Why Are Teachers Silent? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Why Are Teachers Silent? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Why Are Teachers Silent?

by dianerav

Many readers have noted that their colleagues go along with policies they know are wrong. They comply because compliance is easier than resistance. They comply because they fear losing their job or being seen as a troublemaker.
This is sad but understandable. People need to feel secure, they need to feed their family and pay the mortgage.  Few people want to step outside their comfort zone or risk opprobrium and punishment from their supervisor.
Go along and get along is a lot pleasanter than being abrasive. But dream for a minute. What would happen if every teacher in a district refused to give tests that don’t show what their students know and can do? What would happen if teachers said no to policies that hurt children? And to policies that are unprofessional?
Sort of reminds you why teacher unions were created almost a century ago.
Just thinking.

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Recommended Reading for Roland Fryer and His Colleagues

by dianerav

A reader suggests some reading for Professor Fryer and his colleagues. Fryer has spent years searching for the incentive that works. This reader says he should stop searching and read an article by Frederick Herzberg.  No, it did not appear in the Teachers College Record or the Harvard Educational Review or Phi Delta Kappan or an AERA journal. This is the classic article to which he refers:
Check out the Harvard Business Review.  There is a classic article there from the  . . . 1950s?  1968 originally? often reprinted . . . Frederick Herzberg, “One more time:  How do you motivate employees, Harvard Business Review, 46 (January/February), 53–62.

VAM Madness in Florida

by dianerav

A reader describes the madness of value-added assessment as practiced in Florida:

I teach English in a Florida high school. Although I taught all juniors last year, my VAM score was based on the school average for 9th and 10th grade. Why? Because they cease testing in 10th grade except for those who don’t pass. Of my juniors who didn’t pass FCAT as sophomores, I had a stellar retake pass rate–but that’s not going to count for me. Only what other teachers are doing with other kids I couldn’t identify if you paid me big bucks.Don’t even get me started about what they’re doing to my Are Charter Schools Public Schools? by dianerav A school district review in Philadelphia determined that many of the charters set up significant obstacles to students who want to enroll. In one school, applications are available only one day in the year. “Another unnamed charter required applicants to complete an 11-page application, write an essay, respond to 20 short-answer questions, provide three Fearful of an Election by dianerav I read an editorial in the Wall Street Journal this morning about Bridgeport, Connecticut, where the Connecticut Supreme Court has ordered a special election for the city’s school board. Read this editorial. What is amazing about it is the palpable fear of an election. The Wall Street Journal says that an election is a “blow” to school reform. It portrays the aspirants for the elected board in a poor light. The district now has an appointed board (the court said the appointment of the board was illegal). This illegal Arne Duncan Is Imposing NCLB on Teacher Education by dianerav The U.S. Department of Education is trying to compel institutions of higher education to accept regulations that judge the quality of teacher-training institutions by the test scores of students taught by their graduates. If Johnny gets a low score on standardizedtests, Arne Duncan wants to punish his teacher, his principal, his school, and the university that prepared his teacher. Is there no end to these dunder-headed policies? Higher education associations are outraged. A group of major organizations representing higher How Valuable Are Standardized Tests? by dianerav A recent post noted a story in the New York Times that described a design flaw in the Texas tests created by Pearson (at $100 million per year). It reported that the state tests did not reflect the improvements observed in connection with an outside intervention because the tests are designed to show improvement only in relationship to previous and future versions of the test. I am not a statistician or a psychometrician and do not feel competent to say that this is a Eureka! moment. I Attention, Policymakers! A Teacher Speaks! by dianerav Policymakers are busy writing laws in every state to evaluate teachers. They think they can create a system that will spot the best and fire the worst. So far, none of those systems is working, and none has made any difference, other than to make teachers nervous and make them wonder what these guys will dream up next to complicate their lives. The economists say that credential don’t matter; that masters’ degrees don’t matter; and that experiences doesn’t matter. They say that no one should be paid extra for getting more education or having more experience. They say only test scores matter, and those can be produced by a first-year teacher as well as a veteran. A reader posted this comment: My department head carries the title of master teacher. She is working on a second masters degree and has  Texas Conservatives Turning Against Pearson by dianerav The Texas testing system is a pot of gold for Pearson–a five year contract worth $500 million. Pearson has a problem. More than half the school boards in Texas have passed a resolution against high-stakes testing. The parents and citizens have watched the stakes go up and  up for the past 20 years and they don’t see how it A Visit from Renowned “Last Stand for Children First” by dianerav This blog has received a late entry into an already closed contest. Once I realized that the National Lampoon had already threatened to kill the dog on its cover in 1973, I recognized that loss aversion had reached its apogee forty years ago. Nonetheless, this entry was posted by a blogger-tweeter who goes by the name of “Last Stand for Children How to Beat “Loss Aversion” Techniques by dianerav A reader says that if Roland Fryer tries loss aversion in her classroom, she would follow the advice of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYW44WD792Y

Undocumented students await rules on deferred deportation | EdSource Today

Undocumented students await rules on deferred deportation | EdSource Today:

Undocumented students await rules on deferred deportation

August 1st, 2012 | Add a Comment | 
By Kathryn Baron

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Hundreds of thousands of undocumented students and young adults in California, brought to this country when they were very young, will learn a little more today about their likelihood of remaining in the United States legally for at least two years.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security, is releasing some additional answers to its list of frequently asked questions about President Barack Obama’s deferred action plan. On June 15, after years of failed attempts by Congress to pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, commonly known as the DREAM Act, the President authorized Homeland Security to develop guidelines for some undocumented children, teens, and young adults to apply for a deferral from deportation.

Eligibility for Deferred Deportation. Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (Click to enlarge).

Individuals who meet the criteria [see box] will be able to apply for a temporary work permit, a Socia

Teachers aren’t martyrs, monks or nuns. But they are dedicated and trying their best for their students. | Get Schooled

Teachers aren’t martyrs, monks or nuns. But they are dedicated and trying their best for their students. | Get Schooled:

Teachers aren’t martyrs, monks or nuns. But they are dedicated and trying their best for their students.

2:46 am August 1, 2012, by Maureen Downey

I am hearing a lot about teachers leaving their schools, even in high performing areas.

One of the Get Schooled blog’s most eloquent and articulate posters,Jordan Kohanim, who gave up her north Fulton teaching job this year, shared this list of ways schools could stem the exodus.

By Jordan Kohanim

There are some obvious solutions to this problem which can be addressed at the grass-roots level.

1.  Acknowledgement: This one of the most important factors. Recognizing that teachers have a difficult job and are doing the best they can (and often successfully so) is an essential and surprisingly easy thing to do. Acknowledgement across all realms of education — not just math and science is essential. All teachers have a role and purpose in a school. This doesn’t mean the principal needs to have a Ra-Ra session every year, but admitting that:

•This is a hard job, with not enough monetary compensation, that most people appreciate 

Peg with Pen: They Want Your Rug. Ask TPS.

Peg with Pen: They Want Your Rug. Ask TPS.:

They Want Your Rug. Ask TPS.

by Peggy

What does it feel like to have the rug pulled out from under you?  All of us know this feeling to some extent.  And when you thought the rug was your rug – and someone claims it is not, what do you do?

I have had the rug pulled out from under me many times in my life. But I have never experienced a school closing as a teacher or a parent.  I wonder - what would I do? Now I sit here in Denver seething, then crying, then seething, then wondering who I can punch or what choice words I might email to the judge who upheld the closing of The Project School or the dictator mayor who first recommended it.  Who the hell are they?  What the F&%$ do they know about TPS and the fearless and dedicated parents and teachers? Nothing.

This isn’t their rug – and they took it – without warning, without due process or any intelligent reasoning for its 

Why Schools Should Help Students Find Their Passion - Education - GOOD

Why Schools Should Help Students Find Their Passion - Education - GOOD:

Why Schools Should Help Students Find Their Passion

by Liz Dwyer

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"Many people spend their entire lives doing things they don't really care for" and "endure their lives" says reknowned creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson in a talk for the School of Life on finding our purpose and following our passion. Robinson—who is known for speaking out against our highly standardized, one-size-fits-all education system that follows a "linear mode of production" and steers workers toward filling slots at companies so our economy can "beat China"—says the problem with this system is that humans are hard wired to use our imaginations and produce new things. When we find ourselves doing things we aren't passionate about, we are, 

All Education Matters: Higher Ed Watch: Steve Burd - "Why the Harkin Report on For-Profit Colleges Really Matters"

All Education Matters: Higher Ed Watch: Steve Burd - "Why the Harkin Report on For-Profit Colleges Really Matters":

Higher Ed Watch: Steve Burd - "Why the Harkin Report on For-Profit Colleges Really Matters"

by Cryn Johannsen

Photo Credit: Johnathan Ernst/Reuters

Higher Education Policy Analyst Steve Burd, at the New America Foundation, published a piece on July 31st about Senator Harkin's report on for-profit colleges. The findings offer damning evidence of how these schools mislead students and defraud them. It is clear, based upon Burd's analysis, why Harkin's findings matter. The report, as Burd notes, is "voluminous" and accurately documents systemic abuse among for-profit schools. This abuse turns students into indebted, and oftentimes unemployable citizens. AEM has also documented these sorts of abuses in the past (here's a sampling - here, here, and here, and it doesn't stop there).

Sentoar Harkin is a rarity on the Hill, especially when it comes to critiquing the predatory nature of higher education, and the way in which these higher education institutions - for-profits in particular - make money by 

Last Stand for Children First: Roland Fryer, Snooki, and Building the Perfect Teacher

Last Stand for Children First: Roland Fryer, Snooki, and Building the Perfect Teacher:

Roland Fryer, Snooki, and Building the Perfect Teacher

by Last Stand for Children

By Monica Caldwell

People are always surprised to find out that I wasn't an education major in college.   As a hotel/motel management major I learned a lot about how to deal with employees.  This knowledge was further augmented when I began managing a tanning salon at the tender age of 20.  Teaching was the hardest job I ever had and the five weeks of training leading up to it was even tougher than the nearly 2 whole years I spent in the classroom.

Recently, a couple of studies have come out that really got me thinking.   The first study was by the awesome Roland Fryer.  He says that the key to making merit pay work is loss aversion.  Now math is hard, but the way I understand it instead of giving teachers money if they show improvement on tests, you give them the money up front and then if their students' test scores don't improve they either cough up the dough, or your Uncle Rocco pays them a little visit.   If 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: SOS Labor Panel and Workshop at upcoming convention

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: SOS Labor Panel and Workshop at upcoming convention:

SOS Labor Panel and Workshop at upcoming convention

by Mike Klonsky

Weingarten calls for "new unionism"

After stops in Cleveland and Philly, two cities now viewed as "models" of privatization by the corporate reformers, I'm headed to D.C. this morning to take part in the upcoming SOS Convention. I'll be part of the convention'sLabor Panel and Workshop, which is looking even more interesting in light of the so-called "solutions driven unionism" being pushed by AFT Pres. Randi Weingarten.

Weingarten, who was re-elected this week for a third term as union president with 98 percent of the vote, is claiming a mandate for her approach to dealing with corporate reform. She's holding up recently signed agreements in New Haven and Cleveland as models of collaboration, agreements which include teacher evaluations and merit pay based on student test scores.

All this should provide fodder for an interesting discussion within SOS as 

Culture in Decline | Episode #1 "What Democracy?"(VIDEO) by Peter Joseph - Perdaily.com

Culture in Decline | Episode #1 "What Democracy?"(VIDEO) by Peter Joseph - Perdaily.com:

Culture in Decline | Episode #1 "What Democracy?"(VIDEO) by Peter Joseph

by Leonard Isenberg

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

At perdaily, we spend most of our time focused on the microcosm of purposefully failed public education as it presently exists at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and public school districts like it around the United States and around the world. These pseudo educational systems are designed to assure that the citizen is mentally incapable of challenging 

Measuring My Teacher Effectiveness In Buckets | The Jose Vilson

Measuring My Teacher Effectiveness In Buckets | The Jose Vilson:

Measuring My Teacher Effectiveness In Buckets

by Jose

Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with my brother Ralf, and a couple of burgeoning entrepreneurs about the teaching profession. They called it the most important profession there is, and one of their sisters was a public school teacher in Trenton. We laughed as the one guy told us about how his sister loved the more seemingly intimidating situations in Newark and Trenton, preferring the more difficult classes. Asked how she handled all that, he said that she builds a trust culture with them, to the point where she could leave her purse out and the kids watch her stuff for her. Everyone but me was 

Gerard Robinson’s Convenient Departure | Scathing Purple Musings

Gerard Robinson’s Convenient Departure | Scathing Purple Musings:

Gerard Robinson’s Convenient Departure

by Bob Sikes

By all accounts, Gerard Robinson is a decent man and I take him at his word that family concerns motivated him to give a 30-day notice to Governor Rick Scott.
And everybody is saying all the right things – although revealing  particular details of Robinson’s family dynamics are a bit peculiar. These were things that people aren’t entitled to know and Robinson didn’t need to divulge then either.  As all media reports are giving the details, somone provided them as  background.
Having said this, the timing couldn’t be any better for those attempting to rescue Florida’s test-based 

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, local Democratic Party at odds over nonprofits' City Hall presence - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, local Democratic Party at odds over nonprofits' City Hall presence - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee:

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, local Democratic Party at odds over nonprofits' City Hall presence

By Ryan Lillis
rlillis@sacbee.com

Published: Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1B

Last Modified: Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2012 - 5:15 pm

He may be a Democrat (or Not). He may have just won re-election. But Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson apparently still has a long way to go to impress the local Democratic Party.

In the latest sign of how fractured that relationship remains, the Democratic Party of Sacramento County has urged city officials to investigate the use of City Hall resources by Johnson's nonprofit organizations.

Party chair Kerri Asbury told City Manager John Shirey in a letter last week that "there appears to be an illegal gift of public funds to nonprofits and/or individuals related to office space at and use of City Hall."

Asbury was referring to the mayor's various nonprofits that handle initiatives ranging from creating a plan for a downtown sports arena to promoting

"Significant barriers to entry" at many Philadelphia charters, says District report | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

"Significant barriers to entry" at many Philadelphia charters, says District report | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

"Significant barriers to entry" at many Philadelphia charters, says District report

by Benjamin Herold

by Benjamin Herold for the Notebook and WHYY/NewsWorks

 

A School District review found “significant barriers to entry” to numerous city charter schools, according to a draft report obtained by the Notebook/NewsWorks.
In at least one case, an unidentified charter only made its enrollment applications available on only one day per year.  Another unnamed charter required applicants to complete an 11-page application, write an essay, respond to 20 short-answer questions, provide three recommendations, be interviewed, and provide records related to their disciplinary history, citizenship and disability status.
“The District does not believe this is a fair system, nor does it help build a robust system of school-choice,” wrote District spokesperson Fernando Gallard in response to questions submitted by the Notebook/NewsWorks.

Featured Title: 

District: "Not a fair system"

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AUGUST 17TH, LET THE INVASION OF SPRINGFIELD BEGIN « Teachers Fight Back

AUGUST 17TH, LET THE INVASION OF SPRINGFIELD BEGIN « Teachers Fight Back:

AUGUST 17TH, LET THE INVASION OF SPRINGFIELD BEGIN

by alkleen

The governor of Illinois has called for a special session of the General Assembly to be held on August 17th.  It’s time for every teacher in Illinois to make plans to be in Springfield on that day.  It’s time to hold the largest mass demonstration ever held in Springfield.
Most teachers in Illinois will still not be in the classroom on August 17th. This is the chance to make a statement to the General Assembly about the upcoming “pension reform”. The legislators probably aren’t going to implement pension reform until after the November elections, but now is the time for teachers to make themselves heard. It will be too late in November, and in addition, most teachers are way too busy to make their way to Springfield once the school year is in full swing.
I would suggest every teacher make a large poster for the Springfield rally. The poster should say, “you stole our 

The Loss Aversion Contest: You Can Win! « Diane Ravitch's blog

The Loss Aversion Contest: You Can Win! « Diane Ravitch's blog:

The Loss Aversion Contest: You Can Win!

by dianerav

Economist Roland Fryer has been trying for years to find the magic incentive that would produce higher scores.
He tried merit pay, and that didn’t work.
He tried paying students to get higher scores, but that didn’t work.
Now, he has at last found the key:
He and his colleagues have perfected a technique called “loss aversion.”
They give teachers a bonus (say, $4,000) at the beginning of the year. If the scores go up, the teachers keep the

The First Entrant Is A Strong Contender

by dianerav

In the contest to see who can come up with the best form of loss aversion to motivate high test scores, we have a first entrant that looks incredibly strong.
Supposing you say to teachers, get those scores up or we take away your first born.
Don’t you think those scores are going up?
Supposing you said it to doctors?
They would all become dermatologists, and no one would be a surgeon.
What if you say it to economists?
You can bet all their predictions will be very safe.
Can you top this?
True, it didn’t work for pharaoh–the Hebrews packed up and moved out.
But hey, maybe it will work for teachers. Where can they go?

Loss Aversion Contest: First Dropout

by dianerav

This reader warns about the danger of the  loss aversion contest:

I would enter, but I’m worried someone would think it was a good idea and make it a law. At least in Louisiana……where I teach!

Supposing we agreed that teachers would produce higher test scores if we cut off their fingers or took their first-born?
How long would it be before a law was passed in Louisiana?
Keep it quiet.

School officials in Fla. try to block Michelle Obama visit

School officials in Fla. try to block Michelle Obama visit:

School officials in Fla. try to block Michelle Obama visit

 Some Miami-Dade (Fla.) School Board members are trying to block a visit to a school by first lady Michelle Obama scheduled for today on the grounds that it amounts to a campaign visit,The Miami Herald reports.

CAPTION

By Julie Jacobson, AP

Miami-Dade School Board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla has called for the event at Barbara Goleman Senior High School in Miami Lakes, Fla., to be canceled while board member Carlos Curbelo wants the board attorney to reconsider an opinion that the appearance meets legal requirements, the Herald reports.

Diaz de la Portilla is running for a Florida state House seat as a