Monday, December 10, 2012

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-10-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch



CTU: A Scary Bedtime Story About Greedy Fatcats Who Want to Destroy Public Schools

In this video, a father tells a scary story to his little girl as he tucks her in at night.
It is about the greedy Fatcats who are trying to close Chicago’s public schools and take them private.
This is a creative use of social media to educate the public.


What’s the Deal with Students for Education Reform?

Students for Education Reform thinks teachers should promptly agree to be evaluated by student test scores. They like standardized tests and want them to be the determinant of their teachers’ careers. They even held a demonstration at New York City’s City Hall to say so.
But not so fast.
Bruce Baker has studied and critiqued the New York State educator evaluation plan. He says it is so inaccurate that it should be rejected. He calls SFER “Sockpuppets for Education Reform,” because they know nothing


Just Like Michelle Rhee's Students first only BETTER


Astroturf lobbying refers to political organizations or campaigns that appear to be made up of grassroots activists but are actually organized and run by corporate interests seeking to further their own agendas. Such groups are often typified by innocent-sounding names that have been chosen specifically to disguise the group's true backers

Just Like Michelle Rhee's
 Students first Astroturf lobbying (only Better) 
Other Astroturf lobbying groups



Why Do Hedge Fund Managers Adore Charters?

Many people have asked the question.
Some are idealistic.
Some think they know how to reform schools.
Some think that all schools should be


The Big Five: A Better Way Forward for Education

Andrew Hargreaves has some ideas about how education can improve and stop demoralizing those who work in schools. First, he looks for the good that Race to the Top may have accomplished. Then he looks at other nations’ experience and finds that those who are most successful are not doing anything that looks like Race to the Top. Hargreaves published two books in 2012: The Global Fourth Way: The Quest for Educational Excellence, with Dennis Shirley; and Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School, with Michael Fullan.
Hargreaves writes:
Now that the bickering and backbiting of presidential electioneering is over, we have a new opportunity to look at 


Student Surveillance

Remember the student who refused to wear a tracking tag? Here is more.
Who else wears these devices? Prisoners.


Wisconsin Study: Report Cards Favor Advantaged, Publics Outperform Charters

A new study by Wisconsin Forward Institute finds that the state report cards reflect the economic advantage and disadvantage of students.
Schools that serve the poorest students get lowest grades.
Schools that serve the most advantaged students get highest grades.
The study also concluded that students in Wisconsin’s public schools out-perform students in Wisconsin charter schools.




Diane in the Evening 12-9-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: When Sabrina Stevens Crashed the ALEC Meeting by dianerav Sabrina Stevens wanted to tell the ALEC education task force what she thought of their plans to privatize American education and destroy unions. At first, she planned to protest. Instead, she walked right in, sat quietly, fumed, and then spoke out. * ** ** ** ** ** **LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-9-12 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] Letting the Cat Out of the Bag by dianerav With each new ex... more »