Saturday, March 2, 2013

Diane in the Evening 3-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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







What Do the State Commissioners of New Jersey and New Mexico Have in Common?

A good question, no?
Both have had trouble getting confirmed.
Both are members of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs for Change.
Both are committed to privatization.
Read here to see what else.

Oregon: Fight to Protect Student Privacy Rules

This parent warns that BIG DATA is working its way into the schools, not only in Oregon but across the nation. Why do they want to know everything about your child? The most likely reason: for marketing stuff to them. We have already learned about the collaboration between the Gates Foundation and Rupert Murdoch to collect student data. Parents in Louisiana are worried about this. So should parents in New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Colorado, and elsewhere.
The parent from Oregon, who happens to be a physician, writes:
Rep. Lew Frederick is a great champion for public education! He has been attentive to the Oregon Save Our 

How Bill Gates’ Small Schools Failed in NYC

Marc Epstein used to work in a large comprehensive high school that was broken up into small schools. Since then, he has worked in many small schools. Based on his knowledge, experience, and research, he came to question and doubt Gates’ belief that NYC’s small schools were successful.
Read here to know why he reached this conclusion.
Small schools are not a new idea in NYC:
“Long before the small school initiative, New York had its own disastrous experiment with dividing up a low achieving comprehensive high school into four small schools.
“Andrew Jackson High School was renamed Campus Magnet almost 20 years ago but the name change did nothing to raise student achievement and stem school violence. It should have provided a cautionary tale for 

Putting Students Last: The Alabama Story

The following post was written by Larry Lee, who lives in Alabama and writes often about education and politics. He describes the passage of a bill to create tax credits for students to go to private and religious schools.
School kids make a poor rope in a political tug of war.
Anyone in Alabama who doesn’t believe this should’ve been in Montgomery Feb. 28 when the Republican controlled legislature voted to approve what some reporters called “a legislative bombshell.” The Senate approved 

Our Love Affair with Data: A Sad Tale

Jem Muldoon wants to know the meaning of it all. She wants to know why we must devote our lives to data and let data drive our decisions. Why are so many of us assessment victims when we should be assessment consumers?

Who Gets Walton Foundation $$$$$$$$$$$?

It is useful every so often to review the list of organizations that are funded by the ultra-rightwing Walton Foundation. This past year, the foundation gave out $158 million for “education reform.” As you will see, almost all of that money went to support charter schools and vouchers and organizations that advocate for privatization.
Of course, this is the foundation’s list of grants, and it does not include the millions of dollars that the members of the Walton family have poured into privatization campaigns and elections in Georgia, Washington State, and elsewhere.

Needed Now! Courage, Not Compliance!

Just minutes ago, I posted a strong letter from Superintendent Jeff Ramey, calling on parents and educators to support their schools and protest the budget cuts and tax caps that undermine them.
Carol Burris, an outstanding high school principal in Long Island, New York, responds here:
Superintendent Rabey,
I assure you, there are outraged New Yorkers all over our state.
Over 12,000 New Yorkers have signed the petition against high stakes testing

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 25 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Why Puttering Matters by dianerav Diana Senechal is a woman of many talents, as you know if you read her recent book *The Republic of Noise.*She believes in contemplation, solitude, and puttering. She believes that in the quiet moments of her life, we do our best thinking and find our best selves. This is her explanation of why puttering matters to her. Time for Action! by dianerav Maureen Reedy, tireless crusader for public education in Indiana and the surroun... more »