I Don’t Know What to Do with My Parents
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I don’t know what to do with my parents. My father and mother both died in
2017. My father in late June. And then my mother in early December, just
several...
Jennifer Rubin: The Lies of Donald Trump
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Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post wrote a summary of Trump’s lies. No
one can detail all of them, there were so many. During Trump’s term in
office, th...
Musk's Robot Co-Teacher
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The amount of sheer crap being cranked out to promote "AI" in education is
staggering, a veritable Mauna Loa of marketing puffery masquerading as
serious a...
In Praise of Social Studies
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In my long and checkered career as a classroom teacher, I taught
instrumental and vocal music, mathematics, ESL and the occasional oddball
middle school cl...
A Poem about Teaching (Ann Staley)
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I knew Ann Staley as a student in one of my classes soon after I came to
Stanford to teach over four decades ago. Over the time she was in graduate
school,...
Seattle School Board Meeting 10/9/2024
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It appears to have been a very disjointed meeting.
We open to President Liza Rankin with a mask on. She sounds like she has a
bad cold. Good of her to t...
Education Support, More Harm than Help
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By Thomas Ultican 10/10/2024 In California, we have the Fiscal Crisis and
Management Assist Team (FCMAT – pronounced fick-mat) which is more often
the bane...
OK Supt. Solicits for… Trump Bibles (??)
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Oklahoma superintendent Ryan Walters supports putting a Trump bible in
every Oklahoma classroom and then some. The October 04, 2024, Advocate
reports that ...
BEWARE ‘THE SCIENCE OF READING’
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“The Science of Reading” is a real thing, so real that it’s required by law
in schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia. They have been
ordered b...
Only 1% of math teachers say they use AI “a lot”
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In the Spring of 2024, RAND found that 82% of surveyed math teachers
have never used AI tools for their mathematics teaching. 1% said they use
it “Often.” ...
Prime Palindromes
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I haven’t done a math puzzle in a while. Maybe a year? But I play with
math. A lot. If I see puzzles, why not share them? What is the largest
4-digit prime...
¿Cuál es el poder de su voto?
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En People's Action, creemos que la gente como tu y yo podemos tomar las
decisiones correctas para nuestras vidas y la de nuestro país. Por eso
estamos pasa...
September’s Parent Engagement Resources
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A Back-to-School Guide for Connecting with Families is from ASCD. What all
parents can learn from the troubled AI in Los Angeles schools
https://t.co/4I5Q7...
Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
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Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
Could there be a "Silver Wave" for Harris/Walz?
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Bill McKibben raises this question, and goes beyond the obvious concern
that those of us who are seniors (I am 78) have for Social Security and
Medicare....
Dear AD55 Voters: She Se Puede!
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Click here for image I am so grateful for your support in the March primary
LACDP race …I do not…
The post Dear AD55 Voters: She Se Puede! first appeared...
Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
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This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
Time to Rein in Vouchers
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Universal voucher programs have, in many states led to substantial budget
stress (Baker, 2024;[1] Hager, 2024). Initial cost estimates in Florida
were that...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
15 Questions for the Candidates
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Those citizens who fantasize about defying tyranny from within fortified
compounds have never understood how liberty is actually threatened in a
modern bur...
Bibliography for History Posts on This Blog
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I remember when school reformers insisted the biggest problem
in education was that teachers didn't come from the best colleges.
Bibliography
VER...
We are making a CPESS documentary!
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In 2020, I was approached by Deborah Meier and Jane Andrais and I decided
we should document the story of Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS).
This ...
Volunteer in 2024
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Be the change, volunteer and make the difference! Let’s face it, the world
is in turmoil, and divisive politics in our country is threatening our
democracy...
The Sky is Falling, or is it?
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Well, this is the first anniversary of the introduction of Generative AI in
the form of ChatGPT to the world of education. Before it was a week old,
over o...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
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In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ...
Read more
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
Skin Deep
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She spends so much time on her outward appearance. There is never a hair
out of place. Her makeup is perfect and her clothes are stylish and match
to ...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
-
*Defeating the Purpose of Education*
*Updated: May 2024*
*Most people would agree that the primary purpose of education is to
prepare children for a good a...
THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. NOT!
-
There is a teacher shortage.And just to be sure you understand, it's not
that teachers don't want to teach.It's not that there aren't enough
teachers certi...
Abortion: Only For Those Who Need It!
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NOTE: This post contains my opinions on Catholicism based on my experiences
as a child in the 1960's and 70's. Take what you like and leave the rest. I
m...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
On the Edge of Silence
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“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide.
Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the
fundamen...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
-
TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
-
I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
GA run-offs need your help!
-
Extremely important. Volunteer if you can. Thank you if you are already
doing so. Out of state opportunities here: Ralph …
Continue reading →
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
A Fundamental Redesign of Our Schools
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I climbed the hill leading up to one of my favorite coffee shops in Seattle
this morning to enjoy a coffee while taking in a phenomenal view of the
city o...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
Thoughts on schooling in the era of COVID-19
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Well, a whole lot has changed since I returned to blogging a month and half
ago. In case you didn't notice, and I'm sure everyone reading this did,
there's...
NAEP scores and "the science of reading"
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*Sent to US News. They just informed me that they no longer publish
letters to the editor. *
*Re: “National reading emergency” November 12*
*[https://www...
2019 NAEP Scores: Achievement Gap or …?
-
Here you go: A ‘Disturbing’ Assessment: Sagging Reading Scores,
Particularly for Eighth-Graders, Headline 2019’s Disappointing NAEP Results
NAEP 2019: Re...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
-
Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Storm is Coming! (…again)
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A new Commissioner will have as much impact on our state ed system as a new
meteorologist will have on …
Continue reading →
Déjà vu: 2019 ELA Assessment: Dear Board of Regents
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Dear Board of Regents,
I have copied below an email I sent to you almost a year ago, after the
2018 ELA assessment's computer-based testing failures and mo...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
-
Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
3rd Grade Reading: Who is Failing?
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Education Trust Midwest has just released its study on third grade reading
and, predictably, the results aren’t great. This study uniquely compares
Michiga...
Opting out of the Dinosaur (end of year test)
-
Today I sent in a second letter to refuse PARCC/CMAS for my son, Luke. The
first email I sent at the beginning of the year was not sufficient as they
requi...
Resurrection
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I realized it's Lent, but this blog, bless Jesus Christ, can't wait.
Ok, so with that said, I plan to discuss Class Action suits in existence,
as well as w...
IDEA Is Still The Law Of The Land
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Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the US Department of
Education (USDOE) rescinded 72 Dear Colleague and other letters of
explanation to ...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
-
Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
-
Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
Capturing the Spark
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It’s been a long time since InterACT was an active education blog, though I
remain quite proud of what we did here. Those of us who wrote blog posts
here h...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
-
I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
WTU Peterson Slate: Not a 1 Woman Dictatorship
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Candi Peterson & GeLynn Thompson
Candidates for WTU Prez & GVP 2016By Candi Peterson, WTU Gen. Vice President
*Statements or expressions of opinions herein...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
-
I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
Flaws at the Heart of Current Education Reforms
-
Originally posted on Creative by Nature:
“Teaching is an art form rooted in the wise and careful use of educational
research and assessment tools. When gove...
The MAP Test
-
Teachers will be voting this afternoon on the contract that has been
tentatively agreed upon. I am asking all teachers to not allow an
evaluation system th...
Who Shows Up For Teachers? Coalition-Building In The Era Of Educator Activism | PopularResistance.Org WHO SHOWS UP FOR TEACHERS? COALITION-BUILDING IN THE ERA OF EDUCATOR ACTIVISM The Enemies Of Public Education Are Organizing. It’s Time To Fight Back This is a story of how I lost my glasses. It’s OK—they were rose-colored anyway. Three years ago, I was a high school social studies teacher, conte
In Defense of the SAT Adversity Score - The Atlantic An Imperfect SAT Adversity Score Is Better Than Just Ignoring Adversity The College Board’s simple, straightforward indicator will make schools pay attention to the tough odds some applicants face. Last week, the College Board announced a long-overdue innovation: It will try to put students’ SAT scores in context by providing colleges with an a
State legislative wins bring fresh hope for students and educators - Education Votes State legislative wins bring fresh hope for students and educators By Amanda Menas and Amanda Litvinov The conversation about public education is changing in statehouses across the country. The assumption that schools must operate in austerity—and that struggling schools should be punished—no longer prevails. Aft
School Funding in Mass: What Does Every Parent Need to Know? | Schott Foundation for Public Education School Funding in Mass: What Does Every Parent Need to Know? Do your schools provide enough resources to students in your community? Do you ever wonder why some schools have more resources than others? How does funding in your school district work? According to a 2015 bipartisan Foundation Budget
Thousands of Charter Schools Perform Poorly | Dissident Voice Thousands of Charter Schools Perform Poorly “Performance-based accountability” is a hackneyed, Skinnerian, neoliberal buzz-phrase often repeated dogmatically by charter school promoters in order to falsely claim that privately-operated nonprofit and for-profit charter schools are more accountable and higher-performing than public schoo
The 3% teacher salary cap. Can the IEA deliver on its main legislative agenda item? – Fred Klonsky THE 3% TEACHER SALARY CAP. CAN THE IEA DELIVER ON ITS MAIN LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ITEM? Andy Manar’s bill dropped the repeal of the 3% salary cap. The Illinois Education Association, which claims 130,000 members, has made the repeal of last year’s cap of 3% on pensionable raises its main legislative ite
As results of grade-fixing probe loom, five Kennedy High School administrators are “no longer employees,” board president says | The Lens As results of grade-fixing probe loom, five Kennedy High School administrators are “no longer employees,” board president says Weeks after the resignation of New Beginnings Schools Foundation’s CEO amid a grade-inflation investigation, five administrators at Jo
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Looks Like Amplify May Be the Provider of Choice in SPS Looks Like Amplify May Be the Provider of Choice in SPS Sometimes you just can't make this stuff up. I received a new group of public disclosure emails today. They were not in any way related to Amplify and yet, there were two items about Amplify. This was from the Assessment Development Program Manager, Shaw
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Free To Teach? Who Are These Guys? PA: Free To Teach? Who Are These Guys? Once again, it's time for teachers in Pennsylvania to get a nice mass mailed postcard from our friends at Free To Teach, a group dedicated to reminding teachers that they don't have to belong to that stinky union. I took a look at these guys back in 2015 , but as I look at the two postcards they sent to
Pennsylvania: Those Disgraceful, Failing CyberCharters | Diane Ravitch's blog Pennsylvania: Those Disgraceful, Failing CyberCharters I recommend that you get on the email list of the Keystone State Education Coalition if you want to know what is happening in Pennsylvania. Lawrence Feinberg posts informative articles about the schools of that state. You can contact him at lawrenceafeinberg@gmail.c
Why Streaming Kids According to Ability Is a Terrible Idea (Oscar Hedstrom) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Why Streaming Kids According to Ability Is a Terrible Idea (Oscar Hedstrom) Oscar Hedstrom is a secondary school teacher in Melbourne, [Australia]. He is interested in creative and critical thinking in education. This appeared in Aeon (no date). Mixed-ability classes b
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 This Week With Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 June 12th Would Be Anne Frank’s 90th Birthday – Here Are Related Teaching & Learning Resources by Larry Ferlazzo / 56min bernswaelz / Pixabay June 12th would be Anne Frank’s 90th birthday. You m
Education Research Report THIS WEEK Education Research Report Engagement in student clubs helps undergraduates find good employment by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 17h IMAGE: Binary logistic regression analysis examining the relationship between different types of undergraduate engagement and self-reported critical thinking skills. view more Credit: I. Shcheglova, Yu. Koreshnikova and O. Parshina. A goo
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all Pennsylvania: Those Disgraceful, Failing CyberCharters by dianeravitch / 51min I recommend that you get on the email list of the Keystone State Education Coalition if you want to know what is happening in Pennsylvania. Lawrence Feinberg posts inf
2018 Charter School Credit Ratings for Nine States, with a Focus on California and Michigan | deutsch29 2018 Charter School Credit Ratings for Nine States, with a Focus on California and Michigan There are situations in which B is a grade to be avoided. Let us consider some 2018 charter school credit ratings as reported in Standard & Poor’s. First, some background on “rated debt,” compliments of
AB 1505 Passes Thank you to the following Assembly Members who to pass AB 1505, which will ensure all matters related to charter schools’ authorization, renewal and other key decisions be made by the local school communities — those parents, educators and locally-elected school board members who know best the needs of their neighborhood children. Assembly Member Twitter Link/Facebook Asm. Jim Woo
How Could Education Reformers Get it So Wrong? - Living in Dialogue How Could Education Reformers Get it So Wrong? A Review of The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch, Part 2 This is a second post reviewing The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch . Part one summarized Ravitch’s essays from 2010 , which was the time when corporate reform pivoted from what she called “the Death Star of education,” NCLB, to
The Sanders Education Plan: Five Good Ideas, One Bad Idea, And A Missed Opportunity The Sanders Education Plan: Five Good Ideas, One Bad Idea, And A Missed Opportunity Bernie Sanders has raised the bar for Presidential candidates by offering a hefty set of planks for an education platform. His Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Education is the first substantive attempt to address education policy
Sanders’s Education Plan Renews Debate Over Charter Schools and Segregation - The New York Times Sanders’s Education Plan Renews Debate Over Charter Schools and Segregation When Senator Bernie Sanders delivered a wide-ranging speech on education Saturday, he became the first major Democratic candidate to propose a detailed plan to racially integrate schools, calling for $1 billion in funding to s
CURMUDGUCATION: Betsy DeVos Lets Down Her Hair Betsy DeVos Lets Down Her Hair You probably saw the quote from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos equating US public education with Soviet East Germany. That was a good headline ( and great clickbait ), but it's worth it to go and take a look at the full context of that quote. This will be long, but I can't help it-- I find strolling through the insi
Matt Barnum: Summit Learning Misleads About Percent of Schools That Quit Every Year | Diane Ravitch's blog Matt Barnum: Summit Learning Misleads About Percent of Schools That Quit Every Year Matt Barnum of Chalkbeat reports that the Chan-Zuckerberg tech-based schools called Summit have been underreporting the percent of schools that quit their program every year. After multiple news reports of hi
Is Your School Band Playing this Weekend? Thank a Teacher. | Teacher in a strange land Is Your School Band Playing this Weekend? Thank a Teacher. I’m not much of a flag waver, really. I always thought that author James Baldwin captured my feelings precisely in Notes of a Native Son when he wrote: I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on th
Chicago teachers speak on inequality, attacks on public education at downtown rally - World Socialist Web Site Chicago teachers speak on inequality, attacks on public education at downtown rally The Chicago Teachers Union held a rally outside the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago Wednesday under the slogan “Standing strong for the schools Chicago’s students deserve.” Teachers have grow
What many black parents think about when teachers are armed in schools - The Washington Post What many black parents think about when teachers are armed in schools A new analysis by a gun control advocacy group says there have been more than 65 publicly reported incidents of mishandled guns at schools in the last five years. They include: A teacher’s loaded gun falling from his waistband during a
School Rankings as Racist, Classist Propaganda | radical eyes for equity School Rankings as Racist, Classist Propaganda On 20 May 2019, the Charleston Post and Courier offered this: Here’s what it takes for a SC school to be the No. 1 public high school in the US . And here is what is newsworthy: The news was out before the sound of the school announcement system crackled through the halls: Acade
Report: The cost of charter schools for the West Contra Costa Unified School District – In the Public Interest Report: The cost of charter schools for the West Contra Costa Unified School District In the Public Interest, in partnership with California’s West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) staff, directly measured the financial impact of charter schools on students who attend the di
Eliminating Worldwide Illiteracy with Electronic Tablets but Without School Teachers? | janresseger Eliminating Worldwide Illiteracy with Electronic Tablets but Without School Teachers? This blog will take a one-week early summer break and come back in June on a new, three-day, Monday-Wednesday-Friday summer schedule. Look for a new post on Monday, June 3. Diane Ravitch made the announcement yest
States’ Math and Reading Performance After the Implementation of School A-F Letter Grade Policies | VAMboozled! States’ Math and Reading Performance After the Implementation of School A-F Letter Grade Policies It’s been a while! Thanks to the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; see prior posts about ESSA here , here , and here ), the chaos surrounding states’ teacher evaluation syste
CURMUDGUCATION: OH: Union Reps Fired By Turnaround CEO OH: Union Reps Fired By Turnaround CEO Lorain City Schools is one of the three Ohio districts that has been subjected to HB 70, a takeover law that replaces both the school board and the superintendent with a single all-powerful CEO. You can get the background of Lorain's troubles here , and see what has been happening in the fight against HB
Learning from Our Teachers: The Education Strikes of 2018 - Los Angeles Review of Books Learning from Our Teachers: The Education Strikes of 2018 Red State Revolt By Eric Blanc The Teachers’ Strike Wave and Working-Class Politics Published 04.23.2019 Verso 224 Pages IN SPRING OF 2018, tens of thousands of K–12 educators and support staff in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona went on strike, dem
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Entire Board Must Vote No on the Science Adoption The Entire Board Must Vote No on the Science Adoption You'll note the use of the word "must" in the headline for this post. I have gone from "should" to "must" based on new information I received today via public disclosure documents from the district. I had put in a request weeks ago and received a message tha
LAUSD’s Measure EE Highlights the Need For Charter School Oversight LAUSD’s Measure EE Highlights the Need For Charter School Oversight This is a compromise, but we owe that to our children and the way that we can model compromise as a Board and as a community. Let’s not forget that the disenfranchised here are our students…If you don’t compromise it leads to this retrenchment and cynicism that t
Louisiana’s VAM: Quantitative Bungling on Display | deutsch29 Louisiana’s VAM: Quantitative Bungling on Display This post is about value-added assessment (VAA), also called value-added modeling (VAM). I saw that Louisiana’s “father of VAM,” LSU psychology professor, George Noell, and others, had recently published a VAM reflection related to VAM usage on Louisiana’s teacher preparation programs (
Education Research Report: Flaws in High-Profile “Gold Standard” Study Used to Market Teach for America Flaws in High-Profile “Gold Standard” Study Used to Market Teach for America Andrew Brantlinger is a former public school math teacher who is now an associate professor at the University of Maryland’s Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership. Earlier in his academic career, he
Holding Diane Ravitch and Corporate School Reformers Accountable - Living in Dialogue Holding Diane Ravitch and Corporate School Reformers Accountable A Review of The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch: Part 1 By John Thompson. As we wait for Diane Ravitch’s next, comprehensive masterpiece , Slaying Goliath , a new anthology, The Wisdom and Wit of Diane Ravitch , offers a unique opportunity to asses
California teachers, students, officials rally for school funding | The Sacramento Bee ‘Starvation diet’ for schools protested by California teachers, officials, students at Capitol More than 1,000 California teachers, students and school district administrators marched in downtown Sacramento and rallied at the state Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, adding their voices to a statewide advocacy day
Charter school curbs pass Assembly, but drama foretells compromise | CALmatters Charter school curbs pass Assembly, but drama foretells compromise Legislation that would give local school districts more control over charter-school authorizations narrowly passed the California State Assembly Wednesday in a dramatic vote that served as an initial litmus test for a package of consequential, union-ba
Measure EE Works Like The Corporate Program To “Match Gifts” – redqueeninla Measure EE Works Like The Corporate Program To “Match Gifts” On June 4, 2019 at the polls, we’ll approve fairly funded Public Education for all by voting YES ON EE . It’s a gift to democracy from the body politic. See here . https://tinyurl.com/howcorporatematchingworks In the meantime large corporations and industrial la
Los Angeles: At First Meeting, Jackie Goldberg Changes Board Dynamics by Challenging Co-Location of Charters | Diane Ravitch's blog Los Angeles: At First Meeting, Jackie Goldberg Changes Board Dynamics by Challenging Co-Location of Charters Jackie Goldberg was sworn in to her new office as representative for District 5 on the Los Angeles school board, and she hit the ground running. She criticize
If colleges want a diverse campus they need to amend admissions policies In higher education, the wand chooses the wizard It’s not Hufflepuff and Slytherin, it’s Harvard and Stanford For those who seek higher education, access to a college is no longer an insurmountable problem. With more than 5,000 colleges and universities dotted across the United States, and the availability of online and dist
The Public Good? Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Get It. | janresseger The Public Good? Betsy DeVos Doesn’t Get It. When she spoke recently at the Education Writers Association , Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education, swallowed whatever humility she has and presumed to redefine the role public education in our society. Betsy loves freedom from government (even though she works for the government), and
Cartoons on Technology at Work, Home, and School | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice Cartoons on Technology at Work, Home, and School For this month, I have collected a melange of cartoons about technology use in different venues. Enjoy! MORE CARTOONS: Cartoons on Technology at Work, Home, and School | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Labor Movement Comes Back Big After 'Janus' - NEA Today Labor Movement Comes Back Big After ‘Janus’ In January, Virginia teacher Nicole Loch attended a #RedForEd rally at the statehouse in Richmond. She arrived on a charter bus sponsored by the Fauquier Education Association (FEA), even though Loch had never joined the union—a decision she had resisted for 11 years.“It was a bus full of other edu
The "X"odus Files: Shortage Denial Syndrome. | BustED Pencils The “X”odus Files: Shortage Denial Syndrome. A few weeks ago Peter Greene posted a blog about the fact that there is NO TEACHER SHORTAGE . He even mentioned me as one of the shortage deniers. I sent his post to a host of people—teachers, politicians, government agencies, and anybody else that needed a reminder. I then went on with my d
CREDO’s New Orleans “Learning Gains” a Sleight of Information | deutsch29 CREDO’s New Orleans “Learning Gains” a Sleight of Information According to Emily Langhorne of Forbes, education reformers should “rejoice” because in May 2019, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) released this summary and accompanying presentation of New Orleans charter school “learning gains.” According t
Is the Adversity Score a Tool for Acknowledging Poverty (as a surrogate for race) in College Admissions or a Tool to Enrich the SAT? | Ed In The Apple Is the Adversity Score a Tool for Acknowledging Poverty (as a surrogate for race) in College Admissions or a Tool to Enrich the SAT? About ten years ago I sat in a room with a group of principals and watched/listened to David Coleman’s “Letter from
Journey For Justice Had a Busy Day | Diane Ravitch's blog Journey For Justice Had a Busy Day Don’t believe the right wingers who claim that charter schools are supported by Black and Brown people. Not only did the NAACP, the nation’s most venerable civil rights group, call for a moratorium on charter schools but so did Black Lives Matter. The Journey for Justice Alliance is a true grassroots civi
May Ed Town Hall BUS: Against Charters – Education Town Hall Forum MAY ED TOWN HALL BUS: AGAINST CHARTERS The next BUS ride covers The Fight Against Charters! First up we have Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education, returning to give an update on how the fight against charters is playing out after the NPE’s release of the report Asleep at the Wheel. For the second ha
Insolvency Avoided, New Budget Is Fixable - Sacramento City Teachers Association INSOLVENCY AVOIDED, NEW BUDGET IS FIXABLE The latest budget document circulated by the District at community forums contains two huge developments: The District made a $16 million mistake by undercounting at least 700 students, a mistake that SCTA has been pointing out since January. The District has now doubled its
L.A. Charters Suspend Black and Disabled Students at Higher Rates | Capital & Main GRADING CHARTER SCHOOLS: L.A. Charters Suspend Black and Disabled Students at Higher Rates Los Angeles charters suspended black students at almost three times the rate of traditional schools; students with disabilities were suspended at nearly four times the non-charter school rate. School suspensions are out, rest
CURMUDGUCATION: OH: Do Charters Need The Freedom To Hire Great Teachers? OH: Do Charters Need The Freedom To Hire Great Teachers? If there's one thing that charter school advocates never run out of, it's arguments about why charter schools should get to ignore some of the rules of education. Fordham Institute's blog, Ohio Division, recently ran a piece in this genre, written by Jessica Poiner-- "
SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Red for Ed. Education Rally at State Capitol Red for Ed. Education Rally at State Capitol Together, we will join educators, parents, students, and community members to demand the full funding of our public schools, common-sense charter school accountability, and social & racial justice. Shoulder to shoulder with thousands of educators, students, and community memb
Bernie Sanders’s Education Plan Laments Rise of Charter Schools - The New York Times Bernie Sanders’s Education Plan Laments Rise of Charter Schools Senator Bernie Sanders took aim at charter schools on Saturday, calling for a moratorium on federal funding for the schools in a declaration of his education policy priorities ahead of the 2020 election. In a 10-point plan , Mr. Sanders, one of nearl
The Condition of Education 2019 The Condition of Education 2019 Title: The Condition of Education 2019 Description: The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated annual report summarizing important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The 2019 Condition of Education report presents 48 indicators on topics ranging from prekindergarten through postseconda
Goldberg joins L.A. Unified school board, immediately challenges aid to charter schools - Los Angeles Times Goldberg joins L.A. Unified school board, immediately challenges aid to charter schools Jackie Goldberg took a seat on the Los Angeles school board Tuesday and immediately signaled change to come, shifting the discussion to whether charter schools were getting unfair advantages over distric
Watch My Interview with Lauren Steiner, Taped Yesterday | Diane Ravitch's blog Watch My Interview with Lauren Steiner, Taped Yesterday Lauren Steiner is an activist who is actively engaged in fighting privatization in California. She has a regular program on Facebook, where she interviews people like me. She interviewed me yesterday about charters, billionaires, neoliberalism, and other issues. T
“High-Quality” Charter Schools Versus “Low-Quality” Charter Schools | Dissident Voice “High-Quality” Charter Schools Versus “Low-Quality” Charter Schools Another False Dichotomy Distorting Consciousness and Undermining the Human Factor Charter school promoters want the public, especially poor, low-income, and vulnerable minority families who have long been exploited by the rich and their state, t
Anand Giridharadas on Kara Swisher podcast Recode Decode - Vox Tech billionaires who donate millions are just “bribing society at large,” Anand Giridharadas says Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Gates shouldn’t have an outsize say in how we run our country, Giridharadas says on the latest episode of Recode Decode. Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and other billionaires have figured out a pretty swe
Betsy DeVos wants to resurrect an old — and failed — model of public education - The Washington Post Betsy DeVos wants to resurrect an old — and failed — model of public education Government-funded and -run schools evolved from a broader system of public education that could not provide what students needed. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently proposed a “new definition” of public education.
Badass Teachers Association Blog: Musings On test Taking by Grumpy Old Teacher Musings On test Taking by Grumpy Old Teacher Originally posted at Grumpy Old Teacher It’s that time of year: testing. For GOT, it’s the most boring time as he must watch students work without actually seeing that work, maintain a hawk-like scrutiny of computer screens to make sure students are not exiting the test to l
CURMUDGUCATION: The Writer Who Couldn't Answer Standardized Test Questions About Her Own Work (Again)! The Writer Who Couldn't Answer Standardized Test Questions About Her Own Work (Again)! We are in standardized test season, and all across the country, students are taking the Big Standardized Test by which they, their schools, and their teachers will be judged. How absurd are these tests? Meet S
Charter Schools Undermine the Public Good—in Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania | janresseger Charter Schools Undermine the Public Good—in Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania This week’s news has brought additional evidence for growing public condemnation of the charter school sector—the abysmal record in Louisiana of the federal Charter Schools Program, along with the operation of charters
Mike Klonsky's Blog: Mayor Lightfoot is sticking with schools CEO Janice Jackson for now. That's a good thing. Mayor Lightfoot is sticking with schools CEO Janice Jackson for now. That's a good thing. There's hope that CEO Jackson, once liberated from Rahm's self-serving, autocratic rule, will become a real change leader. Even though I've had my issues with CEO Janice Jackson's role as Rahm Emanu
Q: “Did you see the numbers?” A: Yes, I have. | Cloaking Inequity Q: “DID YOU SEE THE NUMBERS?” A: YES, I HAVE. Is there a revolt inside the NAACP? Are charters segregated? Do African American have appreciably higher achievement in charters? Tomorrow is statewide strike and a day of action for public education in California. There will likely be more than 2,000 people at the capitol advocating pe
Teach for America and Sister Program, Ensina!: How Recruit Thinking Changes from Before to After | deutsch29 Teach for America and Sister Program, Ensina!: How Recruit Thinking Changes from Before to After Rolf Straubhaar is an assistant professor of ed leadership and school improvement at Texas State University. He is also a Teach for America (TFA) alum. Rolf Straubhaar Straubhaar’s research age
Teachers' strikes a new social movement, researcher says | Penn State University Teachers' strikes a new social movement, researcher says College of Education researcher immerses herself in teachers unions Leading up to their January 2019 strike, more than 30,000 teachers and staff who are part of the United Teachers Los Angeles union began rallying support months in advance. Leaders are seen her
Re-imagining Migration: Immigration, Schools, and the Census | National Education Policy Center Re-imagining Migration: Immigration, Schools, and the Census Gathering Census Data in a Climate of Fear A view from school principals In late April, in a tense and closely watched session, President Trump’s Solicitor General, Noel Francisco, appeared before the United States Supreme Court to argue for
Middle-Class Americans Are Sick of Elite Privilege - The Atlantic It’s Time to Hold American Elites Accountable for Their Abuses If Democrats want to address simmering middle-class anger, they need to deliver justice. Normally, a scandal centered on how rich parents used bribes to win their children’s admittance into elite colleges wouldn’t play so heavily in the national news. No one much cared
Paid family leave for teachers set for vote in Assembly :: K-12 Daily :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet Paid family leave for teachers set for vote in Assembly (Calif.) Among the more than 1,000 bills that won passage to the Assembly floor last week was one that would require all K-12 schools and community colleges to provide at least six weeks family leave to employee
A Meditation on Stringing Words Together: The National’s “Roman Holiday” | radical eyes for equity A Meditation on Stringing Words Together: The National’s “Roman Holiday” I’m still standing in the same place where you left me standing “I Am Easy to Find,” The National For those of us who love words and fall deeply in love with authors and pop music performers, few things are as exciting as new w
Can NOLA's return to a locally run district curb charter school corruption? New Orleans finally has control of its own schools, but will all parents really have a say? Can a locally elected school board bring true accountability to the city’s diffuse network of charter schools, or will the corruption and favoritism that plagued the city’s school board before Katrina return, giving an upper hand t
West Virginia’s Teachers Continue #RedforEd Pushback Against Charter Schools and ESA Vouchers | janresseger West Virginia’s Teachers Continue #RedforEd Pushback Against Charter Schools and ESA Vouchers Just over a year ago, in late February 2018, school teachers across West Virginia launched the first of a nationwide wave of walkouts and strikes that became #RedforEd. Teachers in every one of Wes
Badass Teachers Association Blog: Bully Targets Need Upstanders! Bully Targets Need Upstanders! Much has been written on the subject of workplace bullying, with a lot of it intended to offer advice to those who have been targeted by an abusive colleague or supervisor. This is because many targets are not aware of what workplace bullying is, who the perpetrators might be, and how to deal with it w
Charter Schools Are Quietly Gobbling Up My Public School District | gadflyonthewallblog Charter Schools Are Quietly Gobbling Up My Public School District I work in a little suburban school district just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that is slowly being destroyed by privatization. Steel Valley Schools have a proud history. We’re located (in part) in Homestead – the home of the historic ste
Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2018-19 | Grantmakers for Education Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2018-19 GFE_Benchmarking_2018-19.pdf Grantmakers for Education’s 10th anniversary edition of Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2018-19 offers insights on the current and evolving priorities of the education funding community. The survey results make clear
DeVos used personal emails for work in ‘limited’ cases, federal investigators say | PBS NewsHour DeVos used personal emails for work in ‘limited’ cases, federal investigators say An internal Education Department watchdog says Secretary Betsy DeVos has sometimes used personal email accounts for government business and did not always save the messages properly. The agency’s Office of Inspector Gene
Scholarship Opportunity: Are you a Proud #PublicSchoolGrad? | Schott Foundation for Public Education Scholarship Opportunity: Are you a Proud #PublicSchoolGrad? Local public schools and their educators have produced America’s most brilliant artists, scientists, doctors, musicians, lawyers, presidents, and more — people from all walks of life, contributing to society in countless ways. Are you or
CURMUDGUCATION: 19 Rules For Life (2019 edition) 19 Rules For Life (2019 edition) I first posted this list when I turned 60, and have revisited it many times. Now that my birthday has reappeared. I thought I'd start the practice of annually revisiting and revising it. I will keep my original observation-- that this list does not represent any particular signs of wisdom on my part, because I disco
Failing Charter Schools and a School Board’s Choice Failing Charter Schools and a School Board’s Choice “Data doesn’t close opportunity gaps. People have to do that, so we now need people to take action.” - Carrie Hahnel, EdTrust-West It is easy to blame a public school for failing to successfully educate a child. Teachers and schools make easy scapegoats in a society that consistently fails at a
The Resegregation of Baton Rouge Public Schools - The Atlantic The New Secession Residents of the majority-white southeast corner of Baton Rouge want to make their own city, complete with its own schools, breaking away from the majority-black parts of town. T he fight began with little subtlety. White, wealthy parents in the southeastern corner of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, an area known
Meet the 2019 “Black Education Matters Student Activist Award” winners: Youth leaders of an uprising for racial justice! – I AM AN EDUCATOR Meet the 2019 “Black Education Matters Student Activist Award” winners: Youth leaders of an uprising for racial justice! At the first NAACP Youth Coalition Racial Justice Conference on Saturday, ethnic studies teacher Jesse Hagopian and Superbowl champion/bes
Proposition 8 and Homophobic Bullying in California | Articles | Pediatrics Proposition 8 and Homophobic Bullying in California Abstract BACKGROUND: Bias-based bullying is associated with negative outcomes for youth, but its contextual predictors are largely unknown. Voter referenda that target lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender groups may be 1 contextual factor contributing to homophobic bu
Epic Fail Of Charter Schools In Louisiana | OurFuture.org by People's Action Epic Fail Of Charter Schools In Louisiana When Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama, said Hurricane Katrina was the “best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans,” he was no doubt referring in part to how the storm and its aftermath led to the spread of charter scho
Teaching and Learning in the Age of the Technocrats Teaching and Learning in the Age of the Technocrats By Sheila Resseger, M.A. I wrote the following words almost exactly four years ago. Since then, many parents did choose to inform themselves, and refused to allow their children to participate in the PARCC/SBAC assessments; the problem with the underlying standards, however, was not addressed.
A Note About the Fifth Year Anniversary of This Is Not A Test | The Jose Vilson A NOTE ABOUT THE FIFTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THIS IS NOT A TEST I wrote this book for you. For some of you, it means I wrote this in love. There’s always that first visit to the local bookstore when we scan the education section and don’t see a book that tangentially relates to your qualms and visions. Most of the narra
K-12 Public Education: Front and Center in the 2020 Election | Real Learning CT K-12 Public Education: Front and Center in the 2020 Election At last! At last! At last! A candidate for President of the United States has recognized that the bedrock institution of our democracy is in peril, that the same forces of greed and racism that are working to destroy other elements of our society are also ea
The Letter from CORE activists. – Fred Klonsky THE LETTER FROM CORE ACTIVISTS. We the undersigned are union members, members of CORE, and activists in our schools. Some of us are currently serving on leadership bodies of the CTU and are running for elected positions with the CORE slate. We have decades of combined experience fighting for better schools and a stronger union, and some of us are co-
Bernie calls for charter school moratorium - YouTube Yesterday Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders came to with his 10-point education plan. Recalling the civil rights lawyer who successfully argued before the Supreme Court that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional under the XIV Amendment and later went on to become the first Black justice, the “Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Ed
CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Birthday Eve Edition (5/19) ICYMI: Birthday Eve Edition Might even eat some cake today just to warm up. You know the drill, folks. Read and share. Read and share. Only you can help amplify voices in the web-o-sphere. A Letter To Journalists About Dark Money A great little primer here from Massachusetts, where dark money tried to make charter schools happen. Curriculum for P
Jersey Jazzman: Stuff Journalists Should Know About Charter Schools Stuff Journalists Should Know About Charter Schools I can't say I'm surprised, but it looks like Bernie Sanders' latest policy speech on education – where, among other things, he calls for a ban on for-profit charter schools and other charter school reforms -- has generated a lot of fair to poor journalism that purports to explai
Supporting the Arts with Love and Logic - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM Supporting the Arts with Love and Logic Okay everyone, we have a problem. It’s been a while since I last posted. Over a year to be exact. As many of you know, I’ve been busy! Last year, I ran a campaign for the San Francisco Unified Board of Education (and WON!) On the campaign trail, I shared my vision of bringing more transparency a
The Teacher as Assessor | Teacher in a strange land The Teacher as Assessor A little handmade meme has popped up recently in my Facebook feed, shared by Alexandra Penfold, a children’s author and food writer. Interesting, no? Being told—by scientific measurement, no less—that you were minimally proficient at the skill that was your heart’s desire and life goal. And then sailing on to the very won
Flat-lining — Base Wages and the MMSD Budget | AMPS Flat-lining — Base Wages and the MMSD Budget The Flaming Groovies — Slow Death, live (click to listen/watch) The 2019-20 Madison Metropolitan School District budget has — to this point — been built in such a way that employee spending power (wages adjusted for inflation) will remain flat (except for those who advance via educational or credentia
Pearson’s Plans for 2025: Make Sure You Are Seated When You Read This | Diane Ravitch's blog Pearson’s Plans for 2025: Make Sure You Are Seated When You Read This Pearson has plans for the future. Its plans involve students, education, and profits. Pearson, of course, is the British mega-publishing corporation that has an all-encompassing vision of monetizing every aspect of education. Two resear
Pseudo-Socialist Bernie Sanders Finally Opposes Charter Schools | Dissident Voice Pseudo-Socialist Bernie Sanders Finally Opposes Charter Schools After wavering and making confusing statements about charter schools three years ago when he was running for President, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is running for President again, finally came out and issued a broad education plan on May 18, 2019 w
CURMUDGUCATION: Center for Education Reform Doesn't Love Bernie Center for Education Reform Doesn't Love Bernie If you have any doubts about the effect of Bernie Sander's education proposals , Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform tossed off a somewhat apoplectic newsletter after Sanders went public. Here's some sample frothing: Sanders’ comments - yelling about transparency (which of c
Jeanne Allen and Her Center for Education Reform (CER) | deutsch29 Jeanne Allen and Her Center for Education Reform (CER) Jeanne Allen is founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform (CER). I have written about her on occasion, the last time (prior to this post) being in October 2017, when she was upset to discover that a quote of hers was used as the final title for the film, Backpack Full
Mike Klonsky's Blog: Congrats to the victorious CTU CORE Caucus Congrats to the victorious CTU CORE Caucus As expected, Chicago Teachers Union Pres. Jesse Sharkey and his CORE caucus easily defeated the opposition Members First slate to retain their control of CTU leadership. Now it's on to the contract negotiations which hopefully can be resolved sooner than later. Obviously feeling charged from
Big Education Ape Top Posts This Week 5/18/19 Why This Teacher Needs Jackie Goldberg on the School Board California: A Time for Action!!!! | Diane Ravitch's blog Testing with a Side of *Not Much Else* | deutsch29 NYC