Tom Vander Ark is selling snake oil.
by Timothy D. Slekar
Why do Common Core supporters get to make unsubstantiated statements? Why?
Look at the latest piece in Huffington Post by Tom Vander Ark. Below are a collection of statements made by Mr. Vander Ark.
- It’s exciting to see 45 states voluntarily adopting common college and career ready expectations for students — it makes the U.S. globally competitive, is embraced by teachers, and is unleashing an avalanche of innovation.
- The new Common Core State Standards give all students a shot at college and family wage jobs.
- Unlike other efforts, the Common Core goes to the heart of what educators do every day, and the theme of “fewer, deeper, clearer” expectations really strikes a chord with master teachers. This is why they got into the profession.
- Imagine if we empower teachers to truly be “design thinkers” who continually innovate in their instructional practice. We trust them with the freedom they crave to experiment and ideate around the best way to impart learning to the children in their care. And we offer the potential for translating success at scale. The
We Are All Chicagoans Now, In Open Rebellion Against the Oppression of Corporate Reform Schools
by Jim Horn
After cataloguing a long list of atrocities, Chris Hedges offers this advice in a recent essay: “Rebel. Even if you fail, even if we all fail, we will have asserted against the corporate forces of exploitation and death our ultimate dignity as human beings. We will have defended what is sacred. Rebellion means steadfast defiance. […]
