Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, July 1, 2013

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-1-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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Matt Di Carlo on the New CREDO Study of Charters

Matt Di Carlo here reviews the new national CREDO study of charters.
The findings are not much different from those of 2009, mainly, that charters vary widely in their ability to produce higher test scores and that on the whole the test scores of students in charters are not significantly better than students in public schools.
Ever the patient social scientist, Di Carlo is impressed that the charters seem to be getting better results than in 2009 (but could it be because of the number of low-performing charters that were closed? What happened to the students in those charters? Did they get sent back to the public schools? Is there “survivorship bias,” in which 

Idaho Has a Problem

Idaho has a problem, and it may not be unique to Idaho.
One of the most powerful families in the state is the Albertson family, which runs the Albertson Foundation.
It seems that one of the family heirs has made millions of dollars by investing in the online charter company K12, and now the Albertson Foundation thinks the whole state should get behind the for-profit corporation and put their kids online. Follow the money.

Robert Shepherd Sends Birthday Greetings

Aw, shucks.
Robert Shepherd writes:
“To Diane on Her 75th Birthday, July 1, 2013
“She is our Boadicea, our warrior queen, our courage grubber and prod, our fierce maternal spirit, the one who shelters the humane heart of our teaching from the heedless technocrats and rapacious profiteers. Under her withering gaze, the lords and would-be lords of the land, and the puffed-up toadies who serve them, shrink to their proper size. We see them for what they are and know that we can, we shall, give no further ground—that we 

TeacherKen: BAT Has a Website: Join UsDelicious
TeacherKen reports that the Badass Teachers Association has enrolled more than 20,000 members in only two weeks.
It has a new website, so you can join without going to Facebook. TeacherKen has the link. That’s great 

Robert Rendo: What Would Jesus’ VAM Score Be?

Robert Rendo posted this astute observation:
“The reformers could only measure Jesus by the number of loaves baked and fish caught in a single year and see if that number increased the following year. Jesus’s VAM would be waived if he pulled any miracles, which would result in an arrest on charges of cheating . . . . .”

$$$$$$$: the Outrageous Story of Pitbull’s Charters

Hold on to your hat, sit down, then open this link, a bombshell post by Jersey Jazzman.
You will learn why Pitbull is a keynote speaker at the National Charter Schools Conference. It is not because he is a rapper who insults women.
You will learn that he and his family have perfected the art of using charters to become very rich.
You will learn about the sleazy deals that he and his family made with local politicians. You will learn that his 

My Second Grade Class at Montrose Elementary School

Last week, I invited the advisory committee of the Network for Public Education to hold its first face-to-face meeting at my home in New York City. After an all-day discussion, I invited everyone to do a walk-through of the house, which is a wonderful old brownstone in a landmark neighborhood.
In my fourth-floor office, I pointed out old family and professional photos. Julian Vasquez Heilig asked if he could take a picture of my second grade class at Montrose Elementary School in Houston. “Go ahead,” I said. Little did I know that Julian would turn the photo into a contest on his blog, asking readers if they could pick me out. 

Randi and I to Arne: Please Intervene to Save Public Schools in Philadelphia

Last Friday, Randi Weingarten and I wrote a letter to Secretary Arne Duncan, urging his immediate, public intervention to save public education in Philadelphia and to protect the children from massive budget cuts. We hope and believe that the Secretary’s actions might persuade Governor Corbett and the legislature to do what 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Bruce Fuller Gives NCTQ Report on Teacher Prep an Fby dianeravBruce Fuller has been conducting research on education policies in Texas, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere for many years. His published work is careful and peer-reviewed.Here he analyzes the recent report of the National Council on Teacher Quality and finds it woefully weak.