Friday, November 30, 2012

Diane in the Evening 11-30-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:





Louisiana Judge Rules Voucher Program Unconstitutional

A Louisiana judge ruled against the state’s new voucher program, agreeing with the plaintiffs that it violated the state constitution by diverting public funds to private schools.
The state will appeal.
The attorney for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers explains here why the teachers are suing to block Governor Jindal’s Act 2.
It’s not because the law is “illegal,” but because it expressly violates the state constitution.
It’s not because it spends public money for vouchers but because it takes money expressly reserved for public 


Chancellor Tisch, You Are Wrong!

Merryl Tisch, head of the Néw York State Board of Regents, says full speed ahead with the state educator evaluation plan.
Bruce Baker of Rutgers says she is wrong, wrong, wrong.


Wireless Generation Wins Common Core Contract

From NYC Parent blog (by Leonie Haimson):
Wireless Generation, owned by Murdoch/run by Joel Klein, Wins the $4.9M Contract to develop the software that will be used to report & analyze results for the new #CommonCore Assessments – both the interim and “summative” exams being developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium for 25 states (blue states in map below.)
Wireless is also developing the software/ infrastructure for the Gates-funded Shared Learning Collaborative, 


Ohio Assures Lower Ratings for Public Schools

Ohio legislators are pushing through a few tweaks to the state’s useless accountability system.
Republicans are using their super majority to ignore Democratic dissents.
Read through this description and see the game plan of labeling public schools as failing, giving them letter grades with no validity, cutting their budgets, and clearing the way for privatization.


LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-30-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Student Activist Joins the Honor Roll by dianerav Stephanie Rivera is a junior at Rutgers University preparing to become a teacher. Stephanie was one of the leading forces in creating Students United for Public Education, a new organization in which students are joining to stand up against the privatizers, profiteers and naysayers now besieging our public schools. She has her own blog, where she regularly debates other students who support corporate reform policies. Conservatives in Michigan Turn to Cou... more »