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Sunday, May 26, 2013

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-26-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

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Teacher: What Happens in an IDEA Charter High School

In response to an earlier post about the IDEA charter chain, which won a $29 million Race to the Top grant just months ago, a teacher writes:
I taught at an IDEA secondary school during the school year 2011-2012. When I began, one of the phrases scarred in teachers’ and students’ minds is “No Excuses”. I understood this to mean that students should not give any excuses because the teachers equip them with the necessary abilities to complete the work and pass the exams.
Within a short time I realized it meant that teachers must go above and beyond to do as much for students that

Haimson Rebuts Bloomberg, Walcott

Leonie Haimson is Néw York City’s one-person Truth Squad.
While Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott was telling anyone who would listen about the stellar education record of the Bloomberg years, Haimson marshaled data to demonstrate that Znew York City made less academic progress on the federal tests than any city other than Cleveland.
She lacerated the administration for its indifference to class size

Ten Things Charter Schools Won’t Tell You

This is a marvelous summary of the hidden secrets of charter success.
And the best part is that it appears in a financial journal, not in the newsletter of the Network for Public Education or on this blog.

Helmsley Estate: Dogs For Excellence

Leona Helmsley, the legendary “queen of mean,” wanted to leave her fortune to dogs. She didn’t care much for people. She left $12 million for the care of beloved Trouble. Her estate is valued in the billions.
She cut her grandchildren out of her will.
Her Meanness—or rather the executors of her estate–are instead promoting the destruction of the teaching 

Diane in the Evening 5-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Were You Invited to This Cool Party? by dianerav No? Neither was I. This was a soirée for the super-rich who support Eva Moskowitz’s charter schools. Those are the miracle schools that claim their students outperform the students in affluent Scarsdale. Hedge fund manager Daniel S. Loeb was the honoree. He was surrounded by other hedge fund managers. They think they are Robin Hoods. They forget that the real Robin Hood stole from people like them. Jeb Bush, Florida’s own Robin Hood was there. So was Merryl Tisch,... more »