KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all

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

KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG 

A site to discuss better education for all

Little Rock: Parents and Activists Fight Against Sham of “Restoring Local Control”

by dianeravitch / now

In Arkansas, the governor and the legislature does not want the citizens of Little Rock to have democratic control of their public schools. They took over the schools five years ago and were supposed to return it to the people but passed a hoax of a bill. Now activists have filed a lawsuit to expose the hoax and demand a real return to democratic control of their schools. Max Brantley, veteran jo

Peter Greene: Why AI Will Not Drive Trucks or Replace Teachers

by dianeravitch / 1h

We have been told that technology can’t be stopped and that we are heading for a jobless economy. We have been told that anyone who disagrees is an old fogey standing in the way of progress. Peter Greene says “ nonsense .” Do you remember the predictions about 15 years ago that MOOCS would drive most institutions of higher education out of existence. Didn’t happen. Except for job-oriented and/or

YESTERDAY

New York Times: Trump Lies, Boasts, Lies, Boasts

by dianeravitch / 12h

This evening the New York Times published a story about a Trump’s repeated lies, boasts, and ignorance about the pandemic. The story did not include a Trump’s assertion yesterday on the Sean Hannity show that governors were inflating their need for ventilators, followed by orders to GM and Ford to start producing ventilators. One day he proclaims there is no crisis. The next day he responds to th

Robert Kuttner Explains Why Conservatives Want to Limit Unemployment Insurance

22by dianeravitch / 18h

ON TAP Today from the American Prospect MARCH 27, 2020 Kuttner on TAP Oh, No! Better Unemployment Benefits Raise Low Wages. The Republican senators who tried a last-ditch effort to water down the stimulus bill had one major concern: If federal unemployment benefits were increased, companies that depend on low-wage labor might have trouble coaxing people back to work for a pittance. Oh, the horror

Sing “Happy Birthday” to the Woman Who Wrote the Song

by dianeravitch / 19h

Today is the birthday of Patty Smith Hill, who wrote “Happy Birthday to You.” I recall that she was a leading advocate for early childhood education and play while a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York. Garrison Keillor wrote this about her. It’s the birthday of the woman who wrote “Happy Birthday to You,” Patty Smith Hill, born in Anchorage, Kentucky (1868). Most of h

Garrison Keillor: Today is Typhoid Mary’s Birthday

53by dianeravitch / 20h

Garrison Keillor tells this story at “The Writer’s Almanac”: On this date in 1915, the woman known as “Typhoid Mary” was put into quarantine in a cottage in the Bronx. Her name was Mary Mallon, and she was a large and fiery Irish-American woman about 40 years old. She worked as a cook in and around New York City, and every household she worked in seemed to suffer an outbreak of typhoid fever. Typ

New Fear Expressed by Scientists: Their Work Is Viewed as a Hoax

46by dianeravitch / 21h

A story in the Washington Post today. Trump’s lies could kill many people because scientists are not believed. I n the one month since the first U.S. coronavirus death, America has become a country of uncertainty. New cases of infection and casualties continue multiplying. New York and Louisiana hospitals are grappling with a flood of patients that threatens to overwhelm their health-care systems

Stephen Dyer: Ohio Legislature Continues to Be Obsessed by Vouchers

23by dianeravitch / 22h

Stephen Dyer of Innovation Ohio is a former legislator and is currently the most astute analyst of the legislature’s efforts to undermine public education. In this post , he describes the legislature’s current approach to vouchers. He writes: Yesterday, Ohio’s legislature passed their COVID-19 emergency package. And while there were some much needed and positive things in it (no standardized test

Why Nationwide Mail-In Voting Will Be Problematic

by dianeravitch / 23h

The concurrence of primary voting for the 2020 voting and the onset of a global pandemic caused many to worry about whether the pandemic would disrupt not only primaries but the November elections. One answer seems to be to ramp up balloting by mail. Veteran journalist Stephen Rosenfeld warns that absentee and mail-in balloting is rife with problems. Why nationwide voting by mail isn’t a silver b

Toronto Symphony Orchestra Challenges Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra!

43by dianeravitch / 1d

The Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra performed Beethoven’s exhilarating “Ode to Joy,” a tribute to theh7man spirit, as each musician was isolated in his or her home. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra responded by performing Aaron Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring” in their homes. The website SlippedDisc posted both and invites viewers to vote. Bottom line: creative artists are learning to collaborate while

An Interview with a Conservative Talk Show Host in St. Louis

29by dianeravitch / 1d

Several days ago, I was interviewed by Dr. Randy Tobler of radio station KFTK in St. Louis about SLAYING GOLIATH, which is pro-public school and anti-privatization. When the interview was scheduled by my publisher, I wasn’t familiar with the station or the host. As I waited a few minutes for the show to start, I heard an advertisement for Rush Limbaugh, whose syndicated talk show would air later

MAR 26

Harold Meyerson: How Mean Are Senate Republicans?

55by dianeravitch / 1d

In this editorial, Harold Meyerson plumbs the depths of meanness in the Senate’s majority party. It would be better for the unemployed if more of them were quarantined and unable to vote: ON TAP Today from the American Prospect MARCH 26, 2020 Meyerson on TAP The Senate’s OTHER Vote Last Night—Along Party Lines. As every news-following American knows, the Senate voted unanimously last night to pas

A Wise Superintendent Offers Counsel for Our Times

500+by dianeravitch / 1d

Michael Matsuda is Superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District in California. He served on the board of the Network for Public Education. Important Message Sent on Behalf of Superintendent Matsuda Fifty years from now, when our students are old, when they have children and grandchildren of their own, they will look back and say, “Do you remember what happened?” I picture them pensive

Art Conquers Isolation! Watch, Listen, Share

by dianeravitch / 1d

The Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra members are confined to their homes. But music cannot be denied. Here they are playing the closing section of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the stirring “Ode to Joy,” each of them in his or her own home. If this stirring rendition doesn’t move you, check your pulse.

Jennifer Senior: Trump’s Press Conferences Are Propaganda

100+by dianeravitch / 2d

Jennifer Senior has been one of my favorite writers for many years. Her columns are always incisive and intelligent. She is now an opinion writer for the New York Times. In this column, she expresses the extreme frustration I feel whenever I watch Trump speak to the press, surrounded always by people chosen for their obeisance and loyalty. She writes about a recent press conference. A friend who

John Richard Schrock: Distance Learning Is Inferior to Human Interaction

200+by dianeravitch / 2d

John Richard Schrock was a professor of science education at a Emporia State University for many years. He also taught in middle and high schools, as well as in Hong Kong. He frequently writes about education issues. Screen Reading and Online Coursework Inferior The forced closure of classrooms and shift to online learning from home has revived the hopes of big Ed-Tech companies that they can reg

MAR 25

Randi Has a Good Idea for the End of the School Year

57by dianeravitch / 2d

Randi Weingarten proposes an alternative to end of the year tests. This is such a good idea that Congress should consider making it a replacement for annual standardized tests, which are inherently an assertion that teachers can’t be trusted to judge their students’ progress. Furthermore, Randi’s idea of testing what students know and can do will inspire student thoughtfulness and creativity, whi

George Packer: Trump Is Winning His War Against Our Institutions

27by dianeravitch / 2d

George Packer writes in The Atlantic about Trump’s success in destroying the institutions and norms of the federal government and bending them to his will. It is a brilliant and disturbing article. Trump calls the apolitical civil service “the deep state.” He is determined to destroy it and replace it with loyalists and lackies. This article echoes the themes of Michael Lewis’s The Fifth Risk , a

Washington State: Gov. Inslee Signs Bill Aiding Gates’ Charter Schools

200+by dianeravitch / 3d

Washington State has experienced a long history of turmoil over charter schools. It has held four state referenda over whether they should be allowed in the state. They are opposed by school boards, teachers’ unions, PTAs, and civil rights groups. Bill Gates and his billionaire clique really wanted the state to have charter schools. So in 2012, they amassed a war chest and outspent the parents, t

Jeff Bryant: The Pandemic May Blunt the Drive for High-Stakes Testing and Privatization

84by dianeravitch / 3d

In this recent article, Jeff Bryant examines Florida’s shameful response to the pandemic. As usual, legislators and Governor DeSanris took advantage of the crisis to add another voucher program, which will drain another $200 million from public schools to support for woefully inadequate voucher schools. He writes: “The COVID-19 crisis reveals the true intentions of people,” Kathleen Oropeza told

MAR 24

Watch and Enjoy the Chamber Singers at Chino Hills High School in California

44by dianeravitch / 3d

When their performance was canceled due to the pandemic, the Chamber Singers at Chino Hills High School in California found another way to perform. Watch this beautiful performance of “Over the Rainbow.” This video was widely reposted and went viral. Creativity! Hope! Persistence! Resilience!

NPE Action Endorses Joyce Elliott for Congress in Arkansas!

by dianeravitch / 3d

NPE Action is pleased to endorse Joyce Elliott for U.S. House District 2 in Arkansas. Joyce is an outstanding state senator and she will be an outstanding Member of Congress, representing the people of Little Rock and nearby areas. She is running against a Trumpian Republican, who is outspending her by enormous margins. Joyce plans a grassroots campaign to overcome the big money against her. This

A Desperate Mother’s Prayer as She Homeschools

93by dianeravitch / 4d

Please watch as this mother prays for relief from her new role as a homeschooling mom. She laments: “Ah, Lord, the spirit of Common Core has taken over my house…”

Politico: Republicans Oppose Student Debt Relief As Part of Crisis Deal

23by dianeravitch / 4d

Politico Morning Education reported yesterday that the coronavirus legislation in Congress has been delayed because Republicans and Democrats disagree about including college student debt relief. Of course, other issues between the parties have stymied an agreement, especially the $500 billion economic recovery fund that would be administered by Treasury Secretary Mnuchin. Republicans want him to

MAR 23

Garrison Keillor: It Was on This Day That…

by dianeravitch / 4d

The following appeared today in Garrison Keillor’s free daily “Writer’s Almanac”: It was on this day in 1775 that the lawyer Patrick Henry spoke at the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond, a meeting of American colonial leaders that included George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The four-day assembly turned into a fierce debate about whether or not to raise a militia and arm Virginia in the

Jan Resseger: Is Ohio Senate Using the Crisis to Expand Vouchers?

by dianeravitch / 4d

Jan Resseger writes here about gridlock in the Ohio State Senate. The Senate is supposed to review its dramatic expansion of the state voucher program by April 1, but action has been stalled by the coronavirus crisis. Based on faulty data, the state is over-identifying good public schools as “failing” in order to divert public funds to religious schools. Why don’t public education advocates organ

Los Angeles: Schools Discover Snafus of Distance Learning

34by dianeravitch / 4d

The Los Angeles Times published a disturbing article about the problems and obstacles that students and teachers are encountering as online learning becomes the new normal. For many children, instruction is inaccessible. The gaps between the haves and have-nots are glaring. “ Misti Kemmer, a fourth-grade teacher at Russell Elementary School in South Los Angeles, is working hard to keep her studen

Mercedes Schneider: A Letter from Louisiana’s Teacher of the Year to the Class of 2020

by dianeravitch / 4d

Mercedes Schneider posts a letter from Louisiana’s teacher of the year, Chris Dier, to the class of 2020, which is unlikely to have a senior prom or graduation ceremony. The teacher is a personal friend of Mercedes’. This letter from a teacher to his students is very moving. It begins like this: Dear High School Senior, On Friday afternoon a few seniors came into my classroom after the last bell

An Appeal to Educators and Scholars of Color: Please Sign This Statement!

69by dianeravitch / 5d

Kevin Kumashiro , leader of a Deans for Justice and Equity, has written an appeal addressed to Educators and Scholars of Color. It invites their endorsement of a statement opposing failed “reforms” that have stigmatized and harmed children of color and other vulnerable students. Please share this statement with your friends and colleagues. Invite them to sign to demonstrate that they do not belie

Stephen Sawchuk: This Was the Week We Learned How Vital Our Public Schools Are

300+by dianeravitch / 5d

This is one of the best articles I have ever read in Education Week . It is not an opinion piece. It is a news article by veteran journalist Stephen Sawchuk. He begins: This was the week that American schools across the country closed their doors. It was the week that our public schools—often dismissed as mediocre, inequitable, or bureaucratic—showed just how much they mean to American society by

MAR 22

AFT Endorses Joe Biden

37by dianeravitch / 5d

For Immediate Release March 22, 2020 Contact: Oriana Korin 202-374-6103 okorin@aft.org http://www.aft.org American Federation of Teachers Endorses Joe Biden for President WASHINGTON—The American Federation of Teachers’ executive council voted today to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary as the party’s nominee for president in 2020p. The union represents 1.7 mill

New York Times: Trump’s Response to Crisis

by dianeravitch / 5d

On page one of the New York Times: “Used to Meeting Challenges With Bluster and Force, Trump Confronts a Crisis Unlike Any Before,” by Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman: “Mr. Trump is no stranger to crisis. He has spent a lifetime grappling with bankruptcy, fending off creditors, evading tax collectors, defending lawsuits, deflecting regulators, spinning reporters and dueling with estranged wives,

Is Congress Using Crisis to Suspend IDEA?

200+by dianeravitch / 5d

I received this notice from two trusted allies. From: Maggie Hart Date: Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 3:23 PM Subject: Threat to ALL Special Education by COVID-19 Hi Everyone: I’m sorry to be bothering you with something work related but Senator Alexander has attached an amendment to the next proposed relief package that includes a full and complete waiver of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Ac

Arthur Camins: A Bernie Supporter Says “Vote Blue”

by dianeravitch / 5d

Arthur Camins writes about the importance of voting Democratic in November. He says he supports Senator Sanders but recognizes that he is unlikely to win the nomination, given the double-digit losses sustained by his personal choice. The stakes are high, he writes, and he’s prepared to support former Vice President Joe Biden. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/3/19/1929172/-A-Time-to-Every-Purpo

A Mother’s Lament about Distance Learning

100+by dianeravitch / 5d

This video went viral after it appeared on Twitter.

Robin Lithgow: Why Did A Wealthy Plantation Owner Bring an American Poet to El Salvador to Tell Its Story?

by dianeravitch / 6d

Robin Lithgow titles this wonderful post Flores y Canciones: The Poet as Witness. She writes about a culture that values its poets. She writes: I’ve just finished a riveting memoir titled “What You Have Heard is True,” by Carolyn Forché. It is about the lead-up to the civil war in El Salvador in the 80s. I recommend it highly because of the perspective Forché gives on our troubling history with C

MAR 21

Lawrence Baines: A Short Video about the Dangers of Privatization of Our Public Institutions

67by dianeravitch / 6d

Take five minutes and watch this excellent video about the startling advance of privatization, not only in schools, but in the military, in prisons, and in other sectors that used to be public. The video was made by Lawrence Baines, who wrote a short and excellent book with the same title as the video. You will consider this five minutes well spent. Send it to your friends. It is an well-made bri

Advice from Your Online School Nurse

35by dianeravitch / 6d

A veteran school nurse offers advice to parents to help them while they are schooling their children at home. A huge google Doc with parent resources from RelentlessSchoolNurse, link at bottom of page: The Relentless School Nurse: Dear Parents, A Message From Your School Nurse The Relentless School Nurse: COVID-19 Survival Guide for Parents and Kids Who Are Home Related FB group: https://www.face

David Leonhardt: What Trump Has Said About Coronavirus

200+by dianeravitch / 7d

The main reason that the U.S. was unprepared to respond promptly to the coronavirus was that Trump repeatedly told the public that it was not a problem, that it would disappear spontaneously, and that it was under control. None of this was true. Even now, almost half of Republicans do not believe that the virus is a genuine public health problem. Now, we are learning that there are real life-and-

Lessons from the 1918 Flu Pandemic, When Many Schools Closed

42by dianeravitch / 7d

I was recently contacted by a journalist who asked me if there was any precedent for the current school closings in response to a health crisis. My first impulse was to say “no,” based on my knowledge of history, but I started 

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

CURMUDGUCATION: Business and Humanity (When People Tell You Who They Are)

CURMUDGUCATION: Business and Humanity (When People Tell You Who They Are)

Business and Humanity (When People Tell You Who They Are)

It has been a central conflict in education for decades now. Should education be organized around the needs of the business world, guided by the invisible hand in service to The Economy.

We've heard it over and over again. Business is the customer for the product created by schools, so schools should be organized around cranking out the kinds of meat widgets that corporations want. And while we're at it, schools should be run more like a business, steered by visionary CEOs who don't have to answer to unions and government regulations. Data. Efficiency. Outputs. All of these things matter far more than all that fuzzy talk about whole children and, you know, education. We've been listening to it since A Nation at Risk cranked up the clarion call that the state of schooling was scary, not threatening our citizens' happiness or wisdom or humanity, but threatening our economy, our ability to compete globally. Our invisible hand is in danger of losing an arm wrestling match with their invisible hand.

We've known all along, some of us, that this is fundamentally wrong, not just anti-education, but anti-human (I've got literally several thousand posts on this blog about it).

And now we have arrived at the starkest expression of this business-over-humans attitude yet. Trump wants people to get back to work. Dan Patrick thinks that a few dead oldsters is a small price to pay for keeping The Economy humming along. The line-up of commentators arguing that, well, sure, human life is nice and all, but you have to balance that against a healthy economy-- well, it's staggering.

It's not new or surprising. I've argued for a while that many of the dysfunctions of our society exist because of the ways we have valued what's best for business over what's best for citizens. Yes, yes, yes, I know-- without a functioning economy of some sort, humans tend to starve. But without any functioning moral center, economies tend to rot from the center, doing a crappier and crappier job for more and more people while a handful of wealthy enjoy a nice massage from the invisible hand.

We've been trending more and more in the latter direction, which is how we arrive at the spot CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: Business and Humanity (When People Tell You Who They Are)

Another Charter School Attempts A Hostile Takeover - Carl J. Petersen - Medium

Another Charter School Attempts A Hostile Takeover - Carl J. Petersen - Medium

Another Charter School Attempts A Hostile Takeover
Shirley Elementary is the latest LAUSD school to find its campus under siege by Citizens of the World. When will the district fight back?

“First and foremost we have every right to stay here”-Citizens of the World Charters Schools during a previous Prop 39 co-location battle

“Since 1953 Shirley Avenue Elementary has been a vital part of the community and a safe haven for our students. We will protect and defend our school for neighborhood students and families!”-The Shirley Elementary Community

While one would think that finding a location would be the responsibility of the administration of a charter school, Citizens of the World Charter (CWC) could not be bothered. This chain of publicly funded private schools would rather leave that responsibility to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Using a provision of Proposition 39 that allowed charters to take over unused district space, CWC is trying to expand into the San Fernando Valley by forcing itself onto the campus of Shirley Elementary. The problem is that these spaces are vital to the successful programs at this neighborhood public school.

As noted by Board Member Scott Schmerelson, Shirley “is a shining example of how our public schools can be the anchor for surrounding communities.” In order to fulfill this mission, many of its classrooms are used for enrichment activities and services. These include a computer lab, a robotics room, an art and music room, a room for working one on one with students and space for afterschool programs. The Parent Center offers Adult ESL and Parenting classes and hosts meetings. Space is also provided for Mommy and Me classes that are offered to the community. However, since a teacher is not assigned to these rooms, the California Charter School CONTINUE READING: Another Charter School Attempts A Hostile Takeover - Carl J. Petersen - Medium

Congress responds to educators' calls for a COVID stimulus package that helps students and educators - Education Votes

Congress responds to educators' calls for a COVID stimulus package that helps students and educators - Education Votes

Congress responds to educators’ calls for a COVID stimulus package that helps students and educators

By Amanda Menas

America’s public schools are the economic engines of tens of thousands of communities across the country, providing not only quality education for students, but also jobs and community-sustaining economic benefits for millions of professionals. As lawmakers pressed forward in drafting a stimulus package to address the COVID-19 crisis, it was clear they heard educators’ warning that school closures forced by the epidemic could bring terrible consequences for students, families and local economies.

Last night, the Senate by a 96-0 vote passed the $2.2 trillion relief package that includes more than $30 billion in emergency education funding. The House is expected to pass it Friday. Key provisions expand unemployment insurance for laid off workers, provide direct stimulus checks to households, and provide student loan relief.

Coronavirus Relief Package Offers Up More Than $30 Billion For Education | 89.3 KPCC - https://www.scpr.org/news/2020/03/26/91431/coronavirus-relief-package-offers-up-more-than-30/

“Our economy cannot rebound if we do not address the immediate health crisis and prioritize support for educators, students and their families. The bill is not perfect, but it does address many urgent needs of our students, educators and schools,” said NEA president Lily Eskelsen García.

Last week, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, a good first step that helps ensure that the 20 million students who rely on school lunches won’t go hungry, and protects educators who continue to work to help students and families through this pandemic. 

NEA’s government relations team worked night and day to ensure the needs of students and educators were addressed in this bill. Thanks in part to the thousands of educators who reached out to their senators, this new legislation builds on the initial work to protect workers now, and once this is over. However, educators will not stop here. In the coming weeks, they will advocate for more funding to address the homework gap to help with distance learning, housing and food insecurity, and student loan cancelation.

Here are six of the measures NEA pushed for in this current bill before Congress:

Provides immediate stimulus checks to households

Congress will send up to $1,200 to most adults, and $500 per child depending on family income to shore up those especially in need during this crisis. Many educators and parents will benefit from this funding, which will aid in combating the inequities that are negatively impacting communities of color and other marginalized people.

Creates a fund to boost learning opportunities for students

An Education Stabilization Fund was created to help fill emerging budget gaps, get more money into schools and the potential to help states avoid laying off educators in preK-12 and higher education. This could allow public schools to continue paying hourly workers like education support professionals (ESPs), and campuses to continue paying adjunct and contingent faculty who may lose paychecks with school closures.

The inclusion in this bill of an education stabilization fund was essential, but Congress must understand that tens of billions dollars more will be needed to truly support all students, counter the learning loss happening through school closures and prevent educator layoffs. 

Cancels student loan payments for six months

Following the announcement that monthly payments would be suspended and interest rates dropped to 0 percent, the new legislation provides relief for federal student loan debt for six CONTINUE READING: Congress responds to educators' calls for a COVID stimulus package that helps students and educators - Education Votes

1.5 billion children around globe affected by school closure. What countries are doing to keep kids learning during pandemic. - The Washington Post

1.5 billion children around globe affected by school closure. What countries are doing to keep kids learning during pandemic. - The Washington Post

1.5 billion children around globe affected by school closure. What countries are doing to keep kids learning during pandemic.

There are now nearly 1.5 billion children around the globe — or 87 percent of Earth’s student population — whose schools have closed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and more than 60 million teachers are home as well, according to a United Nations agency.

Schools in nearly 165 countries have shuttered, the Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says, while education officials seek to scale up measures to help children and parents cope with the hasty shift to learning from home. One agency official said that students need not only academic support but also emotional support.

There were, as of Friday morning, approximately 540,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus around the world, with more than 24,000 deaths, including some 1,300 in the United States. Public life in most countries has virtually stopped in an attempt to stop the spread of covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. UNESCO said some 1.52 billion students are out of school worldwide.

At a virtual UNESCO meeting this week, an ad hoc group of education ministers from 11 countries — Costa Rica, Croatia, Egypt, France, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru and Senegal — discussed efforts to keep education continuing with schools shut, and the challenges ahead.

“We cannot replace the presence of teachers and pedagogical relationships, but we have no choice and must do our best to support principals, teachers, parents and learners while ensuring their safety,” Italian Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said, according to UNESCO. “We are using social media tools to keep alive the relationship between teachers and students, and keep up their motivation.”

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said “the responsibility to act is a collective one” and announced the creation of a Global Covid-19 Education Coalition to bring together expertise from around the world to boost efforts in various countries to keep kids learning. One key focus should be on emotional skills, according to Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s assistant director-general for education. CONTINUE READING: 1.5 billion children around globe affected by school closure. What countries are doing to keep kids learning during pandemic. - The Washington Post

What Students Are Saying About Living Through a Pandemic - The New York Times

What Students Are Saying About Living Through a Pandemic - The New York Times

What Students Are Saying About Living Through a Pandemic
Teenage comments in response to our recent writing prompts, and an invitation to join the ongoing conversation.

The rapidly-developing coronavirus crisis is dominating global headlines and altering life as we know it. Many schools worldwide have closed. In the United States alone, 55 million students are rapidly adjusting to learning and socializing remotely, spending more time with family, and sacrificing comfort and convenience for the greater good.

For this week’s roundup of student comments on our writing prompts, it was only fitting to ask teenagers to react to various dimensions of this unprecedented situation: how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting their daily lives, how we can all help one another during the crisis and what thoughts or stories the term “social distancing” conjures for them.

Every week, we shout out new schools who have commented on our writing prompts. This week, perhaps because of many districts’ move to remote online learning, we had nearly 90 new classes join us from around the world. Welcome to the conversation to students from:

Academy of St. Elizabeth; Abilene, Tex.; Alabama; Anna High School, Tex.; Arlington, Va.; Austria-Hungary; Baltimore, Md.; Bellingham, Wash.; Ben Lippen School; Bloomington, Ind.; Branham High School, San Jose, Calif.; Boston; Buffalo High School, Wyo.; Camdenton, Mo.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Collierville, Tenn.; Dawson High School, Tex.; Denmark; Desert Vista High School; Doylestown, Penn.; Dublin, Calif.; Dunkirk, N.Y.; Eleanor Murray Fallon Middle School; Elmhurst, Ill.; Fairfax, Va.; Framingham, Mass.; Frederick, Md.; Hartford, Conn.; Jefferson, N.J.; Kantonschule Uster, Switzerland; Laconia, N.H.; Las Vegas; Lashon Academy; Lebanon, N.H.; Ledyard High School; Leuzinger High School; Livonia, Mich.; Manistee Middle School; Miami, Fla.; Melrose High School; Milton Hershey School, Hershey, Penn.; Milwaukee; Montreal; Naguabo, Puerto Rico; Nebraska; Nessacus Regional Middle School; New Rochelle, N.Y.; Newport, Ky.; Newton, Mass.; North Stanly High School; Oakland, Calif.; Papillion Middle School; Polaris Expeditionary Learning School; Pomona, Calif.; Portsmouth, N.H.; Pueblo, Colo.; Reading, Mass.; Redmond Wash.; Richland, Wash.; Richmond Hill Ontario; Ridgeley, W.Va.; Rockford, Mich.; Rovereto, Italy; Salem, Mass.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Seattle, Wash.; Sequoyah School Pasadena; Shackelford Junior High, Arlington, Tex.; South El Monte High School; Sugar Grove, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; Timberview High School; Topsfield, Mass.; Valley Stream North High School; Vienna, Va.; Waupun, Wis.; Wauwatosa, Wis.; Wenatchee, Wash.; Westborough Mass.; White Oak Middle School, Ohio; and Winter Park High School.

We’re so glad to have you here! Now, on to this week’s comments.

Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.
CONTINUE READING: What Students Are Saying About Living Through a Pandemic - The New York Times

Desperate parents need help as coronavirus forces us into homeschooling

Desperate parents need help as coronavirus forces us into homeschooling

Desperate parents need help as coronavirus upends our lives
We’re all exhausted, some of us are going hungry, and more and more of us are getting sick

As an education reporter, I’ve watched hundreds of teachers lead classrooms and I’ve learned that their job is one of the hardest in the world. The best teachers seem to have endless supplies of energy, patience and creativity. They manage to inspire both love and awe, keeping kids simultaneously inspired and on task.

It’s a job I know I could never do myself. And yet here I am. Here we all are.

My 4-year-old and 6-year-old attend public school in New York City, which closed schools Monday, March 15, to slow the virulent spread of the coronavirus here. During the first week, our school sent home a handful of worksheets and some links to educational software and shows. I made a color-coded schedule accounting for every hour of the day that usually fell apart by 10am.

A week later, we were hit with a flurry of instructions about how to set up remote schooling on laptops and iPads in our homes (parents who needed devices were instructed to apply for them online, of all things). The Google Classroom page for my first grader included multiple assignments from multiple teachers, plus instructions on how to teach her to type in a pdf.

That first day seems like years ago. I feel exhausted and frayed by this new expectation that I add homeschooling to the already CONTINUE READING: Desperate parents need help as coronavirus forces us into homeschooling

Kennedy HS whistleblower sues charter group | The Lens

Kennedy HS whistleblower sues charter group | The Lens

Kennedy HS whistleblower sues charter group

A former charter school network administrator who was fired last year after alerting superiors to suspicious grade changes at John F. Kennedy High School, is suing the school’s charter operator — the New Beginnings Schools Foundation — citing the state’s whistleblower law. 

In the suit, the former administrator, Runell King, alleges he was fired immediately after threatening to go to the media when the charter group dismissed his concerns. 

The timing, the suit charges, suggests that his refusal to participate in apparent grade inflation, telling his bosses about it and then threatening to go public were why he was fired. 

King ultimately did go public with his concerns last year, shortly after his firing. In March 2019, he told The Lens that higher-ups at the New Beginnings Schools Foundation initially failed to conduct a thorough investigation into about a dozen instances of students’ grades being inflated at the Gentilly high school. Shortly after the story was published, the network’s board authorized a new investigation, which eventually uncovered much deeper problems at the school. 

The network’s internal investigation — along with work by a contractor hired to help manage the network and probes by the state and NOLA Public Schools district — uncovered widespread mismanagement, special education problems and student CONTINUE READING: Kennedy HS whistleblower sues charter group | The Lens

Ohio Legislature Allows Continued Growth of EdChoice Vouchers in Schools Where EdChoice Now Operates | janresseger

Ohio Legislature Allows Continued Growth of EdChoice Vouchers in Schools Where EdChoice Now Operates | janresseger

Ohio Legislature Allows Continued Growth of EdChoice Vouchers in Schools Where EdChoice Now Operates

Both chambers of the Ohio Legislature came into session on Wednesday to pass an omnibus “coronavirus” bill, which sets the date of the now delayed primary election, waives mandated standardized testing in schools that have been closed during the pandemic emergency, and allows seniors to graduate from high school as long as they were on track to graduate before their school was closed.

The bill also freezes the threatened April 1, 2020, expansion of the number of Ohio’s public school buildings where students can qualify for an EdChoice voucher. The Statehouse News Bureau‘s Karen Kasler reports: “The legislation freezes the number of EdChoice buildings at 517, the same number as this school year—though new rules on criteria for determining whether a building was failing and the students were EdChoice eligible were supposed to have that number soaring to over 1200.”  The number of EdChoice Designated public schools was supposed to have jumped on February 1, but in late January, unable to agree on a plan, members of the legislature gave themselves a two-month extension until April 1.  By acting on Wednesday to freeze the number of voucher-eligible buildings, legislators at least blocked what would have been next week’s massive expansion of the program.

However, the legislature’s EdChoice freeze on the number of eligible buildings will slow but not stop the number of new vouchers students are taking from their local school districts through something called “the school-district deduction.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the  President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, Melissa Cropper explains why the emergency bill, passed on Wednesday to stop the number of voucher-eligible schools from exploding to 1,200 on April 1, won’t solve the problem for school districts: “The Ohio (Legislature) took action today to freeze building eligibility for EdChoice CONTINUE READING: Ohio Legislature Allows Continued Growth of EdChoice Vouchers in Schools Where EdChoice Now Operates | janresseger

CURMUDGUCATION: Why Teach Literature Stuff: #3 Knowing Stuff Is Useful

CURMUDGUCATION: Why Teach Literature Stuff: #3 Knowing Stuff Is Useful

Why Teach Literature Stuff: #3 Knowing Stuff Is Useful

When I was teaching, and I had extra time on my hands, I would reflect on the work--the whys and hows and whats. So in solidarity with my former colleagues, I'm going to write a series about every English teacher's favorite thing-- teaching literature, and why we do it. There will be some number of posts (I don't have a plan here).

Also, it would be nice to write and read about something positive, and I don't know anything much more positive than what teachers do and why they do it.

It is easy to fall into the habit of thinking that school is about taking material in so that one can just spit it out again on command, like some bites of vegetable that one holds in ones mouth but neither chews nor swallows.

But it is useful to know stuff. Not in a get a good score on the test way, but in a live your life way. Yes, it's useful because it helps you understand the world and how to be in it (see #2). But there's more to it.

You can see patterns, and see that this thing over here is a lot like that thing over there. You can see that events over here are unfolding much like those events way back then. In my years in the classroom, I taught an awful lot by analogy, by examples. The foundation for that was my old-fashioned liberal arts education; I know a little bit about a lot of things, but not everything about anything. And to be able to pull in connections that meant something to my students, I read up on current youth cultury stuff (for a while I knew waaaayyyy more than I wanted to about The Hills).

I know a little bit about a lot of things the only way someone can-- I read. And that has made a difference in my ability to see patterns and similarities and differences, which are all things you CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: Why Teach Literature Stuff: #3 Knowing Stuff Is Useful

Audio: The Biggest Distance-Learning Experiment In History: Week One | 89.3 KPCC

Audio: The Biggest Distance-Learning Experiment In History: Week One | 89.3 KPCC

The Biggest Distance-Learning Experiment In History: Week One

For 6-year-old Sadie Hernandez, the first day of online school started at her round, wooden kitchen table in Jacksonville, Fla. She turned on an iPad and started talking to her first grade teacher, Robin Nelson.

"Are you ready to do this online stuff?" her teacher asks, in a video sent to NPR by Hernandez's mother, Audrey.

"Yeah," Sadie responds.
"It's kind of scary isn't it?"
"Kind of."

Sadie's teacher reminds her that they'll be using the educational software that she is already familiar with from her face-to-face classes at Ortega Elementary School: "It's iReady, so we've got that. And we've got WritingCity. And now you know how to meet me in the morning."

Every state has closed at least some public schools to fight the spread of coronavirus, and some are starting to say they expect to be closed through the end of the school year.

Thrown into the breach, public schools are setting out on an unprecedented experiment: With little training and even fewer resources, in a matter of days they're shifting from a system of education that for centuries has focused on face to face interaction, to one that works entirely at a distance.

Diana Greene, the superintendent of Duval County Schools where Robin Nelson teaches, sent an email to her staff on Friday, March 20 that illustrates the magnitude of the effort educators around the country are faced with:

"It is amazing to me that it was just 3 days ago that we made the decision to close CONTINUE READING: Audio: The Biggest Distance-Learning Experiment In History: Week One | 89.3 KPCC

Please Don’t Call It ‘HOMESCHOOLING’ | The Merrow Report

Please Don’t Call It ‘HOMESCHOOLING’ | The Merrow Report

Please Don’t Call It ‘HOMESCHOOLING’

Now that nearly all public schools have closed their doors because of Covid-19, about 50 million school-age children are being ‘Homeschooled,’ and parents are being told that they should be dividing their children’s days into time periods for academic subjects and following lesson plans. That’s how The Today Show approached the subject recently, giving parents a step-by-step map, the first step being “Set Up School.”  That’s exactly the wrong advice, in my view, a recipe for failure on every level.

Unfortunately, it’s not just The Today Show, because a lot of school systems seem to be reflexively behaving as if they could simply transplant school’s routines to the home.  Some are emailing or posting lesson plans that they expect students (and parents) to follow. Distance Learning and on-line instruction are all the rage, but most of this seems to be “same old, same old”–the straightforward presentation of information.  While these may be understandable responses to the crisis, they’re not particularly helpful in my view.

While anxiety is understandable, it’s healthier to look for the opportunities that Covid-19 is creating.  Let’s begin by abandoning the term ‘Homeschooling,’ because no one should be trying to turn homes into schools.  Schools are organized for crowd control and group instruction, which is why they have established periods of time for individual subjects, bells, and lesson plans in order to run smoothly. Homes don’t need bells, et cetera.

But don’t take my word for it, because there’s plenty of sensible advice out there, including this: “Learning doesn’t have to take the form of worksheets and spelling tests. Young children have such a strong desire for knowledge. If you can trust them to lead the way, you may be surprised by how they choose to spend their time and where their curiosity takes CONTINUE READING: Please Don’t Call It ‘HOMESCHOOLING’ | The Merrow Report

NEA Tele-Town Hall with Lily Eskelsen García on COVID-19 - NEA Today

NEA Tele-Town Hall with Lily Eskelsen García on COVID-19   - NEA Today

NEA Tele-Town Hall with Lily Eskelsen García on COVID-19

Understanding the need for clear and accurate information during a time that’s filled with fear and uncertainty led NEA President Lily Eskelsen García to host a tele-town hall meeting on March 25 with more than a thousand association leaders around the country.

While there was much to celebrate on the call—from the valiant efforts of educators who are continuing to teach and support students to the announcement of NEA’s 2020 ESP of the Year—there was also business to conduct.

“The NEA building is closed during this national emergency, but…we’re working by phone, email, and any way to maintain connections [and] we’ve been working day and night to protect our members, students, and our communities,” says Eskelsen García, who was hunkered in place in her home.

The hour-long call focused on policy, advocacy, and legislation, including the $2 trillion stimulus plan out of Congress. Here are some key takeaways:

Policy: Testing, Students with Disabilities, Student Loans, and Meals.

• Testing: The U.S. Department of Education has offered some flexibility, specifically for K-12 (higher education to come), on testing and accountability requirements for the 2019-2020 school year. The Every Student Succeeds Act requires annual testing as an accountability measure of student and school performance. However, states can apply for a waiver and bypass standardized testing. So far, well over half of the states have received a waiver—and every state is eligible to apply.
• Students with disabilities: Additionally, the education department released guidance around supporting students with disabilities and underscored that schools “should not opt to close or decline to provide distance instruction, at the expense of students, to address matters pertaining to services for students with disabilities.” Schools must provide a free and appropriate public education to those with disabilities, the fact sheet states, but the way that’s achieved during a coronavirus-related closure might be different. Educators and parents should work together to find ways to meet students’ needs through digital platforms, over the phone as well as through low-tech options like instructional packets and projects.
• English language learners: While the department of education has yet to release guidance on how to support English language learners, NEA is urging school officials to include this population as part of their planning.
• Student loans: All borrowers with federally held student loans will automatically have their interest rates set to 0% for a period of at least 60 days. Plus, each of these borrowers can apply to postpone their payments for at least two months, temporarily stopping their payments without worrying about accruing interest. This is retroactive to March 13, when the national emergency was declared. Lastly, wage garnishments and collection actions will be held for any borrowers who were moving into a default status.
• Meals: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has made it easier for all 50 states and U.S. territories to ensure students have meals. The implementation of how students will get fed has now moved to state, district, and school level decision makers.

Advocacy: Keep Pressure on Congress.

Members of Congress have seen first-hand how educators quickly work to make sure students are supported—even during a national emergency—as well as how public schools are the economic drivers for employment and the economic vitality of communities CONTINUE READING: NEA Tele-Town Hall with Lily Eskelsen García on COVID-19   - NEA Today