Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, March 10, 2014

3-10-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:



Muddy Pig



Dora Taylor: What is a Charter School
Dora reminds us of her 2010 piece on charters at the Seattle Education blog.What is a Charter School?The basic difference between a traditional public school and a privately run charter school is that with a charter school there is complete control of the school by a private enterprise within a public school district. Although taxpayer-funded, charters operate without the same degree of public and

AFT Won’t Accept Gates Money, Except When It Does
...that only accounts for half the money AFT has received from Gates. According to Politico, “AFT’s executive council hasn’t formally voted to reject Gates funding for other projects, but Weingarten said she would be very cautious about taking such grants.” Somehow a headline that reads “AFT Shuns Gates Funding” gives a different impression than one that reads “AFT Will Be Very Cautious the Next T

Leonie on Ed Show Tonight on Charter Co-Loco Battle
At least MSNBC has been giving some voice to our side -- hope you saw Julie Cavanagh on the SAT issue on Chris Hayes Friday night. Now Leonie on The Ed Show at 5:30.Dear folks:I will be on the Ed Show at 5:30 PM EST tonight on MSNBC, talking about the furious co-location battle going on in NYC.Lost in the furious rhetoric from the charter lobby and the biased coverage by the mainstream media is th


CamiGate: Get Rid of Black Teachers and Replace them with white TFA in Newark in the Name of Civil Rights
There is a historical context of racial discrimination against black teachers in the United States, and “choice” systems of education have previously been found to disproportionately affect the employment of these teachers. One Newark appears to continue this tradition.There are significant differences in race, gender, and experience in the characteristics of NPS staff and the staff of Newark’s ch


Randi and Gives Up Some Gates Dough -- And She's Being Praised?
Oh, Jesus, when will it end? Diane Ravitch posts the "good news" that Randi will no longer accept Gates money and there are some cheers - but also critiques. Breaking News: Randi Says AFT Will No Longer Accept Funding from Gates Foundation for Innovation FundThere are a bunch of comments you should read. I left one but it is awaiting moderation. In case it doesn't pass muster, here it is

De Blasio Allies Counterattack on Moskowitz - the Real Civil Rights Issue of the Time
As a candidate for mayor, Bill de Blasio electrified crowds of parents and education activists with a pledge to charge rent to charter schools, one of the starkest policy departures from his predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg... NY Times, March 10, 2014Well, finally, a word or two that gets to the heart of the issue. The Mayor ran on an anti-charter platform and beat the guy who ran on a pro-charte
Charterbeat Distorts Charter Coverage
That private dollars help the charters is fine, but they remain publicly funded institutions, and it is irresponsibly shortsighted to spend that money without also benefiting the host districts.... Your article notes that students at the Success Academy charter schools outscored public school students in standardized math and reading tests. While this may be encouraging for the charter school move

YESTERDAY

Monday March 10, 4PM: Rally at Harlem School for Victims of Moskowitz Attempt to Push Out Special Ed Kids
Which kids are really getting hurt in the charter wars?Rally To Support de Blasio and Public  Schools in Harlem Tomorrow Where:  Outside PS/ MS 149When : 4: 00- 5:00  March 1041 W.  117th St between Lennox Ave and FifthSubway:  2 or 3 to 116th  Even as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s  handling of the issue of charter school co-locations has disappointed many, it has signaled the end of the era when the li


3-9-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: You Mean, That Jessica Tisch? Bratton Chooses TischNYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton names Jessica Tisch as deputy commissioner of information and technologyOh, you mean that Jessica Tisch?Jessica Tisch Calls For Bloomberg 3rd Term - Ed Notes OnlineApr 15, 2008Today's Post includes an op-ed calling for voters to decide on term limits so Bloomberg can run again. The piece claims Bloom