Florida Teacher: Please Tell Me About Groups Fighting Back
From a reader:
“As a public school teacher in Miami, FL I would like to reach out to you and express my similar hope in developing a long-term coalition and eventual movement of teachers, parents and community to fight back against the pro-corporate anti-public education policies being pushed in FL. If someone knows of any organization or coalition that is already up and running please let me know. There are thousands of disgruntled parents, students, and teachers in schools in Miami whom I think would act and fight back alongside other across the state if there was an entity to unite us. I strongly propose we create this if it doesn’t yet exist.”
“As a public school teacher in Miami, FL I would like to reach out to you and express my similar hope in developing a long-term coalition and eventual movement of teachers, parents and community to fight back against the pro-corporate anti-public education policies being pushed in FL. If someone knows of any organization or coalition that is already up and running please let me know. There are thousands of disgruntled parents, students, and teachers in schools in Miami whom I think would act and fight back alongside other across the state if there was an entity to unite us. I strongly propose we create this if it doesn’t yet exist.”
School Budgets Cut, Corporate Taxes Cut
I recall a few years ago whe I learned from Forbes’ columnist Erik Kain that Governor Snyder of Michigan wasslashing school spending at the same time that he was cutting stAte corporate taxes.
This turns out to have been a popular tactic in many states. Governors and legislators have decided to get more jobs now by sacrificing the future of their state’s children.
An analysis of 155 large corporations found that they pay very low taxes.
“For 2011 and 2012, the 155 companies paid just 1.8 percent of their total income in state taxes, and 3.6
This turns out to have been a popular tactic in many states. Governors and legislators have decided to get more jobs now by sacrificing the future of their state’s children.
An analysis of 155 large corporations found that they pay very low taxes.
“For 2011 and 2012, the 155 companies paid just 1.8 percent of their total income in state taxes, and 3.6
The Secret Of Achievement First’s Success
In Connecticut, the charter chain Achievement First is a financial and political powerhouse. State Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor was one of its founders.
But there is a worm in the apple. Achievement First leads the state in suspensions. Half its students are suspended or expelled at some point during the year. Legal Aid in Hartford filed a claim against the charter chain for its treatment of students with disabilities and won a ruling from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
“The complaint filed last year by the legal aid group said that students with disabilities were not getting “a free
But there is a worm in the apple. Achievement First leads the state in suspensions. Half its students are suspended or expelled at some point during the year. Legal Aid in Hartford filed a claim against the charter chain for its treatment of students with disabilities and won a ruling from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
“The complaint filed last year by the legal aid group said that students with disabilities were not getting “a free
The Reformy-to-English Dictionary You Have Been Waiting For
Valerie Strauss published a terrific column by a Chicago public school parent, Karen McKeegan Fraid.
Fraid has written a wonderful translation of some of the reformers’ favorite phrases, which they repeat ad infinitum.
It begins thus:
“Assessment (noun): A test made by a corporation and protected from peer review and public scrutiny by intellectual property laws and strict confidentiality agreements.
Data-Driven Assessment (noun): A test made by a corporation and protected from peer review by intellectual
Fraid has written a wonderful translation of some of the reformers’ favorite phrases, which they repeat ad infinitum.
It begins thus:
“Assessment (noun): A test made by a corporation and protected from peer review and public scrutiny by intellectual property laws and strict confidentiality agreements.
Data-Driven Assessment (noun): A test made by a corporation and protected from peer review by intellectual
Diane in the Evening 6-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Mini-Lesson: How Common Core Warps Choice Time in Kindergarten by dianerav Renee Dinnerstein is an early childhood educator with many years of experience. In this post, she shows how the overly prescriptive approach encouraged by the Common Core can ruin the concept of Choice Time in kindergarten. She writes: “Choice Time is not a time to give children tasks. It should be an opportunity for children to direct their own play and therefore, their own learning. The teacher carefully sets up centers with material... more »
