Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 7/9/17


Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 7/9/17
Featured Post

With A Brooklyn Accent: How Charter Schools Have Stifled Educational Innovation and Fought the Opt Out Movement




CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Stuff To Read Edition + Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Stuff To Read Edition (7/9) : ICYMI: Stuff To Read Edition (7/9) Yeah, I'm short a clever title this week, but I'm not short worthwhile pieces for you to read. Here we go. On Global Teacher Prize Winner Maggie MacDonnell and What Humility Looks Like Jose Luis Vilson talks to prize-winner MacDonnell, and we're all a little better for it. This will make you feel a little bett
Randi Said: The American public resoundingly rejects this healthcare bill

McConnell says limited health bill could be needed : Randi Said: The American public resoundingly rejects this healthcare bill He provided no details during remarks he made at a Rotary Club lunch in a deep-red, conservative rural area of southern Kentucky. They've said it could include provisions continuing federal payments to insurers that help them contain costs for some low earners and inducem
Hiding Behind Rhetoric in the Absence of Evidence | radical eyes for equity

Hiding Behind Rhetoric in the Absence of Evidence | radical eyes for equity : Hiding Behind Rhetoric in the Absence of Evidence Having been extensively cited in recent news articles on education, I have received the typical responses, both by email and an Op-Ed ( High expectations lead to achievement ). What is notable about these disgruntled responses can be seen directly in the headline above—a
I Am Really A Dog Person Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all : I Am Really A Dog Person Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all DeVos: Tough Accountability for Public Schools, Not for Charters or Voucher Schools 8 by dianeravitch / 33min Erica Green of the New York Times wrote that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has “surprised” everyone by insisting that the state
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL : Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL Privilege & Chief Justice Roberts’ Commencement Speech by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gave a speech at his ninth-grade son’s graduation, and it’s been receiving rave reviews across the land. It really is a good speech, and you
Sunday’s week in review. | Fred Klonsky

Sunday’s week in review. | Fred Klonsky : Sunday’s week in review Sunday’s week in review. | Fred Klonsky :
With A Brooklyn Accent: How Charter Schools Have Stifled Educational Innovation and Fought the Opt Out Movement

With A Brooklyn Accent: How Charter Schools Have Stifled Educational Innovation and Fought the Opt Out Movement : How Charter Schools Have Stifled Educational Innovation and Fought the Opt Out Movement Although charter schools were originally promoted as a vehicle to encourage educational experimentation, their meteoric growth in influence has actually coincided with a REDUCTION in innovation in
More Truth in Teacher-Written Education Blogs Than Corporate Media | gadflyonthewallblog

More Truth in Teacher-Written Education Blogs Than Corporate Media | gadflyonthewallblog : More Truth in Teacher-Written Education Blogs Than Corporate Media Let’s get one thing straight right from the get go: I am biased. But so are you. So are the parents, students, principals and school directors. So are the policymakers, the corporate donors and professional journalists. Everyone involved in
CURMUDGUCATION: What They Deserve

CURMUDGUCATION: What They Deserve : What They Deserve Before we get started, let me be clear-- this is not ALL conservatives, and in many cases not ONLY conservatives. But there is a thread that runs through current aspects of conservatism that ties many issues, from education to health care, together. As has been noted to the point that we are flogging the marrow inside the stripped bones uneart

YESTERDAY



Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 7/8/17

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 7/8/17 Featured Post The Blackwhite World of LAUSD’s Charter Schools How to Get Your First Teaching Job - Teacher Habits by mike simpson / 6h How to Get Your First Teaching Job - Teacher Habits 



Top Posts This Week


CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Stuff To Read Edition + Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Stuff To Read Edition (7/9):

ICYMI: Stuff To Read Edition (7/9)


Yeah, I'm short a clever title this week, but I'm not short worthwhile pieces for you to read. Here we go.

On Global Teacher Prize Winner Maggie MacDonnell and What Humility Looks Like

Jose Luis Vilson talks to prize-winner MacDonnell, and we're all a little better for it. This will make you feel a little better about the work.   

Utica Charter School Allegedly Required Salary Tithe

How about yet another story about the Gulen charter chain, just in case you think this use of charter schools to funnel US tax dollars into the coffers of an exiled Turkish leader was old news. Nope. Still happening.

KIPP Schools Collected Millions in Unallowable Fees


The folks who run KIPP are millionaires, but the parents of KIPP students still get hit up for what turn out to be probably-illegal contributions. Tell me the part again about how charters do more with less.

Reform Lessons From Skeptical But Not Cynical Veterans

A winner from Larry Cuban

Has The Charter Movement Gone Awry

Apparently the discussion of the new "let's just get rid of charter accountability" book is going to drag on forever. Grab some popcorn.

The Lie; The Reply

I know you'll find this hard to believe, but there's a charter school operator in Ohio who is a big fat liar.

Beware of School Voucher Doublespeak

I'm not sure this is exactly doublespeak, but here's the NEA with an actually-useful explainer for certain voucher terminology

Charter School Refusal To Admit Students Lacking Uniforms Wasn't Its First

A NOLA charter decides that homeless students who don't come in their proper uniforms should be ejected. And they've apparently done it more than once   

CBS News Voucher Story

Yes, CBS news manages to actually catch the effect of the DeVosian voucher plan on rural schools.

Mayoral Control and Mayoral Responsibility

New York is looking at, well, the first of those again, and Daniel katz takes a look at the issues involved.

The History of Ed Tech: What Went Wrong

Audrey Watters answers the question. See what you think of her answer.

Chris Christie, The Beach, and Our Leaders' Massive School Funding Hypocrisy 

Jersey Jazzman attacks all three topics, and it's worth reading twice.

Why do we think poor people are poor because of their own bad choices?

Tip of the hat to Blue Cereal Education, a look at the psychological theorizing behind why we blame poor people for being poor. 



CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Stuff To Read Edition (7/9):



Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION


Randi Said: The American public resoundingly rejects this healthcare bill

McConnell says limited health bill could be needed:

Randi Said: The American public resoundingly rejects this healthcare bill


He provided no details during remarks he made at a Rotary Club lunch in a deep-red, conservative rural area of southern Kentucky. They've said it could include provisions continuing federal payments to insurers that help them contain costs for some low earners and inducements to keep healthy people buying policies - a step that helps curb premiums.
McConnell spoke hours after Sen.
The Post reports that McConnell also said, "No action is not an alternative".
Republicans in the Senate would likely need to reach across the aisle if they want to pass legislation aimed at stabilizing the marketplaces, as they have only a slim majority of 52 senators, and a measure that doesn't use the budget reconciliation process would require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.
"The American public resoundingly rejects this healthcare bill because it's blatantly cruel and mean, especially to the 22 million people who would lose coverage", said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
In a written statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called it encouraging that McConnell had "opened the door to bipartisan solutions". It was reported that Marc Short, Trump's legislative director, said on Sunday that if the Senate were not able to pass their replacement bill after returning from recess, that they should simply repeal the ACA.McConnell says limited health bill could be needed:

Hiding Behind Rhetoric in the Absence of Evidence | radical eyes for equity

Hiding Behind Rhetoric in the Absence of Evidence | radical eyes for equity:

Hiding Behind Rhetoric in the Absence of Evidence


Having been extensively cited in recent news articles on education, I have received the typical responses, both by email and an Op-Ed (High expectations lead to achievement).
What is notable about these disgruntled responses can be seen directly in the headline above—a dependence on soaring and idealistic rhetoric to mask a complete failure to either discount my evidence or to provide any credible evidence for the counter arguments.
A recent email argued that I was causing more harm than good for emphasizing the impact of racism on literacy education and achievement by students; the rebuttal, however, was peppered with “I believe” and not a single effort to rebut the dozens of research studies I provided on both grade retention and racism/sexism.
While I pressed that point in a few replies, the offended person only ever produced as some sort of evidence a TED Talk, an unintended confession that his world-view depends on whiz-bang showmanship and seeing in any outlier example a confirmation of his biases—what Maia Szalavitz identifies as “’fundamental attribution error’. This is a natural tendency to see the behavior of others as being determined by their character – while excusing our own behavior based on circumstances.”
The emails were almost entirely rhetorical, like a TED Talk, and then Hiding Behind Rhetoric in the Absence of Evidence | radical eyes for equity:


I Am Really A Dog Person Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

I Am Really A Dog Person Diane Ravitch's blog
A site to discuss better education for all






More on the New Charter Operators Moving from Chicago to Indianapolis

An earlier post this morning said that two young TFA had run a “successful” charter school in Chicago and were invited to open a charter in Indianapolis. They are both under 30. https://dianeravitch.net/2017/07/09/indianapolis-as-

Laura Chapman Exposes the Billionaires Behind GreatSchools, Inc. and Redlining

Laura Chapman posted this comment, which I hope you will read: Readers should know that GreatSchools.org website supports redlining. This is a non-profit website and organization in name only. Zillow, for example, pays a fee to 

Why Do National Democrats Forget About the Threat to K-12 Schools?

Every day I get fund-raising appeals from Democratic and progressive national organizations. They usually include a list of critical issues and ask me which one I care most about. They never include K-12 schooling, which is now being 

DeVos: Tough Accountability for Public Schools, Not for Charters or Voucher Schools

Erica Green of the New York Times wrote that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has “surprised” everyone by insisting that the state accountability plans must be more demanding, more “ambitious,” stronger in setting goals. Please note that DeVos spent over a million dollars rewarding the Michigan legislature in 2016 for blocking accountability standards for low-performing charter schools in Michi
Florida Charter Scandal: You May Think You Have Heard It All!

This is unbelievable but true. A convicted felon who had served four years in prison for grand theft and arson was chosen as president of the board of a small Florida charter school, where she was convicted of stealing from the school. She is heading back to prison. You can’t make this stuff up. “Despite spending four years in prison for arson and grand theft, and having multiple arrests for writ
Indianapolis: As School Board Plans to Close Public Schools, Interlopers Arrive to Open New Charters

I wrote a few posts last week (see here and here ) about the devastation of public schools in Indianapolis by corporate reformers. Their short term goal is to close public schools and replace them with privately managed charters. In the meanwhile, they are eliminating the neighborhood high school concept and requiring students to choose a high school based on its programs, not its proximity to ho

YESTERDAY

Here is the Link to MAD Magazine’s Betsy Poster: “We the Unqualified”

In case you want to print out your very own Betsy poster, here is the link.
Jeff Bryant: Why Democrats Should Unite For a Charter Moratorium

Jeff Bryant argues cogently in this article that Democrats should unite on behalf of a charter school moratorium. If the Democratic party wants to revive its base–labor and civil rights–it should heed Jeff’s sound advice. Charters and school choice were never a natural fit with the public philosophy of the Denocratic party, which recognized the power of government to advance the common good, beca
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie Show His True Colors, on the Jersey Shore

Jersey Jazzman notes that Chris Christie will soon leave office as the most unpopular governor in the nation. He loved to ridicule those who disagreed with him, and one of his favorite targets was the state’s public schools and teachers, most especially their union. He never acknowled that the state is one of the three top-performing states on national tests (NAEP), the other two being Massachuse
Indiana Voucher Study: Students Fall Behind, But Do They Really Catch Up After Four Years?

Indiana has one of the nation’s largest voucher programs (34,000 students) and has been in operation long enough to collect four years of data. The latest voucher study reached the conclusion that students who get vouchers fall behind in the first two years, notably in math, but eventually catch up to their public school peers. But do they? Steve Hinnefeld reported on the release of the study, bu
MAD Magazine “Honors” Betsy DeVos With a Poster of Her Own

A reader sent me the link to this poster, which appears in the current issue of MAD Magazine. I don’t customarily engage in ridicule, but what DeVos is doing to the public schools of America, what she is doing to civil rights enforcement, and what she is doing to college students struggling to pay for their education is beyond ridiculous.
19 State Attorneys General Sue DeVos for Delaying Rules Protecting College Students from Predatory Colleges

Led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy, the state attorneys general in 19 states sued Betsy zdezvos, who is failing to protect the interests of college students who are preyed upon by for-profit colleges, like the defunct Trump University. This Secretary has carved out a unique role as the defender of corporate interests against the rights of students. Her motto might as well be “Let t


U.S. News Kicks KIPP NYC School Off Its List of “Best High Schools” Due to Gary Rubinstein’s Analysis

Let’s begin with the stipulation that the lists of “America’s Best High Schools” based on test scores or AP coursetaking encourage schools to game the system and are invalid on their face. Then, congratulations to Gary Rubinstein! He not 
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: