CURMUDGUCATION: How To Sell Personalized L:earning

CURMUDGUCATION: How To Sell Personalized L:earning:

How To Sell Personalized L:earning

Competency based education, one of the major flavors of personalized learning, has a great number of problems. It's beloved by our Silicon Valley tech overlords, but it has a lousy history (if you a4e of a certain age, you may recall Outcome Based Education, CBE's older failed sibling).

CBE reduces education to a series of simple standardized tasks, the complexity and depth of rigorous intellectual study reduced to a checklist of items to be tagged "done." Tech overlords love it because the whole business can be reduced to software running on computers (with little or no dependency on actual meat-based teachers). Actual live students, however, aren't that impressed. Turns out sitting in a cubicle and running through exercises on a screen is not all that compelling. And that's before we get to the Big Brothery issues of a system that records and attempts to analyze every last student key stroke. If you want to dig at greater length, you can read at Emily Talmage's Save Maine Schools.

Talmage has spent time on CBE because CBE has been spending time on Maine. Proponents, investors and other folks hoping to make it big with CBE have been using Maine as a testing ground to work out the bugs.

And one of the bugs remains how to get people to actually want CBE/PL. 

Here's one version of the marketing pitch, courtesy of Sen. Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth, chair of the Legislature’s Education Committee and Rep. Brian Hubbell, D-Bar Harbor, also on the Education Committee. It ran in the Bangor Daily News today, but it's a pitch we can expect to hear many CURMUDGUCATION: How To Sell Personalized L:earning:

How School Data Fails to Tell Us What’s Important

How School Data Fails to Tell Us What’s Important:

How School Data Fails to Tell Us What’s Important

Teachers look for solutions. That’s what we do. But data collection often fails when it comes to solutions. You can collect all the information in the world, but if you don’t know how to use it, or it can’t be translated into something meaningful, the information is worthless.

That’s how I feel about yesterday’s article in U.S. News and World Report, “Where Poor Students Are Top of the Class” telling about students who are top test takers in schools along the Rio Grande River in Texas. Ninety-five percent of students there are poor and 33 percent are still learning English. They also boast of a 90 percent graduation rate. The report looks at three school districts: McAllen, El Paso, and Brownsville.

When I see an article that says poor students are doing well in school, I want to know why. How are educators, parents, and these communities making this happen? What are they doing differently that other school districts can learn from?

The report, called the Education Equality Index, originates from researchers from Great Schools, a nonprofit backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Waltons, and other foundations, and Education Cities, another nonprofit backed by How School Data Fails to Tell Us What’s Important:

Charter school kept two homeless children out of class for a month because they didn’t have uniforms | The Lens

Charter school kept two homeless children out of class for a month because they didn’t have uniforms | The Lens:

Charter school kept two homeless children out of class for a month because they didn’t have uniforms

The state Department of Education cited Sophie B. Wright Charter School for keeping two homeless students out of class for a month because they didn’t have school uniforms.

The agency informed the Uptown charter school in May that it had violated the terms of its charter agreement by failing to follow a federal law that requires schools to change policies that impede homeless students from learning or attending school.

The mother of the two students contacted the Recovery School District on Feb. 8. She said her children were prevented from starting school at Wright because they didn’t have uniforms.

The Recovery School District oversees the school, which serves grades 7 through 12.

Education department employees told school staff twice that the children were considered homeless and the school should accommodate them. On Feb. 16, an education department staffer told the school to provide the children with uniforms, using federal funds dedicated for homeless students.

Yet, the children “were told on at least one occasion by Wright staff that they could not attend school until the uniforms were Charter school kept two homeless children out of class for a month because they didn’t have uniforms | The Lens:

LET’S DO EDUCATION FUNDING REFORM THE RIGHT WAY (BY JIM FINLEY) - Wait What?

LET’S DO EDUCATION FUNDING REFORM THE RIGHT WAY (BY JIM FINLEY) - Wait What?:

LET’S DO EDUCATION FUNDING REFORM THE RIGHT WAY 
BY JIM FINLEY

Despite all the fiscal and other challenges paralyzing Connecticut, there is an opportunity in the 2017 special legislative session to take the first real step toward comprehensive, rational and constitutional education funding reform.  That first step is authorizing an education adequacy cost study be conducted in our state as called for in Substitute House Bill 7270 (File 511, House Calendar 351) of the regular legislative session.

Connecticut’s shame is to tolerate among the most economically and racially segregated school districts in the nation.  As pointed out in painful clarity by the plaintiffs in the historic CCJEF v. Rell case now under appeal to the CT Supreme Court, too many of our public school students are denied their state constitutional right to an adequate and equitable education.  Connecticut is failing our poor, special need and minority students.  The achievement gap between poor and minority students and other students in our state is among the worst in the country.  The socioeconomic consequences of such unconstitutional indifference are not only dire for the students affected but for our state as a whole.

Our education finance system is broken and needs to be fixed.  Everyone agrees on this.  But there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

Unfortunately, the wrong way is on full display in the 2017 legislative session.  There are currently at least four proposals to change the LET’S DO EDUCATION FUNDING REFORM THE RIGHT WAY (BY JIM FINLEY) - Wait What?:

Justice Department Can’t Figure Out Who Bench Slapped ‘Betsy DeVos’ | Above the Law

Justice Department Can’t Figure Out Who This ‘Betsy DeVos’ Woman Is | Above the Law:

Justice Department Can’t Figure Out Who This ‘Betsy DeVos’ Woman Is
Well-written briefs are all alike, every boneheaded brief is boneheaded in its own way.

She may be the first cabinet appointee confirmed with the aid of a VPOTUS tie-breaking vote and the most unqualified Secretary of Education in American history, but the Justice Department isn’t sure who this Betsy DeVos woman is. They do understand that they’re representing someone in a case about student loans brought by a woman named Dieffenbacher, they just don’t know who their specific client is.

And it earned them a sly benchslap.

That’s not the Secretary of Education. While the phrase “that’s close enough for government work” has a long history, one hoped the Justice Department would be a bit more demanding. On the other hand, she’s got an unusual spelling, so maybe it’s understandable that someone might tack on an errant “s.” That said, this is the 25th docket entry — how does someone screw this up now? It’s called “cut and paste,” folks.

I’m sure they’ll fix this going forward:

Swing and a miss. Apparently now she’s the Onion Knight.

Let’s really focus on what happened here. Someone realized that they’d screwed up an earlier caption and, with full knowledge that there was a mistake, offered a new spelling on a court filing without expending the 0.65 seconds of effort it takes for Google to find the correct spelling. That’s remarkable. Really, what do lawyers in the “Predisent” Trump administration have against proofreading?

Thankfully these repeated flubs weren’t lost on Chief Judge Virginia Phillips in Justice Department Can’t Figure Out Who This ‘Betsy DeVos’ Woman Is | Above the Law:

What's Next for This Darling of Charter School Funders? — Inside Philanthropy

What's Next for This Darling of Charter School Funders? — Inside Philanthropy:

What's Next for This Darling of Charter School Funders?

Success Academy, the 2017 winner of the Broad Prize for Charter Schools, plans to step up its college readiness programs, roll out a digital platform to share its curriculum and pedagogy, and expand its network even further.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation recently announced Success, New York City's largest charter school chain, as the winner of the funder's annual prize for charter schools. The foundation said the network "has transformed not only the landscape of public education in New York City, but also the idea of what’s possible for students of color and low-income students."

Success is the sixth winner of the prize, which was launched in 2012 and awards the winning charter organization $250,000. Broad had previously offered an annual $1 million prize for urban school districts through its Broad Prize for Urban Education, but in 2015 decided to pause the award. Officials with the funder said at the time that a lack of robust growth in academic performance among urban school districts was a reason for its decision to put the award on hold.

Broad has since continued the annual prize for charter schools, awarding one each year to a charter organization that serves low-income students and children of color, and that demonstrates success in closing performance gaps between these students and their more affluent peers.

Success Academy was founded by former New York City Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz and is supported by a network of Wall Street financiers and deep-pocketed funders, including Broad. The $250,000 from the Broad Prize is a tiny sliver of the millions that Success Academy has received over the years from its network of supporters. Last year, the charter operator landed a $25 million grant from the foundation led by hedge fund billionaire Julian Robertson. The Walton Family Foundation is another steady funder, giving the network several million dollars in recent years.

But the Broad Foundation has been an especially important ally to Eva Moskowitz. It reports that it "was the first major investor in Success Academy, giving $1 million to Success Academy in 2008. To date, we have invested nearly $14 million to support the charter network, particularly in its efforts to grow to 100 schools to meet the demand from families seeking a high-quality education for their children." In 2014, for example, it made a $4.2 million grant to the organization for a charter school in the Bronx.

Starting from a single school in Harlem in 2006, Success Academy now operates 41 elementary and middle schools in four of New York City's five boroughs (only Staten Island does not have a Success Academy What's Next for This Darling of Charter School Funders? — Inside Philanthropy:

 

Schools are watching students' social media, raising questions about free speech | PBS NewsHour

Schools are watching students' social media, raising questions about free speech | PBS NewsHour:

Schools are watching students’ social media, raising questions about free speech

JUDY WOODRUFF: But first: Schools are paying a lot more attention to what students post online, and that can have severe consequences for students and schools.

Harvard University withdrew the admittance of at least 10 incoming freshmen who had reportedly posted violent, racist and sexually explicit content in a private Facebook group.

High schools are cracking down, too, with some hiring outside companies to police social media posts.

But monitoring online behavior is difficult, and civil rights groups are watching.

Special correspondent Lisa Stark with our partner Education Week visited a school district in Arizona.

LISA STARK: It’s just before summer break at Dysart High School in Surprise, Arizona, outside Phoenix. Students are eating lunch, signing yearbooks, and they’re immersed in social media.

Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube. More than 90 percent of teens say they go online every day, and nearly a quarter are online almost constantly.

Let me ask you, first of all, do you all have phones?

STUDENT: Yes.

STUDENT: Yes, we do.

LISA STARK: Do you ever not have a phone with you?

STUDENT: No.

STUDENT: It’s always on.

LISA STARK: We sat down with four Dysart students to talk about how they use social media.

Snapchat, I post every single day, like, every day, all day.

STUDENT: I always like post my thoughts, certain way I’m feeling. Depends onSchools are watching students' social media, raising questions about free speech | PBS NewsHour:

Class Size Budget Amendment (Annotated) | AMPS

Class Size Budget Amendment (Annotated) | AMPS:

Class Size Budget Amendment (Annotated)

I had joked that the previous post should have been illustrated with a picture of sausage being made, but that I didn’t want to alienate vegans and vegetarians. The amendment is now finished, and the sausage pictured here is vegan.

“Step by Step” — The Boyer Brothers (click to listen/watch)

Yesterday afternoon I submitted the final version of an amendment on class sizesto the Madison Metropolitan School District 2017-18 Preliminary Budget.  The Board of Education will consider and vote on this (and other amendments), as well as the Budget at our meeting on June 26, 2017 (6:00 PM, Doyle Building Auditorium).  In my previous post I presented my then current thinking about the amendment and asked for feedback.  This post is a brief walk-through of the final version, highlighting (and to some extent explaining) changes.

In general, the legislative process requires compromise, and tempering idealism with realism.  I have tried to keep that in mind throughout the budget work, but at this penultimate step compromise and realism become more prominent.

From top to bottom, excerpts followed by comments.

Amend the 2017-18 MMSD Preliminary Budget by immediately allocating an additional $500,000 to expand the number of budgeted unallocated classroom teacher positions, and

Dependent on the per pupil categorical aid provisions of the biennial Wisconsin State budget allocating up to an additional $1,000,000 to expand the number of budgeted unallocated classroom positions proportionately with no additional allocation if the categorical aid increase is $100 or less, up to $1,000,000 if it is $200 or more, and

Both compromise and realism are present here.  Reviewing the Budget, previous and pending actions; talking and listening to budget staff, Board Members, community members, I have concluded that the present Budget can support targeted class size allocations of $500,000, and that a favorable State Budget would justify an increase to that amount of $1,000,000.  I am sure we will hear more on this from all parties prior to and at the June 26 meeting.

I try to be forthcoming and transparent, so I want to acknowledge that the best Class Size Budget Amendment (Annotated) | AMPS:

How the 2017-18 funding increase for California education will be spent | EdSource

How the 2017-18 funding increase for California education will be spent | EdSource:

How the 2017-18 funding increase for California education will be spent

The interactive graphic below shows how the funding increase of $3.2 billion approved by the state Legislature will be spent. For cells with a spending breakdown available, you can click to zoom into that spending category. Click on the top label to zoom out and go back to the previous level. Hover on small cells to see a description. For more detailed information, see the text below the graphic. 

graphic. 

Background:

The Legislature passed a $183 billion state budget for 2017-18 last week that includes a $3.2 billion increase in funding under Proposition 98, the formula that determines how much of the General Fund will go to K-12 school, community colleges and state-funded preschool programs. The additional $3.2 billion represents an increase of 4.4 percent over last year’s allocation, bringing Prop. 98 next year to $74.5 billion.

Explanatory notes:

K-12

• Southern California Regional Occupational Center is a career technical center in Torrance serving 6 school districts, funded outside of the Local Control Funding Formula
• The Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program and the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program are two programs aimed at addressing the state’s teacher shortage.

Community colleges

• The full-time Student Success Grant Program will provide up to $1,000 annually for students who take 12 credits per term. The California Community College completion grant will increase to $2,000 annually for students who take up to 15 credits per term.
• Umoja is a statewide program committed to the academic success of African-American and other students.

Oakland charters more likely to enroll higher-performing students than district schools

akland’s charter schools enroll students who are more academically prepared than students who attend district-run schools, giving city charter schools an edge on the question of which kind of school excels at educating its students, according to a new analysis of the city’s public school landscape.

The study was considered especially noteworthy and has statewide significance because 30 percent of Oakland students attend charter schools – one of the highest concentrations of charter students in California.

In the new report, titled “Informing Equity: Student Need, Spending, and Resource Use in Oakland’s Public Schools,” a coalition of charter and traditional school advocates found that on average 40 percent of incoming 6th- graders enrolling at Oakland charter schools met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts on the Smarter Balanced state standardized test compared to 27 percent for students entering schools run by the Oakland Unified School District. The gap was similar among students just starting high school, with 37 percent of incoming 9th-grade charter students meeting or exceeding standards compared to 26 percent of students entering district-run schools. 

These results, which use test score data from 2014-15 and enrollment data from 2014 to 2016, shed new light on the differences in student populations enrolled by charter and district-run schools. While typical comparisons of the two sectors examine the cultural and economic backgrounds of students or even how those 

Oakland charters more likely to enroll higher-performing students than district schools

Zuckerberg or Gates? Billionaires Try Opposite Paths for Online Education in India - Bloomberg

Zuckerberg or Gates? Billionaires Try Opposite Paths for Online Education in India - Bloomberg:

Zuckerberg or Gates? Billionaires Try Opposite Paths for Online Education in India
Facebook's founder is backing a for-profit startup called BYJU'S that aims to bring a Disneyesque approach to learning.

Rushi Parmar lives in Keshod, a Western Indian town so small it has one park, a single-screen movie hall and no shopping mall. For clever kids like Parmar, who is 12 and heading into seventh grade, the only option for a decent education used to be traveling to a bigger city at least three-and-a-half hours away. That wasn't happening, so Parmar downloaded an app from the online education company BYJU'S and started learning math and science at her own pace. A year later, she just topped her class in sixth-grade exams. 

“I like to impress my teachers with my knowledge of advanced chapters like monocots and dicots in the biology class and thermal equilibrium in the physics class,” Parmar brags. “My teachers love it.” Impressed with her performance, several of her school friends have enrolled with BYJU’S for the seventh grade.

Online learning is exploding in India, and no company is poised to benefit more than BYJU'S. Its app has been downloaded 8 million times, and more than 400,000 students are paying an annual fee of 10,000 rupees (just over $150) in a country not known to pay for subscriptions of any kind. The company says the app is adding 1,000 subscribers every day and has reached an annual renewal rate of 90 percent. BYJU’S has won several big investors, among them Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sofina. The company is also the only startup in Asia backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, started by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.

“I want to Disney-fy education in India,” says founder Byju Raveendran in a recent conversation at his Bangalore headquarters. “I want to do for education what Walt Disney did for entertainment. I want to make it engaging and fun not just for the Indian kids but kids everywhere.”

Raveendran grew up in a small village in the southern coastal state of Kerala, where his father taught physics and his mother math at the local school. Young Raveendran was an unconventional student who skipped classes to play football and preferred to teach himself at home rather than listen to his teachers. He later enrolled for an engineering degree, then worked as a service engineer on a ship, sailing around the world for 33 months. Later, while vacationing in Bangalore, he found himself helping friends pass their entrance exams to get into top Indian engineering and management schools. “I’ve Zuckerberg or Gates? Billionaires Try Opposite Paths for Online Education in India - Bloomberg:

Betsy DeVos Picked A Student Loan CEO To Run The Student Loan System

Betsy DeVos Picked A Student Loan CEO To Run The Student Loan System:

CEO To Run The Student Loan System

A. Wayne Johnson runs a company that originates and refinances private student loans, but that wasn't mentioned when the Education Department announced his new gig.

When the Trump administration announced its pick to run the $1.3 trillion federal student loan system on Tuesday, there was one notable thing about the candidate that wasn't mentioned in the press release: he's the CEO of a private student loan company.

The Education Department's statement described A. Wayne Johnson as the "Founder, Chairman and former CEO" of a payments technology company called First Performance Corporation. It noted his Ph.D. in education leadership, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, citing his dissertation, said he "actually wrote the book on student loan debt."

But what wasn't noted was Johnson is currently the CEO of Reunion Student Loan Services, a detail confirmed by a company representative reached by phone on Tuesday afternoon. Reunion originates and services private student loans, and offers refinancing and consolidation for existing loans.

The Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reunion's website describes Johnson as its CEO, as does a copy of his CV submitted to officials at the Hamilton County school district in Tennessee, where he was in the running to become school superintendent. He withdrew his application for the position last week, according to The Chattanoogan.

The Reunion Student Loan Services representative, who declined to give their name, said that Johnson “of course plans to resign” if he is confirmed as the federal student aid chief.

Johnson founded First Performance Corporation, a payments technology business based in Atlanta, and has a long background in the payments industry. His Ph.D dissertation focused on how students decide to borrow money to fund their college educations.

Johnson "will bring a unique combination of CEO-level operating skills and an in-depth understanding of the needs and issues associated with student loan borrowers and their families,” DeVos said in her statement.

James Runcie, the previous head of Federal Student Aid, stepped down abruptly last month after he refused to testify in front of an oversight committee. In his resignation letter, Runcie Betsy DeVos Picked A Student Loan CEO To Run The Student Loan System: 

Chicago Mayor: K-12 Education Model Outdated - Higher Education

Chicago Mayor: K-12 Education Model Outdated - Higher Education:

Chicago Mayor: K-12 Education Model Outdated

WASHINGTON — Arguing that the K-12 education model of the 20th century is outdated, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday he believes it’s time to expand the public school system into a pre-kindergarten to college model.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (Photo courtesy of Noel St. John of the National Press Club)

“We have to restructure our educational system to meet the demands that the 21st century is going to require of our kids in the same way that the high school education of the 20th century met the demands of the 20th century at the time,” the second-term Chicago mayor said.

Emanuel made his remarks Tuesday at the National Press Club in defense of Chicago’s newly adopted requirement for public high school seniors in Chicago to submit proof of a post-secondary plan in order to graduate — a plan that Emanuel introduced earlier this year. The proof can include a college acceptance letter, acceptance into a trades pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship, a military enlistment letter, or a job offer or proof of employment, among other things.

“We live in a period where you earn what you learn,” Emanuel said, alluding to statistics that show higher degrees of education generally correspond with higher incomes.

“And the question in front of me as mayor is: What are we doing to better prepare our students for that time?” Emanuel said.

The father of three said that while well-off individuals such as himself and his wife, Amy, can provide their children with college counselors and tutors in order to get them into college, that it would be unconscionable for him not to direct the resources of Chicago’s public school system toward the same objective for its students, whom he said are overwhelmingly children of color who live in poverty and often are the first in their families to attend college.

Arguing that no responsible parent would leave their children’s plans for life after high school to chance, Emanuel said: “We do not leave it to chance with our children and, as mayor, as principals, we don’t leave it chance, not when we have the support in place. Not when you’re the first in your family to make it to college. … Not when the economy of tomorrow requires an education today.”

He added, “It would be morally reprehensible to do that.”

Emanuel said the new graduation requirement is just one of several  requirements— such as 40 hours of community Chicago Mayor: K-12 Education Model Outdated - Higher Education:    

Randi and Lily Together STILL: All Children Deserve to Learn, Despite Immigration Status | The Report: Opinion | US News

All Children Deserve to Learn, Despite Immigration Status | The Report: Opinion | US News:

All Children Have a Right to Learn

Immigration status should not be a factor in whether children can attend school.

 Maria Dominguez was 9 years old when she came to the U.S. from Mexico, brought here by her widowed mother who sought work to support her four children. She entered fourth grade not speaking English, feeling isolated. She cried, a lot. But, as the years passed, Maria immersed herself in school, sports and activities, including Air Force ROTC.

[READ: Donald Trump Says DREAMers Can Stay]

Now, Maria is an outstanding first-grade bilingual teacher in the Austin Independent School District who successfully applied for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status. She is also a leader in her joint NEA-AFT local union's efforts to support, protect and educate every child who walks through the doors of her public school.

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Maria's path to opportunity was enabled by the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in the Plyler v. Doe case in which the Court held that states cannot constitutionally deny K-12 students a free public education on account of their immigration status.

In its decision, the court pointed out it is in the best interests of our nation to provide children like Maria the opportunity to learn. "By denying these children a basic education," the majority wrote, "we deny them the ability to live within the structure of our civic institutions, and foreclose any realistic possibility that they will contribute in even the smallest way to the progress of our Nation."

Thirty-five years later, the protections granted to our children through this ruling are now being chipped away. A study last year by the Georgetown University Law Center's Human Rights Institute, with the Women's Refugee Commission, found that many youth in the country without legal status in Texas, North Carolina and elsewhere have been denied or discouraged from enrolling in school.

[SEE: Immigration Cartoons]

And many students who are enrolled in school are now too afraid to attend – with good reason. Just last week, a 19-year-old Ossining, N.Y., high school student was taken into custody on the day of his prom. And who can forget the wailing of the 13-year-old girl whose father was handcuffed and taken away by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during their routine ride to school? In just the first two months of the Trump administration, more than 20,000 immigrants were taken into custody, an increase of 32 percent over the previous year. Federal records showed that half of the immigrants arrested had no criminal record, or only traffic offenses. These increased enforcement actions are creating unhealthy learning environments and communities. The social, emotional and physical impact is palpable and seeping into our classrooms.

As educators and as the leaders of the nation's two largest education unions, we take seriously our obligation as a nation to provide all children with a public education that enables them to not only dream their dreams but also achieve them. We believe we are a stronger nation when we welcome to our classrooms our future scientists, police officers, researchers, pharmacists and teachers no matter where they came from.

Our nation was built through the strong contributions of immigrants like our parents andAll Children Deserve to Learn, Despite Immigration Status | The Report: Opinion | US News: 

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

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

Trumped Up Diane Ravitch's blog

A site to discuss better education for all

Here is Andrew Coulson Series on Virtues of Privatization

2by dianeravitch / 29min

Watch libertarian Andrew Coulson’s film, now showing on some, not all, PBS stations around the nation. It was paid for by libertarian foundations that support privatization. The lead funder–the Rose-Mary and Jack Anderson 

Florida: Charter Operator Charged with Theft, Fraud

4by dianeravitch / 48min

When will the citizens of Florida say “Enough is enough”? When will taxpayers stop subsidizing frauds who open charter schools? The founder of a charter chain in Florida was charged with racketeering and fraud The founder of a 

Ohio: Vouchers Are Failing to Help Kids, but Legislature Wants to Expand Them

2by dianeravitch / 41min

Stephen Dyer of Innovation Ohio writes here that vouchers cost Ohio taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars every year, yet voucher students are performing worse than their peers in public schools. I don’t like writing these things. I really 

D.C.: Whether Public or Charter, Teachers Are Leaving at High Rates

2by dianeravitch / 54min

Thanks to G.F. Brandenburg for pointing me to this important post about teacher attrition rates in D.C. by Valerie Jablow. D.C., lest we forget, is one of the epicenters of corporate reform. In 2007, D.C. established mayoral control of the schools. Mayor Adrian Fenty hired Michelle Rhee and gave her full authority to remake the schools. Rhee stayed until Fenty was defeated at the next election in

Maurice Cunningham: Dark Money Combines to Privatize Public Schools: PLEASE READ THIS!

10by dianeravitch / 1h

This may be the most important post you read today. Maurice Cunningham, a professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, began investigating the millions of dollars pouring into the state during the referendum on charter schools last fall. He wondered why so many billionaires from other states wanted to expand the number of charter schools in Massachusetts. He continued his in

Nancy Flanagan: The War on the Teaching Profession Is No Longer Covert

19by dianeravitch / 2h

In 2010, the corporate reform movement emerged as a national phenomenon. “Waiting for Superman” was the rage that fall, aided by a massive Gates-funded PR program, asserting that bad schools were caused by lazy, greedy teachers. Suddenly, the push for privately managed charter schools and attacks on teachers merged as a coherent “reform movement,” helped along by $5 billion in Race to the Top fed

YESTERDAY

Mike Klonsky: Rahm Emanuel Going to D.C. to Boast of His “Success” as a “Reformer”

11by dianeravitch / 12h

Mike Klonsky writes that it was another horrendous weekend of youth violence and murder in Chicago. And Rahm Emanuel, the mayor who will go down in history for closing 50 public schools in one day, is going to speak at the National Pres Clob about his punitive plan to withhold high school diplomas from students who can’t produce evidence of college acceptance or a job or enlistment in the militar

Help is On the Way! Education Law Center Launches “Voucher Watch”

21by dianeravitch / 17h

Legal teams will track voucher plans and file lawsuits against them. No public finds for private and religious schools. No public funds for private security forces, private firefighters, private swimming pools, private beaches, private parks. Public means public! Under democratic control. Open meetings. Financial transparency. Open to the public. VOUCHER WATCH LAUNCHED TO COMBAT USE OF PUBLIC FUN

Steve Zimmer Reflects on the Los Angeles School Board Election, the Most Expensive in American History

10by dianeravitch / 22h

Steve Zimmer has been on the Los Angeles Unified School Board for eight years. This spring he ran for re-election. He came close to the 50% mark in the first round, but didn’t cross it. In the runoff, turnout was very low (less than 10%), and he was beaten by Nick Melvoin, who was funded by the Billionaire Boys Club. He wrote these reflections on his defeat: Friends, It has been a month since the

Lubienskis: Why is Betsy DeVos Pushing Vouchers When Research Shows They Don’t Work?

59by dianeravitch / 23h

Christopher Lubienski and Sarah Lubienski are among the nation’s leading researchers on the subject of school choice. Their book, “The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools” is must reading. Christopher Lubienski is professor of education policy at Indiana University. Sarah Theule Lubienski is a professor of mathematics education at the University of Illinois at U

Duane Swacker Makes His Mark in Australia!

21by dianeravitch / 1d

Phil Cullen is a blogger in Australia, whose blog “The Treehorn Express” eloquently savages national standards and testing. Cullen discovered our reader Duane Swacker, who teaches in Missouri. Duane regularly lectures us on Noel Wilson’s devastating critique of standardized testing. I am happy to point out that Phil Cullen discovered Duane Swacker and introduced Noel Wilson’s thinking to many Aus

Carpe Diem Charter Schools, Once Lauded, Now Sinking

31by dianeravitch / 1d

The Carpe Diem charter chain started in Arizona in 2012. Google the chain, and you will find articles praising the promise of this school where students sat in cubicles with a computer, looking like a call-center. Flash forward to 2017, and it turns out that students don’t want to be taught in a call-center. The Hechinger Report, which wrote about the promise of the charter when it opened, discov

Marc Tucker: Trump’s Budget Takes from the Poor to Give to the Rich

17by dianeravitch / 1d

Marc Tucker says that Trump’s budget will not make America great again. It is a reverse Robin Hood plan, taking from the poor and giving to the rich. “The first reaction is all gut. The budget, on its face, would represent a gigantic 

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