Saturday, February 16, 2013

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-16-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch



This Columbia Student Will Not Join TFA

This is an interesting article by a Columbia student, explaining why he will not join TFA.
It is especially interesting because he is a former president of his campus Students for Educational Reform, the nicely-funded baby brother (or sister) of the Wall Street guys’ DFER.
Whenever he gets a letter pleading with him to apply for a “transformational” experience, he sends it to his spam folder.*
Why, because he went to a public school in Texas and he can still remember the names of the dedicated career 


Zimmer Camp Reacts to Bloomberg Gift of $1 Million to His Opponent

As readers of this blog know, Steve Zimmer is a former TFA who became a career teacher in the Los Angeles public schools. He has served one term on the L.A. school board.
He had the temerity to suggest that the school districts, which now has hundreds of charters, develop an accountability and oversight plan for the charters.
That made the charter lobby very angry.
They decided he had to be defeated.
So now, in a race where candidates typically spend $50,000 or so, seldom as much as $100,000, the billionaires 



Mercedes Schneider on the Board of NCTQ and Corporate Reform

Mercedes Schneider continues her review of the board of the National Council on Teacher Quality.
NCTQ is working with U.S. News to review the quality of the nation’s education schools and colleges.
This is the latest in her series. 



Indiana: Politicians and Landlord Welcome New Charter School

Ball State University terminated three low-performing charter schools, but not to worry. More are on the way.
Despite the lack of demand, the state board of education invited charter school Carpe Diem to come to Fort


Charter Leader Resigns in Chicago

The UNO charter schools are well connected. Juan Rangel, the head of the Chicago charter corporation, was a co-chair of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s campaign. He is a major figure in The city’s Hispanic community.The legislature gave UNO $98 million to build three charter schools.
Unfortunately, charter schools are so deregulated that problems arise, like lack of accountability, lack of transparency, and nepotism.
The second-in-command at UNO, Miguel d’Escoto, had to resign when the news came out that he awarded 



Diane in the Evening 2-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Zombie Ideas in Education by dianerav I have written on many occasions that merit pay is an idea that never works and never dies. It has been tried for over a century, and failed again and again. Yet it comes back. I didn’t realize it, but merit pay is a zombie idea. There are many more zombie ideas, like the well-known adage that “the beatings will continue until morale improves.” Today, the federal government mandates zombie policies in No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. These Goldenberg: Why You Should Oppose the Common Core by dianerav As read... more »