In Politics « Diane Ravitch's blog

In Politics « Diane Ravitch's blog:

In Politics

by dianerav

In the political arena, all eyes are on the Presidential race.
But in New York City, candidates for Mayor are lining up supporters. The election is 2013, when Mayor Bloomberg’s rocky third term ends.
It appears that the favorite of the charter school hedge fund crowd is Christine Quinn, City Council speaker. Quinn, a close ally of Mayor Bloomberg, seems likeliest to keep his policies intact. To say that parents do not like his school-closing policy would be an understatement. The brute fact is that there is a lot of money on the

Join This Webinar Today

by dianerav

When they talk about “customized” and “personalized” instruction, do they mean sitting in front of a computer that provides questions at the level of the student? Is this cost savings by removing teachers? Tune in, join the conversation and ask questions.

The Alliance for Excellent Education
Invites You to a Webinar on the

Working Draft of Suggested Legislation for Personalized and Digital Learning and the Opening of a Public Comment Period

Monday, July 30, 2012
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., ET

Participants
Jessica Cardichon, Director of Federal Advocacy, Alliance for Excellent Education
Chip Slaven, Senior Advocacy Associate, Alliance for Excellent Education
Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education

Please join the Alliance for Excellent Education on Monday, July 30 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET for a live webinar to discuss and seek feedback on a working draft of suggested legislation for personalized and digital learning that is currently being developed by the Alliance.

Over the past several years, the Alliance has been developing digital learning policy that supports the effective use of technology as a way to drive higher student achievement. More states are taking policy actions to implement innovative types of student-centered learning and seeking guidance in the legislative drafting process. This working draft of suggested legislation is meant to assist states as they plan strategically for the future, develop workable timelines for implementation, and create important quality safeguards and transparency guidelines. The webinar also represents the opening of a public comment period, during which the Alliance will seek feedback and comments from policymakers and the public.

This webinar will highlight the recommended legislative actions and language that have been developed so far in the working draft. Following the discussion, there will be an interactive conversation among the panelists using questions submitted by participants from the around the country.

An executive summary of the legislation is available at http://media.all4ed.org/sites/default/files/EachChildLearns_executivesummary.pdf .

Register and submit questions for the webinar at http://media.all4ed.org/registration-jul-30-2012.

Please direct questions concerning the webinar to alliance@all4ed.org.

NOTE: If you are unable to watch the webinar live, an archived version will be available at http://www.all4ed.org/webinars usually one or two days after the event airs.

The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington, DC-based national policy and advocacy organization that works to improve national and federal policy so that all students can achieve at high academic levels and graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship in the twenty-first century. For more information about the Alliance, visit http://www.all4ed.org.

My Speech to AFT Convention, Detroit, July 28, 2012

by dianerav

Isn’t technology amazing?
I spoke at the AFT national convention at 2:30 pm Saturday, and within a few hours, it was posted on YouTube.
Here it is. Enjoy!

What If We Had Another $20 Billion for Schools?

by dianerav

The cost of standardized testing has increased by many multiples in the past decade. By the estimate in this article, our nation now spends $20-50 billion on testing and preparing for testing. Texas, for example, spends almost ten times as much on testing as it did a decade ago.
What has that money produced? Let’s see, a dramatic lowering of teacher morale; cheating on a scale

Let the Children Play!

by dianerav

In response to Stephen Krashen’s post about the likely expansion of testing in the near future, as well as federal interest in tests for “infants, toddlers, and preschoolers,” a reader sent this urgent plea:
LET THE CHILDREN PLAY!!!!!
There was a time when children went to school for kindergarten to learn how to learn.  They worked on hand-eye coordination, figure ground discrimination, and other necessary skills.  They also learned to listen in a group and play together.  They learned to color inside the lines and to cut a straight line. They learned to organize things. Many of the skills they learned in kindergarten helped them be good students later, most importantly to focus.  Unfortunately, many students are moving through the school systems and through life without having learned 

How to Create Failing Schools

by dianerav

Mike Deshotels of Louisiana has figured out how the scheme works.
Create a program that rates all schools by a standard that assures that half will be above the standard and half will be below.
Of course, schools that enroll affluent students will appear largely in the top half, and schools that enroll poor 

Schools Matter: Pearson and the Crumbling Foundation of Standardized Testing

Schools Matter: Pearson and the Crumbling Foundation of Standardized Testing:

Pearson and the Crumbling Foundation of Standardized Testing

by Jim Horn

 Who would have ever imagined that Pearson would be at the epicenter of the final quake?

By MORGAN SMITH

In 2006, a math pilot program for middle school students in a Dallas-area district returned surprising results.

The students’ improved grasp of mathematical concepts stunned Walter Stroup, the University of Texas at Austin professor behind the program. But at the end of the year, students’ scores had increased only marginally on state standardized TAKS tests, unlike what Mr. Stroup had seen in the classroom. 

A similar dynamic showed up in a comparison of the students’ scores on midyear benchmark tests and what they received on their end-of-year exams. Standardized test scores the previous 

All Education Matters: "Woman's on the Hook for a $25,000 Student Loan She Never Knew Existed"

All Education Matters: "Woman's on the Hook for a $25,000 Student Loan She Never Knew Existed":

"Woman's on the Hook for a $25,000 Student Loan She Never Knew Existed"

by Cryn Johannsen

Mandi Woodruff put out a recent article about a woman, Alice Cortes, who somehow owes $25,000 to Sallie Mae. What's the main problem? She co-signed for a person who seems to not exist.

I have heard from a number of people who paid off their loans, only to later learn that the loan was somehow turned over to collections and still existed. Several of them learned about these loans after they tried to buy homes, and they discovered that their credit was ruined.

In this case, Cortes never took out the loan for this individual, so she is at a loss to determine how to solve the 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX:

IN THE MAILBOX

by Mike Klonsky

Dear Mike,

I’m here at the AFT convention in Detroit, and I wanted to share some exciting news. 

Yesterday, delegates to the convention unanimously approved the resolution against high-stakes standardized testing. 

It was a moving discussion on the floor of the convention. Teacher after teacher stood up with stories about how the fixation on high-stakes testing hurts their students and their ability to provide high-quality instruction. Now that the resolution has passed, we will be able to push back against a one-size-fits-all approach to education. 

With organizations like Stand for Children and lobbying groups like Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst pushing their 

High Number of Florida Grads Need Remediation – Costs State Taxpayers Millions | Scathing Purple Musings

High Number of Florida Grads Need Remediation – Costs State Taxpayers Millions | Scathing Purple Musings:

High Number of Florida Grads Need Remediation – Costs State Taxpayers Millions

by Bob Sikes

This story is back for another year. The Palm Beach Post’s  Allison Ross reports:

Florida pays a real price for having to educate students on the same topic twice. A May 2011 report from the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy group, said the state spent $123 million in direct remediation costs during the 2007-2008 school year. What’s more, Florida misses out on an additional $101 million in the wages that those students will probably lose over a lifetime, the report estimated.
 Students who have to take remedial courses in college are more likely to drop out before 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-30-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Let the Children Play!

by dianerav

In response to Stephen Krashen’s post about the likely expansion of testing in the near future, as well as federal interest in tests for “infants, toddlers, and preschoolers,” a reader sent this urgent plea:
LET THE CHILDREN PLAY!!!!!
There was a time when children went to school for kindergarten to learn how to learn.  They worked on hand-eye coordination, figure ground discrimination, and other necessary skills.  They also learned to listen in a group and play together.  They learned to color inside the lines and to cut a straight line. They learned to organize things. Many of the skills they learned in kindergarten helped them be good students later, most importantly to focus. 

How to Create Failing Schools

by dianerav

Mike Deshotels of Louisiana has figured out how the scheme works.
Create a program that rates all schools by a standard that assures that half will be above the standard and half will be below.
Of course, schools that enroll affluent students will appear largely in the top half, and schools that enroll poor students will rank largely in the bottom half.
Declare thos in the bottom half to be failing schools.
Privatize those schools.
Start over.

The Largest Charter Chain in the U.S. Is…?

by dianerav

I bet you think that the largest chain in the U.S. is KIPP. If you did, you are wrong.
KIPP gets the most publicity, but it does not have the largest number of charter schools.
The largest charter chain in the nation is the Gulen network of charters.
You probably never heard of them.
All were established by Turkish nationals associated with a reclusive

Beware! Sneaky Reformer Trick in L.A.

by dianerav

On August 14, there will be a benefit concert in Los Angeles to “honor” teachers.
The concert is a promotion for a new “Superman”-style film that vilifies public schools and promotes privatization.
The film celebrates the “parent trigger” law, which gives parents the power to seize control of their school, fire the staff, and turn it over to a charter chain. The parent trigger was promoted by charter advocates and billionaire foundations Broad, Gates, and Walton.
Strange way to “honor” teachers–by firing them and giving the school to a non-union private entity to manage,

Are Standardized Tests Worthless?

by dianerav

All of U.S. education policy is now firmly hitched to standardized test scores.
Although the President said in his last State of the Union address that teachers should not teach to the test, he surely knows that federal policy demands teaching to the test.
Test scores determine teacher evaluation, teacher salary, teacher tenure, teacher bonuses. Test scores determine whether teachers and principals are fired. Test scores determine whether schools get closed or

Engineers for America

by dianerav

Here is an idea: Engineers for America. Five weeks of training and you too can design and build bridges. So what if the other engineers had years of education and practice? Experience is SO yesterday!
I mean, really, why shouldn’t young people have a chance? End LIFO in engineering! Embrace youth and enthusiasm. And good luck when you drive over a bridge!

How NYC Department of Education Kills a School: Update!

by dianerav

The New York City Department of Education decided a few years ago that Jamaica High School, with its grand building and long history, deserved to die. Its test scores were too low. There was no point in trying to figure out why or to offer help. And so the DOE announced that Jamaica was a failing school. Parents began to withdraw their children or to select other high schools. Enrollment fell. Many faculty, remembering better times, held on. The city was determined to close the school and replace it with small high schools and charters. It is very desirable space in the borough of Queens.
A state report was recently released that documents how a school is swiftly put to death. First, declare it to be a failing schools. Then take away the programs that attract and develop good students. In time, no one will be left

Crazy Days in Oregon: SECOND UPDATE!!

by dianerav

An educator in Oregon sent the following message:
To get a waiver from NCLB the state of Oregon promised that 100% of students
will graduate from high school and 80% will complete college.  I’m not sure
if this is madness or deliberate deception because the date set for reaching
these goals is 2025.  By then,the governor and legislators will be long
gone, and/or the education pendulum will have swung in some other weird direction.
This is not quite right. The goals are:
100% will get a high school diploma.
And to quote one of the commenters on this post, who quotes the state’s waiver request (p. 24):
“Eighty percent must continue their education beyond high school with half of those earning associate’s degrees 

Educational differences run deep by race, ethnicity, and income in new report | EdSource Today

Educational differences run deep by race, ethnicity, and income in new report | EdSource Today:

Educational differences run deep by race, ethnicity, and income in new report

July 30th, 2012 | Add a Comment | 
By Kathryn Baron

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California’s poor showing in a national study of children’s well-being came despite increases in academic achievement. California students improved on all four indicators in education, according to the 23^rd annual Kids Count report released last week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

2012 Kids Count: California measures of child well-being. Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation. (click to enlarge)

Between 2005-07 and 2008-10, more children enrolled in preschool, more fourth and eighth grade students were proficient in reading and math respectively, and more high school students graduated on time. The increases ranged from four to six percent. But it wasn’t enough to lift the state above an education ranking of 43 out of the 50 states.

» Texas A&M Forcing 1600 Workers to Resign, Reapply with Privatized North Carolina Firm

» Texas A&M Forcing 1600 Workers to Resign, Reapply with Privatized North Carolina Firm:

Texas A&M Forcing 1600 Workers to Resign, Reapply with Privatized North Carolina Firm

by Steve Cooper

This message not intended for people who actually WORK at the school.

In June, the Texas A&M University System announced it would outsource 1,647 jobs from its building maintenance, landscaping and dining services to North Carolina-based Compass Group USA. The university believes it will gain $260 million in revenue to “recruit, pay, and retain faculty and researchers.” The move has left the support staff feeling jilted, despite the fact that most will keep their jobs.
“Texas A&M has one of the finest business schools in the country, and yet we can’t figure out how to in-house 

Engaging Parents In School… » #PTchat 8/1/12 – Principal As Family Engagement Deal-Breaker

Engaging Parents In School… » #PTchat 8/1/12 – Principal As Family Engagement Deal-Breaker:

#PTchat 8/1/12 – Principal As Family Engagement Deal-Breaker

by Larry Ferlazzo

Guest Post by Joe Mazza

Each year, schools have the opportunity to engage and re-engage families in the education of their children. The success of these efforts depend on many things including but not limited to current and past strategies put in place, leadership, current and past relationship with family and community stakeholders, access, fear, socio-economic status and school/district policies in place. However, if the building principal is not fully invested in ongoing relationship-building and differentiating for the needs of the school families, the best plans will fail 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

WEEKEND QUOTABLES

by Mike Klonsky

Popout

"Firing teachers is not a school improvement strategy...Killing a neighborhood school is like putting a knife into the heart of a community." -- Diane Ravitch

Diane Ravitch

"Value-added Assessment, used as it is today, is junk science."  -- AFT Convention speech 

Randi Weingarten

The fixation on testing, the attacks on teachers and their unions—they’re all proxies for attacks on public education. That’s what this comes down to: whether people believe that kids have the right to good public schools close to where they live (and despite what anyone says—parents are with us on that), or whether our public education system should be privatized, bled dry or abandoned altogether. -- Speech at the AFT Convention

J.C. Brizard

Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard said Tuesday that an elected school board 

U-Va. star professor: Why I won’t ‘un-resign’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

U-Va. star professor: Why I won’t ‘un-resign’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

U-Va. star professor: Why I won’t ‘un-resign’

By Valerie Strauss

Computer scientist William Wulf was a star professor at the University of Virginia until he recently resigned to protest the forced resignation of popular President Teresa Sullivan by leaders of the governing board. Sullivan was reinstated earlier this month after a revolt on campus, but Wulf has refused to reconsider his decision, despite pleas by faculty and administrators, including Sullivan herself.

Here is a letter that Wulf, president emeritus of the National Academy of Engineering, has written and publicly released explaining why he will not “un-resign.” For Wulf, the crisis has not really ended. Here’s the letter where he explains why:

UVa facuty & others,

Just in case you missed it, I am one of the folks tha

NYC Educator: Good Day AFT

NYC Educator: Good Day AFT:

Good Day AFT

by NYC Educator

As Vice-President of the United States, I'm pleased to address all you teachers! I know you're here because you have a calling, a dedication to teach our kids. Otherwise, why would you be facing pay cuts, additional fees for pensions and health care, and be buying supplies out of pocket? When President Obama and I see the things Republicans are doing to you, we're horrified, and that's why we're out there every day, paying teachers valuable lip service. And let me assure you that, when and if President Obama finds his comfortable shoes, he may or may not be out there with organized labor, protesting the loss of collective bargaining rights!

Now I can see there are those of you who object to some of our programs, specifically Race to the Top. Sure, you say, it brings more testing, and that your very jobs depend on getting better grades on those tests. While that is certainly true, remember that President Obama said in his State of the Union speech that he wanted less testing! So what more do you want? For Chrissake, 

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Former Michelle Rhee Principal Registers as StudentsFirst Lobbyist in Missouri.

Missouri Education Watchdog: A Former Michelle Rhee Principal Registers as StudentsFirst Lobbyist in Missouri.:

A Former Michelle Rhee Principal Registers as StudentsFirst Lobbyist in Missouri.

by stlgretchen

StudentsFirst National Outreach Director now a registered lobbyist in Missouri.

Meet one of the newest lobbyists in Missouri for StudentsFirst who will try to recruit more Missouri legislators to sign on to the reforms set forth by that organization. Ximena Hartsock became a registered Missouri lobbyist for StudentsFirst in May 2012. This is from the StudentsFirst website where National staff office members are listed:

Ximena is an experienced advocate for education reform and currently leads national outreach efforts at 

School Reform: Why It’s So Hard | California Progress Report

School Reform: Why It’s So Hard | California Progress Report:

School Reform: Why It’s So Hard

by jeffson

By Peter Schrag
Listening to even the best people in California’s school reform discussions doesn’t leave much clarity about the direction our money-starved education system school go or much confidence that things will get perceptibly better any time soon.
Many of those good people know what’s needed. It’s just that they don’t all know the same thing, or don’t know it at the same time. That much at least was apparent once again at last Wednesday’s Sacramento forum on school finance sponsored by PPIC, the Public Policy Institute of California.
What they agreed on was that the fixes of the last thirty or forty years – what state School Board Michael Kirst called “the historical accretion” of programs – wasn’t working. It’s become, someone said, “the Winchester Mystery House” of school finance, rooms added willy-nilly to solve one or another problem.
read more

The Educated Reporter: Girls and STEM Education: Still Waiting For Lift-Off

The Educated Reporter: Girls and STEM Education: Still Waiting For Lift-Off:

Girls and STEM Education: Still Waiting For Lift-Off

by Emily Richmond

When Sally Ride was preparing to become America’s first female astronaut, she had to field some particularly tough questions: Would she be packing a bra or menstrual supplies? Did she worry her reproductive organs might be damaged by space flight?

Looking back at those interviews with Ride, who was 61 when she died July 23 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, the sexist tenor of the queries is almost comical. But as Ride was quoted as responding in 1983, “It’s too bad this is such a big deal. It’s too bad our society isn’t further along.”

But how far along are we really, nearly 30 years after Ride cracked NASA’s space ceiling?

Ride dedicated much of her post-NASA career to writing educational children’s books and supporting initiatives