared a session with the wonderful, dynamic Helen Gym, she managed to pick her way carefully through the crowd that lined the wall of the room, while I managed to trip over someone’s foot and fell flat on my face. No harm done, the room was carpeted, and I landed gracefully in such a fashion that I was unhurt, indeed bounced up and proceeded to the podi

2 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Parent in Nebraska: We Love Our School and State, But We Love Our Children More!

Jill Osler, a parent in Nebraska, wrote the following statement:   Parents Can Take a Stand Against Testing Almost one year ago, I wrote an editorial stating my belief that high-stakes standardized testing is not necessary for, and even detrimental to learning. Teachers feel pressure to spend large amounts of instructional time preparing students for Ne-SA tests—which robs students of authentic le

2 by dianeravitch / 1h 

VAMboozled: Everything You Want to Know about VAM Research

I asked Audrey Amrein-Beardsley to compile a list of the most important VAM research.   Here are her recommendations for the top 13 research articles about Value-Added Measurement:   Amrein-Beardsley, A. (2008). Methodological concerns about the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS). Educational Researcher, 37(2), 65-75. doi: 10.3102/0013189X08316420. Amrein-Beardsley, A., & Collins,

7 by dianeravitch / 2h 

Helen Gym: What It Means to be a Champion of Change

I previously commended Helen Gym for her activism as a parent advocate for public education in Philadelphia. She is on the honor roll as a hero and an exemplar. And, boy, Philadelphia needs her now! Philadelphia is Ground Zero for the fake reform movement. The fake reformers are well on their way to obliterating public education in that great American city and proud of it. With all the wealth and

by dianeravitch / 4min 

EduShyster: “Fishin’ 4 Schools” Is For Sale

Jon Hage cashed in on the charter industry in a big way. And where else but Florida, where for-profit schools are welcome no matter what their quality. EduShyster tells the story here of Jon Hage, a non-educator who is one of Florida’s most successful charter entrepreneurs. “Have you ever encountered a story so sadly tragic that you were forced to break your own rule regarding pre-noon winebox d

2 by dianeravitch / 20min 

exas Superintendent Asks for Help in Stopping Failed VAM

This superintendent posted a request for help. I will be posting a summary of research on value-added-measurement later today. I think it is fair to say that while economists like VAM (they measure productivity), education researchers overwhelmingly oppose VAM because they know that most of the factors affecting test scores are beyond the control of the teacher.     I am a Superintendent in Texas

4 by dianeravitch / 42min 

Update on United Opt Out Website

You may recall that the website of United Opt Out was hacked and taken down on the first day of state testing. It provides information to parents in every state on how to opt out. Here is the latest: Diane, I posted a fundraising account for the new website online this past Sunday. By the time I got home from work on Monday/yesterday we had raised the full amount – see here :) http://www.gofundme

5 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Teacher: The Joy of Teaching Is Gone

A teacher in Syracuse writes, in response to comments by another teacher: Teaching has lost its joy and spontaneity. It has become “all work and no play, which makes Johnny a very dull boy.” (that goes for teachers too)! At least one third of the teachers in my elementary school are now looking for work outside the profession. My kinder class is doing literacy curriculum with imaginative play comp

21 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Williams and Kilfoyle: Reformers, We Will Not Let You Steal Our Children, Our Schools, Our Democracy

Dr.Yohuru Williams and Maria Kilfoyle, NBCT, have a message for the corporate reformers: We will never surrender. They write: “Public education… is the cornerstone of democracy. It helps students acquire civic knowledge so that they can become participants in their democracy. It also requires students and communities to reflect on a continuous basis, through school board meetings, referendums an

28 by dianeravitch / 2h hide  //  save

MARCH for Public Schools This Thursday: NYC, 4 PM

Dear Public Education Supporter: The CEC/Citywide Working Group is a coalition of elected District and Citywide Education Councils across New York City. We – along with numerous other public school parent and pro public education groups including the Alliance for Quality Education, New York Communities for Change, Change the Stakes, Parent Voices and many others – will be convening a rally on the

17 by dianeravitch / 3h 

Yong Zhao: PISA and Illusory Models of Excellence

Yong Zhao, who was born and educated in China, is a sharp critic of standardized testing. This article is the third in a series in which he criticizes PISA for misleading the world and promoting standardization and uniformity. In this article, he reviews the many critiques of PISA by testing expert in other actions. He writes: “From the start, the entire PISA enterprise has been designed to cap

22 by dianeravitch / 3h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 4-7-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Hoover, Alabama: “I Just Want to Teach”I encountered this article on Twitter, and a reader was kind enough to forward it in the comments section.   http://ow.ly/vcl92   I Just Want to Teach…..Not Give Useless Tests: The Current Plight of Alabama’s Hoover City School Teachers Part One: Changes in the Elementary Program by Deborah G.

by mike simpson / 10h 

Thoughts From a Former KIPP Teacher: Testing, Common Core, and Charters Are Myths | Cloaking Inequity

Thoughts From a Former KIPP Teacher: Testing, Common Core, and Charters Are Myths | Cloaking Inequity:

Thoughts From a Former KIPP Teacher: Testing, Common Core, and Charters Are Myths

In the bid for a better education for all students in America, recent reform efforts have focused on increasing the expectations – standards and exams – for students.  What is not explicitly discussed are the negative ways that these standards and exams target students of low socio-economic status and minorities – we are enamored as a nation with the mantra that higher expectations equals greater success.  Many argue that the major reason students of color and of low-income have not excelled is because of a basic lack of belief in educators and persistent racism and prejudice in the schooling system.  But this is just one factor of many.  Raising expectations without identifying and ameliorating the larger causes of lower performance among students of color and low socioeconomic status fails to engage with the deeper inequality that exists in this nation.  However, focusing on standards as one of many means to bolster achievement in high poverty/high minority schools is a way to strive for equity.  Unfortunately, as Diane Ravitch has accurately pointed out, the implementation of the standardization movement over the last 20 years has fallen short.  The reasons for this are twofold.  Increased standardization – like scripted curriculum – and testing are bound to decrease engagement, among the engaged, and especially the disengaged.  Secondly, when tied to testing, even great standards fall short due to the pressure placed on teachers and students to perform. Systemic change and standardization, so far, have failed to alter the nature of academic success in this country, particularly for the students who typically “underperform.”

The Myth of High Expectations?

Walk into any major charter school today, and even a large number of public schools, and you are bound to see a sign that proclaims “high expectations” for all students.  It may be a “no excuses” sign, a “never give up” sign, a chart of goals, school test scores, and so on.  There is nothing wrong, inherently, with raising the expectations for all students. Cohen (1996) accurately describes the belief that “systemic reform would reduce inequality in educational achievement if disadvantaged students were held to the same high standards as everybody else and if schools could be made to improve education across the board” (pp. 101). The problem lies in both what those expectations are and how much weight is placed on raising the bar.

With NCLB and the current state of education, the expectations trickle down from high stakes exams.  This is not enough.  Not only do these exams maintain the competitive edge white middle and upper-class students have, but they reduce the quality of education students could conceivably receive with high expectations of success and rigor, great standards and great teachers.  I have seen the effects of this first hand working in KIPP schools, where students have learned quite well how to perform on exams, but have developed few of the critical thinking and problem solving skills and habits so desperately needed today.  Ravitch (2011) justifiably decries,

What was once an effort to improve the quality of education turned into an accounting strategy: Measure, then punish or reward.  No education experience was needed to administer such a program.  Anyone who loved data could do it.  The strategy produced fear and obedience among educators; it 

Another Lawsuit in Rochester, New York |:

Another Lawsuit in Rochester, New York

 Following my most recent post, it seems, again, and as per another post in Diane Ravitch’s blog, that the Rochester, New York Teachers Association is also now “suing the state over its teacher evaluation system, alleging that it does not take into account the impact of poverty on classroom performance.”

As per the original post, “The Rochester Teachers Association today filed a lawsuit alleging that the Regents and State Education Department failed to adequately account for the effects of severe poverty and, as a result, unfairly penalized Rochester teachers on their APPR (Annual Professional Performance Review) evaluations.

The suit, filed in state Supreme Court in Albany by New York State United Teachers on behalf of the RTA and more than 100 Rochester teachers, argues the State Education Department did not adequately account for student poverty in setting student growth scores on state tests in grades 4-8 math and English language arts. In addition, SED imposed rules for Student Learning Objectives and implemented evaluations in a way that made it more difficult for teachers of economically disadvantaged students to achieve a score of “effective” or better. As a result, the lawsuit alleges the Regents and SED violated teachers’ rights to fair evaluations and equal protection under the law.

SED computes a growth score based on student performance on state standardized 

4-8-14 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Malloy administration and Hartford Mayor team up to undermine American Federation of Teachers and Clark Elementary

When Paul Hozler, the Executive Director of the corporate funded education reform group Achieve Hartford! wrote to two high-ranking Hartford Board of Education administrators that he was concerned that, “…The [Clark] parents seem to be playing into the pockets of the AFT,”  Hozler revealed far more than he probably meant to about the strategy behind […] The post Malloy administration and Hartford

4 by jonpelto / 40min 

  Trumbull postpones Common Core Smarter Balanced Assessment Testing for juniors

Only 26 of Trumbull High School’s 530 juniors showed up to take last Friday’s Common Core Smarter Balanced Assessment Test of a test.  Earlier in the week, only 47 (less than 10 percent) of the town’s high school juniors participated in that day’s portion of the test. In response, Trumbull has postponed this week’s Common […] The post Trumbull postpones Common Core Smarter Balanced Assessment Test

32 by jonpelto / 1h

4-7-14 Wait What?

Wait What?: NEWS FLASH: Its official – choice means Friendship Charter School or nothingIn a brazen effort to hand over Hartford’s Clark Elementary School to Friendship Charter Schools of Washington D.C. and divert more scarce public funds to another out-of-state charter school management company, a special meeting of the Hartford Board of Education has suddenly been called for tomorrow to approve

by mike simpson / 16min 

4-8-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

Coalition of 114 education groups: Ryan 2015 budget would ‘devastate’ schools

The 2015 budget proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan’s House Budget Committee would “devastate funding for education and make college less affordable,” a  coalition of  114 national education associations and institutions charged in an open letter sent to the panel. The Ryan budget would, according to this story by my Post colleague, Ed O’Keefe, cut more than […]

by Valerie Strauss / 30min

‘Dear public school teachers: we are sorry’

Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg is a parent living in Highland Park, New Jersey, and a member of  Highland Park Cares About Schools, a nonpartisan coalition of coalition of parents, educators, and others  interested in preserving public education.  Here is an open letter she wrote to public school teachers in New Jersey and beyond.   Dear Public School Teachers, We […]

12 by Valerie Strauss / 1h 

Principals slam 2014 NY Common Core tests as badly designed

Students in New York have been taking state-mandated Common Core-aligned standard tests in English Language Arts in recent days and, for the second year in a row, educators are saying the tests — designed by the giant education company Pearson — were badly designed for the second straight year. Last year, the tests sparked controversy […]

by Valerie Strauss / 6min hide  //  save

Koch brothers help Kansas lawmakers strip teachers of tenure

The Kansas legislature just passed legislation that strips teachers of tenure and the right to due process, a move pushed by conservative lawmakers who were forced by a state Supreme Court ruling to provide more funding to poor school districts and wanted to get something out of the deal. After stripping teachers of their tenure, legislators […]

14 by Valerie Strauss / 3h 

Ten concerns about the ‘let’s teach them grit’ fad

One more thing school reformers think schools should be doing these days is teaching kids to have “grit.” To explain what this is all about is author Alfie Kohn in an article adapted from the author’s new book  The Myth of the Spoiled Child:  Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Children and Parenting, just published by […]

27 by Valerie Strauss / 6h  

4-7-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: Common Core test gives students no time to think — teacherTravis Durfee is a teacher at Watkins Glen Middle School in Watkins Glen, New York who is administering Common Core-aligned standardized tests to students that were designed by Pearson, the education company. In the following piece, which he calls “Driving Lessons,” he looks from within the schoolhouse gates at the disconn

by mike simpson / 10h 

4-8-14 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:

Florida PTA: The Boogeyman Who Torments Step Up for Students

During last year’s run-up to another failed parent trigger bid, House sponsor Rep. Carlos Trujillo attempted to marginalize PTA opponents of his bill as “there to bake cookies.” Trujillo’s problem – and that of shaky voucher administrator Step Up for Students – is that members of the Florida PTA show up at hearings to oppose their legislation. The image of actual parents standing up against them o

by Bob Sikes / 3h 

4-7-14 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: Florida to Pay Utah $5.4 Million for Field TestThere’s more fall-out from those new state tests which are being field-tested in Utah. Kristen Moulton in the Salt Lake City Tribune reports: Utah is about to reap an unexpected windfall from the questions it wrote for the n

by mike simpson / 2h

4-8-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

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

Another Nail In VAM’s Coffin?

The American Statistical Association issued a report today containing many criticisms of how Value-Added Measurement is used in teacher evaluations today. It’s not that lengthy, but you can read a summary at Education Week. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Value-Added” Approach Towards Teacher Evaluation and to The Best Places To Learn What Impact A Teacher & Outsid

by Larry Ferlazzo / 6min 

Webby Nominees Announced — Here Are A Couple That Look Good

Nominees for this year’s Webby Awards (highlighting the “best of the web) have just been announced. You can see them all here. Here are a couple of particularly good sites I haven’t posted about previously: How to put a human on Mars is from the BBC. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Planets & Space. Ready, Set, Grad is an exceptional site from Washington state, but it’s usab

by Larry Ferlazzo / 56min 

The Best Posts & Videos About Sugata Mitra & His Education Ideas

Professor Sugata Mitra and is famous for his “holes in the wall” experiments where he placed computers in impoverished Indian communities and students “self-organized” their instruction. Professor Mitra was awarded the TED Prize last year, and expanded his work with that support. I’ve previously published some fairly popular posts about Professor Sugata Mitra. The first post was one where I share

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h  

4-7-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: My Latest NY Times Post Is On Lying As A Language-Learning ActivityHow can lying be a good language-learning activity? See how in my latest New York Times post for English Language Learners. A student interactive and fun teaching ideas are included. You can see all my many previous NY Times posts here.by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h

by mike simpson / 10h 

4-8-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:

Karen Lewis. “This is theft. Plain and simple.”

- Karen Lewis is President of the Chicago Teachers Union. CHICAGO—Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis released the following statement on the passage of SB1922 in the Illinois House of Representatives, a proposal by the mayor of Chicago that will cut the retirement savings of thousands of city workers: “This is a sad day for our paraprofessionals, especially our retired ones, who will se

4 by Fred Klonsky / 20min 

Breaking. Illinois Senate joins House in Chicago pension theft voting 31 to 23. Here’s the roll call.

  State of Illinois 98th General Assembly Senate Vote ___________________________________________________________________ Senate Bill No. 1922 CONCUR IN HOUSE AMENDMENT CONCURRENCE THIRD READING Apr 08, 2014 31 YEAS 23 Nays P Althoff N Barickman Y Bertino-Tarrant Y Haine N Radogno Y Raoul

by Fred Klonsky / 38min 

Breaking: Illinois House passes city pension theft 74-41. Here’s the roll call.

STATE OF ILLINOIS NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE ROLL CALL SENATE BILL 1922 PEN CD-COOK COUNTY-RECORDS THIRD READING PASSED 1:30 PM   Apr 08, 2014 73 YEAS 41 NAYS Y Acevedo Y Andrade N Anthony Y Arroyo Y Beiser Y Bellock Y Berrios E Bost Y Bradley Y Brady N Brauer N Brown N Drury Y Kosel N Dunkin Y Lang Y Durkin Y Leitch Y Evans Y Lil

4 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

The day after. Charter farters pay for a party in Springfield. Or are we footing the bill?

Who said, “Timing is everything?” Socrates? Shakespeare? Certainly nobody in the charter school movement. A day after the Medill Data Project and Sun-Times released a study showing that the state’s charter schools are a waste of time and money compared to the efforts of neighborhood public schools, the charter farters are paying for a gathering in the Capitol Rotunda in Springfield. The party is

by Fred Klonsky / 31min hide  //  save

Chicago’s got a wet mayor.

Back in the day when Richie Daley was running against Harold Washington he famously told a crowd of supporters (white supporters, of course) that Chicago needed a white mayor. It was caught on camera and tape and with the racism of the Daley campaign fully exposed, Daley’s handlers claimed he was misquoted. They said Richie said, “Chicago needs a wet mayor.” Nobody understood what that meant and

by Fred Klonsky / 59min 

4-7-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Another day. Another report showing charter schools don’t do much better than neighborhood schools.Former UNO charter chief Juan Rangel and his pal, Rahm Emanuel. Proponents of the corporate school reform agenda believe in at least three sacred truths. Charters and school choice will improve the quali

by mike simpson / 5h