Betsy DeVos Calls for New Way Forward on Sexual Assault, But No Specifics - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Betsy DeVos Calls for New Way Forward on Sexual Assault, But No Specifics - Politics K-12 - Education Week:

Betsy DeVos Calls for New Way Forward on Sexual Assault, But No Specifics

Washington

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos says that Obama-era guidance on combating sexual assault needs a makeover. But she hasn't been specific about what, exactly, she would like to see changed.  

"We'll get to work to figure out the best way to solve this problem," DeVos said Thursday during her very first press conference at 400 Maryland Ave., the Education Department's headquarters.  "There has been a lack of clarity in this area. And I think it's time for Congress to address this. This department is not going to make laws from this department. It's Congress' role to make laws, and.Betsy DeVos Calls for New Way Forward on Sexual Assault, But No Specifics - Politics K-12 - Education Week:

Digital Classrooms As Data Factories – Wrench in the Gears

Digital Classrooms As Data Factories – Wrench in the Gears:

Digital Classrooms As Data Factories

Yesterday I shared an introductory essay to my series “Education in the Cloud,” which included the slide presentation “Big Data vs Teachers.” Today’s post features “Digital Classrooms As Data Factories.”

Slide Presentation: Digital Classrooms As Data Factories

My goal for this series is to make it clear that the “Future Ready” changes we’re seeing in today’s classrooms stem from the drive to create a speculative market in education data linked to social impact investing, Pay for Success, and Social Impact Bonds. These bonds are designed to be bundled as asset backed securities and traded on global markets. Did we learn nothing from the 2008 housing market crash? In addition, there are troubling elements of social control and surveillance embedded in the shift to online education as data dashboards and digital portfolios of “competencies,” academic AND behavioral, have begun to take precedence over authentic, offline learning experiences.

Recent “philanthropic” interest in universal pre-kindergarten, early literacy interventions and post-graduation plans (college, career, military Digital Classrooms As Data Factories – Wrench in the Gears:

CURMUDGUCATION: Librarians Take Reading Level Stand

CURMUDGUCATION: Librarians Take Reading Level Stand:

Librarians Take Reading Level Stand

One of the weird little sideshows of modern ed reform has been an unhealthy preoccupation with reading levels. What lots of folks heard Common Core say was that we had to lock students in to their lexile reading score level (whether the Core said exactly that or not is another debate, That in turn has triggered a resurgence in programs like Renaissance Learning's dreadful Accelerated Readerincentive program. Read more books! Answer more quizzes! Learn more points! And always-- always-- pick books based on the reading level and not based on, say, whether or not you find it interesting.

Yes, please

There's a lot to argue about when it comes to reading levels. These generally based on mechanics, in keeping with the whole philosophy of reading and writing as a set of context-free "skills"-- it assumes that how well you read something has nothing at all to do with the content of what you're reading. Lexile scores, the type of analysis favored by the Core fans, works basically from vocabulary and sentence length. That has the advantage of being analysis that a machine can do. It has the disadvantage of providing ridiculous results. Ernest Hemmingway's novel The Sun Also Rises is at about the same lexile score as the classic Curious George Gets a Medal-- third gtrade-ish. Meanwhile, Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse V may have PG-13 language and situations, but it also has a fourth grade-ish lexile score. And none of those works rank as high as Mr. Popper's Penguins.

So there's a great deal to dislike about the whole business of assessing reading levels, but the American Association of School Librarians (a subgroup of the American Library Association) has CURMUDGUCATION: Librarians Take Reading Level Stand:

English Learner Roadmap - Step Forward in Computer Science Education (CA Dept of Education)

English Learner Roadmap - Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education):

State Board of Education Approves “English Learner Roadmap” to Help More than 1.4 Million California Students

SACRAMENTO— The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved a revolutionary “English Learner Roadmap” to help California’s more than 1,000 local school districts welcome, understand, and educate the diverse population of students who are learning English.

California has about 1.4 million students—one of every four public school students statewide—classified as English Learners. The Roadmap is the first new language policy adopted in nearly 20 years, removes outdated barriers to bilingual and multilingual instruction, and will help schools meet updated state and federal education laws and requirements.

“This is a terrific step forward to help students in the wonderfully diverse state of California,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. “The road map will guide teachers and school districts all across California as they help students on their way to success in 21st century careers and college.”

State Board President Michael W. Kirst said passage of the roadmap marks both an end and a beginning. "With this vote, the state puts regressive policies in our past and embarks on a new, inclusive path toward ensuring California's promise of college and career readiness for all students is fulfilled."

California voters last year overwhelmingly approved Proposition 58, which removed a number of legal barriers to bilingual learning. The measure will ensure that all students receive the highest quality education, master the English language, and access high-quality and innovative language programs.

Past restrictions date back to 1998, when Proposition 227 passed and placed nearly all English Learner students in English-only classrooms.

Demand for bilingual and multilingual instruction has been growing as proficiency in more than one language helps students compete for college admissions and jobs. For example, high school seniors who demonstrated dual language skills can earn a gold “Seal of Biliteracy” on their diplomas. In the Class of 2016, more than 40,000 students earned the seal, four time the number when the state-authorized program started in 2010.

The English Learner Roadmap will also help California schools comply with the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the state’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), both of which require specific assistance so English Learners can meet the same academic standards as other students.

The Roadmap started as a recommendation of Torlakson’s “Blueprint for Great Schools Version 2.0” in 2015. The California Department of Education, with support from the Sobrato Family Foundation and the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, received advice on the recommended policy from over 370 educators during three public meetings. The Roadmap will be available online. For more information, go to the CDE English Learner Roadmap Web page.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

English Learner Roadmap - Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Step Forward in Computer Science Education

SACRAMENTO— State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that the State Board of Education (SBE) took action to improve and update computer science education in California.

The board appointed 21 members to the Computer Science Standards Advisory Committee and approved guidelines for the development of new standards.

“These actions will modernize and upgrade computer science education in California” Torlakson said. “Enhancing and expanding the teaching and learning of computer science will help California’s students succeed in a fiercely competitive environment, while maintaining our state’s position as the global high-tech leader.”

The guidelines were recommended by the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) and are based on focus group meetings, public comment and updates for current state law. The committee members include math and science teachers, principals, university professors and business leaders. The committee will develop standards that provide guidance to local educational agencies.

The IQC, a panel of experts that advises the SBE on curriculum and instruction, will develop and recommend standards before August, 2019. The standards must:

• Reflect industry trends
• Contain concepts that can be learned without the use of a computer
• Focus on solving real-world problems
• Emphasize the artistic and creative nature of computer science.

Torlakson, who started his public service career as a high school science teacher, has placed a high priority on expanding and improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. He strongly promotes Next Generation Science Standards, which emphasize hands-on science learning, problem solving and working in teams.

The public can comment on the proposed standards during two separate 60-day review periods next year.

Another initiative includes establishing the California Computer Science Strategic Implementation Advisory Panel. The panel will consider the best and most equitable ways of implementing the new standards, including how to expand the pool of computer science teachers, and will start work in March 2018.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Step Forward in Computer Science Education

The Racist Origins of Private School Vouchers - Center for American Progress

The Racist Origins of Private School Vouchers - Center for American Progress:

The Racist Origins of Private School Vouchers

About three and a half hours southwest of Washington, D.C., nestled in the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont is Prince Edward County, a rural community that was thrust into the history books more than 60 years ago when county officials chose to close its segregated public schools rather than comply with court-mandated desegregation following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision.1 Like many public school districts in the South during the Jim Crow era, Prince Edward County operated a segregated school system—a system white officials and citizens were determined to keep by any means necessary. The scheme they hatched was to close public schools and provide white students with private school vouchers.

Fast forward to 2017: President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos have championed a plan to provide federal funding for private school voucher systems nationwide, which would funnel millions of taxpayer dollars out of public schools and into unaccountable private schools—a school reform policy that they say would provide better options for low-income students trapped in failing schools. Their budget proposal would slash the Education Department’s budget by more than 13 percent, or $9 billion, while providing $1.25 billion for school choice, including $250 million for private school vouchers.2

When pressed on the risks and unintended consequences of potential exclusionary policies in voucher programs, Secretary DeVos refused to commit to aggressively enforce civil rights protections. In May of 2017 in her testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Betsy DeVos declined to say whether she would protect students against discriminatory policies in private schools that receive federal funding through vouchers.3

As Americans debate this issue on the national level, they must consider both the historical context and the actual impact of voucher programs.

Sordid history of school vouchers

During Jim Crow—when state and local laws enforced racial segregation—Prince Edward County operated two high schools: the well-funded Farmville High School for white children and the severely underfunded Robert Russa Moton High School for black The Racist Origins of Private School Vouchers - Center for American Progress:

It Must Be Nice - Teacher Habits

It Must Be Nice - Teacher Habits:

It Must Be Nice 

It’s midsummer, which means that if you’re a teacher you’ve likely heard some version of “It must be nice” from some of your non-teacher acquaintances.

It must be nice to spend the whole summer doing stuff with your kids.
It must be nice to take all those vacations.
It must be nice to spend a random Tuesday at the beach.
It must be nice to visit a bar on a Wednesday night.
It must be nice to have all that time off.

It reminds me of a conversation I had a couple of weeks ago. We were visiting friends in Wisconsin. He’s a lawyer with a private practice who has done very well. She’s a stay-at-home mom with four kids to watch, entertain, feed, and shuttle from place to place. Because he makes a lot of money, they sometimes hear, “It must be nice” from friends and family members. And it pisses them off. As it should.

Everyone can see the spoils of their success: the nice house, the cars, It Must Be Nice - Teacher Habits:

John Thompson: National report ranks OKCPS schools in top-20 'worst' - NonDoc

National report ranks OKCPS schools in top-20 'worst' - NonDoc:

National report ranks OKCPS schools in top-20 ‘worst’

How should we respond to three eastside OKCPS schools being listed as among the 20 “worst” schools in the nation? Perhaps even more amazingly, 10 percent of the “worst” 100 schools in the nation listed are in Oklahoma.

According to data from the 2015-16 school year, NeighborhoodScout.com ranked Moon Elementary School as America’s 11th-worst public school. Centennial Middle School and Martin Luther King Elementary followed, ranking 18th and 19th from the bottom, respectively.

Demographic, statistical data paint a grim picture

NeighborhoodScout reports that the neighborhood Moon serves has a per capita income below $12,000, which is only 40 percent of the nation’s average (and less than the per capita income of 99 percent of America’s neighborhoods). Data also show a higher percentage of residents living alone compared to 99.1 percent of all U.S. neighborhoods. Last, the chances of being the victim of a violent crime in the Moon area are 11 times greater than those in the rest of Oklahoma.

Although this data can’t identify who is to blame for school failure, it provides a timely warning for OKCPS and Oklahoma’s schools at large that shouldn’t be brushed off. Further, these sorts of rankings do manage to point a blaming finger at the state National report ranks OKCPS schools in top-20 'worst' - NonDoc:

New Sheriff, New Rules? By Jonathan D. Glater - Education Law Prof Blog

Education Law Prof Blog:

New Sheriff, New Rules? 
By Jonathan D. Glater

There is a certain irony in the choice of tactics in last week’s lawsuits filed in response to the Education Department’s effort to back away from Obama-era rules that created a process for indebted students to get out of their loan repayment obligations if the institution they attended made false or misleading statements.  The 19 states that filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., are making the same kind of argument that for-profit higher education providers used in their lawsuit against prior efforts to regulate in this area.

In their complaint, the states, which include Massachusetts, California, and New York, charge that the Department’s effort to postpone implementation of the rules violates the Administrative Procedures Act, or APA. 

(The Department’s move was announced in a press release, and a prior blogpost assessing it is here.  The rules at issue, which were announced in October and were to take effect on July 1, are here.)

While the Department justified the decision to delay implementation of the rules by citing pending litigation filed by the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools, the states argued in their complaint that not every rule subject to delay had been targeted in the trade group’s lawsuit.

According to the states, the Department’s delay of the rule must itself be subject to notice and comment, like any new rule, and the Department’s failure to do so constitutes a violation of the APA.  Through litigation, the states hope to have a judge order implementation of the rules.

To appreciate the irony, you have to let your mind wander way back to 2011.  That’s when the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities sued the Education Department to block implementation of the “gainful employment” rules, which among other things would have imposed penalties on institutions if the ratio of their students’ debt to income exceeded a specified level.  The trade group’s lawsuit succeeded in delaying full Education Law Prof Blog:

Author shelves teacher tenure bill; surprise alternative emerges | EdSource

Author shelves teacher tenure bill; surprise alternative emerges | EdSource:

Author shelves teacher tenure bill; surprise alternative emerges

he latest attempt in the Legislature to lengthen the probation period for new teachers has stalled for the year. On Wednesday, the author of a bill to add an optional extra probationary year pulled her bill amid the surprise emergence of a competing bill by Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction.

Thurmond’s Assembly Bill 1164 adopts the position of the California Teachers Association, which is expected to support his candidacy, and appeared last week as an alternative to a bill by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego. Her bill would extend the standard two-year probation to a third year for those teachers “on the bubble,” showing potential but needing further help and supervision. Thurmond’s bill also would permit a third probationary year, but contains conditions and restrictions, advocated by the teachers’ unions but criticized by school districts, that aren’t in Weber’s bill.Author shelves teacher tenure bill; surprise alternative emerges | EdSource:

Cell Towers At Schools: Godsend Or God-Awful? : NPR Ed : NPR

Cell Towers At Schools: Godsend Or God-Awful? : NPR Ed : NPR:

Cell Towers At Schools: Godsend Or God-Awful?

School districts — hard up for cash — are turning to an unlikely source of revenue: cell towers. The multistory metal giants are cropping up on school grounds in Chicago, Milpitas, Calif., Collier County, Fla. and many other places across the country.

The big reason: money. As education budgets dwindle, districts are forming partnerships with telecom companies to allow use of their land in exchange for some of the profits.

Last year, for example, cell towers on seven school sites generated $112,139 in revenue for the schools in Prince George's County, Md., just outside Washington, D.C.

Why school property?

"The places where service is needed the most are places where people live as well as where people work," explains Len Forkas, founder of Milestone Communications, which partners with telecom companies and school districts, like Prince George's, to build towers and share revenue. "There are very few locations in residential communities where the properties are large enough."

One place where there is enough space: high schools. Most campuses are 20-40 acres, Forkas says, offering ample room for cell towers.

As enticing as these arrangements are, they also come with controversy.

"There are a growing number of parents that are concerned about selling out our school grounds to telecom companies," says Lisa Cline of Gaithersburg, Md.

Cline, a PTA president who's fighting cell tower construction in Montgomery County — which neighbors Prince George's — is motivated by personal tragedy.

Her daughter, Chloe, got sick and passed away when she was one-and-a-half years old. "It seemed so random, a concept I have a hard time grasping," Cline says. "I tend to Cell Towers At Schools: Godsend Or God-Awful? : NPR Ed : NPR:

Group asks Detroit superintendent to 'clarify thoughts' on charter schools | MLive.com

Group asks Detroit superintendent to 'clarify thoughts' on charter schools | MLive.com:

Group asks Detroit superintendent to 'clarify thoughts' on charter schools

DETROIT - A Michigan charter school association is asking Nikolai Vitti, the new superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District, to "clarify his thoughts" on having Detroit Schools continue to authorize charter schools.

Detroit Public Schools has authorized charter schools since 1994, and the district currently oversees 13 charter schools.

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press earlier this month, Vitti said he would like to see DPSCD focus on improving its traditional public schools, rather than continue expending resources on authorizing charter schools. He recommended DPSCD fulfill its current contracts with charter schools and shift toward traditional schools, the Free Press reports.

Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, a charter school association, was troubled by Vitti's comments.

"I hope we can all agree that we want every child to have a seat in a high-performing school, which is why we find Dr. Vitti's comments to be a bit confusing and troubling," Quisenberry said in a statement issued Thursday, July 13. "Some of the highest-performing schools in the city are charter schools authorized by the Detroit Public Schools Community District. How is it benefitting students if you want to close those schools?

"We hope Dr. Vitti is able to clarify his thoughts, and we look forward to working with him to ensure that every child in Detroit has a seat in a high-quality school," Quisenberry continued. 

At the end of a charter school's contract, the school can apply for re-authorization. DPSCD commits to another five-year agreement if it fully re-authorizes a charter school, although the district's Office of Charter Schools outlines some options for shorter agreements.

The schools could seek a new authorizer if Detroit Schools decides to end its oversight of charter schools.Group asks Detroit superintendent to 'clarify thoughts' on charter schools | MLive.com:

Betsy DeVos is coming to Denver for a meeting of the conservative group ALEC — and protesters are ready | Chalkbeat

Betsy DeVos is coming to Denver for a meeting of the conservative group ALEC — and protesters are ready | Chalkbeat:

Betsy DeVos is coming to Denver for a meeting of the conservative group ALEC — and protesters are ready

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is scheduled to speak in Denver next week at the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council, an influential conservative group that has successfully advocated for free-market principles at statehouses across the country.

While DeVos will find a friendly audience at ALEC, she’ll get a different greeting from liberal activists and union leaders who are seizing on the chance to protest DeVos’s agenda.

This is DeVos’s first visit to Colorado since the billionaire philanthropist and school choice advocate was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s pick for the nation’s top education job.

DeVos has close ties to ALEC. She is the founder of the American Federation for Children, which provides financial support to ALEC and has representation on ALEC’s Education and Workforce Development Task Force.

ALEC is best known for crafting “model” legislation advancing conservative principles on issues ranging from tax limitations to gun safety and the environment. Its membership includes corporations and nearly 2,000 state legislators across the country.

DeVos shares ALEC’s support for charter schools and the use of tax dollars to pay for private school education through vouchers, tax-credit scholarships and education savings accounts.

As of Thursday, DeVos’s appearance was not listed on the meeting’s online agenda. An ALEC spokeswoman confirmed DeVos will appear, but said details including the timing still were being worked out. The group’s meeting runs Wednesday through Friday.

Inez Feltscher Stepman, director of ALEC’s Education and Workforce Development Task Force, lauded DeVos’s support for school choice and for making clear that decision-making about education should be invested in states.

“It’s really encouraging to hear (states) should have the primary responsibility for crafting their education systems, and should be the leaders in education reform and opportunity,” she said.

A U.S. Department of Education spokeswoman did not respond to questions this week about whether DeVos has any other stops or appearances planned during her Betsy DeVos is coming to Denver for a meeting of the conservative group ALEC — and protesters are ready | Chalkbeat:

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

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

BE A FAN Diane Ravitch's blog

A site to discuss better education for all

There Is Hope for the World in This Wonderful Story

by dianeravitch / 11min

Read this story and share the joy! https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/07/11/a-riptide-swept-away-a-florida-family-then-beachgoers-formed-a-human-chain/?utm_term=.d9e60b8ab518&wpisrc=nl_most-draw7&wpmm=1 People can rise to the occasion to save others. What a great story and photo.

Karen Wolfe: Why Students at Venice High School in L.A. Staged a Walkout

2by dianeravitch / 1h

Karen Wolfe writes here about the decision of students at Venice High School in Los Angeles staged a walkout. They were protesting the removal of an African-American guidance counselor. The problem was the principal, who wanted to 

Dora Taylor: Four Things Betsy DeVos Does Not Want You to Know about Tax Credits

9by dianeravitch / 34min

Dora Taylor writes in “The Progressive” about the disadvantages of tax credit, aka vouchers. 1. Education tax credits deplete state budgets, diverting money from public schools to private and religious schools. 2. Education tax credit programs benefit the rich. 3. Education tax credit programs are risky for students because the private and religious schools are not covered by federal civil rights

New York: Who Is Behind the Effort to Allow Charter Schools to Hire Uncertified Teachers?

5by dianeravitch / 1h

In this article , Alan Singer of Hofstra University connects the dots behind the effort to allow charter schools to hire uncertified teachers. He follows the money, and it leads to one man: Governor Andrew Cuomo. Charters need to hire 

The Book That Betsy DeVos Should Read about Fraternity Life and Sexual Assault on Campus Today

1by dianeravitch / 48min

We have had a vigorous discussion on the blog about Betsy DeVos’s decision to reorient the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights towards protecting the rights of those accused of rape rather than those who alleged that they were victims of rape. Candace Jackson, DeVos’s controversial choice to lead OCR, made these startling remarks to the New York Times, which caused such an uproar

Tim Slekar: Next Step in Wisconsin’s War on Teachers

7by dianeravitch / 1h

Having treated teachers shabbily, Wisconsin now finds it needs to take desperate measures to hire teachers: lower standards. Tim Slekar of Edgewood College in Milwaukee says this is madness . He writes: “There is NO NEED for an “emergency rule” that deregulates teacher licensure. “However: “There IS AN EMERGENCY need to address the reasons why teachers are fleeing Wisconsin classrooms. and… “Ther

YESTERDAY

Bill Moyers’ Website: The Trump-Russia Timeline

5by dianeravitch / 19h

Bill Moyers’ website very usefully assembled a timeline of Donald Trump’s relations with Russia and Russian individuals.

New York City: Mayor de Blasio’s Capitulation to the Powerful Charter Lobby

14by dianeravitch / 20h

There used to be a well-known saying: “You can’t fight City Hall.” Change that to: “You can’t fight the charter lobby.” Mayor Bill de Blasio ran for mayor with the promise that he would fight the charter lobby. He was a public school parent and had served on a community school board. I believed him. I endorsed him. Then after he was elected, the billionaires showed him who runs education policy i

Los Angeles: New School Board President, a Charter School Operator, Calls for Unity

5by dianeravitch / 21h

Two newsworthy items from Los Angeles: First, the new school board elected charter chain operator Ref Rodriguez as its president. Rodriguez leads the PUC (Partnership Uplifting Communities) charter chain of 16 schools. Rodriguez called for unity after the just-concluded dirty election, the most expensive in U.S. history. Politico reports: “LA SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT SEEKS UNITY AFTER UGLY ELECTION

Former Charter Teacher: Why Teacher Attrition is High in Charter Schools

16by dianeravitch / 22h

Alternet posted an informative article that explains why charter schools churn through teachers. It was written by Rann Miller, who taught for six years in a charter school in Camden, New Jersey. He writes: “John was fresh-out-of-college and had never set foot in a city school before. Hired the day before the school year started, he missed out on the two-and-a-half weeks of training the charter o

Speak Out for the Teaching Profession!

22by dianeravitch / 23h

Many states are planning to lower standards for new teachers, because charter schools can’t recruit enough teachers to fill their staff. Speak out against lowered standards! Don’t let them destroy the teaching profession! Click here and stand up for qualified teachers! The Network for Public Education invites you to speak up and let the charter authorizers in New York know that every child deserv

Daniel Katz: Charter Schools Should Not Be Allowed to “Certify” Unqualified Teachers

8by dianeravitch / 1d

Daniel Katz prepares secondary school teachers at Seton Hall University. He knows the importance of having highly qualified professionals in every classroom, especially in urban districts where many students need extra support and individual attention. In this post , he expresses his bafflement that the SUNY Charter School Committee is considering a plan to permit charter schools to “certify” the

Jersey Jazzman: Do Charter Teachers Need to be Certified or Pass State Exams?

24by dianeravitch / 1d

Jersey Jazzman explores the flap in New York about certification –or lack thereof–for charter school teachers. The charter industry says, if we get the test scores, we don’t need teachers with masters’ degrees or certification… JJ says: Yes, “better results” are all that matters, no matter how practically small they may be. And no matter how you got them: if your gains are from student attrition,

Carol Burris Will Receive Well-Deserved Honor for Her Tireless Work on Behalf of Public Schools!

48by dianeravitch / 1d

Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, has been selected by the board of the Horace Mann League as its 2018 Outstanding Friend of Public Education. The presentation will be made at the HML Annual Meeting 

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