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Saturday, June 22, 2013

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-22-13 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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Student: Why Is There Money for Teating But Not For Music?

I received the following email:
Hi, Dr. Ravitch:
I am a film teacher at a Buffalo Public School (www.cityhonors.org) and one of my students made a video on her own time about the draconian cuts that the Buffalo Public Schools is making with its instrumental music program. This is a direct effect of the per pupil funding that has been instituted in the BPS. I thought you might like to see it. It is interesting that NYS has billions to pay Pearson, but we can’t keep instrumental music 

Hey, Commissioner Huffman: Read This

A teacher in Tennessee reacts to the state board’s decision to reduce her future pay for investing in an advanced degree:
After teaching in East TN for 20 years as a special educator, I decided to get my Ph.D. because I wanted to learn more about teaching reading. I am in the final stages of my dissertation and am sick at the thought that I 

This Teacher Chose to Be Arrested

Do you want to know what it really means to put students first?
It doesn’t mean making millions of dollars to promote privatization. It doesn’t mean speaking to corporate titans. It doesn’t mean fighting to strip teachers of all rights and privileges.
This is what it means. It means joining the Moral Monday protests in North Carolina. It means fighting for your students when legislators cut the budget and programs and seek to privatize the schools.
To the teacher who wrote this post, it means: I am ready to be arrested and go to jail for my students. That’s putting students first.
She writes:
Today, June 17, 2013, North Carolinians gathered for the seventh “Moral Monday” protest at the North Carolina 

Kevin Huffman Shows His Contempt for Education

State Commissioner Kevin Huffman persuaded the Tennessee State board of Education that teachers should not be paid more for advanced degrees.
The state board agreed that less education is better than more. Tennessee doesn’t want teachers to be too educated. They might ask too many questions.
Dumb is good in Tennessee.

Diane in the Evening 6-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 40 minutes ago
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Today is the Day! 5 Million Page Views on This Blog by dianerav Today, the blog recorded 5 million page views! The blog started April 24, 2012. That’s about 14 months ago. Wow. As you know, the blog has no advertisements, no funding, and no staff. Just me. I plan to keep it that way. Thank you for making the blog a place where everyone who cares about improving education, defending childhood, respecting the dignity of the education profession, and supporting public education has a safe place to converse. Thank y... more »