Diane Ravitch's blog
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DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG
Students Last: Pearson Product Placement No Error
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago
Students and teachers complained about the commercial brands that were represented in the recent Pearson tests for the a Common Core testing in New York State. According to the authoritative satirical blogger Students Last, this was no error. This is now state policy and a clever way to raise new funding. Why not sell naming […]
Chicago Schools, 2013: Still Separate, Still Unequal
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 18 hours ago
The Chicago Teachers Union issued a report on segregation in the Chicago public schools: New Report Unravels the Sordid History of Racial Segregation in Chicago Public Schools On anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, “Still Separate, Still Unequal” examines continued acceptance of de facto segregation and injustices in district schools CHICAGO—On was is […]
John Merrow: Shame on the Washington Post for Refusing to Investigate DC Cheating Scandal
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 21 hours ago
John Merrow has written a blistering critique of the Establishment’s cover-up of the cheating scandal in D.C. The article he wrote exposing the cover up was rejected by a national magazine, unnamed. When Merrow directly asked Duncan about the scandal, Duncan bobbed and weaved. But Merrow reserves his greatest ire for the editorial writers at […]
Rothstein: Advice to Future Teachers
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 21 hours ago
Richard Rothstein recently gave a commencement address to the graduates of the Chicago Loyola School of Education. What do you say to new teachers, embarking on their careers in these perilous times? What do you say to those who have chosen a profession that is under siege? Rothstein is a deeply knowledgeable and fearless scholar. […]
PBS in Houston: Watch the Faces of the Students
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 21 hours ago
A reader from Houston suggests that we watch the PBS documentary on Houston’s Apollo program and watch the faces of the students: He writes: To see how many kids react to an overemphasis on testing, watch Dropout Nation. PBS Frontline’s Dropout Nation series featured HISD and its Apollo Program in its September broadcast. While there […]
May 17 in Our History: How Soon We Forget
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 23 hours ago
On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that segregation of the races in public school was unconstitutional. At the time, segregation was the law in 17 states and many districts. For years, the states where segregation was outlawed resisted the court decision. Their favorite ploy was school choice. They knew that school choice […]
Is the School of the Future in the Cloud?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 23 hours ago
Having studied the history of education for some decades, I have a built-in resistance to claims about the school of the future, particularly when it involves the end of schooling. Over many years, I have seen predictions about that Great Day when all children are self-motivated, all learning comes naturally, and instruction by adults becomes […]
Concord Rebellion Stirring Over Dismissal of Union Leader
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Parents and teachers in Concord, Massachusetts, are outraged over the firing of the teachers’ union leader, an 18-year teacher of third grade, allegedly for ineffectiveness. “The catalyst for the protest was the decision by Thoreau Elementary School Principal Kelly Clough not to renew the contract of veteran third grade teacher and Concord Teachers Association President […]
Peter DeWitt: Does Chancellor Tisch Know What Testing Is Doing to Children?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Peter DeWitt, principal of an elementary school in upstate New York, tries here to understand the contradictory messages sent out by Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the NY Board of Regents. On one hand, she says that teachers should no longer teach to the test, but with the advent of Common Core, there is more testing […]
The Status Quo Begins to Fall Apart
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
This article describes what a grass-roots rebellion looks like. It describes a growing revolt against failed education policies. It reviews the mounting protests by students, parents, teachers, school boards against senseless mandates. It even shows clueless Secretary Duncan both embracing and not embracing the so-called “parent trigger” that was defeated twice by Florida’s parents. This […]
Mayor Rahm Emanuel: How to Dodge FOIA Requests
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Ben Joravsky is the best journalist covering education in Chicago today. In this post, titled “Mayor Emanuel’s FOIA Policy: Don’t Ask, Because We Won’t Tell,” Joravsky shows how a public school parent sued to find out basic facts about major decisions. The answer was, no, we can’t tell you that because there are no records, […]
News from the Network for Public Education
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Here is the latest newsletter from the Network for Public Education. Please consider becoming a member and help us as we fight to improve public schools and repel the twin menaces of high-stakes testing and privatization. If you are a member of a grassroots organization to support your community public schools, please sign on and […]
Can Machines Grade Essays? Should They?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
I posted earlier today about a new Xerox machine that is being marketed to “read” and grade student essays. Not to score bubble tests, but to grade essays. Granted, this is not a new idea. There are now different companies selling machines to grade student writing. I have seen demonstrations of this technology, and I […]
Oh My! A Xerox That Grades Papers
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
What will they think of next? Xerox has a new machine that can grade tests and even essays. No human judgment necessary. The mechanization of the classroom moves forward. Will teachers understand what their students know and can do when they no longer read their papers?
Walton Family Foundation Invests in “Advocacy”
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
This blogger follows the money. That is his hobby and his passion. In this post, he tracks Walton funding for “advocacy.” I put advocacy in scare quotes because foundations are tax-exempt and supposedly non-political. Yet the tax laws apparently allow them to put some of their money to work advocating for what appear to be […]
Seattle Will Drop MAP Test for High Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
In a victory for teachers who boycotted the MAP tests this year, the Seattle superintendent Jose Banda said that the leadership team in each high school could decide whether to take it. For other schools it remains mandatory.
In Defense of AP Courses
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
Jeff Larsen writes: Okay, I’ll bite. There are problems with some AP courses, but I think you’re painting with a broad brush here. My story is obviously anecdotal, but here at Lowell HS (just outside Grand Rapids, MI), our AP teachers aren’t focused on the test, nor do they teach “a mile wide and an […]
What Is the Value of AP Courses and Tests?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
High school rankings by popular media usually take into account how many students take AP exams. Some high schools push students to take AP courses whether or not they are prepared, just to satisfy the rankings. But are the AP courses an appropriate measure of high quality? A few of the nation’s top private and […]
Professor Oyler: An Open Letter to My Students
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 day ago
The Teachers College community is divided about the institution’s decision to honor Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the New York Board of Regents. Tisch has made her mark as a champion of high-stakes testing and charter schools. Professor Celia Oyler wrote the following message to her graduate students: “An Open Letter to Graduating Master’s Students in […]
Outstanding Proposal about ESEA/NCLB by AASA
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Forgive all the acronyms but that is the way that headlines work. The School Superintendents Association wrote a strong letter to Senator Tom Harkin about the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the basic federal legislation for elementary and secondary education, which is currently known as No Child Left Behind. NCLB is generally recognized […]
Michigan Decides to Open Buena Vista Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Governor Rick Snyder found it in his heart or his budget to let the children of Buena Vista go to school again. The schools were closed for a week after the district went bankrupt. The state has a constitutional duty to provide public education to its children. Governor Snyder has given billions of dollars in […]
UTLA: Endorse Monica Ratliff
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
This comment came from a teacher in Los Angeles: I (UTLA member) just wrote to UTLA leadership about their totally inane “dual endorsement” in the current school board election, and suggesting that they change it to a full endorsement of Monica Ratliff. I will post my letter below. If any UTLA members reading this agree, […]
Pasi Sahlberg Blows Up Reformer Myths
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Pasi Sahlberg, the great expert on education in Finland, here examines the founding myths of the corporate reform movement. Reformers search for the teacher who can generate high test scores. They like the idea that teachers compete for rewards tied to scores. Sahlberg points out that a school is a team, not a competitive individual […]
What Happens When Community College Students Take Online Courses?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
A new report reviews the advent of online courses for community college students. It was prepared by the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. Online courses are popular because they seem to be a way to take courses at home, whenever it is convenient. This is especially valuable for community college students […]
CTU: Chicago Parents Will Sue to Block School Closings
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
The Chicago Teachers Union announced that it will file federal civil rights lawsuits on behalf of public school parents to block the closing of 53 elementary schools. The template for closing schools and opening schools was Chicago’s reform plan called Renaissance 2010; it was created by Arne Duncan and Mayor Daley in 2004. The plan […]
The Most Important Problem Facing American Children Today
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Great post by Valerie Strauss. A succinct explanation of the most important problem facing American children today. If we halved the child poverty rate, test scores would soar because children would arrive in school well fed, healthy, and ready to learn.
Pennsylvania Parent: Why I Oppose Common Core and High-Stakes Testing
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Susan Spicka is a public school parent in Central Pennsylvania and a strong advocate for high-quality public education. She wrote this post after her daughters finished their NINTH days of state testing in elementary school. The sentence that bowled me over was when she said her fifth grade daughter was crying for fear that if […]
Fort Wayne: Besieged by Charters
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
A reader describes the situation in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a community with good public schools: “Further to the point about GREAT home-grown administrators, Fort Wayne Community Schools has another bit of good news today: Two genuinely abysmal local charter schools lost their certification and their appeal today! http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/education/two-fort-wayne-schools-lose-charter-contracts (These are the folks who won’t scoop […]
EduShyster Discovers an Excellent Teacher-School Matching Service
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
EduShyster gets great tips! In this post, she describes a dating service that matches teachers with just the right charter school. What will they think of next?
Columnist: Tucson’s Top Charters Are Highly Selective
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
This year, once again, Tucson will bask in the knowledge that two of its charter schools–Basis and University High School– are among the top schools in the nation, according to the US News and World Report survey. But, says, Tim Steller, these schools are atypical. He says that because the schools are so highly selective, […]
How Wisconsin’s Government Is Cheating the State’s Children and Public Schools
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
The Forward Institute of Wisconsin released a new study of education policy in the state. This is a statement made by the Institute’s Chair, Scott Wittkopf: Wisconsin has always been a leader in K-12 public education because we have long valued the right of every child to receive a quality public education. The fundamental nature […]
How Cyber Charters Waste Taxpayer Dollars
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 days ago
Cyber charters are profligate in wasting taxpayer dollars. A recent article on the Huffington Post reported that they spent nearly $100 million on advertising over a five year period. The biggest cyber charter, K12, spent more than $20 million in the first eight months of 2012. In Ohio, home of rapacious and ineffective cyber charters, […]
How Grassroots Groups in Texas Are Beating the Testing Lobby
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
In my list of categories on this blog, the words “Texas” and “testing” are side-by-side. One of the biggest stories in the nation today is how ordinary folks–moms, dads, and students–in Texas are slaying the monster that ate their education. Over the past 20-30 years, Texas became drunk on testing. The lobbyists for Pearson–headed by […]
How Useful Are the Magazine HS Rankings?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Matt Di Carlo takes a close look at the Newsweek and US News high school rankings and finds that they don’t tell you much about school quality. The information is self-reported. Only about half the high schools responded. The measures favor schools in affluent districts or schools with selective admissions. This echoes what I heard […]
Does Cincinnati Have the Right Formula?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
People often wonder if there is any district or state that is working to support children and to strengthen public education. In the age of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, it is difficult to find districts that manage to keep their focus on students instead of carrots and sticks. But there […]
Will Public Education in Texas Survive the Next Two Weeks?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
On May 27, the legislature ends its session. Supporters of public education are keeping fingers crossed that no damaging measures pass in the next two weeks. The head of the Senate Committee on Education, Dan Patrick, loves vouchers and most anything except public schools. The head of the House Committee on Public Education, Jimmie Don […]
Teacher to Iowa Governor: This Is What Teachers Need
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Amy Prime teaches second grade in Iowa. She writes frequently about education issues in her state. When the politicians began passing laws to “fix” teaching, Amy decided they should know what teachers want and need. This is the article she wrote. Amy is engaged not just in teaching second grade, but in educating the public. […]
An Appeal to UTLA: Please Help Monica Ratliff
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
Dear UTLA Members: I am writing to urge you to throw your full support behind the candidacy of Monica Ratliff for the Los Angeles school board race. Monica deserves and needs your help. I know you endorsed both her and her opponent. I am calling on you to help your colleague. Her opponent has collected […]
Charter Fights Off Criminal, Civil Charges to Stay Open
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
A parent activist in Philadelphia sent me this astonishing story about how hard it is ( impossible?) to close a charter school. In 2009, an employee filed a whistleblower complaint with the US Department of Education about financial misdeeds at Community Academy of Philadelphia, the city’s oldest charter school. When federal investigators arrived to confiscate […]
The Obama-Duncan-Gates-Rhee Philosophy of School Reform
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 days ago
While cleaning out my files, I came across this amazing article written in 2009 by the editorial page editor of the Washington Post. The historian in me finds it difficult to throw anything away, so the best way to save it is to share it. It is a succinct and worshipful description of the ideas […]
North Carolina: Public Schools and Students Endangered by Radical Agenda
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Legislation is advancing in North Carolina that will harm the state’s underfunded public schools and strike a blow against its beleaguered teachers. North Carolina is a right-to-work state, so there is no collective bargaining, and teachers have no voice in policy decisions about education. Among the worst of the new bills is a proposal to […]
The Bathroom Crisis at Locke High School in L.A.
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
The Green Dot charter chain took over Locke High School in 2008. It received $15 million of mostly private funding to overhaul the school and completely change its culture. But the one challenge that Green Dot has been unable to overcome is to provide a safe, clean place for boys to go to the bathroom. […]
Michigan Officials Abandon Students in Buena Vista
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
The school district of Buena Vista, Michigan, is out of money. The schools are closed for the year. The district will offer “skills camp” to students. The state of Michigan, which has a responsibility to provide a free public education to all children, has abandoned the students and their schools. The town and the schools […]
If You Are a Graduate of Teachers College, Read This Petition
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
If you are a graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University, please read this petition and consider signing it.
Gates Foundation Spends $150 Million for Common Core
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post has published an overview of the munificent support provided by the Gates Foundation to promote the Common Core standards. The foundation expended $150 million to a wide variety of state education departments, think tanks, universities, unions, associations. Gates really really really wants the Common Core standards.
NY Daily News Rebukes Pearson and Walcott
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
In a rare break from its established stance of applauding whatever Mayor Bloomberg’s Department of Education does, the New York Daily News published an editorial ridiculing both Pearson and the schools’ chancellor Dennis Walcott. Only Sat week the News had an editorial defending the Pearson Common Core tests, even though the vocabulary and content of […]
Surprise! Florida High-Stakes Accountability Promotes Gaming the System
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released a study of Florida’s accountability system–the one that Jeb Bush brags about–and concludes that the system promotes behavior to game the system. Schools are assigning children to categories where they will not lower the school’s letter grade. Here is a succinct summary of the paper:, from the […]
Bruce Baker on NYC Charters
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
In response to the earlier post about Geofrey Canada boasting about the “100% graduation rate” of his charter, which was not true, while knocking the public schools, Bruce Baker reminded me that he had looked at NYC charters and compared them to NYC public schools in relation to a number of variables. Geoffrey Canada’s charter […]
Bloomberg Admits Snooping on Terminals
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
In this new world of high technology, will there be any private space for anyone? Bloomberg made his billions by leasing high-tech terminals that contain up-to-the-minute financial news from all over the world. Now the story emerges that Bloomberg reporters were spying on Bloomberg’s clients.
Wall Street Investors Worried About UNO Charter $$$ Problems
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Wall Street investors are very upset by the financial and ethical issues at the UNO charter chain in Chicago. UNO is a politically connected charter chain. Its founder, Juan Rangel, was co-chair of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s campaign. UNO obtained $98 million from the state legislature to build new charters. It […]
How the Walton Family Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Day
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 4 days ago
“Imagine that you are possessed of the surname “Walton” and happen to be sitting on mad coin—say a cool $90 billion. How do you celebrate the occasion that is Teacher Appreciation Day? Do you chip in to give the nation’s teachers a raise, knowing they’ve been hard hit by the recession? Do you send them […]
Chicken Little and Corporate Education Reform
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A new blogger enters the national scene! This blog is devoted to fairy tales and other simple legends that show the fallacies of the corporate reform movement. This post is about Chicken Little. Remember Chicken Little? He was hit on the head and went to tell the world that the sky was falling. There are […]
Geoffrey Canada: Just Tell the Truth
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Geoffrey Canada gave a TED talk recently in which he did two reprehensible things: 1. He boasted that his charter school has a 100% graduation rate. 2. He used his talk to knock the public schools. Gary Rubinstein, the extraordinary detective of miracle-school boasting, checked the New York state website. Canada did not tell the […]
Jeb, Bill, Mike, Oprah, and Warren: What Gives?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
The New Yorker magazine has a contest each week. On the last page of each issue is a cartoon without a caption. Readers are invited to dream up a caption, and the best one wins. Now here is our contest. Jeb Bush, Bill Gates, Mike Bloomberg, and Oprah are meeting at a swank island resort […]
GERM in Scotland
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A group funded by a rightwing think tank calls itself the “Commission on School Reform” and attacks Scottish public schools. The BBC reports the “findings” of the “commission” as objective research, not advocacy. Sound familiar?
A Teacher’s Life
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
A teacher writes to explain how life in the classroom differs from his earlier life in another field: I worked in industry for 15 years before switching careers and moving into education. I can honestly say I work harder as a teacher than I did in my job in the communications industry. I do make […]
Paul Vallas’ “Nixon-to-China” Moment
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
I posted a few days ago about a panel discussion in New York City where Paul Vallas made this startling statement: “We’re losing the communications game because we don’t have a good message to communicate.” He spoke bluntly of the “testing industrial complex.” Here Valerie Strauss briefly reviews Vallas’ role in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New […]
A Gift for You: A Beautiful Poem
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
When Jacqueline Kennedy died, a dear friend read this poem by Constantine Cavafy at her memorial service. It is one of those wonderful pieces of literature that has remained with me. I hope you enjoy it: Ithaca When you set out for Ithaka ask that your way be long, full of adventure, full of instruction. […]
Please Help the Providence Student Union
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
I am re-posting this appeal to help a great group of high school youth. For their valiant, smart, witty efforts to save their schools and future generations from the blight of high-stakes testing, I name them to the honor roll as champions of public education. May they grow and flourish! I am a huge fan […]
A Message from Monica Ratliff
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 5 days ago
Here we go again. Another local school board race where the a billionaire a boys Club and Michelle Rhee create a massive war chest to beat an underfunded candidate. Monica Ratliff is a fifth-grade teacher. Please help her. Monica Ratliff for Board of Education 2013 – Dear Friends, Family and Supporters, Thank you all for […]
Remembering the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
From a reader: Globalization has been the ingenious “get out of jail free” card the corporations have played: As these “savvy businessmen” go global to freely impose the conditions which appalled America a century ago (The number of confirmed dead from the Bangladesh garment factory collapse and fire Is approaching and will certainly surpass 1000,) […]
A Teacher Weeps on Teacher Appreciation Day
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Angie Sullivan, a kindergarten teacher in Las Vegas, sent the following message to members of the Nevada legislature to mark Teacher Appreciation Day: It’s been a long, long time since my district has had positive educational leadership. I watched this short video of Interim Superintendent Skorkowsky – and I wept. Something unusual – to NOT […]
SAT Canceled for South Korea, Due to Cheating
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
The latest administration of the SAT has been canceled in South Korea, due to allegations of widespread cheating. The nation is known for its “hyper-competitive academic environment.” Test questions that were on the exam scheduled for May 4 were circulating in test prep centers. Staff members at some test prep centers were detained for questioning. […]
Joe Bower: Do I Work for Students or for Data?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Joe Bower teaches in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. He blogs at http://www.joebower.org. He wrote this for us: DO I SERVE YOU OR ARE YOU TO SUPPORT ME? As a classroom teacher, I spend the majority of my time working with students while they are still learning, so I have an intense understanding for how important […]
The Factory Collapse in Bangladesh
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
When I read about the tragedy in Bangladesh, where hundreds of garment workers died when the building collapsed, it reminded me of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Working at NYU, I frequently walked past the building where over 100 immigrant girls perished in a factory fire. The doors were locked. They could not escape. They could […]
Naison: I Will Not Forget or Forgive Those Who Destroy What I Love
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Mark NAISON is a professor of African-American Studies and history at Fordham University. He writes: Thoughts on the Destruction of the Teaching Profession and Other Losses As I watch the teaching profession be destroyed before my eyes, through bi-partisan initiatives that are difficult to fight, and through the march of technology that some view as […]
Reformy John King and His Magic Mirror
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Almost everything you need to know about “reform” in New York State is explained in this fable by Arthur Goldstein, who blogs at NYC Educator. As usual, Arthur is very funny trying to decipher the mysteries of reform and the personalities of reformers.
The End of the University?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
In this article, the author predicts that technology will make the university obsolete. He asks, why should anyone pay for a degree from Nowhere State University when they can go online and get a degree from an elite university for free? Or go online and learn whatever they want for free? The underlying idea, at […]
On Merit Pay
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
Merit pay is the idea that never works and never dies. It has been tried in the schools for nearly a century and has never made a difference, other than to demoralize teachers and destroy collaboration. This reader uses an analogy to show why merit pay always fails: Can you imagine offering a surgeon a […]
What Is the Truth About Education in Rhode Island?
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 6 days ago
If you read State Superintendent Deborah Gist’s description of K-12 education in Rhode Island, you got a pretty upbeat assessment. Tom Sgouros, her most persistent critic, sees a different story. He sees a state wedded to high stakes testing and unable to look beyond the testing regime.
What Arne Duncan Learned from Breakdown of Computer Testing
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
This is a story that may elicit a gasp from you. That’s what it did to me. Arne Duncan was asked about the breakdown of the computer assessments in Indiana. He responded with a brief soliloquy on how businesses fail and succeed, and why we cannot go back to the olden days of pencil and […]
Your Children Need a Néw Brain for Common Core
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Oh, dear, success on the Common Core requires more than anyone knew. It is not enough to be able to read and do math. What is needed, this article says, is a whole new brain. I feel sure that my old brain, which has stood me in good stead for lo these many decades, would […]
Hart Research Responds to Schneider Critique: correction
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
In copying the response of Hart Research, I inadvertently copied only part of Guy Moyneaux’s comments. Here is his full response: TO:American Federation of Teachers FROM:Guy Molyneux, Hart Research Associates DATE:May 10, 2013 RE:Methodology for Common Core Survey Following are some facts about the methodology for AFT’s recent survey of AFT K-12 teachers on Common […]
Hart Research Associates Explains the Methodology of AFT Common Core Polling
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
A few days go, Professor Ira Shor posted a comment and asked if Mercedes Schneider would analyze the poll showing that 75% of AFT teachers support the Common Core standards. Mercedes Schneider saw his request in the comments section and posted her analysis. Schneider is a high school teacher in Louisiana with a doctorate in […]
Randi Weingarten: Why I Support the Common Core Standards
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, explains here why she supports the Common Core Standards and why she believes there should be a moratorium on the high stakes attached to the testing until teachers have had enough time to master them and students have had the opportunity to learn them. Randi writes: […]
More Evidence the Corporate Reformers Are Cracking Up
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
At a panel discussion in New York City, Bridgeport Superintendent Paul Vallas made a startling admission. He said that the efforts to develop a teacher evaluation metric was a huge mess and that no one understands it. He said: “The Bridgeport, Conn. superintendent — who has served stints in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans and […]
Michigan Formula: Defund the Schools, Then Tie Teacher Pay to Scores
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Here is the absurd consequence of the terrible ideas that have dominated education policy in the US. for the past 20 or so years. The governor and legislators in Michigan have stripped more than a billion dollars from the public schools even as they better test scores. Now, as they plan to cut public school […]
Parent in Philly to Governor Corbett, No More Cuts
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
Rebecca Poyourow, parent activist, wrote a terrific op-ed calling on Governor Corbett to stop the cuts that are devastating the schools. In 2011-12, the governor cut $1 billion from the schools, and the cuts hurry Philadelphia the most. Class sizes soared, parents chipped in to replace staff, after-school programs were eliminated, even basic supplies had […]
David Kirp Explains Why High-Stakes Testing Gets an F
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
David Kirp, professor at the University of California at Berkeley and author of “Improbable Scholars,” describes here the ruinous consequences of high-stakes testing. Everything associated with the corporate reform movement is failing. How much longer will the hedge fund managers and the federal government continue to fund failing strategies? He begins: “It’s a terrible time […]
Crazy Crawfish Explains It All for You
dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 week ago
When the Louisiana Supreme Court handed down a crushing 6-1 defeat for Bobby Jindal’s voucher plan, State Superintendent John White immediately declared victory. The court said it was not ruling on the merits of the case but on its funding: the state may not spend money dedicated to public schools to pay for vouchers and […]
