Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wealthy Amateur Advises Decision-makers about Class Size | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Wealthy Amateur Advises Decision-makers about Class Size

by larrycuban

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Here is Bill Gates’ latest advice to policymakers:

” [G]et more students in front of top teachers by identifying the top 25 percent of teachers and asking them to take on four or five more students. Part of the savings could be then used to give the top teachers a raise…. The rest of the savings could go toward improving teacher support and evaluation systems, to help more teachers become great.”

If a parent or even a superintendent went to a district school board and recommended what Bill Gates did, they would call for an immediate psychological evaluation over his suggesting larger, not smaller, classes. In linking

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Mathews says Rhee made "stupid" remarks because she didn't have time to read USA Today story

Mathews says Rhee made "stupid" remarks because she didn't have time to read USA Today story

by Mike Klonsky

"I was stupid."

Michelle Rhee tells her pal Jay Mathews that her remarks about D.C. test cheating were "stupid." Mathews adds, "thoughtless" and "insulting." But he's still making excuses for her.

"I sensed from my talk with Rhee that one reason she misspoke on Monday was that she had not had time to read either the USA Today [written in part by Mathews' wife] story or the investigators’ reports, or to probe the weaknesses of test security protocols in Washington

Schools Matter: More money for testing, less money for learning

More money for testing, less money for learning

by skrashen

More money for testing, less for learning

Sent to the New York Times, March 30, 2011

Buried deep in "In City Schools, Tech Spending to Rise Despite Cuts," (March 30) is a statement by "city officials" that the huge expenditures for technology are primarily to make it possible for students to take computerized national standardized tests. We can expect this to happen nation-wide. We can expect more of our tax money to go to wealthy corporations to pay for tests and the technology to administer tests, with

This Week In Education: Thompson: How Today's "Reformers" Will Fail (Again)

Thompson: How Today's "Reformers" Will Fail (Again)

by Alexander Russo

Back when I was an excitable young Teamster, I had the same anger toward my corrupt union leaders as today's "reformers" have towards the educational "status quo." But a union reformer shared the old Okie wisdom of "don't go off rootin' and tootin'..." and, eventually, democracy prevailed in our labor movement. Today, data-driven school "reform" is a two-barreled shotgun blast from the hip. The first target, is bad teachers. Given the harm that the bottom 5 to 10% of teachers cause, the quick-draw approach of the accountability hawks is understandable, even though their scatter-shot aim is bound to destroy the careers of many good educators. But the second shot is directed towards our best educators. Anyone old enough to have an institutional memory, and recall the lessons of earlier unsuccessful reforms, is fair game. Since most of today's "reforms" are recycled quick fixes that have already failed, top-down policy wonks want to make sure that young educators are not exposed to the lessons that veterans learned during previous experiments.

History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes, and David Labaree explains why today's accountability hawks are

Wade Norris: Education 'Reformer' May Have Been Caught Cheating

by Wade Norris

Education 'reformer' Michelle Rhee, the much-touted darling of Arne Duncan and unfortunately our President, is now being investigated for falsifying test records of her students to improve her resume.

Rhee responded to the investigation by saying

""It isn't surprising," Rhee said in a statement Monday, "that the enemies of school reform once again are trying to argue that the Earth is flat and that there is no way test scores could have improved ... unless someone cheated."

Ironic:

In its months-long investigation, which included documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, USA TODAY looked at 103 public schools in the nation's capital where tests showed a pattern of unusually high numbers of answers that had been changed from wrong to right. The improvements in test scores earned Rhee and the school system national attention.

Hechinger Report | D.C. to dig deeper on test score irregularities

D.C. to dig deeper on test score irregularities

by No Byline

By Jack Gillum, Marisol Bello and Scott Elliott, USA TODAY

"The integrity of test scores is perhaps more important to us than any other district because we use the test scores in important ways," says Interim Chancellor of D.C. schools Kaya Henderson. (Photo by By H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY)

The acting head of Washington, D.C.’s public schools requested Tuesday that the district’s inspector general review investigations of eight schools that were flagged in 2009 for irregularities in their standardized tests.

Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson requested the review after an investigation published by USA TODAY showed more than half of D.C. schools were cited since 2008 for having unusually high “erasure rates,” which signify wrong answers changed to right ones on tests.

“The integrity of test scores is perhaps more important to us than any other district because we use the test

Michelle Rhee’s Potential DC Cheating Scandal

posted by: Ann Bibby 1 hour ago

4 comments

Michelle Rhee rose to prominence in the education reform ranks thanks in large part to methods that helped raise test scores in the perennially low-scoring Washington D.C. school district she oversaw as chancellor.

Her tough stance on low-performing schools and teachers, which included firing those whose students didn’t measure up on standardized tests, endeared her to reformers like Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.

A Shining Star

Using a merit pay inspired bonus system to spur performance in both teachers and students, Rhee’s reforms seemed to work. Schools like Crosby S. Noyes Education Campus made spectacular gains on the standardized test used by the No Child Left Behind Law to measure student academic growth. In 2006, Noyes ranked in the 10% and was labeled a school “in need of improvement” but two years later ranked 58%

Shanker Blog » College For All, Profit For Some

College For All, Profit For Some

by Esther Quintero

The ideal of “College for All”—usually interpreted as meaning the acquisition of a four-year degree—is every bit as noble as it is unattainable, at least judging from actual graduation rates. It is within this tension that for-profit colleges wish to live—a kind of pseudo knight in shining armor riding gallantly into the battle for equal opportunity. But too many for-profit colleges (a.k.a., career colleges) are not solving educational issues. Rather, they are perpetuating inequalities and obscuring the fact that what is preached (e.g., “College for All”) has nothing to do with what gets achieved.

Many have pointed out that, by enshrining a path so few end up traveling (to say nothing of completing), we may be doing a great disservice to our youth. This argument is loud and clear; what may not be totally obvious is the variegated ways in which this constitutes a disservice. By idealizing the B.A./B.S. path, not only are we discouraging young people from exploring equally valid post high-school options, but we inadvertently may have

Governor’s Education Adviser Swept Up in D.C. Scandal | Florida Center for Investigative Reporting

Governor’s Education Adviser Swept Up in D.C. Scandal

Published on March 30, 2011. Tags: Michelle Rhee, Ralph De La Cruz, Rick Scott, Student Success Act,USA Today

Following a USA Today investigation, Michelle Rhee's integrity is in question.
(Photo by Iris Harris, U.S. Department of Commerce.)

By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting

These days, everything seems to be coming apart for Gov. Rick Scott.

Even his once-vaunted appointment of Michelle Rhee as his education adviser seems … well … unfortunate.

Rhee, one of the stars of the film Waiting for Superman is a proponent of the corporatization of education — you know, the movement to fire and financially squeeze teachers, tie pay to test

Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

I'm a Bee Eater!

With apologies to Sixties Rock Group Lite, the Monkees---

This was just too delicious to pass up. Contributed by an ed-buddy who Shall Not Be Named.

I'm a Bee Eater!*

(To the tune of I'm a Believer)

I know test scores
only jump in fairy tales.
Kids read in the 'burbs,
But not D.C.
Union's out to get me...
That's the way it seemed
Gotta get those scores up
Or I'm gonna scream.

So let's all erase!
Yeah, I'm the Bee Eater!
There's

BP and Bloomberg. Different bulls. Same bullshit. « Fred Klonsky's blog

BP and Bloomberg. Different bulls. Same bullshit.

by Fred Klonsky

The three biggest school administrator lies:

“We have to do what is best for the kids.”

“My door is always open.”

And my favorite: “My decision is based on the data.”

Yesterday I read an article about British Petroleum’s current sustainability report. It included a bar graph showing yearly comparison’s of oil leaks as a result of drilling.

What was stunning was that 2010, the year of the BP Gulf disaster, had the bar with the least amount of oil leaks.

How is this possible? BP explained that since they didn’t yet know the extent of the worst oil spill in history,

Volunteer needs for April 4 Rally,”From Memphis to Madison — Honor History, Make History” | Defend Wisconsin #wiunion

Volunteer needs for April 4 Rally,”From Memphis to Madison — Honor History, Make History” | Defend Wisconsin

Volunteer needs for April 4 Rally,”From Memphis to Madison — Honor History, Make History”

by kmatt

Volunteer Organizers: Throughout the week prior to the event, these volunteers will work to recruit people to fill the other volunteer roles. Volunteer Organizers will work to activate people from their organizations and networks to fill other volunteer spots for the rally.

Rally Marshalls: During the event, these volunteers will ensure a safe, well-managed crowd, will answer questions, and will direct people where they need to go. Rally Marshalls will gather with a team lead at 3 PM on the day of the event at 122 Carroll Street in the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center. We need 150-200 of these.

Clipboarding Organizers: During the event, these volunteers will circulate through the crowd to gather sign-ups from people for further movement activism. Clipboarding Organizers will gather with a team lead at 3 PM on the day of the event at 122 Carroll Street in the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center. We need about 50 of these.

Tabling Organizers: During the event, these volunteers will staff tables in tents around the rally location to

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Boring double-talk on testing

Boring double-talk on testing

by Mike Klonsky

Speaking at a townhall event in Washington, D.C. President Obama said that too much testing makes education boring, and that performance should be measured in more ways than test scores:

"Too often what we have been doing is using these tests to punish students or to, in some cases, punish schools," the president told students and parents at a town hall hosted by the Univision Spanish-language television network at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C.

"All you’re learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks that you need

illusory tenant: Wisconsin: Ozanne v. Fitzgerald — A preview #wiunion

illusory tenant: Wisconsin: Ozanne v. Fitzgerald — A preview

Wisconsin: Ozanne v. Fitzgerald — A preview

Must. Destroy. Union. Dirty hippies blargh. — Shorter WISGOP

Action resumes this morning in the courtroom of Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi. The key elements of plaintiff Dane County District Attorney Ismail Ozanne's latest brief reduced to three tweets:

Dane County DA Ozanne concurs, Fitz pulled nothing but aKinko's job, and he also wants the Kinko's job declared null and void. Ozanne further argues the LRB is bound by the TRO in addition to the SoS on account of the LRB's statutory proximity to the SoS.* And of course Ozanne argues the AG's attempt to moot the case is groundless and absurd (in so many words).

This new wrinkle to the case shouldn't be terribly difficult for Judge

Adding fuel to a Wisconsin fire: PCCC ads support Recalls against GOP Senators | blue cheddar.

Adding fuel to a Wisconsin fire: PCCC ads support Recalls against GOP Senators

BY BLUECHEDDAR

Poets can also be fighters: "Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see."

This might be all you need to read to fall in love withProgressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC):

“Democrats run away from a fight; fighting is seen as a bad thing,” Green says. “We at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee are teaching Democrats how to fight. And I think looking at this tax-cut debate really encapsulates the entire problem in the Democratic Party, where Democrats went into it

Illinois General Assembly returns to work. Hide your valuables. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Illinois General Assembly returns to work. Hide your valuables.

by Fred Klonsky

The General Assembly returns to Springfield next week.

They will be in session until the end of May.

Hide your valuables.

Teachers! Hide your pensions.

While there are no pension bills at present, there are committees looking into pension issues. They have a

Testing Anomalies Found in Many States - High School Notes (usnews.com)

Testing Anomalies Found in Many States

By JASON KOEBLER

Posted: March 30, 2011

USA Today ran a lengthy investigative piece Monday detailing instances of higher-than normal erasures of answers on standardized tests at 103 of Washington, D.C.'s public schools, including many of the city's high schools.

Acting D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson told the paper that "a high erasure rate alone is not evidence of impropriety." Test scores generally went up at schools where the numbers of erasures were higher than normal, and most of the erasures were wrong-to-right corrections.

The paper examined test data from the past few years provided by CTB/McGraw-Hill, the

This Week In Education: AM News: Union Limits Moving In Ohio, Indiana, & Nebraska

AM News: Union Limits Moving In Ohio, Indiana, & Nebraska

by Alexander Russo

Ohio Panel Approves Public Worker Union Bill AP: A panel of Ohio lawmakers made a bill to limit collective bargaining rights for 350,000 public workers even tougher for unions on Tuesday, as the state moved closer to Wisconsin-style restrictions... Indiana GOP pushes ahead with big voucher program AP: Indiana's Republican leadership is pushing ahead with a proposal that would be the nation's broadest use of school vouchers, allowing even middle-class families to use taxpayer money to send their kids to private schools.... Anti-union mood moves to Nebraska's modest unions AP: In the struggle between governors and unions over public employee costs, Nebraska would seem like an unlikely battleground. Teacher salaries are modest, workers pay toward their benefits and a right-to-work law prevails... School Founder Says Class Size Doesn't Matter NPR: Eva Moskowitz, founder and chief executive of the Success Charter Network, argues that formula doesn't guarantee a good education...School Paddl ing Still Stirs Debate NYT: Prompted by the threat of lawsuits and research that questioned its effectiveness, states gradually started banning the practice... Texas Rape Inquiry Shows a 3-Month Ordeal NYT: An 11 year old girl was repeatedly abused without any adult intervening, or even seeming to register that something was amiss, until sexually explicit videos of the victim began circulating in local schools... L.A. elementary schools to switch reading programs LAT: The board drops Open Court, which many teachers said robbed them of independence. California Treasures 'is very supportive if you don't have the expertise and respectful of those who do,' says a review panel member... Brady resigns as Providence school superintendent Providence Journal: Mayor Angel Taveras said Brady had made it clear his mind was made up and thanked the superintendent for staying to oversee the school closings and teacher recalls this spring. Via GreenCramer... First lady Michelle Obama to speak at DC school AP: First lady Michelle Obama will visit a District of Columbia high school as part of a mentoring initiative in honor of Women's History Month....

Michelle Rhee Was Wrong | The Atlanta Post | African-American News, Business News & Black Politics

Michelle Rhee | Education Reform | The Atlanta Post | African-American News, Business News & Black Politics

Michelle Rhee | Education Reform | The Atlanta Post

http://atlantapost.com/2011/03/30/michelle-rhee-was-wrong/

March 30, 2011

March 30, 2011 07:14 AM

By J. Smith

Michelle Rhee, the former Chancellor of D.C. schools, was praised for her visionary and innovative approach to education reform. Not even a full year after she and the mayoral administration that employed her left office, it is revealed that the innovative vision was actually the oldest trick in the book: cheating.

A new report discovered student testing irregularities at the Crosby S. Noyes Education Campus in D.C., where – under Rhee’s reign – the school and its administrators were deemed shining stars. According to The Daily Beast, the percentage of students at the school who reached proficient on D.C. tests soared from 10 percent to 58 percent in a two-year period. Parents eventually started complaining after the students’ test scores improved but their comprehension of basic mathematics had not.

Rhee became the popular kid in elite education circles after garnering media attention for encouraging governors to fight teachers’ unions and rely on standardized test scores to determine if a teacher would be fired or rewarded. Her “success” came from the alleged improvement of test scores in low-performing public schools. However, more than

Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Sent to the New York Times, March 30, 2011

Michelle Rhee’s Potential DC Cheating Scandal

Testing Anomalies Found in Many States

Michelle Rhee | Education Reform | The Atlanta Post