LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-31-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

I Think I Love Lily Eskelsen

I read Jeff Bryant’s interview with the President-elect of NEA, Lily Eskelsen, and I think I love her. She is smart, strong, and she doesn’t mince words. She was a classroom teacher for many years, and she speaks from experience teaching many kinds of kids, including kids in special education and kids in a homeless shelter. She knows that VAM is ridiculous. She knows that tests can be valuable

by dianeravitch / 3min 

Protest Outside Colbert Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Julian Vinocur, julian@aqeny.org, 212-328-9268 Maria Bautista, maria@aqeny.org, 347-622-9706 *** Media Advisory for July 31st, 4:15pm, Outside Colbert Report Studio Taping 513 West 54th St.*** Parents and Teachers to Protest Campbell Brown’s Appearance On Colbert Report Growing Outrage Over Brown’s Refusal to Disclose Wall Street Backers, While Proclaiming to Speak f

8 by dianeravitch / 9min 

The Guardian: Why Payment by Results Is “Dangerous Idiocy”

The Guardian of London has an excellent article that explains why payment by results always fails. The article is based on a study that the article links to. Two examples of payment by results in the current “education reform” strategy that is promoted by the Obama administration: basing teacher evaluation on test scores and merit pay. The article calls payment by results in “dangerous idiocy” an

4 by dianeravitch / 16min 

Pasi Sahlberg: How American Innovation Improved Finnish Education

The renowned Finnish educator, Pasi Sahlberg, explains how major American innovations improved education in Finland but are all too often forgotten here, where they originated. He begins with a new report from the OECD that measures educational innovation between 2003 and 2011. The U.S. does not get high rankings from the OECD, yet oddly enough, other nations send delegations here to learn about

by dianeravitch / 19min 

Jersey Jazzman: What Does Campbell Brown Want?

Jersey Jazzman writes that we know what Campbell Brown is against: bad teachers. She says teachers should have due process protections. So does Arne Duncan. Unions would agree with them that termination hearings should not be expensive and endless. So what does she want? Jersey Jazzman writes: “Campbell, I’d be a lot less inclined to question your motivations if you would just do us all a favor

2 by dianeravitch / 29min hide  //  save

Gary Rubinstein: Race to the Top Was a Wasted Opportunity

Gary Rubinstein, former TFA but now veteran high school math teacher wrote this article in Education Week about the failure of Race to the Top. I wish I didn’t have to delete any part of it but Internet or copyright protocols require me to. Subscribe to Edweek so you can read it all. And be sure to follow Gary’s blog. “Years from now, I hope we will look back at Race To The Top as the time we allo

11 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Tonight! Tweet to Stephen Colbert re Tenure Lawsuit

Teachers, time to make your voices heard! Parents, help your children’s teachers get fair treatment! Students, you need teachers who can speak truth without fear! Teachers should not be fired for teaching “The Invisible Man.” Teachers should not be fired for opposing war. Teachers should not be fired for allowing students to express controversial views. Teachers should have due process, the right

86 by dianeravitch / 2h 

How Pearson’s Common Core Tests Are Designed to Fail Your Children

This is a must-read article. One of the best education writers in New York State is Gary Stern of lohud.com, which covers the Lower Hudson region. This article shows how the passing marks (“cut scores”) were set for the state’s Common Core tests. It is a story that should have appeared in the New York Times. The State Education Department likes to boast that the cut scores are set by teachers. Th

200+ by dianeravitch / 2h

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-30-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Eva Moskowitz Set to Dominate New York City Charter LandscapeEva Moskowitz has applied to the State University of New York‘s Charter School Institute for permission to open another 14 charter schools in New York City by 2016, a request that seems sure to be approved.   Chalkbeat reports:   “If Success’ proposal to open 14 new schoo

by mike simpson / 7h 

7-31-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION:

What Ever Happened to Learn More Go Further?

In honor of Throwback Thursday, I decided to follow up on one of my favorite reformy intiatives. Mounted by way of Jeb Bush by way of FEE, and the US Chamber by way of the Higher State Standards Partnership, "Learn More. Go Further" was going to set the grass roots ablaze with Common Core love.I first wrote about LMGF back at the end of March (the media program launched March 19), noting

by Peter Greene / 0min 

7-30-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: BATS and ArneThere's not a lot for me to add to Mark Naison's account of the meeting between six BAT representatives and several Department of Education reps, including Arne Duncan. You should be giving that a read, if for no other reason than it represents a moment when the USDOE paid attention to teachers that they themselves hadn't chosen to talk to.There are just a couple of mo

by mike simpson / 8h 

7-31-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Open letter to SUNY board - urging them to stop approving new charters until true accountability is achieved

An article about this letter was in today's Daily News. Excerpt: "We are being oversaturated with charter schools," said Tesa Wilson, president Community Education Council in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. "It's tax dollars being poured into a black hole with no accountability." It's time SUNY is held accountable for its reckless and politically motivated charter school approval proce

by ed notes online / 21min 

Hedge Fund Vulture Hogs Default Argentina - And Public School Systems Too

Be greedy, fuck an entire country. I have an idea. Why doesn't Paul Singer start a charter school chain in Argentina - he could make more money than collecting on defaulted debt.The hedge fund firm of billionaire Paul E. Singer has about 300 employees, yet it has managed to force Argentina, a nation of 41 million people, into a position where it now has to contemplate a humbling surrender. Argenti

by ed notes online / 25min

AFT Delegate Wants to See Opposition to Unity/Progressive Caucus Control

Hey Norm!I was a delegate at AFT's last convention in Los Angeles.  I'm from a city of about 90000 people. Our union could only afford to send two delegates to the LA Convention, even though we were allowed to send up to 15; we'll probably be able to send four or five to Minnesota because the cost should be significantly less than LA.  I was shocked that NYC was able to send 800 delegates. Somethi

by ed notes online / 34min

Today: Protest Campbell Brown on Colbert Show - 4:15

I'm glad they are doing this, though I have no doubt Colbert will have some fun with Brown. You know, I watched Brown when she was (briefly) on the Today show - and she made me cringe with her humorlessness and cluelessness. They couldn't wait to get rid of her. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Julian Vinocur, julian@aqeny.org, 212-328-9268Maria Bautista, maria@aqeny.org, 347-622-9706*** Media Advisor

by ed notes online / 7min 

Takin' the Rockaway Ferry to See "Piece of My Heart" - and a Met Game with Old Pals

Thurs, July 31, 1PMGo see a great show - was available on TDF.Bathing Beauty sea sirens at RTC pool party looking to drag guys into water - they all happen to play strippers in Gypsy.I am just back from the theater where Tony had me build a ladder for the upcoming Godspell. When the actors fall off during the show, my name is on the ladder.I've had a fun few days. After taping the Sunday Gypsy per

by ed notes online / 6min 

Mike Schirtzer Thanks MOREistas

I just wanted to thank all the folks who helped organize and present at the today's summer series and the last one a couple of weeks back.Kit, Norm, Ellen, and James really explained well the lessons for MORE from their experiences in past opposition groups. It was such a great history lesson on why they fight so hard and how they were able to achieve some of their goals.Today Kevin did a fantasti

by ed notes online / 1h 

7-30-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: MORE Caucus Press Release: Teacher Tenure is Good for StudentsBy eliminating teacher tenure, we risk further disconnecting students and teachers, and make it harder for them to have transformational dialogue about what actually needs to be done in our classrooms to further the growth of students... Primi Akhtar (2014 graduate of Queens Metropolitan High School, valedictorian) Real

by mike simpson / 7h  

Answer Sheet 7-31-14

Answer Sheet:

A teacher asks Arne Duncan a gutsy question. Here’s the answer.

What question would you ask to Education Secretary Arne Duncan if you had the chance? Patrick Hayes, a fifth-grade teacher in Charleston, S.C., and director of EdFirstSC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group working to empower people who care about public schools, got that opportunity recently when Duncan had a video chat with hundreds of Charleston […]

11 by Valerie Strauss / 4h hide  //  save

How many colleges mishandle sexual assault cases — and what to do about it

A bipartisan group of senators just introduced legislation in Congress that is aimed at curbing sexual assaults on college campuses. The legislation would force school officials to be more transparent and accountable in dealing with sexual assaults, including requiring better training for on-campus personnel who investigate cases and participate in disciplinary procedures. Schools that fail […]

13 by Valerie Strauss / 5h 

Answer Sheet 7-30-14

Answer Sheet: Respected science publication is fooled by The OnionIt’s one thing for an Iranian news agency to mistakenly cite as fact a piece in The Onion, a satirical humor publication, as actually happened in 2012 when the Fars News Agency referred in all seriousness to an Onion story about a  Gallup poll that supposedly showed more rural white voters in America would rather […]1 by Valerie Str

by mike simpson / 7h 

7-31-14 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.:

No ten minute drawings for the next few days.

Guest ten minute drawing. Mike Klonsky.

As you may know, my drawing arm is presently in a cast. I have invited guest Ten Minute Drawers to fill in. All submissions are welcome. - Mike Klonsky is my older brother.

by Fred Klonsky / 2min

Guest ten minute drawing. Jerry Mulvihill.

As you may know, my drawing arm is presently in a cast. I have invited guest Ten Minute Drawers to fill in. All submissions are welcome. - Jerry Mulvihill is a fifth grade teacher and NEA/IEA union activist.

by Fred Klonsky / 4min hide  //  save

Comcast. T-shirts. Two million blog hits. Ten minute drawings. August.

Count on Comcast. That’s my internet provider. Don’t ask me why. It has something to do with me not ever wanting to talk to customer service. Even to close my account. About an hour before I reached two million site visits this afternoon my Comcast connection went down. And it just came back a few minutes ago. During that time is when my blog reached two million site visits. It was like Heidi at

1 by Fred Klonsky / 20min 

Guest ten minute drawing. Annie Tan.

As you may know, my drawing arm is presently in a cast. I have invited guest Ten Minute Drawers to fill in. All submissions are welcome. - Annie Tan is a Chicago Special Education teacher. Annie writes, “Not ten minutes but I was passionate about this one.”

by Fred Klonsky / 1min 

Guest ten minute drawing. Jose Vilson.

- Jose Vilson is a teacher, blogger and author of the best selling This is Not a Test. “Cuomo” by Jose Vilson

by Fred Klonsky / 11min 

President Eskelsen Garcia. Meet Senate Bill 7.

This blogger and NEA President-elect Lily Eskelsen Garcia at the NEA RA in Denver. If you go back and read my report from the Representative Assembly of the NEA – I was a retired delegate – you will see that I thought it went pretty well. I would have wished for a more open debate on Common Core. Out-going NEA President Dennis Van Roekel allowed for less discussion of CCSS than even the brief 45

by Fred Klonsky / 2min hide  //  save

Lily Eskelesen Garcia. Duncan policies are indefensible.

NEA President-elect Lily Eskelsen Garcia and an amateur basketball player. - Salon Other than being unfair to individual teachers, does basing evaluations and school ratings on test scores hurt students too? Using test scores is basically saying to educators, “Hit your number or you get punished.” Or even worse, “Hit your number in El Paso, if you’re an administrator, and we’ll give you a bunch o

5 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

Hinsdale’s Dr. Skoda is quite the hypocrite, isn’t he?

It is generally considered bad-faith bargaining to come back to the bargaining with a lower offer than what was offered previously. Collective bargaining assumes an intent on the part of both sides to move towards each other, finding common ground. It was unexpected – but not out of character – for the Hinsdale board in suburban Chicago to engage in bad-faith bargaining. From the press release of

4 by Fred Klonsky / 3h 

Ten minute drawing. Guest posts.

Since my drawing arm is in a cast for the next week or so, I have solicited guest posts. Drawings reflecting a topic relevant to this blog’s broad areas of concern are welcome. Level of talent is no object. Let’s have fun. Here is the first submission: credit: aapplecpaa.com

by Fred Klonsky / 3h 

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

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Glen Brown. How you benefit from our defined benefit pension.- Glen Brown is a teacher, pension activist and blogger. This post can be found at Teacher/Poet/Musician. Pensionomics 2014: Measuring the Economic Impact of Defined Benefit Pension Expenditures reports the national economic impacts of publi

by mike simpson / 7h