LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Duncan Says Gates Has No Seat at the Education Policy Table

Anthony Cody comments on a startling conversation between two teachers and Secretary of Education Duncan. The conversation appears on a video. One of the teachers asks him about the role of philanthropists such as Eli Broad and Bill Gates in setting education policy. Consider this astonishing exchange: “Lisa Clarke: “One of the particular questions we’ve heard teachers ask is if corporate-base

8 by dianeravitch / 1h 

A Fellow Texan Reviews “Reign of Error”

John Savage, a freelance journalist and former teacher, reviewed “Reign of Error” in the “Texas Observer.” I liked the review for many reasons. First, because Savage liked the book. That pleases every author. Second, because the first article I ever published appeared in the “Texas Observer,” a gritty liberal journal that covers Texas politics. The article was called “My Ghetto and Yours,” and i

5 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Shanghai: Where Are the Missing Children?

Tom Loveless had the nerve and courage to publicly rebuke OECD for giving a distorted view of Shanghai’s test scores on the latest international test (PISA). He said that the tests excluded significant numbers of children from migrant families, and OECD ignored this practice. I posted both his articles on the subject. The director of OECD said Tom Loveless was wrong. The Néw York Times wrote up

by dianeravitch / 2min 

The Education of David Brooks

In 2011, David Brooks heard me speak at the Aspen Ideas Festival, where I talked about a life course approach to improving the lives of children. Days later, he published an article criticizing me for saying that testing and choice were inadequate to overcome the problems of kids who live in poverty. At the time, he was still enthralled by the idea that charters were a systemic answer to these pr

1 by dianeravitch / 24min 

UK Teacher: Target-Driven Schooling Drives Cheating

A teacher in the UK describes what happens when superiors demand that he or should hit their predicted targets, without respect to reality. It begins: “The Secret Teacher “Some years ago I was called by my head of department to discuss the grades I’d predicted for a year 11 class. They were aspirational and realistic. I was told to change them. My forecast was not in line with school targets for

2 by dianeravitch / 54min 

Why Kill Néw Bedford High School?

EduShyster tells a sad story of the utter irresponsibility and–oh, I can’t think of a better word than “idiocy”–of Massachsetts officials. Local and state officials are “turning around” Néw Bedford High School by firing half the teachers. “Ahoy, matey! That great looming specter in the distance is not a mighty white whale but New Bedford High School being turned upside down and shaken till 50% of

2 by dianeravitch / 14min 

Bruce Baker on the Future of Independent Schools

Bruce Baker, our nation’s pre-eminent truth-teller and statistical whiz-kid, here inquires into a gathering of researchers who assembled to help private independent schools chart their future course. The president of the National Association of Independent Schools, John Chubb, is a political scientist well known for his support for vouchers and his antipathy for teachers’ unions. From my days at t

5 by dianeravitch / 1h hide  //  save

Pennsylvania: Governor Corbett’s Attack on Higher Education

In an article on Salon, writer James Cersonsky describes the state GOP’s attack on universities. He calls it “the Enron-esque Higher Ed Plan: Fire Tenured Faculty to Fund Students Dorms.” In Tom Corbett’s Pennsylvania, he says, if it’s public and it’s education, burn it down! The same can be said for K-12 education. Corbett is up for re-election. The good news is that his poll numbers are down. On

2 by dianeravitch / 2h 

Tennessee Charter Leader: Diversity Is Not My Problem

Across the south and elsewhere, charters are turning into a force for resegregation–not only by race but by language, class, and disability. They are the ultimate weapon today for those who hope to roll back the Brown decision. In Tennesssee, Chris Barbic said that diversity was not his problem. If society is segregated, there is nothing he can do to change it. That is shirking responsibility. S

10 by dianeravitch / 3h

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: EduShyster Takes a Ride on a Rocketship and Finds Miraculous VisionsIn this post, EduShyster surveys the progress of the Rocketship charter chain, which aspires to enroll 1 million children in its low-cost, high-tech fleet of schools. She writes: “The audacious exercise in audaciousness was off to an audacious start. Fueled by an e

by mike simpson / 8h 

Behind Progress, Common Sense and Courage | ED.gov Blog

Behind Progress, Common Sense and Courage | ED.gov Blog:

Behind Progress, Common Sense and Courage

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Arne Duncan

This op-ed appeared in the January 23, 2014 edition of the Washington Post.

In education, it sometimes takes courage to do what ought to be common sense.

That’s a key lesson from several recent national and international assessments of U.S. education. These include the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the nation’s report card; a new version of the NAEP focused on large, urban districts; and the international rankings in the tri-annual PISA test.

Collectively, these assessments demonstrate extraordinary progress in the places where leaders have worked hardest and most consistently to bring change — but also a national failure to make nearly enough progress to keep up with our competitors.

Secretary Duncan received feedback from students during last month’s PISA release.

Nationwide, students made modest progress in reading and math in 2013, with achievement edging up to record highs for fourth- and eighth-graders, the NAEP found.

Nearly every state has adopted higher academic standards, and most states have instituted new systems of teacher support and evaluation. It’s a testament to hardworking educators that they are implementing these changes and raising student performance at the same time.

But as the international PISA results demonstrate, our progress isn’t enough. Other countries are leapfrogging us at a time when education is vital to economic health in a global competition for jobs and innovation. Among the 65 countries and education systems that participate in PISA, the United States was surpassed by 27 in math and 14 in reading . That’s unacceptable.

We can learn, however, from some of the standouts. In contrast to a national picture of gradual progress, Tennessee and the District of Columbia reported striking jumps — in both math and reading achievement and in both grades examined, fourth and eighth.

We don’t know all the reasons why students did better in Tennessee and the District in 2013 than in 2011. But it is clear that they shared a similar approach to bettering education — taking common-sense, but politically hard, steps to help students. Both are places where vulnerable students predominate; 73 percent of District students and 55 percent of Tennessee students are sufficiently needy to qualify for reduced-price meals.

There are important lessons here. What these two places also had in common was a succession of leaders who told educators, parents and the public the truth about educational underperformance and who worked closely with educators to bring about real changes. They pushed hard to raise expectations for students, even though a lower bar would have made everyone look better. And they remained committed to doing the right thing for children, even when it meant crossing partisan lines or challenging ideological orthodoxy.

To meet those higher standards, these leaders invested in strengthening the quality of classroom instruction and revamping systems for teacher support and evaluation. They ensured that teachers could use good data from multiple sources to identify learning gaps and improve instruction. They also sought ongoing feedback from educators and others.

These concepts — developing and supporting the people who do the most important work, using data to inform improvement — are what strong organizations do.

Yet these common-sense steps took uncommon courage. Tennessee had previously set one of the lowest bars in the country for proficiency in reading and math. The resulting proficiency rates — 91 percent in math and 92 percent in reading — were a lie. By raising standards, Tennessee’s leaders forced the public, parents and politicians to confront brutal facts.

When Tennessee raised its standards in 2010, the proportion of students rated proficient dropped to 34 percent in math and 45 percent in reading. But in a bipartisan act of courage, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman stayed true to the reforms begun under Democrat Phil Bredesen. They refused to dumb down standards to try to make Tennessee students look better.

Were students actually doing worse? No. For the first time, the state was telling the truth.

Just as important, leaders in the District and Tennessee worked with educators to transform industrial-era systems of support and evaluation for teachers and principals that had little or no link to teachers’ impact on student learning. That meant continuing the work of political predecessors, as Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson did in the District.

Building better systems that take account of educators’ impact on learning is complex and controversial work. Yet in Tennessee and the District, leaders solicited input from their critics, stayed committed but flexible and delivered systems that help both successful and struggling teachers.

I’m cautious about drawing big conclusions from a two-year trend, and it’s important to track a variety of educational outcomes, such as high school graduation and college enrollment rates.

Even so, the experiences of Tennessee and the District suggest that children win when leaders work closely with educators to do several vital things right, at the same time, and don’t give up when the going gets tough.

As Henderson said: “When you concentrate on teacher quality, you get results. When you radically increase the level of academic rigor, you get results.”

To be clear, no one in Tennessee or the District is declaring victory. Students in both places have a lot further to go to close achievement gaps and even to reach the level of top-performing states. But their progress shouldn’t be treated as mysterious or miraculous.

The changes America’s children need to get a better education require political courage and hard work. But in many cases the steps are surprisingly straightforward — and can be taken anywhere.

Read more on this topic: Margaret Spellings: Student test scores depend on accountability Fareed Zakaria: Is the U.S. making the grade in education? Kelly Yang: Why the U.S. shouldn’t follow China’s education model The Post’s View: Test scores point to school reform success in D.C.

Arne Duncan is U.S. Secretary of Education

1-24-14 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Corporate funded education reform group speaks out for Steve Perry

After reading the latest from Achieve Hartford Inc., it is hard to know quite what to say. In a not so veiled attack on Wait, What? and those who have been demanding that Perry be held accountable to the same standards that apply to everyone else, Achieve Hartford, Inc. asks “Our hope is that Board […]The post Corporate funded education reform group speaks out for Steve Perry appeared first on Wai

2 by jonpelto / 34min

Workplace Bullying: Capital Prep isn’t the only abuser

One of the most disturbing things about Steve Perry and the way he runs Capital Prep. Magnet School is the reports of the extensive workplace bullying.  At last count, Capital Prep had lost at least seven teachers this year. Capital Prep’s abusive working conditions have left teachers stunned and hurt.  The school’s actions have even […]The post Workplace Bullying: Capital Prep isn’t the only abus

4 by jonpelto / 6min hide  //  save

Hartford Board of Education’s “Perry Problem” must still to be addressed

Before this week’s snow storm hit, the Hartford Board of Education was scheduled to use their regular meeting to go into “executive session” to discuss Capital Preparatory Magnet School Principal Steve Perry.  The storm forced a postponement of the meeting until Monday, January 27th.   The initial agenda for Monday’s meeting fails to state whether there […]The post Hartford Board of Education’s “P

7 by jonpelto / 1h 

1-23-14 Wait What?

Wait What?: And speaking of Common Core and “Ed Reform”… CT teacher’s editorial goes viralGo into any teacher’s lounge in Connecticut… Heck, go into any teacher’s lounge in the United States… And you are likely to find a copy of Elizabeth Natale’s commentary piece entitled, “Why I Want To Give Up Teaching” that was recently published in the Hartford Courant Elizabeth Natale is an English and langu

by mike simpson / 8h 

1-24-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

Starr to Duncan: ‘I resent implication that we lifelong public educators are liars’

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday that talked about school reforms and praised both Tennessee and D.C. Public Schools for increased test scores. He wrote: We don’t know all the reasons why students did better in Tennessee and the District in 2013 than in 2011. But it […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 5min 

Why there’s no excuse for ‘no-excuse’ schools

The “no excuses” brand of schooling is alive and well in this reform era. In this post Sigal Ben-Porath, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, explains why that is unfortunate. Ben-Porath’s research focuses on the politics of education policy, citizenship education, and political philosophy.   By Sigal Ben-Porath As any parent […]    

1 by Valerie Strauss / 2h hide  //  save

The latest bad fad in higher education

Patricia McGuire is president of Trinity Washington University, a Catholic school of some 2,500 students  just a few miles from where President Obama last week held its White House Summit on College Opportunity. She wasn’t invited. Instead the administration invited leaders of colleges and universities who agreed to pledge to take new steps to help students in […]    

7 by Valerie Strauss / 5h  

1-23-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: A challenge: Teach 8th grade Common Core before endorsing itThis post is a response to this piece by Gerald Graff, which was itself a response to this speech about the Common Core State Standards by Diane Ravitch. This was written by educator Mercedes Schneider, who holds degrees in secondary education (English and German), guidance and counseling, and applied statistics and rese

by mike simpson / 8h

1-24-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:

Burning through Teachers and KIPP's Public Shaming of Children

Here is a tiny clip from one interview with a former KIPP teacher that I have been re-reading today.  Sadly, it represents the norm for the total compliance testing camps where these former teachers taught:. . . the first thing I would say would be, like I said, there is zero down time. And they are completely understaffed. For example, because the school was on such a ____________, we couldn’t ge

by Jim Horn / 18min 

March 28-30, Denver, CO: Be There

"Parents in this year’s opt-out movement are standing up for something larger than their own child’s test-day happiness: the conviction that all children have better things to do with their days than fill in bubbles on a multiple-choice sheet, and that all children have better things to do with their heads than bang them against a table in despair." --The New Yorker, 01.23.14Be a pa

by Jim Horn / 0min hide  //  save

The Common Core and Voluntary Reading

 Sent to the New York Times, January 23, 2014Charles Blow's inspirational testimonial ("Reading is fundamental," January 22) in support of reading is supported by mountains of research showing that voluntary reading results in tremendous growth in all areas of literacy. Is this the same Charles Blow who enthusiastically endorsed the Common Core Standards in the Times a few months ago (&q

1 by skrashen / 7h 

1-23-14 Schools Matter 

Schools Matter: 1-22-14 Schools Matterby Jim Horn / 16min Children's Authors Beg Obama for Relief from Testing InsanityWish in one hand, and spit in the other; see which one fill up first.  From MSNBC, of all places:Famed author and poet Maya Angelou and 120 other children’s book authors are challenging President Obama’s national education policy over what they call an “overuse and abuse” of stand

by mike simpson / 12h

1-24-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:

Are Florida’s Local School Boards Stepping Up to Oppose Standard Charter School Contracts?

Jeff Solochek writes in Gradebook that Pasco County School Board urged its congressional delegation not to move forward on charter school legislation that would create a standardized charter contract: Board chairwoman Alison Crumbley reminded the delegation that school boards have the constitutional authority to “operate, control and supervise” all the public schools within their districts, and su

by Bob Sikes / 3h 

1-23-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Jeb Bush’s Idaho Chief For Change Compromises AND Field Tests Common Core AssessmentsFrom the editors of the Idaho Press-Tribune: When Idaho’s public school educators and Emmett Sen. Steven Thayn agree that something is a bad idea, that’s the very definition of “broad op

by mike simpson / 9h 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 1-24-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:

Medical Marijuana and Football

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodwell said, according to Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal, that he would consider letting his NFL players to use marijuana for concussion issues. Goodwell believe that since medical doctors say that medical marijuana helps then it would be alright if his players uses marijuana accordingly. But does Goodwell know that marijuana use is currently banned in the NF

by Ka Bao Thao / 47min 

9/11 Accused Refuses Mental Exam

Ramzi bin al Shibh is one of the men accused of taking part in the horrendous 9/11 tragedy that struck grief into the heart of this nation. The court ordered a formal mental exam to be taken to ensure bin al Shibh's competence to stand trial. Bin al Shibh refused to take part in examination in fear that they'd use his previously diagnosed "delusional disorder" to render him incapable of

by Dorian Cox / 9h hide  //  save

Bridge Scandal Hurts Chrisie

A major front runner, national image, and a reelection win seeped through the hands of the New Jersey governor Chris Christie the moment rumors of his true involvement in the closed lanes of the George Washington Bridge. Major donors for his campaigns backed out due to the threat of presidential contention. Christie's appeal was the ability to appeal to the non ideological middle, but that is gone

by Dorian Cox / 9h 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 1-23-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: 41 Years After RoeToday marked the 41st anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. Tom Curry from NBC News correctly states, "it is a decision that continues to be a powerful motivator for voters 41 years later." Presidents are no longer elected based on economic issues but social and moral ones. Daniel Cox, research director at the Public Religion Research I

by mike simpson / 9h